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Note from the Virginia Department of Education Tina Mazzacane

“ Everyone is a Math Person. ” The Virginia Mathematics Path ways Initiative (VMPI) info graphic includes this phrase as a way to embrace the desire to have every student see themselves as a “ knower and doer ” of mathemat ics. As mathematics educators,

amine the challenges in high school mathematics to ensure that all students have the mathematical experiences necessary for personal and profession al success. A group of mathematics educators from K - 12 and higher education convened to share ide as and have critical conversations that led to the formation of the VMPI.

we recognize that many students are disengaged and unable to relate and apply the mathematics content they are learning to the “ real world. ” In addition, instruction in mathematics that simply aims to impart knowledge from the teacher to the students versus fostering deep learning through ac tive participation has led to underachievement in mathematics. The VMPI is a joint initiative among the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). The initiative seeks to redefine mathematics pathways for students in the Com monwealth in order to ensure that the mathematics in which students are engaging is relevant to their postsecondary aspirations. The initiative also rec ognizes that we live in a society saturated with in formation and to be productive citizens, we must be able to analyze and make decisions about data. Mathematics pathways that are fixed and sort stu dents based on perceived ability, oftentimes begin ning in elementary school, have the potential to limit students ’ access to advanced mathematics courses and careers in STEM fields. VMPI has its origins in a groundbreaking 2018 study from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: Catalyzing Change in High School Mathematics – Initiating Critical Conversations . Catalyzing Change spurs key stakeholders to ex

The goals of the VMPI were developed through the lens of the Profile of a Virginia Graduate. The demands of today ’ s workforce for core skills, data literacy, and the 5 C ’ s (critical thinking, collabora tion, communication, creative thinking, and criti cal thinking) require redesigning the current math ematics curriculum to focus on essential skills and deeper mathematical thinking. VMPI seeks to in crease opportunities and remove barriers for every student through mathematics learning designed for students to be successful in achieving their educa tion and career goals. The VMPI proposes structuring the mathematics concepts that students in Virginia public schools will learn into three stages:

1. Foundational Mathematics Concepts (grades K - 7)

Virginia Mathematics Teacher vol. 47, no. 1

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