Invigorating High School Math: Practical Guidance for Long-Overdue Transformation

Dramatically Improving High School Mathematics Must Start Now!

High school math is failing many students. Out-of-date and stale curricula are not only dull, but perpetuate inequity by limiting opportunities and failing to prepare a majority of students for life in the 21st century.

Even traditionalists recognize that the status quo is no longer acceptable. Major shifts in course organization, mathematical content, pedagogy, and assessment are long overdue.

Practical Guidance for Meaningful Transformation

Invigorating High School Math is a clarion call for meaningful transformation. Throughout the book, Steven Leinwand and Eric Milou address the most critical challenges facing high school mathematics and provide practical guidance for:

• addressing challenges and excuses that often short-circuit new approaches
• making the case for the importance of and rationale for changing high school math
• creating core integrated math courses for grades 9 and 10 and coherent pathways for grades 11 and 12
• making critical shifts in pedagogy and classroom practice
• designing high-quality assessments and using them effectively
• developing and executing a rational implementation plan

A Stimulus for Discussion and a Road Map for Change

Many of these ideas will not be broadly popular. It’s likely that none of them will be easy to implement. That’s no surprise: For nearly a century, the basic structure of high school mathematics has barely changed―not because of its effectiveness, but because the status quo is a powerful force requiring purposeful action to break.

This book was written for every high school math educator and leader―as both a stimulus for discussion and a road map for change. “Our hope,” say the authors, “is that this book stimulates change, empowers teachers, and guides the profession on this critical journey to invigorate high school mathematics.”

Steve Leinwand is Principal Research Analyst at American Institutes for Research in Arlington, Virginia and the author of Accessible Mathematics and Sensible Mathematics, and coauthor of Developing Numerical Fluency. Steve served as Mathematics Supervisor in the Connecticut Department of Education for 22 years and is a former president of the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics. In 2021, he was awarded the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' Lifetime Achievement Award.

Eric Milou is Professor of Mathematics at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ and co-author of Daily Routines to Jump Start Math Class and EnVision Math A|G|A.  Eric served as President of the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey and on the Board of Directors of the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics.