Math Education

While the Thomas Fordham Foundation has been critical of me, especially about my writing on grading policies, I always try to learn from them, and this week was an especially good report on math education. Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin (Matt Giani, Ph.D., Franchesca Lyra, Adam Tyner, Ph.D.) studied the impact on students who took calculus or statistics. While, as a recovering statistician, I have long argued that statistics is a much more helpful preparation for many different career fields. At the same time, calculus, however irrelevant, was regarded as more prestigious on college admission applications. This study delivers the definitive answer: It doesn’t matter. 

The researchers studied more than a dozen years of data from tens of thousands of students. More than 90% of college admissions officers said in 2024 that they prefer calculus as the gold standard of academic performance. But it’s a tie when it comes to performance in college and the job market. Knowledge of statistics helps students in subjects as diverse as marketing, biology, psychology, economics, sociology, education, political science, and public health, enabling them to analyze data, draw meaningful conclusions, and make informed decisions.

Key findings:

  • Participation in statistics classes has grown significantly, but as with calculus classes, poor and minority students are underrepresented in these advanced classes.

  • The two groups have no difference in college degree completion and earnings. 

  • AP stats is not inferior to calculus. Students should not be required to choose, but should take both calculus and statistics. 

  • Start advanced math opportunities in elementary school. Kindergarten students can grasp the essentials of probability and statistics and thereby gain confidence to take advanced math classes in high school.

I would only add that missing homework is the primary cause of failure in secondary school math classes. However, as we documented in work with schools, student success increases enormously when teachers do the practice (which is what homework is supposed to be) in class rather than at home. https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/research/calculus-or-statistics-does-it-matter

I encourage you to listen to the Fearless Schools Podcast that will be released tomorrow, May 1st. It features Dr. Alex Merraro and Dr. Washington Collado discussing Family and Community Engagement. Apple Podcasts Spotify iHeart Podcasts

Related Posts

  • Research Wednesday | March 4, 2026

    Do Audiobooks Count as Reading?
    Contributing author: Dr. Douglas Reeves

    While surveys indicate that more than 40% of U.S. adults think that listening to a book should not be regarded as genuine reading, Brian Bannon, Chief Librarian of the New York Public Library, disagrees in a November 23, 2025, article.  He notes that while print circulation in the library has remained flat over the past five years, audiobook demand is up 65%.

    Read More

  • Research Wednesday | February 25, 2026

    Hope for Cynics
    Contributing author: Dr. Douglas Reeves

    In this inspiring book (Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness, 2025) by Stanford’s Jamil Zaki, there is a treasure trove of research that will help all of us who support educators and school leaders who are dealing with despair in the dark winter months and pervasive threats to our schools, students, and professional careers. Professor Zaki marshals research and keen observation to make these essential arguments.

    Read More

  • Research Wednesday | February 18, 2026

    A Balanced and Skeptical View of AI in Schools
    Contributing author: Dr. Douglas Reeves

    In this thoughtful and evidence-rich article (February 12, 2026), the authors cite several randomized control trials (RCT) that provide mixed evidence on the use of AI in schools. My recent book, Education and the Ethics of AI, offers practical ways to avoid cheating – the principal concern of teachers – and use AI in an ethical and constructive way.  This new article notes that when students become dependent on AI, their performance actually decreases, especially when they practice with AI but are later tested without AI assistance. Moreover, while AI can assist with simple tasks, such as learning multiplication tables, it does not enhance students’ reasoning or creative thinking.

    Read More