Stuart Math Curriculum Bill Moving Through the Senate

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, sponsored legislation to amend math class requirements for Illinois high school students. House Bill 2165 passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support and advanced to the Senate earlier this month.

“As demands change for young professionals, classes offered in high schools should meet those demands,” Stuart said. “Amending the school code to allow for statistics, financial mathematics, and computer science classes to meet math requirements makes sense as professional environments require students to translate math skills using technology.”

Under the current statute, school districts are required to have all students complete three years of mathematics courses and dictates the specific courses as Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II, which can be replaced with an Advanced Placement Computer Science course. House Bill 2165 will still require three years of mathematics education and a course in Algebra I, but will allow flexibility for the geometry course in addition to the option of providing statistics, financial mathematics, game theory, and other topics in addition to computer science to meet the third year requirement.

“My background is in math education, so I know firsthand that mathematics skills can be presented in courses beyond the traditional track of algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus,” continued Stuart. “I think this legislation will prepare and diversify our high schoolers’ skill sets and prepares them for college coursework and for careers in technology and mathematics.”