The Charles A. Dana Center was established at The University of Texas at Austin in 1991. The Center was later designated by the Texas Education Agency as the Center for Educator Development in mathematics and science.

The Dana Center's mission is to dismantle barriers in education systems to ensure that all students, particularly those historically underserved, have equitable access to and success in an excellent education, primarily focusing on K–16 mathematics and science education. The Center works with educators, administrators, policymakers, and partners across the educational spectrum to catalyze  changes in curriculum, instruction, policy, and structures. The Center's work focuses in Texas as well as more than 20 other states.

Examples of the Center's work include:

• Dana Center Mathematics Pathways (DCMP):
  • A national movement to implement multiple mathematics pathways in higher education.
  • Instead of a single, traditional algebra track, the project advocates for course sequences (like quantitative reasoning, statistics, or calculus pathway) that align with a student's chosen field of study and career goals. This approach can make math learning more relevant to future work and life, enabling timely progress toward degree or certificate completion.
• Launch Years Initiative
  • Focuses on creating coherent and aligned K–12 math pathways to ensure a seamless high-school-to-college transition.
  • By aligning high school and college math, the initiative reduces the need for remediation in college, accelerating students' entry into college-level work and their path toward a credential of value for the workforce.
• Curriculum Alignment and Open Educational Resources (OER)
  • The Center designs high-quality math courses that are relevant, engaging, and aligned to workforce needs.
  • Includes involvement in state-level efforts, like the Digital Design for Student Success (D2S2) initiative in Texas, that provides free, high-quality, transferable math courses that prepare students for both college success and the demands of a rapidly evolving job market.

Resources

Charles A. Dana Center. (n.d.). Homepage. https://www.utdanacenter.org/

Charles A. Dana Center. (n.d.). Who We Are. https://www.utdanacenter.org/who-we-are

Dana Center Mathematics Pathways. (n.d.). National Work. https://dcmathpathways.org/where-we-work/national-work

Charles A. Dana Center. (n.d.). Launch Years Initiative. https://www.utdanacenter.org/our-work/k-12-education/launch-years-initiative

Perez-Rice, T. (2025, June 10). The D2S2 Initiative: A Bold Approach to Digital Learning. https://www.utdanacenter.org/blog/d2s2-initiative-bold-approach-digital-learning