State of Virginia Plans on Eliminating All Advanced Math Courses Prior to 11th Grade Because of Commitment to “Equity”
Evan James
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The state of Virginia is planning on eliminating all advanced math options for students below the 11th grade.
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is spearheading a joint initiative with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the Virginia Community College System that will seek to “improve equity in mathematics learning opportunities, empower students to be active participants in a quantitative world, and encourage students to see themselves as knowers and doers of mathematics.”
Their initiative is called the Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiative (VMPI).
A flowchart posted on the VMPI web page states that all K-7 students will learn the foundational concepts of mathematics at roughly the same pace, while eighth- through tenth-grade students will learn essential concepts like data analysis, mathematical modeling, functions, algebra, and so on.
The advanced math program for grades 11 and 12 offers a combination of “modules” in the areas of data, design, analysis, modeling, and computing, as well as one credit course options in computer science, calculus, and statistics. It appears that dual enrollment and advanced place classes in mathematics will only be available to students in the eleventh or twelfth grades.
A concerned parent spoke to Fox News and said that the new curriculum would “lower standards for all students in the name of equity.”
“These changes will have a profound impact on students who excel in STEM related curriculum, weakening our country’s ability to compete in a global marketplace for years to come,” the parent said.
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