Imagine a classroom with 50 middle school math students. There are multiple teachers in the room. One is circulating the room helping individual students and answering questions, while another has a small group of students off to the side and is providing direct instruction. There is a group of students working together to complete a rich math task. The remaining students are working individually in an online math curriculum that allows them to learn math concepts at their own pace. Nearly all 50 students are at a different place in their math learning and their skill level ranges from Math 7 (7th grade Math) through high school Geometry. 

Welcome to Math Pathways, a course designed to break the mold of traditional timelines and allow students to master math concepts at their own pace.

This process began in 2018, when a group of teachers and administrators spent time over the summer in professional learning that focused on personalized learning and competency based education. After that summer of learning, we had teachers implementing personalized learning in Math 6 and in our high school Pre-Algebra course. This school year, we rolled out Math Pathways as an option for students in grades 7-8 and began a pilot in our high school in a Pre-Algebra class and some Algebra I and Fundamentals of Algebra II courses. We are scheduling for next school year and will be offering Math Pathways as an option for students in grades 6-11 and offering Math 6, 7, 8, Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II, with hopes of adding Pre-Calc by the start of the second semester.

So what exactly is Math Pathways? 

Math Pathways is a multi-level blended math course. There are multiple instructors interacting with students daily for individual student check-ins, small group instruction and whole group instruction. Students are learning math concepts at their own pace and have meaningful opportunities to practice and apply these skills to the real world through rich tasks. Math Pathways focuses on mastery learning with students working in a digital tool for skill practice. A student does not move on to the next course until they have demonstrated mastery in at least 85% of the topics within that course. Some students will accelerate through a course, while others may need more time to demonstrate mastery. That is the beauty of this program: it is not a one size fits all. It is tailored to meet the needs of individual students and allows them to advance when they are ready.

The student feedback has been awesome. Here is what some of our students are saying: 

“I have never liked math, but I have always understood it. This class is good because I can control when I want to learn a topic, what the topic is and the pace at which I learn it.” 

“This class really helps you fully understand and comprehend the math you are learning.” 

“I have improved my math skills by taking this class.”

It is important to note that Math Pathways is not for everyone. I recently had the opportunity to visit our middle school and talk to our eighth grade students about their math options for their freshman year of high school. As I explained each of the math options to the students, I stressed the need to make their choices based on their needs as a learner. We have three options for our students for Algebra I: Traditional Algebra I, Math Pathways, and AMP UP! (CTE course that combines Algebra I with Woodworking Technology). We also have three options for Geometry: Traditional Geometry, Math Pathways, and Geometry in Construction (CTE course). It is important to stress that one option is not better than the other. Students, with the support of their parents and teachers, can determine the best option for them. Our Math Department recently created learner profiles that students can use to help them match their learning style to a math course. 

While there have been a lot of positives throughout this journey, there are also challenges. One of the first challenges we faced was how to fit this nontraditional course into our traditional structure of credits, transcripting and scheduling. Another challenge is grading. Our teachers are beginning to explore competency-based grading in Math Pathways within our traditional grading structure for next school year. Students who need more than two semesters to master math concepts have been at the forefront of our discussions since the beginning. We are working to develop an optional summer Math Lab that will allow students to finish a Math Pathways course or advance their math learning. Our teachers have been looking at each of the challenges as opportunities. This has allowed this program to grow in such a short amount of time. 

As leaders, we know it is critical to support our teachers, but what does support look like? It is sitting in on a brainstorming session, checking to see what you can do or what the teachers need, or providing time to plan and develop their idea. Support can be so many things. The most important thing is not just saying they have your support, but showing up and following through. You never know what ideas may take off.

Watch: Math Pathways Video


Written by Katie Lee, Assistant Principal at Alpena High School and administrative lead for Secondary Math and Science