FCPS outlines major shift to integrated high‑school math following Maryland policy

Frederick County Public Schools officials briefed the Curriculum & Instruction committee on planned changes to math instruction driven by a Maryland mathematics policy adopted in March 2025 and on district steps to support students and teachers through the transition.

The district’s supervisors of elementary and secondary math — Amber Madigan and Stacy Sizzler — said the state policy requires multiple adjustments, including adoption of revised pre‑K–8 standards, a renewed numeracy development framework and changes to high‑school course sequencing. Madigan told the committee the policy ‘‘is driving a lot of future work’’ that will create ‘‘pretty significant shifts’’ in math instruction over the next several years.

Why it matters: Under the new Maryland vision the district will pivot to a two‑course integrated secondary sequence (integrated Algebra 1 followed by integrated Algebra 2), a move the presenters described as the most consequential change. The integrated courses embed geometry, statistics and data analysis; presenters said there will no longer be a stand‑alone geometry course under the model the state is promoting. FCPS plans the first year of integrated Algebra 1 in school year 2027–28 and integrated Algebra 2 and expanded secondary pathways in 2028–29.

District officials said the transition aims to keep more students on track for college‑ and career‑ready options by the end of 10th grade and to preserve access to programs such as career and technical education, early college and dual‑enrollment. The supervisors emphasized that acceleration options will continue: fifth graders and many sixth graders will still have access to higher‑grade content, and the district’s accelerated learning process and advanced academics team will identify and support students for selective acceleration.

Other implementation details: FCPS already uses common assessments and says it is well positioned to continue progress monitoring as the revised standards are adopted. Presenters stressed the importance of high‑quality instructional materials (HQIM) and professional learning to maintain ‘‘integrity’’ of implementation. The district cited a state minimum of 60 instructional minutes for middle‑school math and said that requirement will affect bell schedules.

Support for diverse learners: The math team highlighted the numeracy development framework, which defines grade‑level milestones to build number sense, estimation and automaticity. Presenters also said district efforts pair math literacy strategies with content instruction — for example, claim‑evidence‑reasoning (CER) writing approaches — to support students who struggle with the reading demands of math word problems.

Materials and curriculum: Elementary HQIM currently includes i‑Ready; secondary core materials include Reveal Math (McGraw‑Hill) supplemented by ALEKS. Officials described multi‑year implementation plans, classroom visits, coaching and accelerated‑learning tables to guide placement and supports for students.

What’s next: The CNI committee will see implementation updates; district staff said the larger set of revised academic standards (ELA and social studies) will come to the CNI committee in March and then to the full board for local adoption. Presenters said timelines for adoption, classroom implementation and budgetary effects vary by initiative and will be determined as planning continues.