Summary

• Math skills are essential not only for academic success but also for real-world problem-solving and opportunity in high-demand careers.

• Experts urged DC to align graduation requirements with students’ diverse futures by expanding beyond the traditional Calculus pathway.

• Multiple rigorous math pathways, such as Statistics, Data Science, and Quantitative Reasoning should be offered with transparency for families and colleges.

• Implementation will require teacher training, counselor tools, equitable course access, and embedded supports for students with disabilities.

• Long-term success depends on starting early, making math engaging, and helping students see its relevance to their lives and futures.

Mathematics is one of the most important foundations students build during their years in school. At its heart, math teaches students how to analyze problems, weigh evidence, and arrive at reasoned solutions. Later in life, these skills are essential for meeting everyday demands such as balancing budgets, comparing loan offers, interpreting health data, or evaluating statistical narratives underpinning news stories. In today’s world, where spurious information and misleading numbers circulate widely through digital media, the ability to discern fact from distortion depends on more than reading comprehension alone—it requires mathematical reasoning. In this way, math literacy is inseparable from media literacy, equipping students not only to navigate figures and charts but also to question the validity of the sources that present them.

Math is also about opportunity. Students who feel confident and capable in math are more likely to enroll in advanced coursework, graduate ready for college and career, and step into jobs in high-demand fields like technology, health care, and data science. When math education falls short, students are missing access to futures that should be open to them.

On September 17, the State Board convened national and local experts on math education to explore how other states have innovated their approaches and to ponder how D.C. may drive greater math mastery among high school students.

Aligning Math Requirements with Real-World Outcomes

The panel brought together leaders from across the country with deep expertise in mathematics teaching, policy, and standards. Panelists included:

• Dr. Katey Arrington, Director of Systemic Transformation at the University of Texas at Austin’s Charles A. Dana Center
• Dr. David Barnes, Associate Executive Director at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
• Lyndsey Brightful, Director of Mathematics in the Division of Instructional Programs at the Maryland State Department of Education
• Andrea McChristian, National Policy Director at Just Equations
• Eboney McKinney, Director of Mathematics and Educational Technology and State Tutoring Grant Coordinator at the Arizona Department of Education, and President of the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics 

A central theme of their testimonies was that graduation requirements must reflect the realities students face after leaving high school. For decades, the default assumption has been that all students should move through a sequence that follows Algebra II, Precalculus and Calculus. That pathway was originally designed with selective four-year colleges in mind, but the panel urged DC to consider whether it serves the full range of student futures today.

Panelists explained that while Calculus is vital for students pursuing STEM fields, it is less useful for those bound for careers in the social sciences, the arts, or direct-to-workforce opportunities. In these cases, advanced Statistics, Data Science, or Quantitative Reasoning may provide skills that are more practical and more aligned with the decisions students will face as adults. Eboney McKinney of the Arizona Department of Education stressed that “today’s students need strong foundations not only in algebraic reasoning but also in statistics, data science, and applied quantitative reasoning” to succeed in college, careers, and civic life.

This point resonated in a city where many graduates head into diverse postsecondary paths. Employers have reported that workers often lack the mathematical reasoning needed to succeed, not because they did not study Algebra II, but because they did not have practice applying math to real problems. Dr. Barnes gave the example of a construction engineer who does not need a degree in higher mathematics but does need precise skills in measurement, modeling, and problem solving. Aligning DC’s requirements with these real-world needs would ensure that students are not spending precious time on coursework that does not match their goals.

Multiple Pathways, One Standard of Rigor

Aside from providing testimony on specific courses students should be required to take, panelists emphasized the importance of offering multiple rigorous pathways through high school math. In the traditional sequence, every student follows the same route, regardless of interest or intended career. This “one-size-fits-all” approach often ends up being “one size fits none,” experts argued. Many students disengage, finding themselves trapped in a course sequence that feels irrelevant.

Offering alternatives such as a Calculus pathway, a Statistics and Data Science pathway, and a Quantitative Reasoning pathway would allow students to pursue math that is meaningful for their aspirations. Panelists did warn that these pathways must be carefully designed and clearly explained, however. Andrea McChristian of Just Equations cautioned, “Transparency, transparency, transparency. Families, students, and counselors need to know exactly what each math pathway means for college admissions.”

