The North Carolina State Board of Education is scheduled to vote Thursday on a complete rewrite of K-12 math standards that would remove NC Math 3 and NC Math 4 as required high school courses. If approved, the new standards would take effect in the 2028-29 school year, according to WRAL.
Proposed pathways and course structure
Under the proposal, students would still need four math credits to graduate, but only NC Math 1 and NC Math 2 would be mandatory. The remaining two credits would be chosen from eight elective pathways tailored to a student’s plans after high school, whether college, career, or military service. The options include Mathematical and Statistical Modeling, Applied Statistics and Data Science, Applied Logic and Reasoning (renamed from Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science), AP Precalculus, AP Statistics, AP Calculus, and an approved International Baccalaureate or college math course, WRAL reported.
Math 1 and Math 2 themselves would be overhauled to focus on applying math to real-life situations and to integrate more technology, including graphing calculators and artificial intelligence, aligning with current industry expectations. Math 1 covers algebra and Math 2 covers geometry, according to the WRAL report.
Review process and feedback
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Data Review Committee examined responses from more than 5,700 survey participants and 188 focus group and interview participants, according to an agency presentation. The review found that the current math standards are too broad, that teachers report a steady decline in student engagement, and that data show a steady decrease in student outcomes for the majority of students.
A survey of teachers found satisfaction with the standards dropped as grade levels increased, WRAL reported. The standards revision process involved three drafts, with a writing team of more than 40 math educators, according to the Raleigh News & Observer. The first draft appeared in November 2025, the second went to public comment on April 15, and the final draft was planned for August with board approval expected in September.
How other states have approached math pathways
North Carolina is one of 23 states working with the Charles A. Dana Center’s Launch Years Initiative to redesign high school math pathways. Georgia, an early partner from 2019 to 2022, adopted new K-12 math standards in August 2021. After that adoption, 98 percent of Georgia’s 12th grade students were taking math courses recommended by higher education institutions in the state, according to a brief from the Education Strategy Group and the Dana Center. Georgia’s revised standards made Algebra II the last course in a three-course sequence, enabling multiple fourth-year options tied to career interests.
Washington state, another early Launch Years partner, developed a structure to modernize its Algebra II course framework by incorporating quantitative reasoning and data science, aiming to create a universal foundation for all high school students. Its strategies included redefining the purpose of Algebra II and aligning content with postsecondary admission and placement requirements, according to the same brief.
The Carolina Journal reported that a similar math pathway restructuring in California drew criticism from science and engineering professors, who warned that students who skip calculus in high school face greater difficulty entering technical college majors. That concern was cited as a cautionary precedent during North Carolina’s review process.
Research basis for pathway approach
The Charles A. Dana Center’s Launch Years Initiative provides course frameworks for Data Science, Integrated Statistics and Quantitative Reasoning, Statistics, and Modern Algebra II. These frameworks were developed during the 2023-2024 school year by a group of 40 researchers, curriculum developers, and K-12 and postsecondary educators, according to the center.
The Dana Center’s frameworks argue that many high schools still guide students toward an algebra-heavy curriculum despite the labor market’s increasing demand for skills in statistics, data science, and quantitative reasoning. They note that students—especially those traditionally underserved—often experience mathematics as a barrier to finishing a postsecondary degree, according to the center’s Mathematics Course Frameworks.
A July 2025 report from the Dana Center and Education Strategy Group examined mathematics pathways across the country, outlining key actions and critical data points for implementing aligned math pathways. The report provides a cross-state evidence base for the pathway approach North Carolina is adopting, according to the center.
Parallel legislative action
Separately, House Bill 415, passed by the state House in May 2025, would remove the Math III graduation requirement beginning with the 2025-2026 school year and replace it with computer science as one of the four required math credits. The bill would also require the UNC System Board of Governors to align minimum admissions requirements with the new high school math graduation requirements. The Senate has not voted on the bill, according to the North Carolina General Assembly.