The Common Core State Standardsfor Mathematics

Common Core Development

• Initially 48 states and three territories signed on

• As of November 29, 2010, 42 states have officially adopted

• Final Standards released June 2, 2010, at www.corestandards.org

• Adoption required for Race to the Top funds

Common Core Development

• Each state adopting the common core either directly or by fully aligning its state standards may do so in accordance with current state timelines for standards adoption not to exceed three (3) years.

• States that choose to align their standards to the common core standards accept 100% of the core. States may add additional standards.

Benefits for States and Districts

• Allows collaborative professional development based on best practices

• Allows development of common assessments and other tools

• Enables comparison of policies and achievement across states and districts

• Creates potential for collaborative groups to get more economical mileage for:– Curriculum development, assessment, and

professional development

Characteristics• Fewer and more rigorous.

• Aligned with college and career expectations

• Internationally benchmarked

• Rigorous content and application of higher-order skills.

• Builds on strengths and lessons of current state standards.

• Research based

Intent of the Common Core

• The same goals for all students

• Coherence

• Focus

• Clarity and Specificity

Coherence• Articulated progressions of topics and

performances that are developmental and connected to other progressions

• Conceptual understanding and procedural skills stressed equally

NCTM states coherence also means that instruction, assessment, and curriculum are aligned

Focus

• Key ideas, understandings, and skills are identified

• Deep learning of concepts is emphasized– That is, time is spent on a topic and on

learning it well. This counters the “mile wide, inch deep” criticism leveled at most current U.S. standards.

Clarity and Specificity

• Skills and concepts are clearly defined

• Being able to apply concepts and skills to

new situations is expected

CCSSM

CCSSM stands for

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

CCSSM Mathematical Practices

The Common Core proposes a set of Mathematical Practices that all teachers should develop in their students. These practices are similar to NCTM’s Mathematical Processes from the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics.

8 CCSSM Mathematical Practices

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

4. Model with mathematics.

8 CCSSM Mathematical Practices

5. Use appropriate tools strategically.

6. Attend to precision.

7. Look for and make use of structure.

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Common Core Format

Domains are large groups of related standards. Standards from different domains may sometimes be closely related. Look for the name with the code number on it for a Domain.

Common Core Format

Clusters are groups of related standards. Standards from different clusters may sometimes be closely related, because mathematics is a connected subject.

Clusters appear inside domains.

Common Core Format

Standards define what students should be able to understand and be able to do – part of a cluster.

Common Core Format

High School

Conceptual Category

Domain

Cluster

Standards

K-8

Grade

Domain

Cluster

Standards

(There are no preK Common Core Standards)

Grade Level Overview

Grade Level Overview

Critical Areas Critical Areas – similar to – similar to

NCTM’s NCTM’s Curriculum Curriculum Focal PointsFocal Points

Format of K-8 Standards Grade Grade LevelLevel

DomainDomain

Format of K-8 Standards

ClusterCluster

ClusterCluster

StandardStandard

StandardStandard

Format of High School

StandardStandard

ClusterCluster

DomainDomain

Common Core - Domain

• Domains are overarching big ideas that connect topics across the grades

• Descriptions of the mathematical content to be learned elaborated through clusters and standards

Common Core - Standards

• Standards are content statements. An example content statement is: “Use properties of operations to generate equivalent expressions.”

• Progressions of increasing complexity from grade to grade

Common Core - Clusters

• May appear in multiple grade levels in the K-8 Common Core. There is increasing development as the grade levels progress

• What students should know and be able to do at each grade level

• Reflect both mathematical understandings and skills, which are equally important

High School Conceptual Categories

• The big ideas that connect mathematics across high school – such as Functions or Probability and Statistics

• A progression of increasing complexity

• Description of mathematical content to be learned elaborated through domains, clusters, and standards

High School Pathways

• The CCSSM Model Pathways are two models that organize the CCSSM into coherent, rigorous courses

• The CCSSM Model Pathways are NOT required. The two sequences are examples, not mandates

High School Pathways

• Four years of mathematics: – One course in each of the first two years– Followed by two options for year three and a

variety of relevant courses for year four

• Course descriptions – Define what is covered in a course – Are not prescriptions for the curriculum or

pedagogy

High School Pathways

• Pathway A: Consists of two algebra courses and a geometry course, with some data, probability and statistics infused throughout each (traditional)

• Pathway B: Typically seen internationally that consists of a sequence of 3 courses each of which treats aspects of algebra, geometry and data, probability, and statistics.

Additional Information

• For grades preK-8, a model of implementation can be found in NCTM’s Curriculum Focal Points

• For the secondary level, please see NCTM’s Focus in High School Mathematics: Reasoning and Sense Making

www.nctm.org/cfp

www.nctm.org/FHSM

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to the Ohio Department of Education and Eric Milou of Rowan University for providing content and assistance for this presentation