State set to keep MS math minutes requirement that will likely cut electives (but delaying it a year)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is HS math changes for today’s 7th graders or are they grandfathered?

Integrated algebra rolls out in 2027-2028. So it depends on what current 7th graders are taking. If they are in Math 7, they will be in the new courses. If they are taking algebra in 7th or 8th grade, they will be on the current traditional system (algebra 1-geometry-algebra 2).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn’t we rather have a “complicated” schedule, rather than MCPS just using the state mandate on math as a guise/excuse for gutting things?

Well, sure. But the "mandate" part is the thing, there. It means they would have to do it. So why not do it better than with a complicated schedule?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Despite all the opposition, MSDE appears to be doubling down on keeping the middle school 60-daily-minutes-of-math requirement, although they are at least planning on delaying it a year (starting in fall 2028 rather than fall 2027.) See here (page 21-22 and page 47)-- the committee will vote on it this Thursday and then the full board will likely vote next Tuesday to put it out for public comment, before finalizing it in July.

However, I suspect MCPS will go ahead with implementing it in the 2027-2028 school year anyway because Central Office wants to get all middle schools and high schools on the same schedule starting in fall 2027 and they're not going to want to change the schedules a second time in 2028.  My guess is that unless MSDE repeals the requirement, MCPS will probably go with a 6-period middle school schedule with only one elective starting in 2027 (or some similar change that also results in just one elective per year in MS), and they will probably announce it by this fall at the earliest to give middle schools enough time to prep for the change.  So unless MSDE repeals this in the next few months, it may well be too late to change anything at MCPS.  

It is very frustrating.  I was hoping the state would relent on this requirement for 60 minutes of math daily in middle school (which no other state does) after all the powerful testimony they've received from teachers of electives, social studies, and science regarding the harmful impacts of such a requirement in middle school.  Apparently they are too stubborn to do so.  At this point I think people who care about this need to focus hard on expressing our alarm to state legislators and asking them to push MSDE to roll this back (plus make clear they will consider overturning this in law next year if MSDE doesn't change course.)  

You can also e-mail State Board of Ed members before the votes-- here is the full list, and the Montgomery County members are: peggy.carr [at] maryland.gov, samir.paul [at] maryland.gov, and nicole.murraylewis [at] maryland.gov  (who's apparently a history teacher at Blake, if anyone knows her personally and can appeal to her directly on this topic)-- and/or sign up to testify at next Tuesday's state Board of Ed meeting (in person, virtually, or through written testimony, although I think the written testimony generally gets ignored): [url]https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/pages/publiccomment.aspx
[/url]
(And then of course folks should weigh in through whatever "public comment" process they put out there over the next few weeks-- but there are a bunch of other revisions to the policy that will be part of that as well, and folks shouldn't have any illusions that "public comment" alone will get this repealed.)

I think MCPS will gladly take the extra year to figure out any 60-minute math mandate for MS. That said, such a mandate for all students at that level is folly, and MSDE should adopt a more nuanced approach to ensuring MS math success, one that recognizes the limitations and impact of period scheduling.

I don't think MCPS needs to have MS and HS on the same schedule. Where did you see that? If that was the case and MS needed to go to 6 periods, then HS also goes to 6 periods? I mean, they really should be embracing a uniform 8-period block schedule with one period allowed, but not required, to be study hall to facilitate more meaningful magnets and the like.

MCPS presented the plan to have a single MS schedule (and a single HS schedule) in SY 2027-2028 at the Board work session in early June. Maybe it will get moved back by a year if the state delays the requirement, but it’s definitely planned.

“What we anticipate for 2027–2028 and Beyond
● Standardized High School Schedule to meet
cross-school academic needs
● Standardized Middle School Schedule to meet
State math requirement”

See slide 20 in the BOE presentation: https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DUQRCG6D5696/$file/Leveling%20Up%202026-2027%20and%20Beyond%20260604%20PPT%20REV.pdf

This sounds like they’re will need more teachers to work at multiple schools. I already know some WL that do this and it is a pain if the schools aren’t on the same bell schedule. MCEA needs to be proactive and include bargaining for traveling teachers in the next contract negotiations. For example, should traveling teachers get an extra planning period to account driving between schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To provide 60 minutes of daily math without cutting electives, Maryland middle schools can utilize scheduling adjustments like modular block scheduling, hybrid A/B schedules, or integrated cross-curricular teaching. These methods carve out the required instruction time without forcing schools to drop exploratory or elective courses.

