Many Pathways to Student Success in Mathematics: Middle and High School Math Course Sequences and Placement Decisions in the Math in Common Districts

The shift to Common Core State Standards presents a different way of thinking about the relationship between mathematics and course content and structure, requiring districts to reconsider the familiar mathematics course pathways students follow from middle school to high school.

Math in Common^® (MiC) is a five-year initiative that supports a formal network of 10 California school districts as they implement the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics across grades K–8.

Based on interviews with the MiC network of districts, this report explores:

• The thinking behind the 10 MiC districts’ decisions regarding math pathways
• The challenges the districts have faced thus far
• Ways in which the districts are moving or could move forward

The information can be used for broader discussion and learning about commonalities and differences among MiC districts and other California school districts facing similar challenges.

Additional Math in Common Reports

• Taking Stock of Common Core Math Implementation: Supporting Teachers to Shift Instruction – Insights from the Math in Common 2015 Baseline Survey of Teachers and Administrators
• Under Construction: Benchmark Assessments and Common Core Math Implementation in Grades K–8
• Classroom Observations: Documenting Shifts in Instruction for Districtwide Improvement