Layton received a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and later obtained a master's degree in education from Harvard University.
During the seventies, Layton served as chair of the mathematics department and was involved with the students both in the classroom and through Mu Alpha Theta, the honor society for high schools and two-year colleges.
[2] Layton made two trips to China to evaluate educational efforts in that country.
Findings of the second trip were presented at the convention of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) at the Cervantes Convention Center in St. Louis, Missouri; Layton was one of the panelists that presented the conclusions of the envoy.
The program was designed to measure "expertise in 29 areas ranging from childhood development to foreign languages".