September 2025 Research Rundown
By Madie Spartz
For September’s Research Rundown—our curated list of recent, relevant research we think is worth adding to the education equity conversation—we highlight articles on:
- New data on rigorous coursetaking in Minnesota,
- The state of American math instruction, and
- Maintaining strong pathways for teachers of color
Rigorous Course Taking: Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Concurrent Enrollment, and Postsecondary Options Enrollment
2026 Report to the Legislature by the Minnesota Department of Education, September 2025
Each year the Minnesota Department of Education publishes a report with the most recent data on rigorous coursework taken by high school students across Minnesota. The 2024 report raised concerns by showing a dramatic decrease in advanced coursework participation in Minnesota over time, but the latest data shows that trend reversing. Participation across all four programs increased, with PSEO seeing the largest increase at 20%. Notably, the increases were especially pronounced for students of color and Indigenous students—marking a huge step toward more equitable access.
PSEO participation increased 29% among BIPOC students and AP exam participation increased by 20%. Black or African American students saw the largest increase across both programs, at 33% in PSEO and 28% in AP exams. Furthermore, low-income students saw a remarkable 50% increase in PSEO participation, and a 43% increase in concurrent enrollment. While these increases, both statewide and among underrepresented student groups, should be celebrated, there are still gaps in participation for some student groups, especially in concurrent enrollment.
Why This Matters in Minnesota
Access to rigorous coursework is predictive of high school graduation and college enrollment and success, in addition to offering students the opportunity to earn college-level credits at no cost to them. While there is still work to be done in certain programs and among specific student groups, such as AP participation for Indigenous students, the many positive gains in this report should help inform how we can continue to expand rigorous coursework for all students. Policymakers should work with MDE to understand what’s driving these positive trends and what is needed to sustain them. Policies like automatic enrollment could help grow these improvements even further.
State of the Student 2025: Getting U.S. Students Back on Track in Math
Center for Reinventing Public Education, September 2025
This interactive report provides insight into nationwide data on student math achievement, the state of math instruction, and recommendations for improving how we structure and teach math. The report highlights that when it comes to math outcomes, the gap between the lowest and highest performing students is wider than ever before. Furthermore, students scoring at the bottom have seen their scores plunge in recent years while students scoring at the top have shown little or no decline. English learners, girls, Black and Latino students, low-income students, and students with disabilities’ scores have declined the most since 2013.
The authors attribute this to four factors: ideological fights about the best way to teach math, low expectations for students and lack of accountability, declines in the supply of math teachers, and a “rigid and outdated” instructional delivery system. They argue that despite this dire state, the solutions to improving math achievement are very doable. Based on available evidence, some of the solutions they suggest include statewide investment in teacher training, results-based math tutoring, bonuses for teachers who become mentors to their colleagues and/or work in high-needs schools, and the use of high-quality instructional materials.
Why This Matters in Minnesota
Math achievement has been stagnant in Minnesota for a long time and there are large gaps between student groups. As the report points out, math is “ruthlessly cumulative,” so once a student falls behind, getting caught up is that much harder. It’s important to note, however, that Minnesota does have a strong foundation compared to other states; Minnesota scores in the top 10 U.S. states for math on the NAEP for both 4th and 8th grade students. Minnesota also requires all students to complete Algebra 1 in eighth grade, a policy choice that is specifically mentioned in this report as critical to math success and a preventative measure against “tracking” certain students into low-rigor math pathways that limit their options in the future. There have been bipartisan efforts to repeal the Algebra requirement as recently as last year, and it’s critical that we hold the line on student-centered math policies. Rather than arbitrarily removing standards students are struggling to meet, Minnesota should work to expand and improve our math pathways to help ensure they are prepared and supported. We can and should improve math instruction and make options more relevant for today’s students without sacrificing high expectations and equitable access to math.
Protecting Pathways to the Profession: The Imperative of Maintaining and Strengthening Pipelines for Educators of Color
UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools, August 2025
This policy brief explores the research on teacher diversity both nationwide and in California and provides tangible policy recommendations based on the findings. The report highlights the potential damage of recent federal cuts to teacher preparation and teacher diversity programs, given that these programs help offset the high cost of entry into the profession, which is already facing a crisis. Levels of stress, burnout, and dissatisfaction are high; 60% of teachers seriously considered leaving the profession in 2024. These effects are compounded among teachers of color, who face all of these challenges in addition to increased racial isolation in the workplace, performing more emotional labor relative to their peers, and higher likelihood of working in underresourced schools.
The authors note the strong body of research that supports the benefits of a more diverse teacher workforce and offer potential solutions to offset the recent upheavals in the field. They suggest advocating for alternative funding sources and shoring up state and local investments, supporting teacher prep at community colleges, which are more diverse and lower-cost than four-year colleges, and improving compensation structures in high-need areas.
Why This Matters in Minnesota
The teaching workforce in Minnesota is 93% white, far less diverse than the national average, and nowhere near representative of the student population, 40% of whom are students of color or Indigenous students. Policy changes and investments in recent years have led to an increase in teacher diversity, but these changes are not nearly large or fast enough to meaningfully move the needle. The federal cuts referenced in the brief threaten to compound the problem, with teacher preparation programs at St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota impacted by either cancelled or frozen funds. Without meaningful action at the state level, the teacher workforce crisis in Minnesota will continue.