Equity: Pathways of Promise

Texas districts increased the number of students taking middle school algebra, giving them a better chance for success in college and beyond

Initiatives that identified and removed barriers to student success, and increased engagement and performance, proved critical in producing positive learning results for students, write Tegwin Pulley and Audrey Selden with the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity. 

July 14, 2025

Several school districts in Central Texas were able to increase the number of middle school students, including Black, Hispanic, and emergent bilingual students, taking and passing Algebra 1—a class widely considered to be crucial for future academic success and potentially impacting students’ ability to progress to higher-level math and STEM fields. 

The districts that achieved these results participated in a program called Pathways of Promise (PoP), founded by the E3 Alliance to increase student participation and success on the math pipeline. In 2018, the E3 Alliance partnered with the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE). The E3 Alliance is a collective impact organization that transforms education systems through data and collaboration, so all students succeed. NAPE builds educators’ capacity to create learning environments where every student thrives and has an education that prepares them to earn a living wage, with emphasis on high-skill, in-demand opportunities in STEM and CTE. 

E3 Alliance research shows how pivotal algebra and other high-level math courses are for students:

• The more rigorous level of math course a student achieved in high school, the more frequently the student would enroll and complete a postsecondary credential.
• Completing advanced math in middle and high school increases postsecondary success and entry point wages.
• Students who complete four years of math in high school earn a postsecondary credential 2.4 times as frequently as those who do not.
• Students whose highest math course in high school was college-aligned earn a postsecondary credential five times as frequently as those whose highest math course was Algebra II.
• Taking Algebra I in middle school is the gateway to advanced academic courses in high school.

The E3 Alliance created a PoP steering committee of education leaders from Central Texas school districts, the Dana Center at the University of Texas, and others. The steering committee convened regularly to monitor progress and identify opportunities for improvement. 
An analysis of 2014 Central Texas fifth grade student data showed that only 33% of Black students and 46% of Hispanic students with State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) math test scores in the top 20% completed Algebra I by end of eighth grade. This led to a priority on increasing the number of students taking advanced math in sixth grade and Algebra I in eighth grade.

As part of the initiative, NAPE delivered three programs (Micromessaging to Reach and Teach Every Student, a program improvement process, and a coaching program) to several Central Texas school districts to identify opportunities and implement improvements in policies, communications, and classroom interactions. 

Here are some examples of PoP’s impact in Central Texas.

• The percentage of high-performing students completing Algebra I by the end of eighth grade grew from 57% in 2015 to 74% in 2024 with racial disparities narrowed.
• Between 2015 and 2022, the gap between high-performing Black and White students completing Algebra I in middle school closed by 91%, and the gap between high-performing Hispanic and White students closed by 71%.
• In 2023, six times as many high-performing emergent bilingual students completed Algebra I by the end of eighth grade as compared to 2017. 

It became clear that policies where students must opt in to advanced math courses (usually with teacher recommendations) left out some students with demonstrated proficiency. Districts examined their policies, changed from opt in to opt out, and put supports in place to ensure student success in advanced math. 

Round Rock ISD’s Stony Point Learning Community (SPLC) used this approach. They analyzed their data and changed their practices and policies to increase student enrollment and success in advanced math. 

Summer math enrichment programs increased students’ mastery of math concepts, resulting in improved student attitudes and math self-efficacy, and created a student network of peer support. From 2018 to 2021, the percentage of students taking advanced math in sixth grade increased from 33% to 75%, with every demographic increasing. Given this success, the initiative is now districtwide with 70% of all sixth-grade students enrolled in advanced math.

The results of the program led the E3 Alliance and other Texas organizations to advocate for Texas Senate Bill (SB) 2124, which passed with bipartisan support in 2023. The bill automatically opts in the top 40% highest-performing math students into advanced math pathways, increasing their prospects for earning a postsecondary credential.

NAPE resources are updated regularly to meet changing regulations and to include new research with a focus on positive outcomes for every student. The E3 Alliance and NAPE are continuing their work with Central Texas school districts on two new initiatives: Leading for Emergent Bilingual Success and Career and College Success for Students Receiving Special Education Services. Both programs identify and remove barriers to student success, increase engagement and performance, and prepare students to earn college and career credentials leading to in-demand employment.

Tegwin Pulley (tpulley@nape.education) is the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Texas Director.
Audrey Selden (aselden@nape.education) is the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Lead for E3 Alliance.