NSHE Releases Next Steps Nevada Report to Strengthen Math Success
With a focus on helping students succeed in college, careers, and beyond, the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) has released Next Steps Nevada, a new report focused on rethinking how math education prepares students for the future. The report outlines four key recommendations aimed at making math instruction more relevant and responsive to Nevada’s workforce needs.
Next Steps Nevada was developed by the Nevada Launch Years Initiative Task Force, a group of math faculty from every NSHE institution, along with system administration leads and a representative from the Nevada Department of Education. Over the course of 16 months, the task force collaborated to identify opportunities to better align math education with students’ academic and career goals.
Their work produced four key recommendations:
- Encouraging a mindset shift so all students see math as accessible and relevant
- Creating a new statistics/data science pathway for students in fields where data literacy is essential
- Standardizing math placement policies across NSHE institutions
- Strengthening the STEM pathway to prepare students for future careers
Among these recommendations, the creation of a general education statistics pathway is the first major step toward implementation. The pathway is designed for students pursuing degrees in healthcare, public policy, social sciences, and other programs where data literacy is critical. This rigorous option will equip students with real-world data analysis skills that employers consistently value.
“This report represents the best of what we can accomplish when faculty and leaders across NSHE work together,” said Renee Davis, associate vice chancellor for academic and student affairs. “These recommendations create stronger, more relevant pathways for our students, and the statistics course is an important first step toward giving students more options for success.”
The Launch Years Initiative represents a collective effort to support students, strengthen advising, and better prepare graduates for success in an evolving workforce.
Read the full report and explore all four recommendations: https://nshe.nevada.edu/math-pathways/
