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SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Ann Millner, R-Ogden, wants to see fewer students taking remedial math courses in college.
The former president of Weber State University said 40 percent of students have to take a refresher course before entering college-level math, and Utah has 12,000 students enrolled in those remedial courses each year.
"After financial issues, math is probably the second-biggest reason that our students don't stay in college and don't complete college," Millner said. "This is an issue we need to address, and I think we need to build a partnership between the (Utah State) Board of Regents and public education in order to be able to do this."
Lawmakers advanced a bill Wednesday that would introduce new math requirements to help high schoolers be ready for college and a career when they graduate.
SB196 establishes pathways for students to demonstrate their readiness while in high school. Students who plan to attend college would have to show they are ready to enroll in college-level math, either through concurrent enrollment courses or an exam, such as the ACT, advanced placement or college placement tests.
Students who don't have plans for college would have to demonstrate the math skills necessary to obtain a career and technology education certificate. Students with learning disabilities would have to fulfill the math requirements in their individualized education plan.
High school graduates who change their minds and decide to attend college would be able to enroll by taking a math placement course administered by the higher education institution, just as students are required to do currently.
The House Education Committee voted unanimously in favor of the bill, but some legislators said they worry that kids would be bound by the path they choose, and that additional math requirements would make getting a high school diploma that much harder.
"It still concerns me that it may tend to put kids on a particular track," said Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Salt Lake City. "I feel a little bit like this could be a stumbling block. I don't want it to impede graduation for kids."
Brad Smith, state superintendent of public instruction, said education leaders in the Utah State Office of Education initially had similar concerns. But modifications to the bill have allowed greater flexibility to students, and the need for better math proficiency outweighs the level of concern for student tracking, he said.
"This bill allows us to set competency standards that can be modulated to the needs of every student," Smith said. "We feel strongly that this really is, in its present form, avoiding any type of tracking while at the same time establishing some high expectations."
The bill will now be considered by the House.
