The Value of Math

Mathematics education in the U.S. has always been a complicated issue: on the one hand, there is a general consensus that mathematics is a fundamental skill that all students should possess, yet there is also the common – and false – perception that not all students are "good at math" and that it is unfair to expect all kids to take advanced mathematics in order to graduate. As an editorial this week in the Houston Chronicle summed it up: "In this country, we do seem to assume that folks from certain ethnic groups (think Asians) and certain sexes (think male) are the math geniuses, and the rest of us haven't got a clue beyond whatever we can dope out with our pocket calculators. That approach is just so wrong – and the consequences are profound. If we accept that faulty premise, we arbitrarily limit the national talent pool for math, engineering and the sciences – the very pursuits that hold the keys to innovation and progress."

It was, in part, this disconnect between what is expected of some kids compared to what should be expected of all kids that led Achieve and its partners in 2004 to set out to identify the knowledge and skills most demanded of students in first-year math and English college courses and in careers that offer pathways to advancement. After conducting more than two years of research with employers and first-year college professors at two-and four-year institutions, the American Diploma Project (ADP) recommended that to be prepared for their next steps, high school students should learn the content typically taught through an Algebra II (or equivalent) course, recommendations that were supported by other subsequent research.

More recently, Achieve conducted international benchmarking studies, which revealed that math through Algebra II is a minimal requirement for all students in many high-performing countries, with some countries having even higher expectations for all of their students. The Common Core State Standards (CSSS) and ADP have nearly equivalent college- and career-ready expectations in mathematics. The 45 states that have adopted – and whom are now in various stages of implementing the CCSS – have essentially agreed that all students need this level of advanced mathematics to be positioned for success.

As a recent Washington Post article discussed, states have been making steady progress in their efforts to raise not only their high school standards but also their graduation requirements to the college- and career-ready level. Twenty states and DC require students to complete a college- and career-ready curriculum for high school graduation, including math through (or beyond) Algebra II. These requirements are relatively new and will apply to the Class of 2011 in only eight states (Arkansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Delaware, DC, Indiana and Michigan). (Read Closing the Expectations Gap, 2012 for more information.) As states revise their standards – especially for the 40-plus states that have recently adopted the CCSS – aligning high school graduation requirements is a must.

While the debate will likely continue over whether there is a causal or correlative relationship between advanced mathematics and future success, there is no debating that this level of math (or more) is the what students in high-performing countries learn. There is also no debate that advanced mathematics teaches students to problem solve and think critically. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there shouldn't be a debate over the fact that if we want to be able to compete and lead in the global economy, we must ensure that our students have the knowledge and skills of their global peers – and that we must not limit future generations by the uniquely American false perception that only some students are good at math. That thinking limits students' options – and our nation's ability to lead.

For more information on why all students should take advanced mathematics, see Achieve's Math Works.