Modular / Flexible Block Scheduling: Instead of traditional 45-minute periods, schools use block scheduling to create larger instructional blocks (e.g., 90-minute blocks that rotate). This allows math to receive the required 60 minutes while still providing room for electives throughout the week.

A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall.

Cross-Curricular Integration: Schools embed math standards into elective or encore subjects (such as STEM, tech education, or art). This reinforces mathematical concepts through project-based learning and frees up dedicated periods in the master schedule.

Flexible Intervention Periods: Instead of pulling students out of electives for math remediation, schools build a dedicated "intervention/advisory block" into the daily schedule. Math support and enrichment can happen during this time without encroaching on elective periods.

An A/B schedule won’t work because the mandate is for 60 minutes DAILY. This means the MSMC schools already on A/B schedule will have to change

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To provide 60 minutes of daily math without cutting electives, Maryland middle schools can utilize scheduling adjustments like modular block scheduling, hybrid A/B schedules, or integrated cross-curricular teaching. These methods carve out the required instruction time without forcing schools to drop exploratory or elective courses.

Modular / Flexible Block Scheduling: Instead of traditional 45-minute periods, schools use block scheduling to create larger instructional blocks (e.g., 90-minute blocks that rotate). This allows math to receive the required 60 minutes while still providing room for electives throughout the week.

A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall.

Cross-Curricular Integration: Schools embed math standards into elective or encore subjects (such as STEM, tech education, or art). This reinforces mathematical concepts through project-based learning and frees up dedicated periods in the master schedule.

Flexible Intervention Periods: Instead of pulling students out of electives for math remediation, schools build a dedicated "intervention/advisory block" into the daily schedule. Math support and enrichment can happen during this time without encroaching on elective periods.

An A/B schedule won’t work because the mandate is for 60 minutes DAILY. This means the MSMC schools already on A/B schedule will have to change

I don't read the math policy that way - it states:

Beginning SY 2027-2028, LEAs shall adhere to a minimum daily requirement of 60 cumulative
instructional minutes or the equivalent of 300 weekly minutes for all math courses in
kindergarten through grade 8. Exemplar schedule models aligned to MTSS will be provided in
guidance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To provide 60 minutes of daily math without cutting electives, Maryland middle schools can utilize scheduling adjustments like modular block scheduling, hybrid A/B schedules, or integrated cross-curricular teaching. These methods carve out the required instruction time without forcing schools to drop exploratory or elective courses.

Modular / Flexible Block Scheduling: Instead of traditional 45-minute periods, schools use block scheduling to create larger instructional blocks (e.g., 90-minute blocks that rotate). This allows math to receive the required 60 minutes while still providing room for electives throughout the week.

A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall.

Cross-Curricular Integration: Schools embed math standards into elective or encore subjects (such as STEM, tech education, or art). This reinforces mathematical concepts through project-based learning and frees up dedicated periods in the master schedule.

Flexible Intervention Periods: Instead of pulling students out of electives for math remediation, schools build a dedicated "intervention/advisory block" into the daily schedule. Math support and enrichment can happen during this time without encroaching on elective periods.

1) There are a ton of things in this post that are not allowable under MSDE requirements. It does not appear to be written by someone with any familiarity with the policy/requirements.

2) Is this AI slop? Please don't post AI slop anywhere, but especially when people are having an important conversation. Use your own brain and your own words. Also that would hopefully address the issue in #1 where you are posting things that are not allowed under MSDE policy.

I looked up the MSDE policy and it does not appear was to prohibit the above. Can you link to the document you are referring to?

The MSDE policy (here) requires that "all math courses" must be 60 minutes every day or 300 minutes a week. So the suggestions that include providing the extra math minutes through other subjects or during intervention/advisory would not work, since the requirement is that the math courses themselves be 300 minutes a week, not that students receive 300 minutes of math instruction each week. The suggestion of using block scheduling with only one period of math (with the idea that on math days kids would get 90 minutes of math which is more than 60) also would not work, because that would not add up to 300 minutes per week.

