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Did you know that only about a third of U.S. bachelor’s graduates earn degrees in a major that requires a calculus course? This may surprise some in the education world, since high school math sequences are often oriented toward preparing students for calculus as an indicator of college readiness. 

Math literacy is more than the ability to solve for x. It is foundational for justice, for full participation in society and for the flourishing of democracy—government for the people, by the people.

With Head Start identifying ways to improve math instruction to fulfill its mandate of helping “children build the skills they need to be successful in school and life,” why is it the case that, as these students continue on with schooling, their options for math coursework that is responsive to their interests—and the ever-changing world around them—begin to narrow? 

As a young community college student looking to earn a bachelor’s degree, I knew transferring to a four-year university was my ticket to success. But I was not prepared for the massive hurdles I would face along the way. 

Math skills taught in today’s classrooms have the potential to solve problems and change our future. From models used to predict public health outcomes to data that drive apportionment of legislative seats, the importance of using math for the collective good needs to inform our debates about math content, instruction, and assessment.