Math Standards
Overview
On December 12, 2023, the State Board of Education officially approved the 2025 South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Mathematics Standards. These standards represent a significant statewide effort to transform K–12 math instruction, with full implementation required beginning in the 2025–26 school year.
This transformation responds to a critical need: only 41% of South Carolina students are performing at grade level in mathematics. The goal is ambitious: to raise that number to 75% by 2030, and it will require commitment from all educators, schools, and communities.
What This Means for Our Schools
Elementary School: Stronger Foundations in Early Mathematics
The K–5 mathematics standards have been revised to emphasize mastery of core concepts and early numeracy skills. Key updates include:
- A greater focus on number sense, place value understanding, and mathematical reasoning starting in Kindergarten.
- Streamlined standards that reduce repetition across grade levels and ensure depth over breadth.
- Integration of mathematical practices that develop students’ ability to problem-solve, communicate their thinking, and apply math in real-life contexts.
- Early exposure to data concepts and foundational geometry, laying groundwork for success in middle and high school.
These updates are designed to ensure students leave elementary school with the fluency, confidence, and conceptual understanding needed for more complex math.
Middle School: Updated Standards and Progression
The Grades 6–8 mathematics standards have been fully revised to strengthen conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and real-world application. Major updates include:
- A more focused progression of key concepts across grade levels, with greater coherence from one year to the next.
- Increased emphasis on ratios and proportional reasoning, expressions and equations, and data analysis.
- Intentional preparation for success in the newly structured high school sequence, particularly with the earlier introduction of geometry and statistics concepts in middle grades.
There is a more precise alignment between middle school content and the skills needed for high school success, especially as Geometry becomes the primary advanced course option in middle school. This early exposure is designed to support deeper understanding before students encounter abstract algebraic reasoning.
High School: Reordered Math Sequence
The high school mathematics sequence has been restructured. Starting in 2025–26, the new course order will be:
- Geometry with Statistics
- Algebra 1
- Algebra 2 with Probability
This reordering reflects research indicating that students perform better when spatial reasoning precedes abstract algebraic concepts. It also introduces real-world data applications earlier in the curriculum to increase relevance and engagement.