California Rolls Out Hotly-Debated Math Guidelines

Public schools across California are rolling out new state math guidelines after years of development, revision, and controversy. State education leaders approved the guidelines this summer and say the framework focuses on instilling “big ideas” in students beyond basic math skills. The new framework aims to improve math test scores at a time when only about a third of students meet state proficiency standards and help more Black and Latinx students excel in math. Critics say the guidelines could hold back more advanced high school students and put too much emphasis on bringing social justice into math lessons among other critiques. As kids head back to classrooms, we’ll talk about what’s in the new framework and take your questions.

Guests:

Linda Darling-Hammond, president, California State Board of Education; president, Learning Policy Institute

Kyndall Brown, PhD, executive director, California Mathematics Project Statewide Office at UCLA

Brian Conrad, professor of mathematics; director of undergraduate studies in math, Stanford University

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