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CLAIM: High school data science courses teach things like how to use spreadsheets, so they cannot be rigorous. FACTS: High school data science courses teach higher-order skills valued by colleges and employers, such as modeling with data, understanding probability, differentiating correlation from causation, reasoning with multiple variables, and programming in industry-standard languages.

A math equation has a clear, correct answer. How to find that answer, on the other hand, is more flexible. It’s the creative journey in math that draws many to the subject and to STEM fields. One answer. Multiple possible approaches. Ironically, the debate around math curriculum is similar. 

Policy decisions about mathematics education need to be rooted in the purposes of teaching math. The reason math plays a central role in the K–12 curriculum and shows up in most college graduation requirements is not to ensure that every student will become a mathematician or enter math-intensive fields. It’s to develop mathematical reasoning skills that students need to understand their world

I have written about the importance of diversifying the STEM fields and ensuring that all students, particularly those from historically excluded groups, have the opportunity to pursue STEM careers. But doing so shouldn’t entail requiring every single student to take courses such as Precalculus and Calculus if they have no interest in STEM.

The valid fear of creating an alternate “separate but equal” route through math provides an important caution: Don’t use new math pathways to exacerbate inequity in STEM.