Foundational Mathematics Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 1044

Short Title: Foundational Mathematics Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Corbin, Hise, and Lee (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
May 4, 2026
*S1044-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO IMPROVE GR ADE LEVEL PROFICIENC Y IN MATHEMATICS, CO DIFY 2
THE OFFICE OF LEARNI NG RESEARCH (OLR) AT THE NORTH CAROLINA 3
COLLABORATORY, REQUI RE OLR TO EVALUATE V ENDORS OF 4
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERI ALS, TO ESTABLISH TH E AI INSTRUCTIONAL 5
SUPPORT PROGRAM, AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THOSE PURPOSES. 6
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 7
8
PART I. HIGH QUALITY MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTION 9
SECTION 1.(a) Article 8 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 10
adding a new Part to read: 11
"Part 1C. High-Quality Mathematics Instruction. 12
"§ 115C-83.20. State goal. 13
The goal of the State is to ensure that every student has mathematics skills at or above grade 14
level by the end of each grade and continues to progress so that he or she can have the 15
mathematics skills needed for secondary education and career success. The State Board of 16
Education and the Department of Public Instruction shall provide technical assistance as needed 17
to aid local school administrative units in reaching this goal and implementing all provisions of 18
this Part. 19
"§ 115C-83.21. Purposes. 20
The purposes of this Part are to ensure that (i) difficulty with mathematics skill development 21
is identified before students transition to a new grade, (ii) students receive appropriate 22
mathematics interventions to address difficulty with mathematics skill development and to 23
remediate math skill deficiencies, and (iii) each student and his or her par ent or guardian be 24
informed of the student's academic needs and progress. 25
"§ 115C-83.22. Definitions. 26
The following definitions apply in this Part: 27
(1) Difficulty with mathematics skill development. – Performing at or below 28
grade level on screening assessments administered pursuant to 29
G.S. 115C-83.24. 30
(2) High-quality instruction. – Instruction that meets the criteria set for th in 31
G.S. 115C-83.23. 32
(3) Major mathematics skills. – Mathematics skills identified by the State Board 33
of Education to show grade level proficiency. 34
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 1044-First Edition
(4) Progressing toward grade level standards. – Showing improved performance 1
in major mathematics skills based on results on the screening assessment 2
administered pursuant to G.S. 115C-83.24. 3
"§ 115C-83.23. High-quality instruction. 4
Governing bodies of public school units shall implement high -quality mathematics 5
instruction for students in kindergarten through grade eight that meets the following criteria: 6
(1) Aligns with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. 7
(2) Is evidence-based. 8
(3) Engages students and provides them with relevant challenges and pathways 9
to deeper understanding. 10
(4) Provides students at all levels of language proficiency with opportunities to 11
use written and oral forms of communication to learn and demonstrate 12
understanding of mathematics skills. 13
(5) Is for at least 60 minutes per day. 14
"§ 115C-83.24. Mathematics screening assessment. 15
(a) All students in kindergarten through grade eight shall be assessed at least three times 16
per school year with formative and diagnostic mathematics assessments made available to local 17
school administrative units by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C-174.11(a1). 18
The first assessment in a given school year shall be administered within 30 days of the start of 19
the school year. Assessments shall meet the following criteria: 20
(1) Be valid and reliable. 21
(2) Align with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. 22
(3) Align with this Part. 23
(4) Yield data that can be used with the Education Value -Added Assessment 24
System (EVAAS) to analyze student data to identify root causes for difficulty 25
with mathematics skill development and to determine actions to address them. 26
(b) The Department of Public Instruction shall partner with the vendor selected pursuant 27
to subsection (c) of this section to provide guidance and professional development to teachers 28
and administrators on the following to ensure that mathematics screening assessment data is used 29
to meaningfully inform instruction: 30
(1) Using mathematics screening assessment results to influence in -class 31
instruction. 32
(2) Planning for student interventions and MSPs. 33
(3) Progress monitoring of students based on mathematics screening assessment 34
results. 35
