Improving High School Math Outcomes - The Role of New York City’s Small Schools of Choice and Students’Incoming Math Proficiency - JANUARY 2026

Oct 15, 2026

Improving High School Math Outcomes analyzes how students’ eighth-grade math proficiency shapes later high school performance and the extent to which they benefit from additional supports in reformed New York City small schools. It reviews national underperformance trends in math, summarizes evidence from prior school reform and intervention research, and highlights unequal gains across student proficiency levels. The study focuses on New York City’s 2002–2008 transition to Small Schools of Choice and connects incoming proficiency to graduation, college access, and math course success.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Overview

National math performance challenges

Why student outcomes vary by incoming proficiency

Evidence from related interventions

High-performing reform and charter school approaches

Early College High Schools and double-dose Algebra

Study focus and NYC Small Schools of Choice

2002–2008 school closures and replacement by small high schools

Lottery-based MDRC findings and support characteristics

Improving High School Math Outcomes The Role of New York City’s Small Schools of Choice and Students’Incoming Math Proficiency JANUARY 2026 Miki Shih Rebecca Unterman Peyton Nash M ost students in the United States do not meet national perfor mance standards in math by the time they leave high school. Only 24 percent of twelfth-graders met (or exceeded) National Assessment of Education Progress math standards during the most recent assessment in 2019, and high school math scores on the most recent Programme for International Student Assessment in 2022 were among the lowest ever recorded for U. S. students.1 This fact is concerning since high school math performance has a strong association with students’ academic and professional success. Students who perform well in math are more likely to graduate from high school within four years, enroll in postsecondary education, and earn higher wages once they join the labor market.2 It is therefore crucial to understand how to improve high school math performance, especially for students who enter high school performing below gradelevel standards. There is compelling evidence that high schools can improve students’math performance. Previous research indicates that many high schools that have been successful in raising students’math performance did not focus solely on math. These schools were generally district schools that underwent comprehensive reform or charter schools that implemented a IMPROVING HIGH SCHOOL MATH OUTCOMES 2 multifaceted approach to strengthening students’ academics and overall well-being. The schools emphasized fostering personal connections between students and staff members, increasing the amount of time dedicated to academics, having rigorous academic expectations, and partnering with outside intermediary organizations to receive administrative or programmatic support.3 Such schools have had positive effects on students’math performance, with many students taking and passing more math courses, taking and passing more Advanced Placement math tests, or earning higher scores on state math assessments.4 Though these schools improved students’math performance on average, gains may not have been distributed evenly across all types of students, especially among those who struggled with math in previous years. This is vital information for education reformers because students enter highschool with a wide range of math proficiency. According to 2022 data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, 7 percent of eighth-graders have advanced math proficiency, 20 percent are proficient, 35 percent only have partial proficiency, and 38 percent have below basic math skills.5 Bringing underperforming students up to grade-level standards will likely require different amounts and types of support than what is needed to improve the math skills of already-proficient students. Research has shown that math-proficient eighth-graders are more likely to take advanced math courses in high school, therefore deriving greater benefit from their high schools’math offerings than their less math-proficient peers.6 In addition, many students who are not proficient in math have negative emotions around the subject and are reluctant to ask for assistance, which may affect their ability to benefit from the support they do receive.7 Though few large-scale evaluations of high school interventions have explored the differences in math outcomes among students with varying levels of math proficiency before entering highschool, the evaluations that did explore such outcomes have found telling differences. Studies of Early College High Schools (ECHS), which are specialized high schools that offer opportunities to earn college credits and provide various other support services, found that although there were greater increases in the rates of taking and passing college preparatory math courses among ECHS students with lower math proficiency, only ECHS students with higher ma

FAQs

Why is improving high school math performance important?

High school math performance strongly relates to graduation, postsecondary enrollment, and earnings, making it crucial to raise outcomes—especially for students entering below grade-level standards.

How does incoming math proficiency affect students’ potential gains?

Students enter high school with widely varying proficiency; research discussed shows support needs and emotional readiness differ, so benefits from interventions are not evenly distributed.

What does the document study focus on regarding New York City schools?

It examines how eighth-grade math proficiency influences high school math performance and the ability to benefit from additional support services in reformed New York City Small Schools of Choice.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Quinn Holloway