Croswell-Lexington’s School Board met this past Tuesday to hear proposed math curriculum changes for the 2024-2025 school year. One of the meeting’s highlights included a presentation by Lisa Burns, current high school principal, regarding the district’s math courses. The learning sequence followed by most high school students includes Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, and a senior math credit. According to the plans, however, both Algebra 2 and Geometry would lie at the center of a new sequence.
“What we are proposing as a team at the high school is that we switch the order . . . to offer Geometry after Algebra 1 and then have students progress to Algebra 2 prior to their senior math choice,” Burns explained.
The current sequence was created to address standards set by the American College Test (ACT), but it has since become outdated due to the adoption of the SAT. Michigan first administered the SAT to high school juniors during the 2015-2016 school year, and it is now a statewide requirement.
“The ACT was a very geometry and trigonometry heavy test” Burns continued, “[it] had a lot of shapes, figures, and angles, [whereas] the SAT is a much more algebra-based, algebra-heavy test.”
Several Thumb districts currently follow the proposed sequence, including Port Huron, St. Clair, Marine City, and (now) Croswell-Lexington. Also at Tuesday’s meeting, board members approved plans to expand the math curriculum with the addition of Advanced Placement (AP) Precalculus next year. Its inclusion would enable students to earn more college credits and bolster mathematical learning opportunities.
The next school board meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 18, at 7 p.m. in the Middle School Media Center.