(c) The Department of Public Instruction shall develop and issue a request for proposals 36
(RFP) for a mathematics screening assessment tool to be administered to all students in 37
kindergarten through grade eight con sistent with the requirements of Part 1C of Article 8 of 38
Chapter 115C. The Department may issue a new RFP if the State Board or Department 39
determines that a new contract is needed to comply with the provisions of subsection (a1) of this 40
section or G.S. 115C-83.24. The RFP shall require that proposals include at least the following: 41
(1) Assessments that align with the standard course of study. 42
(2) Assessments that can be administered three times per year, with progressing 43
standards for each subsequent assessment. 44
(3) Progress monitoring tools for teachers and administrators to be able to track 45
student progress. 46
(4) Provide results of assessments to teachers and parents no later than 15 47
calendar days after the assessment is administered. 48
(5) Ability to identify students in need of intervention. 49
(6) Ability to report results of assessments to the Department. 50
"§ 115C-83.25. Interventions and Mathematics Success Plans (MSPs). 51
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Senate Bill 1044-First Edition Page 3
(a) Students who are not grade level proficient in mathematics skills based on the results 1
of either (i) the first diagnostic or formative assessment of a school year or (ii) the first diagnostic 2
or formative assessment of the second semester of a school yea r administered pursuant to 3
G.S. 115C-83.24(a), shall be provided with intervention and remediation services documented in 4
a Mathematics Success Plan (MSP) that meets the requirements of this section and aligns with 5
the guidance and professional development provided pursuant to G.S. 115C-83.24(b). Students 6
shall continue to r eceive an MSP through the end of eighth grade or when the student 7
demonstrates grade level proficiency on the third mathematics screening assessment in a given 8
school year, whichever is earlier. 9
(b) A student's parent or guardian shall be given notice that the student has been identified 10
as having difficulty with mathematics skill development and that an MSP is being developed. 11
(c) The MSP shall be developed by a team consisting of the following: 12
(1) The math teacher of the student. 13
(2) Other relevant school personnel. 14
(d) The MSP shall be regularly adjusted based on multiple data sources indicating that 15
the student is not progressing toward grade level standards in one or more major mathematics 16
skills. Based on the most recently collected data, an MSP shall include the following information, 17
specific to the identified student: 18
(1) The specific mathematics skill deficiencies identified by the assessment data. 19
(2) Goals and benchmarks for growth. 20
(3) The means by which progress will be monitored and evaluated. 21
(4) The specific additional mathematics interventions the student will receive. 22
(5) Any additional services the teacher deems appropriate to accelerate the 23
student's mathematics skill development. 24
(e) A multitiered system of support intervention may be used to satisfy the requirements 25
of this section if all of the components of subsection ( d) of this section are incorporated in the 26
intervention. 27
(f) The Department shall develop the following model documen tation of compliance 28
with the requirements of this section: 29
(1) An MSP checklist. 30
(2) An alternative document for use with a multitiered system of support 31
intervention." 32
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C-174.11 reads as rewritten: 33
"§ 115C-174.11. Components of the testing program. 34
(a) Reading Assessment Instruments for Kindergarten, First, Second, and Third Grades. 35
– The State Board of Education shall develop, adopt, and provide to the local school 36
administrative units developmentally appropriate individualized assessment instruments aligned 37
with the standard course of study and Part 1A of Article 8 of this Chapter for the kindergarten, 38
first, second, and third grades. Local school administrative units shall use these assessment 39
instruments provided to them by the S tate Board for kindergarten, first, second, and third grade 40
students to assess progress, diagnose difficulties, and inform instruction and remediation needs. 41
Local school administrative units shall not use standardized tests for summative assessment of 42
kindergarten, first, and second grade students except as required as a condition of receiving 43
federal grants. 44
(a1) Mathematics Assessment Instrument for kindergarten through eighth grade . – The 45
State Board of Education shall adopt and provide to the local school administrative units a series 46
