When Every Student Is Guaranteed A Chance, Reach Advanced Math

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Our country is facing a math crisis, with students’ 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 students have access to math courses that will improve their long-term success in life.

Research has shown that a student’s 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’s “mathematical readiness” — 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’t always reflect a student’s true readiness, and they can unintentionally limit access for students who are prepared to take on advanced math before high school.

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Several states — including Indiana, Nevada North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington — have taken a different approach. They’ve implemented a policy called “Guaranteed Access to Advanced Math” 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 evidence shows that it is the best indicator of Algebra I success.

Beyond ensuring all students who are ready for advanced math have access to those courses, research indicates this policy is opening doors for vulnerable students who might otherwise be excluded.

Research from The E3 Alliance found that before the state adopted its “Guaranteed Access to Advanced Math Policy,” Black students in Central Texas who scored in the top 20% of their fifth-grade class in math wereless likelyto 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’t mathematically ready but because the system wasn’t 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’ access to Algebra I in grade 8 moved from 33% and 46% respectively to a whopping 82% and 80%. The policy also boosted enrollment for top-performing White and Asian students from 75% and 90% respectively to 83% and 92%.

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Nationally, fourth graders remain below pre-pandemic levels, and eighth graders are testing at levels close to where they were in 2000. If we want to reverse this decline — and prepare students for the higher-paying jobs and in-demand college majors that depend on advanced math — we need policies like “Guaranteed Access to Advanced Math” that raise expectations and expand opportunity.

Right now, the approach isn’t 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 “level the playing field” but ended up holding back students who were mathematically ready to accelerate. Minnesota required all eighth graders to take Algebra I, which ignored individual student readiness and produced uneven results.

Guaranteed access offers a better path. It meets students where they are, supports those who need time and accelerates those who are mathematically ready. It’s optional, not required, so parents make the final decision whether their students are enrolled in advanced coursework in middle school.

Under ExcelinEd’s recommended approach, 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.

The outcomes are measurable. Students who take advanced math are likely to succeed in college, enter STEM fields and earn higher wages. When guaranteed access policies are designed well, they help close longstanding equity gaps by making sure readiness drives opportunity.

No single policy solution can overcome America’s math challenges. States also need evidence-based strategies: 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.

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