The only thing in there that would actually conform with the policy is "A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall." It is true that this would work-- rather than only having one elective, students could have two half-credit electives (one on A days and one on B days, or one first semester and one second semester.) If MCPS does end up making the cuts to electives, I hope they do it this way, but it definitely has its own problems as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To provide 60 minutes of daily math without cutting electives, Maryland middle schools can utilize scheduling adjustments like modular block scheduling, hybrid A/B schedules, or integrated cross-curricular teaching. These methods carve out the required instruction time without forcing schools to drop exploratory or elective courses.

Modular / Flexible Block Scheduling: Instead of traditional 45-minute periods, schools use block scheduling to create larger instructional blocks (e.g., 90-minute blocks that rotate). This allows math to receive the required 60 minutes while still providing room for electives throughout the week.

A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall.

Cross-Curricular Integration: Schools embed math standards into elective or encore subjects (such as STEM, tech education, or art). This reinforces mathematical concepts through project-based learning and frees up dedicated periods in the master schedule.

Flexible Intervention Periods: Instead of pulling students out of electives for math remediation, schools build a dedicated "intervention/advisory block" into the daily schedule. Math support and enrichment can happen during this time without encroaching on elective periods.

1) There are a ton of things in this post that are not allowable under MSDE requirements. It does not appear to be written by someone with any familiarity with the policy/requirements.

2) Is this AI slop? Please don't post AI slop anywhere, but especially when people are having an important conversation. Use your own brain and your own words. Also that would hopefully address the issue in #1 where you are posting things that are not allowed under MSDE policy.

I looked up the MSDE policy and it does not appear was to prohibit the above. Can you link to the document you are referring to?

The MSDE policy (here) requires that "all math courses" must be 60 minutes every day or 300 minutes a week. So the suggestions that include providing the extra math minutes through other subjects or during intervention/advisory would not work, since the requirement is that the math courses themselves be 300 minutes a week, not that students receive 300 minutes of math instruction each week. The suggestion of using block scheduling with only one period of math (with the idea that on math days kids would get 90 minutes of math which is more than 60) also would not work, because that would not add up to 300 minutes per week.

The only thing in there that would actually conform with the policy is "A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall." It is true that this would work-- rather than only having one elective, students could have two half-credit electives (one on A days and one on B days, or one first semester and one second semester.) If MCPS does end up making the cuts to electives, I hope they do it this way, but it definitely has its own problems as well.

Look at the rest of the document/guidance, including the possible implementations offered by MSDE. I think you are reading it wrong, though they could have used more precise language.

From those docs, when they say "all math courses" they pretty clearly mean 60 minutes/day or 300 minutes/week of math instruction across all courses taken by a student (or across all instruction in elementary). Otherwise, they wouldn't be talking about proximate courses with math components (e.g., science) having their math-oriented minutes counting.

And with so many weeks having fewer than 5 days due to holidays, etc., they aren't meaning that each and every week has to include 300 minutes. It's got to be an average, though I would think they want it to be such that it is consistent through the year -- not a whole bunch one quarter and less another. A block schedule would work just fine, and their guidance examples include that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To provide 60 minutes of daily math without cutting electives, Maryland middle schools can utilize scheduling adjustments like modular block scheduling, hybrid A/B schedules, or integrated cross-curricular teaching. These methods carve out the required instruction time without forcing schools to drop exploratory or elective courses.

Modular / Flexible Block Scheduling: Instead of traditional 45-minute periods, schools use block scheduling to create larger instructional blocks (e.g., 90-minute blocks that rotate). This allows math to receive the required 60 minutes while still providing room for electives throughout the week.

A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall.

Cross-Curricular Integration: Schools embed math standards into elective or encore subjects (such as STEM, tech education, or art). This reinforces mathematical concepts through project-based learning and frees up dedicated periods in the master schedule.

Flexible Intervention Periods: Instead of pulling students out of electives for math remediation, schools build a dedicated "intervention/advisory block" into the daily schedule. Math support and enrichment can happen during this time without encroaching on elective periods.

1) There are a ton of things in this post that are not allowable under MSDE requirements. It does not appear to be written by someone with any familiarity with the policy/requirements.

2) Is this AI slop? Please don't post AI slop anywhere, but especially when people are having an important conversation. Use your own brain and your own words. Also that would hopefully address the issue in #1 where you are posting things that are not allowed under MSDE policy.

I looked up the MSDE policy and it does not appear was to prohibit the above. Can you link to the document you are referring to?

