By T. Keung Hui for the Raleigh News & Observer

North Carolina lawmakers could overhaul high school math graduation requirements with the changes potentially going into effect as soon as this fall.

High school students currently need to pass NC Math 1, NC Math 2 and NC Math 3 and a fourth math course aligned with their post-secondary plans to get a diploma. But House Bill 415 filed on Monday would modify the graduation requirements to passing NC Math 1 and 2 and two additional math courses that align with post-secondary plans.

The bill would divide NC Math 1 and NC Math 2 into four courses that students must pass to graduate. The legislation also phases out Math 3 and requires students who get a C or lower grade on NC Math 1 or NC Math 2 before this upcoming fall to take another math course to graduate.

The legislation would require the State Board of Education to adopt rules so that the new math requirements would go into effect for the 2025-26 school year.

The bill’s four primary sponsors are all Republicans. They include the three co-chairs of the K-12 Education Committee: David Willis of Union County, Brian Biggs of Randolph County and Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County and House Majority Freshman Leader Heather Rhyne of Lincoln County.

The four lawmakers did not immediately return emails Monday from The News & Observer requesting comment.

NC’s math scores are a concern

The proposed changes come amid concerns about North Carolina’s post-pandemic math performance, especially at the middle school level.

Some eighth-grade students take Math 1 — normally a high school course. Those students take the state’s end-of-course Math 1 exam instead of the state’s eighth-grade end-of-grade math test.

Last school year, 47% of eighth-grade students passed the end-of-grade math exam. The Math 1 exam passing rate was 37% for high school students but 51% if you include the eighth-grade students who took the test.

Splitting Math 1 and 2 into 4 courses

The bill says none of the current standards in NC Math 1 and NC Math 2 would change. But now they’d be spread out and taught over four courses.

NC Math 1 would be divided into Extended Math 1 and Extended Math 2. NC Math 2 would be divided into Extended Math 3 and Extended Math 4.

The Math 1 end-of-course test would be given at the end of Extended Math 2. A new state Math 2 end-of-course test would be given at the end of Extended Math 4.

Completion of Extended Math 1 and Extended Math 2 with a passing grade would satisfy the NC Math 1 graduation requirement. Completion of Extended Math 3 and Extended Math 4 with a passing grade would satisfy the NC Math 2 graduation requirement.

“Completion of Extended Math 1, 2, 3, and 4 shall satisfy all mathematics graduation requirements established by the State Board of Education,” the bill says.

Math 3 would be phased out

The bill eliminates the state’s Math 3 end-of-course math exam.

The bill also says NC Math 3 and all other existing math courses “shall continue to be offered by all high schools to the extent that there is sufficient student interest.”

The passing rate on the state’s Math 3 end-course test was 58% last school year.

How high school math would be restructured under new bill

Passing courses and exams would determine placement in high school math. Under the bill:

• Students who didn’t pass the eighth-grade math EOG test would be enrolled in Extended Math 1 and Extended Math 2 to meet the NC Math 1 requirement.
• Students who didn’t pass the Math 1 EOC test at the end of Extended Math 2 would be enrolled in Extended Math 3 and Extended Math 4 to meet the NC Math 2 requirement.
• Students who pass the Math 1 EOC test at the end of Extended Math 2 may be enrolled in Extended Math 3 and Extended Math 4 or NC Math 2 to meet graduation requirements.
• Students who got a grade of C or lower in NC Math 1 or who didn’t pass the Math 1 EOC test prior to the 2025-26 school year would have to take Extended Math 2 to meet the NC Math 1 graduation requirement.
• Students who got a grade of C or lower in NC Math 2 prior to the 2025-26 school year would have to take Extended Math 4 to meet the NC Math 2 graduation requirement.

The preceding article originally appeared on March 17, 2025 at the Raleigh News & Observer’s website and is made available here for educational purposes only. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 106A-117 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Any views or opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Carolina Leadership Coalition.