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Five Facts about the Mathematics Common Core Standards
posted by: Melissa | February 14, 2013, 10:22 PM   

With all the misinformation still being circulated and with the assessments for Common Core State Standards (CCSS) right around the corner, I wanted to take a moment to make sure that everyone is aware of the contents of the standards.  I’ve done this previously with English/Language Arts, and so today I will attempt to do the same with the Mathematics standards.

So, if you know nothing about the Mathematics Common Core State Standards, here is what you should know:

  • The standards decrease the amount covered each year so that teaching can be done in depth.  Every teacher knows the race to cover everything and the pressure to move on even if their students don’t know what they ought to.  CCSS wants to get rid of this and instead give teachers time to make sure that students truly know and understand what they’re being taught.  The idea is that since being taught better the first time around, there won’t have to be as much repetition and review in older grades, which will free up time to make sure that students still learn the same amount of material overall as before.
  • Mathematical practice is important. Students are expected to be fluent in arithmetic problems, memorize many basic mathematic equations (addition, multiplication, etc), be precise in the use of instruments and tools, and be proficient in the use of mathematical models and graphs. These practices are the foundation of mathematical processes and CCSS don’t want them to be abandoned.
  • Mathematical reasoning is important. The people who began to worry when reading the previous fact can now breathe a sigh of relief. The standards want students to know more than how to just get the answer.  The writers of Common Core want students to have a deep understanding of mathematics, be able to solve problems in multiple ways, and to understand why certain solutions work.
  • Models are important.  CCSS wants students to have a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and to be able to apply them in a wide variety of situations.  One of the keys to this is the creation and interpretation of mathematical models.  The standards say that models (which can include diagrams, tables, graphs, flowcharts, and various computerized outputs) allow students to analyze and explore data, and to make predictions.  The use of models, then, is the keystone to developing mathematical reasoning abilities.
  • Communication is important.  The mathematics standards not only want students to be able to problem solve, but also to communicate what they’ve found.  After all, mathematics is only a useful tool insofar as it can be used.
Comments (2)Add Comment
retired
written by Wayne Clark, November 01, 2016

The purpose of common core is to dumb down America. Every parent I talk to agrees with this. The top math countries use nothing even similar to this garbage. It's easier for the ultra rich to control uneducated people. Over the sentries if our grade minds used this we would still be throwing rocks at food. I can not believe you sold out our nation and bought this scam. You have no shame. Microsoft would still be counting with sticks. About 3000 years ago a soul was worth 30 pieces of silver what's it up to now. You have sold out your children, your grand children, and generations to come in my opinion.
Not really less material in high school...
written by BW, March 14, 2013

Although in the future, there may be students who have actually learned what they need during the elementary and middle school years, for the next few years at the school level we will continue to have students with huge gaps in their instruction and knowledge which must be filled before the required curriculum can be learned. Thus, for several years, at the high school level we will continue to be challenged to "cover" all the material. My experience this year with the common core is there is insufficient time to get to all the concepts, much less take the time to let the kids experiment and "discover" patterns and relationships. I had high hopes for the Common Core, but in practice it is disappointing, frustrating, and rife with lack of materials and resources.

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