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Senate backs math-competency initiative to broaden pathways and reduce remedial college courses
Summary
Lawmakers approved a substitute to SB 196 to give high-school students multiple pathways (AP/IB, challenge tests, concurrent enrollment, CTE, IEP options) to demonstrate math competency required for college, aiming to reduce remedial placement.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate approved a first substitute to Senate Bill 196, the Math Competency Initiative, to expand the ways high-school students can demonstrate the math skills colleges require and reduce placement in remedial development courses.
Sponsor Senator Millner described the substitute as offering three primary pathways: advanced coursework with AP/IB scores that earn credit, challenge or placement tests (CLEP, ACT, Accuplacer) and expanded concurrent-enrollment options; the measure also includes Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways and individualized education program (IEP) accommodations for special-needs students.
"Forty percent of our Utah college students are placed in developmental courses," Millner said during floor remarks, arguing that increased flexibility and clearer pathways would save students time and money and improve college completion rates. Supporters described the substitute as preserving student choice and connecting high-school coursework to postsecondary goals, including employment in technical fields.
Senator Millner noted higher-education fiscal analysts were still finalizing a fiscal note; she said preliminary estimates showed potential savings if remedial enrollments fall. After discussion and floor statements of support, the Senate substituted the posted first substitute and approved it on a recorded vote; the clerk recorded 28 yeas and no nays for third-reading placement.
Why it matters: Remedial math placement is widely associated with lower college completion; the substitute aims to provide multiple competency pathways so students can meet college readiness without unnecessary remedial coursework.
What’s next: The substitute moves to the next steps in the legislative process. Sponsors indicated further technical work with higher-education fiscal analysts to produce a fiscal estimate for longer-term planning.
