“Success in higher-level high school mathematics courses is strongly associated with college enrollment and attainment of an undergraduate degree. Completion of calculus in high school is the strongest predictor of college completion.” (Adelman, 1999, 2006; Harrell & Forney, 2003; Horn & Nunez, 2000).

The Calculus Project is designed to narrow the achievement gap in mathematics by instilling a mindset that attributes success to hard work and resilience, by promoting collaboration among participating students, and by improving the mathematics problem solving skills of African American, Hispanic and low-income students. Our goal is to increase the enrollment of students from these three groups in higher-level math classes at Newton high schools by providing the support necessary for success. Students are invited to the Calculus Project based on academic performance and consultation with teachers.

• Summer Program: In a three-week session the summer before 8th grade and continuing every summer until high school graduation, students preview upcoming mathematics curriculum, learn about STEM related careers and connect with peers to become a cohort of learners.

• After School Program:  After school support is offered once or twice a week for 8th to 12th graders.  Students receive help with homework, class content, preparing for exams, and previewing upcoming content.

In addition to content, students are taught to:

• Work hard and take advantage of supports, believing they can improve with perseverance and diligence
• Improve student-skills and work habits that will help them to develop as strong math learners
• Develop collaborative work habits
• Learn to trust their classmates and teachers

To enable student collaboration, we assign Calculus Project students to classes in small cohorts during the academic year. This encourages continued peer support and decreases the likelihood that a student will decide to drop to a less challenging class if they feel discouraged.