What We Do
Advancing Opportunities Through Advanced Math
The Calculus Project is a positive factor in their equation.
Studies have shown that high school students increase their chances of finishing college by a factor of more than 3 to 1 with each level of math education they complete, from algebra through calculus. This link between math success and college completion is consistent across race, ethnicity, and socio-economic levels, suggesting that math preparation could be a powerful route to overcoming educational disparities.
The Calculus Project partners with school districts, parents, teachers, and partners to accelerate learning in mathematics for Black, Hispanic, and low-income students beginning in grade 7.
The Calculus Project schools offer math preparatory courses in the summer with tutoring and support during the school year for rising 8th graders through grade 12 students.
We intentionally group students of color and low-income students in the same class. Research shows this creates a more comfortable and productive academic environment for these students.
We offer after-school study groups with teacher support to give students the content knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed in high-level math classes. After-school study groups often evolve into student-run voluntary study groups which is rarely seen with historically underperforming students.
Our engagement programs are built on mutual support. We use “The Pride Curriculum” to provide instruction on the historical accomplishments of STEM leaders of color.
Equity in math matters.
We love to prepare ALL of our students to be successful.
- Black, Hispanic, and low-income students are likely to take a remedial math course upon entering college. Calculus is a required first math course for most STEM professions and remedial math shuts down a STEM post-secondary pathway for most students.
- Black and Hispanic workers remain underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce. Only 9% of science and engineering jobs are held by Black, Latinx, and Native American workers.
- Completing advanced math courses in high school has a greater influence on whether students will graduate from college than any other factor – including family background. There is a significant racial gap in college completion. In 2020, the 6-year college graduation rate for Black students is 40%, Latinx students 54%, and white students 64%.
- Students who take math beyond Algebra II increase their likelihood of persisting to sophomore year by about 20 percentage points and nearly double their chances of earning a bachelor’s degree.
- Taking advanced math has a more direct impact on future earnings than any other factor.
- Students who take advanced math have higher incomes ten years after graduating – regardless of family background, grades and college degrees.
We’re helping students gain confidence and thrive in so many ways.
“When ninth grade started, I walked into geometry honors class with new confidence, not only because I was familiar with the material, but also because, for the first time, I now had Black and brown friends enrolled in the same section.”
- Alisha Andrew, Alumna of The Calculus Project
Ready to partner with The Calculus Project?
The outcomes we advance when we implement programs to help our kids feel more confident, empowered, and connected to a community that looks like them and who also helps them thrive in high school, college, and beyond is so much more than the sum of its parts.