This transparency is especially crucial in DC, where 75 percent of graduates attend college outside the District. Admissions offices across the country may hold different expectations, and families deserve to know whether a particular pathway will keep doors open or inadvertently close them. Dr. Katey Arrington of the Charles A. Dana Center explained that students should have a solid common foundation in algebraic, statistical, and quantitative reasoning in the first two to three years of high school, followed by rigorous pathways that align with their interests and career goals. For the State Board, this means balancing flexibility with rigor. Every pathway must prepare students for college and career, even if the exact mathematical focus looks different. What matters most is that no pathway is a lesser track.

Exploring Integrated Math

In addition to multiple pathways, panelists encouraged DC to consider integrated math—a model where algebra, geometry, and statistics are taught together in a coherent sequence. This approach has been adopted by states such as Utah and Oregon.

Similarly to those states, Lyndsey Brightful of the Maryland State Department of Education highlighted that Maryland recently adopted a two-year Integrated Algebra sequence that blends algebra, geometry, and statistics to emphasize connections between concepts and prepare students for purposeful pathways such as Calculus, Statistics, Data Science, or Quantitative Reasoning. McChristian noted that Maryland’s shift was motivated by the recognition that students often leave traditional sequences without a strong grasp of how concepts fit together. In integrated math, algebraic concepts are introduced alongside statistics and real-world applications, helping students to see mathematics as a unified discipline.

The potential benefits are significant. Students who struggle with disjointed subject blocks may find integrated math more engaging and more relevant. At the same time, the model does not eliminate opportunities for advanced study. Dr. Barnes reassured the Board that “the integrated path is not saying you’re not going to Calculus. It’s a valuable path for all students.”

For DC, the question is not whether integrated math is possible, because it clearly is, but whether the city has the teaching capacity, curriculum supports, and professional learning structures needed to implement it effectively.

Implementation: Teachers, Counselors, and Supports

Panelists and State Board representatives alike stressed that changing graduation requirements is only part of the challenge. Implementation requires sustained support for the people who will make these changes real. Teachers will need professional development to teach new sequences. School counselors will need better tools to advise families. Students with disabilities will need built-in scaffolds and co-requisite supports, not add-ons delivered too late.

McChristian reminded the Board that “you have to understand the capacity and resources you have. With integrated math, that means teacher professional development, counselor training, and data systems that track how students are doing.” Brightful cautioned that policy alone is not enough; success depends on sustained action at every level: state, district, school, and community, paired with professional learning and resources for teachers and counselors.

Board representatives also raised the practical challenges of course access. Smaller schools may not have the staff to offer three or four pathways. Ward 2 Representative Allister Chang questioned how transportation and scheduling would be handled if new pathways require students to travel. Panelists acknowledged these challenges and suggested phased rollouts, targeted resource allocation, and strong collaboration with OSSE to ensure equity.

Supports for students with disabilities were another priority. Ward 8 Representative LaJoy Johnson-Law challenged the Board to “bake in supports automatically.” Dr. Barnes and McChristian agreed, pointing to co-teaching models and resource investments that would ensure students with Individual Education Plans (IEP) are not left behind.

Starting Early and Making Math Engaging

Perhaps the most serious reminder from the panel was that graduation requirements only matter if students are prepared long before high school. Dr. Barnes highlighted research showing that “Pre-K mathematics understanding is the best predictor for students’ future success in high school and beyond—not language arts.” This means DC must invest not only in high school pathways but also in early numeracy and strong math instruction from the start.

Panelists also pushed for math to feel relevant. McChristian described examples of culturally responsive curricula where students analyze real issues, such as food deserts in their neighborhoods, using math to make sense of inequities and propose solutions. This kind of work helps students see math as a tool for understanding their world. 

Several panelists encouraged surveying students in ninth and tenth grade to better understand their career interests and guide math placement. Dr. Barnes added that conversations should begin even earlier, in middle school, so that students and families have the information they need to make informed choices before graduation looms.

Starting Early and Making Math Engaging

For the State Board, the panel emphasized both the urgency and the possibility of change. Math graduation requirements must be designed not as a filter that blocks students from opportunity, but as a pump that propels them forward. As Ward 7 Representative Eboni-Rose Thompson quoted Dr. Barnes’ testimony, “Math should be a pump, not a filter.”

The work ahead will not be simple. It will require collaboration with higher education institutions to ensure admissions standards evolve in step with graduation requirements. It will require new investments in teacher learning and student supports. And it will require clear communication with families so that pathways are understood and trusted.

By aligning high school math requirements and instruction to real-world outcomes, offering multiple rigorous pathways, considering integrated approaches, investing in implementation, and starting early, DC has the chance to reimagine what math means for its students.