of mathematics screener assessment instruments aligned with the standard course of study and 47
Part 1C of Article 8 of this Chapter for students in kindergarten through eighth grade . Public 48
school units shall administer the assessment instrument made available to them by the State 49
Board to assess progress, diagnose difficulties, and inform instruction and remediation needs for 50
students in kindergarten through eighth grade . Public school units shall not use these formative 51
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and diagnostic assessments for summative assessment of students in kindergarten through eight 1
grade, except as required as a condition of receiving federal grants. 2
(b) Repealed by Session Laws 2009-451, s. 7.20(c), effective July 1, 2009. 3
(c) Annual Testing Program. – 4
(1) The State Board of Education shall adopt the tests for grades three through 12 5
that are required by federal law or as a condition of a federal grant. These tests 6
shall be designed to measure progress toward reading, communication skills, 7
and mathematics for grades three through eight, and toward competencies for 8
grades nine through 12. Students who do not pass the tests adopted for eighth 9
grade shall be provided remedial instruction in the ninth grade. 10
(2) If the State Board of Education find s that additional testing in grades three 11
through 12 is desirable to allow comparisons with national indicators of 12
student achievement, that testing shall be conducted with the smallest size 13
sample of students necessary to assure valid comparisons with other states. 14
(3) Repealed by Session Laws 2014-78, s. 3(a), effective July 1, 2014. 15
(4) To the extent funds are made available, the State Board of Education shall use 16
a competitive bid process to adopt one nationally norm -referenced college 17
admissions test to make available to local school administrative units, regional 18
schools, and charter schools to administer to all students in the eleventh grade 19
unless the student has already taken a comparable test and scored at or above 20
a level set by the State Board. The State Board of Education shall require the 21
administration of an alternate to the nationally norm -referenced college 22
admissions test or an alternate precursor test to the nationally norm-referenced 23
college admissions test to a student who (i) exhibits se vere and pervasive 24
delays in all areas of conceptual, linguistic, and academic development and in 25
adaptive behaviors, including communication, daily living skills, and 26
self-care, (ii) is following the extended content standards of the Standard 27
Course of St udy as provided in G.S. 115C-81.5, or is following a course of 28
study that, upon completing high school, may not lead to admission into a 29
college-level course of study resulting in a college degree, and (iii) has a 30
written parental request for an alternate assessment. 31
The State Board of Education shall ensure that parents of students enrolled 32
in all public schools, including charter and regional schools, have the 33
necessary information to make informed decisions regarding participation in 34
the nationally norm-referenced college admissions test and precursor test. 35
Alternate assessment and nationally norm -referenced college admissions 36
test assessment results of students with disabilities shall be included in school 37
accountability reports, including charter and regional schools, provided by the 38
State Board of Education. 39
(d) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, the State Board of Education shall 40
not require the public schools to administer any standardized tests except for those required by 41
federal law or as a condition of a federal grant. 42
The State Board of Education shall adopt and provide to local school administrative units all 43
tests required by federal law or as a condition of a federal grant." 44
SECTION 1.(c) Section 6(d)(5) of S.L. 2018-32 reads as rewritten: 45
"(5) Part 1A, North Carolina Read to Achieve Program, and Part 1B of Article 8, 46
Part 1B, School Performance.Performance, and Part 1C of Article 8, 47
High-Quality Mathematics Instruction." 48
SECTION 1.(d) G.S. 115C-218.85 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 49
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Senate Bill 1044-First Edition Page 5
"(b1) High-quality mathematics instruction. – A charter school shall provide high -quality 1
mathematics instruction and mathematics screening assessments consistent with the requirements 2
of Part 1C of Article 8 of this Chapter." 3
SECTION 1.(e) G.S. 115C-238.66(1) is amended by adding a new sub-subdivision 4
to read: 5
"h. High-quality mathematics instruction. – The board of directors shall 6
provide high -quality mathematics instruction and mathematics 7
screening assessments consistent with the requirements of Part 1C of 8
