New formulas for high school math

The report offers several ideas for enrolling more students in advanced classes and bolstering math’s role in the transition to college and careers:

Expanding access: High schools should offer the full range of math classes that meet state graduation requirements. Schools that have limited capacity to expand math offerings should partner with other districts, colleges or online providers of advanced courses. It’s also important to ensure that students in all math courses are covering grade-level content.
Making placement decisions equitably: Most high school principals blend assessment data and educator recommendations to place students in math courses. To make these decisions more equitable, district and school leaders should use multiple data sources consistently and transparently. Administrators should also receive training on correcting the inherent bias in various data sources.
Supporting career preparation: Administrators should ramp up efforts to connect students with college and career mentors and invest more heavily in business partnerships that provide job-shadowing opportunities, including virtual experiences when limited by geography or financial resources. However, many of the principals surveyed reported that they did not have enough data to determine precisely what postsecondary transitions and career support students are receiving.
Identifying barriers to postsecondary readiness: Educators should share more information with families about courses, math pathways and postsecondary options.

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