NC has changed math standards
Here's what high school students will now take
New math standards are coming to North Carolina public schools that will change what's taught in high school and are supposed to make the subject more relevant to students.
The State Board of Education adopted new K-12 math standards on Oct. 1 that state leaders say will increase student interest in math by making it more applicable to their daily lives. The biggest changes are coming at the high school level, where Math 3 will no longer be required under a revamp of what courses are needed for graduation.
"Our message is that math really is everywhere in everything that we do, and it is something that is vital for all of our students to be able to succeed," said Charles Aiken, section chief of Math, Science, and STEM in the state Department of Public Instruction's Office of Teaching and Learning. The state will spend the next two years training math teachers on the new standards before they're used beginning in the 2028-29 school year.
In North Carolina, the state board sets the standards that students are supposed to know in each subject. It's then typically up to individual school districts and charter schools to pick the curriculum to teach those standards.
Four high school math credits still needed
North Carolina high school students are required to complete four math credits/courses to graduate.
Currently, high school students must take NC Math 1, NC Math 2 and NC Math 3. Students can pick from different choices, including NC Math 4, for their final math course.
Math 1 integrates algebra, geometry, function and statistics. Some middle school students take Math 1 instead of waiting until high school.
Math 2 builds on Math 1 and goes into more on topics such as polynomials, trigonometric ratios, probability and geometric concepts like congruence and similarity.
Math 3 builds on Math 1 and Math 2 and goes into topics such as complex numbers, inverse functions, trigonometric functions and geometric concepts such as conics and circles.
Many of the students who plan to go to college in the UNC System are currently steered toward math classes focused on calculus.
"However, employers are telling us increasingly that calculus is less critical than statistics and data analytics," Aiken told the state board.
New and revamped math courses
Under the new standards, students will still be required to take Math 1 and Math 2. But both courses will be revised to provide what Aiken says are the essential skills needed to graduate.
The big change will come after students complete Math 2 because Math 3 will no longer be required. Instead, students will choose from different options for the final two courses, including new data science and statistical modeling classes:
■ Applied Statistics and Data Science has students pose questions, collect and visualize data, problem solve to draw relevant conclusions from data, and communicate findings to various audiences.
■Mathematical and Statistical Modeling bridges statistics and applied mathematics. Students use reasoning and probability to quantify, evaluate and make informed decisions based on data.
■Applied Logic and Reasoning is the revamped and renamed Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science course. The name change comes with an increased emphasis on using reasoning to think like a computer scientist or mathematician.
Aiken said the applied statistics and statistical modeling courses include elements of Math 3 and Math 4 as well as new material on quantitative reasoning.
Existing Advanced Placement math courses will still be offered.
Giving students flexibility in math courses
The final two math courses are supposed to be based on the post-secondary interests of students, whether it's going to college or getting a job after high school graduation. For instance:
■Students interested in business careers might take data science.
■Aspiring teachers might choose applied logic and reasoning.
■Engineers might take calculus.
■Students who plan to go community colleges or straight into the workforce might take a career and technical education course.
Educators hope giving students the flexibility to pick their final two math courses will make the subject feel more relevant.
"The future of mathematics in North Carolina is rooted in the work underway to develop these standards with an emphasis on ensuring that these standards really do come to life for our students," Aiken said.