The MSDE policy (here) requires that "all math courses" must be 60 minutes every day or 300 minutes a week. So the suggestions that include providing the extra math minutes through other subjects or during intervention/advisory would not work, since the requirement is that the math courses themselves be 300 minutes a week, not that students receive 300 minutes of math instruction each week. The suggestion of using block scheduling with only one period of math (with the idea that on math days kids would get 90 minutes of math which is more than 60) also would not work, because that would not add up to 300 minutes per week.

The only thing in there that would actually conform with the policy is "A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall." It is true that this would work-- rather than only having one elective, students could have two half-credit electives (one on A days and one on B days, or one first semester and one second semester.) If MCPS does end up making the cuts to electives, I hope they do it this way, but it definitely has its own problems as well.

Look at the rest of the document/guidance, including the possible implementations offered by MSDE. I think you are reading it wrong, though they could have used more precise language.

From those docs, when they say "all math courses" they pretty clearly mean 60 minutes/day or 300 minutes/week of math instruction across all courses taken by a student (or across all instruction in elementary). Otherwise, they wouldn't be talking about proximate courses with math components (e.g., science) having their math-oriented minutes counting.

And with so many weeks having fewer than 5 days due to holidays, etc., they aren't meaning that each and every week has to include 300 minutes. It's got to be an average, though I would think they want it to be such that it is consistent through the year -- not a whole bunch one quarter and less another. A block schedule would work just fine, and their guidance examples include that.

DP - Can you link to the guidance documents you are referring to or list page numbers?

[Anonymous]

They don’t need MORE math to succeed- they need to go back to basics. Is it important students understand the concepts behind multiplication tables? Yes. You know what’s also important? Memorizing your times tables. You can’t teach long division if they don’t know their multiplication tables and that’s where they all start giving up. Rote memorization is still important. It should still be part of math instruction. More doesn’t always equal better. We just keep failing with all of these “new” ways to teach/ do math and obviously they aren’t working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To provide 60 minutes of daily math without cutting electives, Maryland middle schools can utilize scheduling adjustments like modular block scheduling, hybrid A/B schedules, or integrated cross-curricular teaching. These methods carve out the required instruction time without forcing schools to drop exploratory or elective courses.

Modular / Flexible Block Scheduling: Instead of traditional 45-minute periods, schools use block scheduling to create larger instructional blocks (e.g., 90-minute blocks that rotate). This allows math to receive the required 60 minutes while still providing room for electives throughout the week.

A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall.

Cross-Curricular Integration: Schools embed math standards into elective or encore subjects (such as STEM, tech education, or art). This reinforces mathematical concepts through project-based learning and frees up dedicated periods in the master schedule.

Flexible Intervention Periods: Instead of pulling students out of electives for math remediation, schools build a dedicated "intervention/advisory block" into the daily schedule. Math support and enrichment can happen during this time without encroaching on elective periods.

An A/B schedule won’t work because the mandate is for 60 minutes DAILY. This means the MSMC schools already on A/B schedule will have to change

For MS, it’s 300 mins/week. That said I am hearing they are looking to do 60 mins daily and not just for math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To provide 60 minutes of daily math without cutting electives, Maryland middle schools can utilize scheduling adjustments like modular block scheduling, hybrid A/B schedules, or integrated cross-curricular teaching. These methods carve out the required instruction time without forcing schools to drop exploratory or elective courses.

Modular / Flexible Block Scheduling: Instead of traditional 45-minute periods, schools use block scheduling to create larger instructional blocks (e.g., 90-minute blocks that rotate). This allows math to receive the required 60 minutes while still providing room for electives throughout the week.

A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall.

Cross-Curricular Integration: Schools embed math standards into elective or encore subjects (such as STEM, tech education, or art). This reinforces mathematical concepts through project-based learning and frees up dedicated periods in the master schedule.

Flexible Intervention Periods: Instead of pulling students out of electives for math remediation, schools build a dedicated "intervention/advisory block" into the daily schedule. Math support and enrichment can happen during this time without encroaching on elective periods.

1) There are a ton of things in this post that are not allowable under MSDE requirements. It does not appear to be written by someone with any familiarity with the policy/requirements.

2) Is this AI slop? Please don't post AI slop anywhere, but especially when people are having an important conversation. Use your own brain and your own words. Also that would hopefully address the issue in #1 where you are posting things that are not allowed under MSDE policy.

