Better at Math with Khan Academy
Helping teachers teach Maths skillfully – setting clear goals, tracking student progress in real time, and providing personalized feedback to students
Helping teachers teach Maths skillfully – setting clear goals, tracking student progress in real time, and providing personalized feedback to students
Close the 3.42 Gap: Help Raise Math Scores in Bulgarian Schools
In 2025, the average score on the national math entry-level test for 6th-grade students was 3.42, on a scale from 2 to 6. This shows how urgently Bulgarian students need better ways to learn math. Together we can change that.
Through its Better at Math with Khan Academy program, the Education Without Backpacks trains and mentors teachers to use Khan’s tools skillfully in class. Teachers set goals, track student progress in real time, and personalize feedback, helping students build confidence, master key skills, and raise math results.
The program is already transforming teaching in 28 schools across Bulgaria, reaching thousands of students.
Why this works?
Khan Academy is the world’s #1 platform for free math and science learning, proven to raise achievement. In the 2024-25 school year, the platform had almost 190M registered users. Khan Academy is available in 190+ countries and 55+ languages.
A recent study showed that students who spend just 30 minutes per week on Khan Academy throughout the school year – around 18 hours in total – gain roughly 20% more knowledge than expected.
The research also revealed that students who consistently master two to three skills each week (adding up to about 60 extra skills over the year) improve their overall learning by approximately 30%.
Explore further about impact that Khan Academy’s personalized mastery learning has on driving learning outcomes.
What do schools receive?
Intensive teacher training
Teachers will undergo in-depth training that equips them with all the skills needed to effectively use Khan Academy in the classroom.
Mentorship throughout the school year
Regular mentoring sessions with experts and experienced colleagues will support teachers in implementing the platform and sharing best practices.
Student progress tracking and analysis
Together with their mentors, teachers will monitor student progress through detailed data, analyze results, and work to improve learning outcomes.
Time-saving tools with no equivalent
With Khan Academy, teachers can manage virtual classrooms, assign homework or independent work (which the platform grades automatically), and track detailed student progress.
Students who want to learn
Khan Academy feels like a game! It motivates students by letting them track their progress skill by skill and by percentage, earn points, badges, and avatars, and engage with fun tools like the LearnStorm tracker.
Expected outcomes for schools participating in the program
- Improved math performance – By using the platform regularly for at least 30 minutes per week, students will show measurable progress in math, thanks to the personalized approach and access to Khan Academy’s interactive tools.
- Increased motivation – The gamified system on the platform will encourage students to learn more actively and strive for achievement.
- Expanded teaching practices – By integrating Khan Academy into the classroom, teachers will broaden their instructional methods and enrich the learning process with new resources and strategies that support student success.
- Teacher support and time savings – Khan Academy helps teachers save time by automatically grading assignments and assessments. It also offers well-organized digital content that can easily be assigned to different students based on their individual levels – with just one click.
What else can you expect from the program?
It’s impossible to compare a traditional math lesson where students copy problems from the board to Khan Academy! The platform presents content in such an interactive way. This is the future, and it’s already in our school!
The Role of the Experts at Education Without Backpacks
Our educational experts play a key role in the success of the Better in Maths with Khan Academy program. They support teachers and schools throughout the entire process of implementation and weekly use of the platform.
Training and Support
Our experts train teachers on how to use Khan Academy effectively in the classroom. They also lead regular mentoring sessions throughout the school year, supporting teachers in selecting educational content, monitoring student progress, using additional interactive teaching methods, and more.
Progress Evaluation
The experts at Education Without Backpacks track and analyze student progress, providing teachers with individualized recommendations for using the platform and teaching strategies aimed at catching up on material and improving results.
Specialized Consultations
Our experts offer consultations on specific pedagogical questions and challenges, helping teachers integrate Khan Academy into their daily work as effectively as possible. They also facilitate connections and knowledge sharing with other experienced Khan Academy teachers.
Participation Criteria
Better at Math with Khan Academy program aims to work with the schools which meet the following criteria:
- Lower secondary and/or upper secondary schools (students from 5th to 12th grade, ages 11-19);
- Schools with low or average results on the National External Assessment (NEA) in mathematics (up to 62 points) after 7th or 10th grade;
- Schools with more than one lower secondary and/or upper secondary class;
- Schools that can ensure access to internet-connected devices;
- Schools that can provide co-funding (€2,000 excluding VAT in the first year and €1,000 excluding VAT in the second year) through the school’s own budget, the municipality where the school is located, or another donor/sponsor or source;
- Schools with strongly motivated leadership;
- Schools where the team of Math teachers is willing to participate proactively in the program and believes that “Everyone can learn everything.”
Priority will be given to:
- Schools with underprivileged or disadvantaged students, meeting at least one of the following criteria:
- Schools with a concentration of children and students from vulnerable groups, receiving state funding for work with such students.
- Schools with students from disadvantaged groups for other reasons, for example:
- low socio-economic status
- low-income families
- unequal opportunities
- minority background
- language barriers
- students at risk of dropping out
- or other similar circumstances;
- Schools located in economically disadvantaged regions with a lower share of national GDP.
Additional advantage
- At least one mathematics teacher with experience using Khan Academy;
- Schools that also have a primary level and will include primary teachers in the Khan Academy training;
- For high schools: science teachers interested in being trained to use Khan Academy.
28
Khan schools
413
trained teachers
13
regions across the country
6800+
active students
Teachers & Principals Share the Impact
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Program partners
UniCredit Foundation and America for Bulgaria Foundation are main donors of the Better at Maths with Khan Academy program:
- 2 schools participate in a three-year project funded by the UniCredit Foundation (2023–2026);
- 10 schools are included in a two-year project funded by the America for Bulgaria Foundation (2024–2026);
- 15 schools participate in a project supported by the UniCredit Foundation, part of a broader three-year initiative that will reach a total of 50 schools by 2028 across the country;
- 1 school participates in the program through a self-paid two-year participation model.
Companies like Cargill, Pwrteams, Visteon, and individual donors also support the program. Experian, Telus, Astea Solutions, Ubisoft Sofia, Schwarz IT Bulgaria, UniCredit Bulbank. Ipsos, Superhosting have donated decommissioned devices for the schools.
Burgas Municipality, Blagoevgrad Municipality, the Regional Education Department of Burgas, and the Regional Education Department of Vratsa support schools on regional level.
The support of our partners enables us to bring the Khan Academy platform to schools across the country. However, the issue with math and science skills is systemic and systemic and profound. That’s why we need your support!
Support Better at Math with Khan Academy Program
More about us
- Mission
- Annual reports
- Why Khan Academy is world’s best educational platform?
- Impact
- Trainings for teachers
- Free webinars
- Contests with Khan Academy
- Students “Ambassadors” of Khan
Contact us on
hi@ obr.education
Rozalina Laskova
Executive director
r.laskova@ obr.education
(+359) 885 226012
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