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Ohio's High School Math Pathways FAQ

Advising/Counseling

Can a student earn an honors diploma if the student takes an Algebra 2-equivalent course?
Any of the math pathways courses meet the graduation requirements; therefore, students are not hindered in their pursuit of any diploma by participating in the math pathways courses. Since none of the honors diplomas specify which type of math courses to take, these new courses can count toward any honors diploma. Some of the new math pathways courses may be especially beneficial for students on their way to a specific honors diploma, such as the STEM or career-tech honors diploma.

Can the Math Pathways courses be offered as a MATH 4 after Algebra 2?

Yes, the Math Pathways Initiative contains a series of Algebra 2 equivalent courses that can be offered in any order and used as third or fourth mathematics credits toward graduation. The Algebra 2 Equivalent Flowcharts identify a variety of combinations. These courses can be combined to satisfy the mathematics curriculum requirements for graduation. The courses in the flowcharts can be taken in any order. For example, Algebra 2 (Math 3) does not always have to come immediately after Geometry (or Math 2).

Do any of the new math pathways courses help students earn diploma seals?
Each diploma seal has specific criteria that must be met. Please visit the Department’s Ohio Graduation Requirements page for more information on earning Ohio Diploma Seals. You also can email gradrequirements@education.ohio.gov with questions.

How do the math pathways courses impact graduation requirements?
These new courses can be counted as Algebra 2-equivalent courses or third- or fourth-year math credits. These courses should not substitute for the first two courses in a student’s high school math sequence, including Algebra I and Geometry and Integrated Math sequences.

Graduation Requirements

Are the Math Pathways courses full-year courses?
Yes, the Algebra 2 equivalent courses in the Math Pathways are all designed to be full-year courses.

For students in the Calculus-based STEM pathway, what courses are recommended after Algebra 2?
The Algebra 2 course standards have been refocused to align with TMM 002-Precalculus. Therefore, it is not beneficial for students to take TMM 001-College Algebra as a College Credit Plus course. It would be better for students to take a pre-Calculus class at their high schools or the collegiate level TMM 002-Pre-Calculus or TMM 003-Trigonometry as a College Credit Plus course with the intention of taking AP Calculus, TMM 005- Calculus 1 or other Calculus course related to a student’s intended course of study (such as TMM-013 Business Calculus or TMM 024-Life Science Calculus 1) the following year. See the Ohio Transfer 36 Learning Outcomes webpage for more information on these courses.

How do the mathematics pathways encourage more students to pursue STEM-related careers/majors?
STEM is broader than Calculus-based STEM. Four of the five pathways emphasize STEM careers. These courses will expose students to STEM concepts and careers surrounding statistics, computer science and big data. Students interested in these new areas may decide to pursue non-Calculus degrees in these STEM areas or pivot back on to the Calculus-based STEM pathway by taking Algebra 2 as a follow-on course.

What happens if a college major requires multiple math courses such as Calculus and Statistics?
It is recommended students on the Calculus pathway take Algebra 2/Math 3, followed by pre-Calculus and an additional math course, such as Statistics and Probability or Data Science Foundations, which aligns to their intended majors.

What happens if a student who takes an Algebra 2-equivalent course changes his or her mind about his or her intended career or pathway?
Each Algebra 2-equivalency pathways course has been designed to be flexible for students who change their minds. For example, a student who takes a Quantitative Reasoning course could take a collegiate-level Statistics or Data Science course. If a student wants to pursue a Calculus-based career pathway after taking a Quantitative Reasoning course, he or she could take Algebra 2 or a collegiate-level technical math course and perhaps be even more successful with the reasoning skills developed in the quantitative reasoning courses.

What higher education choices are available for students who take Algebra 2-equivalent courses but then decide to pursue the Calculus-based STEM pathway?
Students who take an Algebra 2 course and then determine they would like to pursue a Calculus-based STEM pathway may be placed into a College Algebra co-requisite course that provides the just-in-time remediation for students who have some math deficiencies. It also is possible they have gained the mathematical maturity and confidence that places them into a traditional College Algebra or Precalculus course. Other options to get students back on the Calculus Pathways could be TMM Technical Mathematics or STEM Quantitative Reasoning, which is offered by some institutions. Talk to the advising department of the intended institution of higher education for more specific guidance.

