BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Alabama House Education Policy Committee advanced a bill Wednesday that would require local school districts to create an advanced math pathway allowing academically proficient students to move more quickly through math courses in middle and high school and take college-level math courses.
Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, told lawmakers legislation similar to House Bill 353 is “catching fire across the nation,” and that similar policies have already passed in six states.
“We certainly don’t want to be left behind,” he said, adding that Alabama needs stronger math outcomes overall.
Under the bill, schools would be required to automatically enroll students in an advanced math pathway if the student scores proficient on a statewide math assessment or meets other proficiency criteria in any grade five through 11.
Districts would be required to prepare students to take Algebra I in middle school and to offer college credit-bearing math courses in high school. Parents would be able to opt their child out of the pathway.
Committee members raised questions about implementation, particularly whether schools, especially in smaller or rural systems, would have the resources to offer advanced coursework. Butler said technology and distance learning could help fill gaps, pointing to past efforts to expand access to advanced classes across schools of different sizes.
Until the start of this school year, public school students were required to take four years of math in order to earn a high school diploma. Lawmakers in 2024 removed that requirement, allowing students to take two years of math and then move into career technical coursework.
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