I looked up the MSDE policy and it does not appear was to prohibit the above. Can you link to the document you are referring to?

The MSDE policy (here) requires that "all math courses" must be 60 minutes every day or 300 minutes a week. So the suggestions that include providing the extra math minutes through other subjects or during intervention/advisory would not work, since the requirement is that the math courses themselves be 300 minutes a week, not that students receive 300 minutes of math instruction each week. The suggestion of using block scheduling with only one period of math (with the idea that on math days kids would get 90 minutes of math which is more than 60) also would not work, because that would not add up to 300 minutes per week.

The only thing in there that would actually conform with the policy is "A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall." It is true that this would work-- rather than only having one elective, students could have two half-credit electives (one on A days and one on B days, or one first semester and one second semester.) If MCPS does end up making the cuts to electives, I hope they do it this way, but it definitely has its own problems as well.

Look at the rest of the document/guidance, including the possible implementations offered by MSDE. I think you are reading it wrong, though they could have used more precise language.

From those docs, when they say "all math courses" they pretty clearly mean 60 minutes/day or 300 minutes/week of math instruction across all courses taken by a student (or across all instruction in elementary). Otherwise, they wouldn't be talking about proximate courses with math components (e.g., science) having their math-oriented minutes counting.

And with so many weeks having fewer than 5 days due to holidays, etc., they aren't meaning that each and every week has to include 300 minutes. It's got to be an average, though I would think they want it to be such that it is consistent through the year -- not a whole bunch one quarter and less another. A block schedule would work just fine, and their guidance examples include that.

What references to proximate courses like science are you talking about? I don't see anything about that in the policy. And I don't see any guidance from MSDE on scheduling the 60 minutes (they have a page here for math policy guidance and there is nothing like that linked there)-- please share links and quotes if there is something on this I've missed. But everything I have seen points very strongly to requiring math classes being an average of 60 minutes per day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To provide 60 minutes of daily math without cutting electives, Maryland middle schools can utilize scheduling adjustments like modular block scheduling, hybrid A/B schedules, or integrated cross-curricular teaching. These methods carve out the required instruction time without forcing schools to drop exploratory or elective courses.

Modular / Flexible Block Scheduling: Instead of traditional 45-minute periods, schools use block scheduling to create larger instructional blocks (e.g., 90-minute blocks that rotate). This allows math to receive the required 60 minutes while still providing room for electives throughout the week.

A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall.

Cross-Curricular Integration: Schools embed math standards into elective or encore subjects (such as STEM, tech education, or art). This reinforces mathematical concepts through project-based learning and frees up dedicated periods in the master schedule.

Flexible Intervention Periods: Instead of pulling students out of electives for math remediation, schools build a dedicated "intervention/advisory block" into the daily schedule. Math support and enrichment can happen during this time without encroaching on elective periods.

1) There are a ton of things in this post that are not allowable under MSDE requirements. It does not appear to be written by someone with any familiarity with the policy/requirements.

2) Is this AI slop? Please don't post AI slop anywhere, but especially when people are having an important conversation. Use your own brain and your own words. Also that would hopefully address the issue in #1 where you are posting things that are not allowed under MSDE policy.

I looked up the MSDE policy and it does not appear was to prohibit the above. Can you link to the document you are referring to?

The MSDE policy (here) requires that "all math courses" must be 60 minutes every day or 300 minutes a week. So the suggestions that include providing the extra math minutes through other subjects or during intervention/advisory would not work, since the requirement is that the math courses themselves be 300 minutes a week, not that students receive 300 minutes of math instruction each week. The suggestion of using block scheduling with only one period of math (with the idea that on math days kids would get 90 minutes of math which is more than 60) also would not work, because that would not add up to 300 minutes per week.

The only thing in there that would actually conform with the policy is "A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall." It is true that this would work-- rather than only having one elective, students could have two half-credit electives (one on A days and one on B days, or one first semester and one second semester.) If MCPS does end up making the cuts to electives, I hope they do it this way, but it definitely has its own problems as well.

Look at the rest of the document/guidance, including the possible implementations offered by MSDE. I think you are reading it wrong, though they could have used more precise language.

From those docs, when they say "all math courses" they pretty clearly mean 60 minutes/day or 300 minutes/week of math instruction across all courses taken by a student (or across all instruction in elementary). Otherwise, they wouldn't be talking about proximate courses with math components (e.g., science) having their math-oriented minutes counting.

