Math Matters: Bridging Gaps for Florida’s Future Workforce

Math proficiency is a predictor of student success—and essential for a prosperous career in one of Florida’s top 30 in-demand jobs. The Florida Chamber Foundation’s report, Math Matters: Bridging Gaps for Florida’s Future Workforce, underscores the urgent need to improve math proficiency across Florida’s schools to better prepare students for success and meet future workforce needs.

Read the full report below:

Key findings on K-12 math scores in Florida:

• Florida’s Students Are Falling Behind in Math:
  • Over 128,600 Florida students in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade tested “not proficient” in math during the 2023-24 school year (while only 56,000 tested as “math proficient” and 486,000 were not tested because they had already progressed beyond Algebra 1 and Geometry in their math course sequence).
  • Advanced students who take Algebra 1 and Geometry in the 8th and 9th grade (respectively) tend to fare well, whereas students who have fallen behind and are taking Algebra 1 and Geometry in 10th, 11th and 12th grade (which is considered below grade-level) have lower passing rates on end of course exams.
• Driving Forces Include:
  • Chronic absenteeism is linked to lower math proficiency. A 10 percentage point increase in chronic absenteeism is associated with a 6.8 percentage point decrease in math proficiency.
  • Rural schools could be targeted for additional support. Rural school districts comprise 46% of all Florida school districts but represent 71% of the bottom quartile districts in math proficiency.
• Modest Increase, Major Impact:
  • A 10 percentage point increase in math proficiency could help 27,000 additional 8th graders enter high school with strong math skills each year.
  • Businesses can get involved by providing resources for early math interventions programs, mentoring, and internships to ensure students are not falling behind.

For questions about this report or to learn more about the Florida Chamber Foundation’s ongoing efforts to improve math proficiency outcomes in Florida, contact Dr. Keith Richard at krichard@flchamber.com.

A special thanks to the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Community Development Partnership Council for driving this research and our mission forward. To support the Florida Chamber Foundation’s ongoing efforts to generate action-oriented research to advance progress towards our Florida 2030 Blueprint goals, please contact Dr. Keith Richard at krichard@flchamber.com

There’s more to discover from the Florida Chamber Foundation. We invite you to explore our other resources and tools below:

• Register for the 2025 Florida Economic Outlook & Jobs Solution Summit for an updated forecast on Florida’s economy and demographic shifts HERE>
• TheFloridaScorecard.org – view hundreds of state and county level metrics reflecting Florida’s economic progress in becoming a top 10 global economy by 2030
• View other Florida Chamber Foundation Research HERE>