A fourth year of math is now a graduation requirement for Proviso East and Proviso West beginning with the graduation class of 2029.
The addition of a fourth year of math for both Proviso East and West was approved during the Aug. 13 board of education meeting. The new graduation requirement will begin with next year’s freshman class.
The item carried unanimously, but with a reluctant vote from board member Arbdella Patterson. She said she wanted the requirement go into effect for the freshman who are set to start classes this week.
“I don’t understand why when it comes to giving our students four years of math, that it is a problem that we have to wait until…2029,” Patterson said.
Patterson added that the district has the books and the teachers to be able to make the move sooner.
“We have made other programs happen in the district, this should have been made available to students in my opinion, this school year, starting this freshman class,” Patterson said.
The move amends current practice. Proviso East and Proviso West now requires only 22 graduation credits, which include three years of math. Proviso Math and Science Academy has 25 required graduation credits and five years of math.
The Math and Science Academies within East and West, which were programs put into effect during the 2021-22 school year, also require 25 graduation credits and five years of math.
During the presentation to the board, Interim Supt. Alexander Aschoff said he was not comfortable recommending a sooner adoption.
“I want to be very smart in how this is rolled out to make sure that we are ready and we are in a position to make this successful for our students,” Aschoff said.
He explained that the district would need to plan for additional math and special-education teachers because more students will be taking math. The district will also need time to create additional courses for students to take during that fourth year, he added.
Aschoff said that the current courses a student who wanted to take in a fourth year – pre-calculus, AP Calculus, statistics and AP Statistics – offer limited accessibility for diverse and dually identified students.
“I believe we need to take a look at designing specific courses for all of our students to be successful,” Aschoff said. “I think that will take some time to develop.”
During the public comment portion of Tuesday night’s meeting, Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson spoke in favor of introducing the fourth year of math, saying it is important to help students set them up for success.
Thompson said four years would help set the foundation for advanced concepts and also help with critical thinking and problem-solving development, along with helping improve testing grades and setting them up for more success in college.
“Four years of high school math ensures that students are well prepared for both academic and real-world challenges,” Thompson said. “Math is a part of our system.”
Adding the additional year can help close the educational gap that some students arrive with from their prospective foundation schools, she added. Without that additional year some students will simply not catch up.
Mayor Nathaniel Booker of Maywood said that a fourth year of math could potentially help students entering college avoid prerequisite courses because Proviso didn’t properly prepare them for college-level math.
Data shows that 36% of students at East scored below grade level and incoming scores for freshman students put them more than three years below grade level. According to the 2023 Illinois Report Card, only 1.7% of students at East were “proficient” in math compared to the state’s 26.9%, while only 3% of West students were rated proficient and 38.4% of students at PMSA, proficient.
Aschoff said the district will continue to encourage students for whom this graduation requirement would not apply to take the additional fourth year of math.