When Every Student Is Guaranteed a Chance, More Reach Advanced Math
Henderson and Kung: Several states are now ensuring that all students with high test scores in math can take algebra in middle school.
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Our country is facing a math crisis, with students鈥� scores on standardized assessments persistently stagnant or declining.
When it comes to public policy, there are rarely any easy solutions, but there is one lever states can pull that will ensure more students have access to math courses that will improve their long-term success in life.
has shown that a student鈥檚 math achievement has a stronger correlation with future income than gains in reading or even health-related factors. And one of the most important predictors of future math success is a student鈥檚 鈥溾�� 鈥� especially when it comes to Algebra I, a critical gateway course.
While most students take Algebra I or integrated math in ninth grade, many could take it earlier. But there is the catch: Access to Algebra I in middle school, which is considered advanced, is often determined by a variety of metrics including teacher recommendations, parental wishes, grades and GPA. These factors don鈥檛 always reflect a student鈥檚 true readiness, and they can unintentionally limit access for students who are prepared to take on advanced math before high school.
Several states 鈥� including Indiana, Nevada North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington 鈥� have taken a different approach. They鈥檝e implemented a policy called 鈥淕uaranteed Access to Advanced Math鈥� that allows students who score highly proficient on state exams to enroll automatically into advanced math pathways that lead to Algebra I in middle school. This policy is grounded in mathematical readiness and shows that it is the best indicator of Algebra I success.听
Beyond ensuring all students who are ready for advanced math have access to those courses, research indicates this policy is opening more doors for vulnerable students who might otherwise be excluded.
from The E3 Alliance found that before the state adopted its 鈥淕uaranteed Access to Advanced Math Policy,鈥� Black students in Central Texas who scored in the top 20% of their fifth-grade class in math were less likely to be placed in Algebra I by eighth grade than their Black peers who ranked in the 21st through 40th percentile In other words, some of the highest-achieving students were overlooked, not because they weren鈥檛 mathematically ready but because the system wasn鈥檛 designed to guarantee them access.
For schools that implemented a guaranteed access to advanced math policy, enrollment in Algebra I in middle school rose significantly across all student groups. After changing the architecture of math classes so Algebra I became the default for students with high test scores, top-performing Black and Hispanic students鈥� access to Algebra I in grade 8 moved from 33% and 46% respectively to a whopping . The policy also boosted enrollment for top-performing White and Asian students from 75% and 90% respectively to 83% and 92%.听聽
Nationally, remain below pre-pandemic levels, and are testing at levels close to where they were in 2000. If we want to reverse this decline 鈥� and prepare students for the higher-paying jobs and in-demand college majors that depend on advanced math 鈥� we need policies like 鈥淕uaranteed Access to Advanced Math鈥� that raise expectations and expand opportunity.听
Right now, the approach isn鈥檛 consistent across the country. Only Nevada, North Carolina, Texas and Washington now have statewide guaranteed access policies, with Indiana and Virginia joining during the 2025-26 school year.
Other strategies have missed the mark. San Francisco delayed Algebra I until ninth grade to 鈥渓evel the playing field鈥� but ended up who were mathematically ready to accelerate. Minnesota required all eighth graders to take Algebra I, which ignored individual student readiness and .听
Guaranteed access offers a better path. It meets students where they are, supports those who need more time and accelerates those who are mathematically ready. It鈥檚 optional, not required, so parents make the final decision whether their students are enrolled in advanced coursework in middle school.
Under ExcelinEd鈥檚 mathematically ready students would take Algebra I in middle school, and students who need time to build a strong mathematical foundation will take Algebra I in ninth grade. This ensures every student completes Algebra I by the end of ninth grade, taking the course when they are mathematically ready.听
The outcomes are measurable. Students who take more advanced math are more likely to , and . When guaranteed access policies are designed well, they help close by making sure readiness drives opportunity.听
No single policy solution can overcome America鈥檚 math challenges. States also need : high-quality instructional materials, at least 60 minutes a day of math instruction and strong support for teachers. But with guaranteed access as part of that foundation, we can ensure that every student, regardless of where they start, has the opportunity to learn and leverage the advanced math skills that power our workforce.听
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Lindsey Henderson is the math policy director at ExcelinEd. She previously worked at the Utah State Board of Education as the secondary mathematics specialist.
Dave Kung is director of programs at TPSE Math. He previously served as the director of policy at the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin.
