The Maryland State Board of Education has voted to change the way math is taught in the state.
Under the plan approved by the board, math curricula in the state’s 24 public school systems would be built so that what kindergartners learn aligns with the math that is taught in high school.
On Tuesday, school board President Josh Michael said that “battles were won” in trying to improve math education nationally, but “we completely lost the war if we were to look at it in terms of supporting students at scale in America to learn better in math.”
To bolster instruction, beginning in pre-K, math instruction will include small-group instruction as needed. Interventions will be introduced as early as second grade if it’s evident that students are struggling. Those who risk falling behind will be given one-on-one support.
Starting in elementary school, accelerated math programming must also be offered. The idea is to make sure that by the time children enter middle school, they can be successful in algebra.
The biggest change will happen at the high school level, where “integrated” algebra will be taught, and geometry and statistics as well. School districts would also be required to develop secondary mathematics programming that “align with different career and academic interests,” the policy reads.
Currently, secondary math courses progress from Algebra I to geometry and then Algebra II.
Michael indicated to the board that the version of the math overhaul being approved is not written in stone.
“We know that there are components of this policy that we will not get right,” he said. “It is essential that we put a line in the sand and adopt these policies within a reasonable amount of time.”
Teachers would also see changes, including a plan that creates an “Effective Mathematics Educator” course that would be necessary to renew their teaching licenses. That course is expected to be developed by the spring of 2027.
The plan requires school districts to develop a process to identify students who struggle with math starting in the 2026-27 school year.
All of the requirements in the plan are expected to be in place by the school year that begins in the fall of 2028.
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