Maine is one of two states in the Northeast and Islands Region participating in a three-year, federally funded research study to examine whether improving access to Algebra I for eighth-graders through the use of an online course benefits student math achievement. “Maine’s rural schools either have difficulty recruiting teachers with the background necessary to teach algebra or have a limited number of students ready for algebra because of the size of the schools,” says REL-NEI Governing Board Director and Maine Commissioner of Education Susan Gendron. “The Pathways to Math Achievement study will help guide our policy recommendations regarding Algebra I in the eighth grade.”