ERIC Number: ED673482
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Apr
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Advanced Math Pathways in New England
Heena Kuwayama; Adam Tyner
Thomas B. Fordham Institute
For decades, calculus has towered over the high-school math landscape, its mastery viewed as the surest marker of high academic achievement. Yet in New England as across the nation, changes are underway: Statistics and data science courses are multiplying, and state leaders are re-engineering graduation rules so students can choose the pathway that best fits their goals. So what does participation in calculus and statistics look like and how is New England developing and diversifying its math pathways? To find out, we combed sixteen years of public-school data, AP course ledgers, and state enrollment files from six New England states, then complemented that analysis with insights from state agency officials and other stakeholders who are rewriting the region's math playbook. The study identifies several trends in high school math in New England. Consider that since 2008, the share of New England high schools offering AP Statistics has doubled, and statistics enrollments are catching up to calculus. Meanwhile, three states have loosened rigid "Algebra II-to-Calculus" mandates in favor of more flexible, proficiency-based or STEM-credit requirements, and several other states are drafting new standards meant to keep data science pathways as rigorous as the traditional track. In short, the report shows a region in transition: Calculus still matters, but statistics is fast becoming its peer. Ensuring every pathway remains rigorous will require clear course standards, tighter K-12-college coordination, and state-level support so districts don't have to reinvent math reform one classroom at a time.
Descriptors: Mathematics Education, Calculus, Public Schools, Secondary School Mathematics, Educational Trends, Statistics, Algebra, Academic Standards, Educational Change, Advanced Placement
Thomas B. Fordham Institute. 1701 K Street NW Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006. Tel: 202-223-5452; Fax: 202-223-9226; e-mail: thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org; Web site: https://fordhaminstitute.org/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Barr Foundation; Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
Authoring Institution: Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Identifiers - Location: Rhode Island; Vermont; Connecticut; Maine; Massachusetts
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A