What is the impact for students who take Algebra 2-equivalent courses and then apply to private or out-of-state colleges?
Although, Ohio is in the forefront of the math pathways movement, it is a movement that is happening nationwide. For, example California’s University System already published a statement accepting other courses besides Algebra 2. It is expected other states will follow. Students should check with the admissions and advising offices of the institutions of higher education in which they are interested.

Which math pathways course(s) should a student take based on his or her career interests?
Counselors can use the Student Decision Tree-Parts 1 & 2 and Student Decision Tree-Part 3 to help students select the courses that are most appropriate for them based upon district offerings.

Which math pathways course(s) should students who are undecided about their future aspirations take?
Students who are undecided may wish to take Algebra 2-equivalent courses to explore mathematics in careers that are of interest to them before making a fourth-year math choice. If a student is considering a Calculus-based STEM career, the student should take an Algebra 2 course some time in his or her high school career.

Implementation

Can school districts apply and be accepted to more than one pilot?

Yes, during the annual application window, districts can apply to participate in more than one pathway.

Do districts have to offer all the math pathways?
No. This initiative is not mandated but provides guidance about what could be considered an Algebra 2-equivalent course. Districts can offer as few or as many pathways in addition to Algebra 2 as they would like.

How do we ensure these new pathways are implemented equitably?
The Math Pathways Architects, along with the Math Pathways Advisory Council, created a statement on how to equitably implement then new pathways.

How intensive is the computer science content in the Discrete Math course?
Discrete mathematics is the mathematics of computer science. The Discrete Mathematics/Computer Science Course integrates the discrete mathematics content into a variety of real-world computer science applications. Pilot teachers are provided with training and support throughout implementation to help them with both content and pedagogy.

How is the Data Science Foundations course different than the Statistics and Probability course?
Both Statistics and Data Science Foundations are courses that focus on investigating authentic problems using data pertaining to those real-life scenarios. However, their approaches to problem investigation, analysis and interpretation, as well as their scopes of interest are rather different. The Statistics course is rooted in mathematics. Data are collected, organized and analyzed using statistical tests. Theory behind these tests is emphasized and studied in Statistics. Statistics is a robust, yet static course. Data Science Foundations pushes the bounds of statistics and mathematics. It is interdisciplinary, with close ties to both computer science and statistics. Data studied in this course are multidimensional and require different analysis techniques. Computer programming has a primary role in its data analyses. Data Science Foundations is a robust, yet dynamic course.

How would a school select textbooks and other instructional materials for these courses?
Pilot teachers and districts gain access to the course materials when they go through the training. There is no textbook to be purchased.

What training will there be for high school counselors about advising students on the new math pathways courses?
The Department, in conjunction with the Ohio School Counselors Association, is in the process of creating virtual counselors training sessions on the high school math pathways.

Where can we get professional learning around these new pathways courses?
Currently, the best way to get professional development is to apply to participate in one of the pilots. For more information, see the respective webpages for each course: Advanced Quantitative Reasoning, Data Science Foundations or Discrete Math/Computer Science.

Other

Are the new Algebra 2-equivalent courses accepted for NCAA eligibility requirements?
The state cannot submit courses to the NCAA. Districts must submit their courses locally. Schools that have had success with NCAA approval for the Mathematical Modeling and Reasoning course have titled their courses Advanced Quantitative Reasoning. Many districts in California have had success with UCLA's Introduction to Data Science being approved by the NCAA.

What EMIS course codes should I use for the Algebra 2-equivalent courses?
For an Algebra 2-equivalent Quantitative Reasoning course, use EMIS course code: 111350 Modeling and Quantitative Reasoning. For an Algebra 2-equivalent Statistics and Probability course, use EMIS course code: 111500 Probability and Statistics. For an Algebra 2-equivalent Data Science Foundations course, use EMIS code: 119980. For an Algebra 2-equivalent Discrete Math/Computer Science course, use 111300 Discrete Mathematics and/or 290250. Students may be able to get simultaneous credit for both computer science and mathematics. Refer to the EMIS Manual for instructions on how to report this information. Contact your information technology center with specific questions or to resolve reporting issues.

Last Modified: 9/1/2023 6:13:27 AM