Most high school students don't have to take Algebra 2, but that may become a more common requirement as a result of a state high school reform initiative called Project 720.

Project 720 -- named after the number of school days in four years of high school -- calls for participating school districts to work toward requiring four years of high school math, including Algebra 1, geometry and Algebra 2.

Currently, only about 20 percent of school districts require students to take Algebra 2, and about a third mandate four years of math, according to a state survey.

Gov. Ed Rendell yesterday announced the award of $5.3 million to 63 school districts, two area vocational-technical schools and one charter school to improve curriculum. Grants range from $50,000 to $168,000. Last school year, 41 participated.

Project 720 also calls for high schools to require three years of science -- including biology, chemistry and physics or physical science -- as well as four years of college-preparatory English and three years of social studies. It "strongly'' recommends two years of foreign language.

Those selected in the region are:

Allegheny County: East Allegheny, $60,000; Highlands, $63,000; Northgate, $62,000; Pittsburgh (for Carrick, Langley, Schenley, Oliver and Peabody high schools), $59,000; Quaker Valley, $50,000; South Fayette, $50,000; and Sto-Rox, $69,000).

Washington County: Bentworth, $65,000; Burgettstown, $66,000; Fort Cherry, $65,000; and Washington, $69,000.

Washington School District Superintendent Roberta DiLorenzo said the district has been working for six years to improve its math curriculum, changes that will help make students ready for higher level math in high school.

About 20 percent of Washington's juniors and seniors take Algebra 2, a percentage the district will gradually increase, with the goal of all students taking Algebra 2.

"It will take some time to get everybody on board to the 100 percent,'' DiLorenzo said.

While she estimated it could take as long as five years to reach 100 percent in Algebra 2, the school board will be asked to expand the district's high school math requirement from three years to four for the freshman class beginning in fall 2006.

Nancy Bunt, program director of the Math and Science Collaborative at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, said she thinks the math and science requirements are realistic, noting students in other countries master the equivalent of Algebra 1 and geometry by the equivalent of the end of eighth grade.

The collaborative's survey of 95 districts in 11 Western Pennsylvania counties seems to show a higher percentage of students take Algebra 2 than are required. The survey showed that 61 percent of students had completed the course with a "C" or better by graduation in 2002-03.

One of the philosophies behind Project 720 is to work for higher expectations and achievement of all students.

Northgate Superintendent Reggie Bonfield said the district is working to "move everybody up a notch.'' He wants those in honors to take more advanced courses, and those in academic classes to take honors classes.

East Allegheny Superintendent Thomas Knight said the district will be reducing its number of tracks from four to just two, honors and academic.