Who exactly is Carnegie Learning, and how did their workbooks and instructional model become the blueprint for Texas’ middle school OER math curriculum? The answers lie in a long legacy of AI-powered learning, a commitment to rigorous pedagogy, and strategic partnerships with states like Texas.
Carnegie Learning grew out of research projects that were taking place at Carnegie Mellon University in the late 1990s. The team of co-founders were researchers and professors at the esteemed institution; the University even invested in the company to help them get started in 1998. Their vision was to combine cognitive science and educational research to radically improve how students learn mathematics.
Their earliest innovation was the Cognitive Tutor. Led by Dr. Kenneth Koedinger, the Cognitive Tutor was a pioneering AI platform that modeled student problem-solving behaviors and provided real-time personalized feedback. Over time, this software evolved into MATHia®, a modern intelligent tutoring system that remains central to Carnegie Learning’s blended instructional model.
The company was sold in 2011 and continued to grow under new leadership provided by the Apollo Education Group. Recognizing that technology alone wasn’t enough of a product offering, the company expanded into curriculum publishing. They began creating comprehensive print and digital programs for middle and high school math, integrating their adaptive software with high-quality, concept-driven instruction.
This hybrid model quickly gained a foothold in school districts seeking rigorous alternatives to traditional math textbooks. With the substantial increase in revenue, the company was acquired by private equity in 2018.
