Board hears bimonthly math-standards update; draft revisions expected to the board by March
Summary
State Board staff told the Standards and Assessment Committee they expect to deliver a first draft of revised mathematics standards in March; members raised concerns about proficiency trends, international comparisons and teacher workload; staff described pathway options for third-year math.
Utah State Board of Education staff gave a bimonthly update on mathematics standards work and told the Standards and Assessment Committee that a first draft of revised K–12 mathematics standards is expected to be submitted to the board for review in March.
Nathan Ock, STEM coordinator and content lead for the standards work, said writing-team meetings and stakeholder reviews over recent months produced a draft timeline and that the board will have 30 days to submit formal feedback once staff transmits the draft under the board’s standards process. "We're shooting for by March to have those revisions in front of you along with a mechanism for you to be able to offer us feedback," Ock said.
Staff said the most substantive changes are likely in the secondary courses, where reviewers identified the largest need for clarification; elementary standards were described as more evolutionary, with targeted clarifications in number sense, operations and fluency to strengthen foundational skills.
Board members raised questions about proficiency trends, teacher workload and international comparisons. Several members referenced recent NAEP results and cautioned that while Utah often ranks above the U.S. average, international comparisons and long-term trends warrant attention. Molly Basham, early-learning mathematics specialist, said the writing committee reviewed other states’ and countries’ standards to inform revisions and focused on clearer fluency expectations for elementary students so later secondary coursework is attainable.
Staff also described ongoing work to present clearer "pathways" for third-year mathematics (the committee discussed 1030/1040/1050 course labels in state practice) so students can choose routes that align with career and postsecondary plans. Staff reported increases in concurrent-enrollment math participation and a rise in students taking more rigorous options, while also noting the statewide need to improve math fluency and reduce remediation downstream.
The committee did not take formal action on the standards at the Feb. 6 meeting; staff asked for continued engagement and planned district visits and stakeholder outreach in the coming weeks.
Ending: staff will send the draft standards to the board under the board’s process and expected to return with stakeholder-feedback mechanisms; committee members asked staff to continue work on teacher supports and on clarifying pathway options so students have choices that fit career goals.
