College can be thrilling, demanding, and unpredictable. The need for mathematics is one item that always surprises pupils. Many others share your question about the math courses needed in college.

This story about math equity was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.

It’s a question that high school and middle school math teachers have heard many times. Some educators think it’s because math instruction is stuck in a rut. Procedural, boring and, in some cases, ...