AN ACT to change high school graduation requirements for mathematics to follow certain mathematics pathways adopted by the state board of education, to require mathematics pathways to be included in career development plans, to require the state board of education to adopt rules for certain mathematics pathways for graduation, and to appropriate funds to the department of public instruction to implement the provisions of this act.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑83.31 reads as rewritten:

§ 115C‑83.31.  Exit standards and graduation requirements.

(a)        The State Board of Education shall require the following for high school graduation:

…

(4)        Passing grades in a sequence of four mathematics courses consistent with the following:

a.         NC Math 1.

b.         NC Math 2.

c.         Two additional mathematics courses required as part of one of the following pathway‑aligned options adopted by the State Board:

1.         College preparatory pathway.

2.         Career and technical education (CTE) pathway.

3.         Quantitative reasoning and statistics pathway.

4.         Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) pathway.

SECTION 2.  G.S. 115C‑158.10(c) reads as rewritten:

(c)      The State Board of Education shall adopt rules establishing minimum requirements for career development plans and shall require local boards of education to provide access to all career development plans through a designated electronic application. Career development plans shall include at least the following:

…

(3)        Alignment of academic courses and extracurricular activities with the student's identified career interests, including the following:

a.         Inventory of aligned courses in middle and high school in grades six through 10, and development of best strategies for course selection in grades 11 and 12 to achieve identified career interests, including courses that may lead to college credit.

b.         Available record of the following:

1.         Completed Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), and dual‑enrollment courses that may lead to college credit in high school.

2.         Extracurricular activities.

3.         Awards and recognitions.

c.         Pathway‑aligned sequences of mathematics courses adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C‑83.31.

….

SECTION 3.  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for pathway‑aligned sequences of mathematics courses to be offered in high schools in the State by July 1, 2027. The State Board shall consult the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina and the State Board of Community Colleges to ensure that all pathways align with the University of North Carolina minimum admission standards, North Carolina Community Colleges System expectations, and workforce and industry needs. Pathway‑aligned sequences of courses adopted pursuant to the requirements of this section shall not apply to students who have been identified as a child with a disability in accordance with Article 9 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes and whose IEP team has determined cannot satisfy the standard state graduation requirements. The State Board shall adopt the following pathway‑aligned sequences of mathematics courses:

(1)        A college preparatory pathway designed for students planning to attend a four‑year college or university that includes NC Math 3 and another high level mathematics course, such as the following:

a.         Precalculus.

b.         Advanced functions.

c.         Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education level mathematics courses.

d.         Equivalent courses as determined by the State Board.

(2)        A career and technical education (CTE) pathway designed for students planning to pursue workforce or technical careers that includes the following:

a.         Applied math or integrated mathematics courses aligned to CTE programs.

b.         Courses that incorporate algebra, statistics, and quantitative reasoning in real‑world contexts.

(3)        A quantitative reasoning and statistics pathway designed for students planning to pursue careers in fields that require data literacy and applied mathematics that includes the following:

a.         NC Math 3 or an equivalent course approved by the State Board.

b.         Statistics, data science, or quantitative reasoning courses.

(4)        A science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) pathway designed for students planning to pursue careers in STEM fields that includes NC Math 3 and another high level mathematics course, such as the following:

a.         Precalculus.

b.         Calculus.

c.         Other advanced mathematics courses approved by the State Board.

SECTION 4.  Each local school administrative unit shall submit to the Department of Public Instruction the number of students following each pathway at the conclusion of each school year, beginning with the 2028‑2029 school year. The Department of Public Instruction shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by March 15, 2034, on the following:

(1)        The number of students enrolled in each mathematics pathway.

(2)        Post‑graduation outcomes for students, disaggregated by pathway, to the extent information is available.

(3)        High school graduation rates disaggregated by pathway, to the extent information is available.

SECTION 5.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2026‑2027 fiscal year to implement the provisions of this act.

SECTION 6.  Sections 1 and 2 of this act become effective July 1, 2028, and apply beginning with students entering ninth grade during the 2028‑2029 school year. The remainder of this act becomes effective July 1, 2026.