The State Board of Education in Maryland has decided to postpone the implementation of a new requirement for all school districts, which mandates that students in kindergarten through eighth grade receive a minimum of 60 minutes of math instruction. The revised deadline for schools to comply with this change is now set for the fall of 2028.
This decision to extend the timeline is part of a broader initiative aimed at increasing the amount of time allocated to math education. The need for this change became evident when the results from last year’s state assessments revealed that only 27% of students demonstrated proficiency in math.
Prior to casting their votes, board members listened to Robert Miller, a retired educator from the Howard County school system. He cautioned, stating that “without evidence, you are about to ruin a schedule that likely produces the best math outcomes in the state,” while still allowing for student engagement in the arts.
Rachel McGrain, who serves as the executive director of Arts Education in Maryland Schools, also voiced her concerns during the public commentary segment of Tuesday’s meeting. She highlighted that the new requirement was already fostering negative consequences in various school districts.
“In one school, students will have to allocate 30 minutes of their 60-minute art classes to virtual and independent math instruction, effectively cutting their art time in half,” McGrain noted. “In another district, teachers across all subjects, regardless of their licensure, are required to teach math one day per week.”
Board member Monica Goldson, who previously served as the CEO of Prince George’s County Public Schools, emphasized the need to concentrate on the quality of instruction during the allocated 60 minutes rather than merely focusing on the duration. “We want to ensure that instructional time is more effective, rather than simply extending the minutes,” she stated.
Summarizing the implications of the decision to delay the requirement, board member Marcy Leonard remarked that by opting to postpone the implementation until fall 2028, “What we are saying as an organization is that we would like to slow down to go fast.”
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