Article 8 of this Chapter." 9
SECTION 1.(f) G.S. 115C-150.12C is amended by adding a new subdivision to 10
read: 11
"(3b) The board of trustees shall provide high -quality mathematics instruction and 12
mathematics screening assessments consistent with the requirements of Part 13
1C of Article 8 of this Chapter." 14
SECTION 1.(g) G.S. 116-239.8(b)(2) is amended by adding a new sub-subdivision 15
to read: 16
"a1. The chancellor shall ensure that laboratory schools provide 17
high-quality mat hematics instruction and mathematics screening 18
assessments consistent with the requirements of Part 1C of Article 8 19
of this Chapter." 20
SECTION 1.(h) The Department shall select a vendor based on a proposal submitted 21
pursuant to G.S. 115C-83.24(c), as enacted by this act, by January 15, 2028, and the State Board 22
of Education shall make assessments available to public school units for use beginning with the 23
2028-2029 school year. 24
SECTION 1.(i) Beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, public school units shall 25
only use materials approved by the Office of Learning Research pursuant to Part 3 of this act for 26
mathematics instruction. MSPs developed pursuant to G.S. 115C-83.25 shall include a list of 27
high-quality instructional materials approved by OLR pursuant to Part 3 of this act to be used for 28
implementation of the MSP. 29
SECTION 1.(j) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 30
Public Instruction the sum of twenty -one million dollars ($21,000,000) in recurring funds 31
beginning with the 2026-2027 fiscal year to implement the provisions of this section. 32
SECTION 1.(k) Subsection (a) of this section becomes effective July 1, 2027. 33
Subsection (j) of this section expires June 30, 2031. 34
35
PART II. INITIAL REVIEW OF HIGH-QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS 36
SECTION 2.(a) The Office of Learning Research (OLR), in consultation with the 37
Department of Public Instruction, researchers in the field of mathematics instruction, and other 38
relevant stakeholders, shall establish a process for evaluating vendors of instructional materials 39
intended for use in kindergarten through grade eight math instruction based on the following 40
criteria: 41
(1) Alignment with the standard course of study. 42
(2) Use of sound mathematical and evidence-based pedagogical strategies. 43
(3) Implementation of mathematical learning trajectories that are coherent and 44
mathematically accurate. 45
(4) Evidence of positive effects in other states. 46
(5) Inclusion of intervention materials that support the development of 47
grade-level math knowledge. 48
(6) Extent to vendor -led professional development accompanying materials 49
enhances teacher knowledge of evidence-based approaches to teaching math. 50
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SECTION 2.(b) OLR shall provide a list of vendors approved pursuant to subsection 1
(a) of this section to the Depa rtment of Public Instruction by April 30, 2027. The Department 2
shall distribute this list to public school units by June 1, 2027. 3
4
PART III. LONG -TERM REVIEW OF HIGH -QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL 5
MATERIALS 6
SECTION 3.(a) The North Carolina Collaboratory (Collabora tory) shall study 7
models used in other states to develop high -quality instructional materials at the state level and 8
report on the results of that study to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by 9
April 15, 2027. The report shall include reco mmendations for how to implement a model to 10
develop high-quality instructional materials in North Carolina, including at least the following: 11
(1) Feasibility. 12
(2) Infrastructure and personnel needs. 13
(3) Analysis of start-up costs. 14
(4) Analysis of longer-term funding needs. 15
SECTION 3.(b) The Collaboratory shall conduct analyses of instructional quality, 16
teacher practice, and student outcomes based on the provisions of this act. The Collaboratory 17
shall use continuous improvement tools, including readiness assessments, observational rubrics, 18
high-quality instructional material implementation checklists, and educator surveys when 19
conducting these analyses. The Collaboratory shall report on the results of these analyses by 20
December 15, 2031. 21
SECTION 3.(c) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of 22
Governors of the University of North Carolina the sum of two million five hundred thousand 23
dollars ($2,500,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2026 -2027 fiscal year to allocate to the 24
Collaboratory to implement the provisions of Parts II and III of this act. 25
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PART IV. EFFECTIVE DATE 27
SECTION 4. Except as otherwise provided, this act becomes effective July 1, 2026. 28