Public comment and committee discussion on the draft Utah core mathematics standards focused on pathways, honors courses and curriculum availability.

Janine Montgomery, secondary math specialist for Ogden School District, told the committee she favors a single statewide pathway and said, “While local choice has value I do not support running to mathematics pathways statewide or returning to the A.G.A. model.” Montgomery said a single pathway would protect mobile students from losing continuity when they transfer between schools and districts.

The Utah State Board of Education’s math team reported that the 90-day public comment period closed Sept. 17 at 11:59:59 p.m. and produced 713 survey responses and 29 official comments recorded at four public feedback meetings. Molly Basham, early learning mathematics specialist, told the committee the writing committee has begun reviewing the feedback and has met twice since the comment period closed. The full public-feedback document provided in meeting backup is roughly 323 pages.

Why it matters: Board members pressed staff about how public feedback will be turned into concrete changes. Committee members asked whether the draft’s treatment of honors and extended topics would limit accelerated students, how multiple secondary pathways would affect assessment and accountability, and how local education agencies (LEAs) can manage curriculum adoption costs.

Details from the committee briefing:
- Public response profile and volume: Molly Basham said the Qualtrics survey collected 713 responses; feedback included parents, classroom teachers, administrators, higher education representatives and math specialists. The writing committee categorized comments into supportive, critical (nonactionable), actionable suggestions and unrelated remarks.
- Pathways and assessment: Commenters and several board members raised concerns about offering both an integrated sequence and a traditional algebra–geometry–algebra 2 (A-G-A) sequence. Staff said having two fundamentally different core sequences complicates statewide assessment and accountability because one high-stakes test would advantage one pathway while two separate tests would harm comparability of statewide data.
- Honors/extended topics: Mike Spencer, secondary math specialist, said the writing committee did not intend to eliminate honors courses. He said the committee rethought the extended-topics model used to fast-track students to calculus by adding more content in Math 1 and Math 2. Instead the draft emphasizes depth over more content so accelerated students would “go deeper” rather than simply cover extra standards. Spencer said honors decisions remain local to LEAs, but staff plans to provide guidance and pathway graphics for districts.
- Curriculum and implementation concerns: Several board members said LEAs report difficulty finding curriculum that fits an integrated model and worried about the cost of replacing materials when standards change. Committee members discussed open educational resources and LEA choices; staff confirmed curriculum procurement remains a local decision.
- Review process and next steps: Basham said the writing committee is using a protocol to flag actionable feedback, make language-clarity changes, and document justification when it accepts or rejects public suggestions. Staff described planned graphics to explain pathways and promised to continue briefing the committee as revisions are made.

Context and caveats: Board members asked for clearer maps of pathways and supports for LEAs, including materials and guidance for honors or accelerated tracks. Staff said some changes have already been made to clarify skills and to realign the order of mathematical practices/skills to match teacher familiarity; those edits and additional clarifying materials are in progress.

Looking ahead: The writing committee will continue to review public feedback and produce a revised draft. Staff said they will share pathway graphics and examples intended to help LEAs communicate options for accelerated students and for districts weighing integrated versus traditional sequences.