And with so many weeks having fewer than 5 days due to holidays, etc., they aren't meaning that each and every week has to include 300 minutes. It's got to be an average, though I would think they want it to be such that it is consistent through the year -- not a whole bunch one quarter and less another. A block schedule would work just fine, and their guidance examples include that.

What references to proximate courses like science are you talking about? I don't see anything about that in the policy. And I don't see any guidance from MSDE on scheduling the 60 minutes (they have a page here for math policy guidance and there is nothing like that linked there)-- please share links and quotes if there is something on this I've missed. But everything I have seen points very strongly to requiring math classes being an average of 60 minutes per day.

"Points to" isnt definitive. If it doesn't explicitly state that, then schools can find other ways to implement the extra 15 minutes of additional math per day aka use advisory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To provide 60 minutes of daily math without cutting electives, Maryland middle schools can utilize scheduling adjustments like modular block scheduling, hybrid A/B schedules, or integrated cross-curricular teaching. These methods carve out the required instruction time without forcing schools to drop exploratory or elective courses.

Modular / Flexible Block Scheduling: Instead of traditional 45-minute periods, schools use block scheduling to create larger instructional blocks (e.g., 90-minute blocks that rotate). This allows math to receive the required 60 minutes while still providing room for electives throughout the week.

A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall.

Cross-Curricular Integration: Schools embed math standards into elective or encore subjects (such as STEM, tech education, or art). This reinforces mathematical concepts through project-based learning and frees up dedicated periods in the master schedule.

Flexible Intervention Periods: Instead of pulling students out of electives for math remediation, schools build a dedicated "intervention/advisory block" into the daily schedule. Math support and enrichment can happen during this time without encroaching on elective periods.

An A/B schedule won’t work because the mandate is for 60 minutes DAILY. This means the MSMC schools already on A/B schedule will have to change

For MS, it’s 300 mins/week. That said I am hearing they are looking to do 60 mins daily and not just for math.

Where did you hear this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To provide 60 minutes of daily math without cutting electives, Maryland middle schools can utilize scheduling adjustments like modular block scheduling, hybrid A/B schedules, or integrated cross-curricular teaching. These methods carve out the required instruction time without forcing schools to drop exploratory or elective courses.

Modular / Flexible Block Scheduling: Instead of traditional 45-minute periods, schools use block scheduling to create larger instructional blocks (e.g., 90-minute blocks that rotate). This allows math to receive the required 60 minutes while still providing room for electives throughout the week.

A/B or Hybrid Schedules: This alternates class schedules over a two-week period. Schools can schedule math every day for 60 minutes, and rotate electives on an A-day/B-day basis, allowing students to take more electives overall.

Cross-Curricular Integration: Schools embed math standards into elective or encore subjects (such as STEM, tech education, or art). This reinforces mathematical concepts through project-based learning and frees up dedicated periods in the master schedule.

Flexible Intervention Periods: Instead of pulling students out of electives for math remediation, schools build a dedicated "intervention/advisory block" into the daily schedule. Math support and enrichment can happen during this time without encroaching on elective periods.

An A/B schedule won’t work because the mandate is for 60 minutes DAILY. This means the MSMC schools already on A/B schedule will have to change

For MS, it’s 300 mins/week. That said I am hearing they are looking to do 60 mins daily and not just for math.

Where did you hear this?

DP

The math policy states:

Beginning SY 2027-2028, LEAs shall adhere to a minimum daily requirement of 60 cumulative instructional minutes or the equivalent of 300 weekly minutes for all math courses in kindergarten through grade 8. Exemplar schedule models aligned to MTSS will be provided in guidance.

It doesn't look like there are different rules for ES and MS. For K-8 there is the requirement for 60 cumulative minutes or the equivalent of 300 weekly minutes.

As written the policy clearly seems to allow block scheduling as well as any math instruction that adds up to the required number of minutes regardless of whether it is in the same class or not. Though, I imagine the teacher must be licensed in math?

[Anonymous]

So pretty much every (MS) teacher has an advisory period-team leads/content specialists do not. So...why can't all the math teachers have large homerooms, use advisory time, and the other non-math teachers will be assigned a math teacher to assist with small groups, interventions,etc. Same amount of work for everyone, same periods, etc. This could take place in the gyms, media center, cafeteria, etc. to facilitate such large groups.