Intro Link to this section
The mission of the Common Core State Standards is to provide "a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them" and ultimately prepare them for college and careers. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) aim for greater focus and coherence, outlining both content standards by grade level and Standards of Mathematical Practice.
Source: the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center), the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
How is the Common Core Different?
"Every time we make a connection between two different methods and get our kids talking about math, what they're doing is building these connections between the rules of math and the understanding of math, between procedures and concepts," she says. "It's that deep conceptual knowledge that builds a robust and strong understanding of math. It's what helps us become creative problem solvers. And that's a very important 21st century skill."
What are the Standards for Mathematical Practice? Link to this section
The Standards for Mathematical Practice describe varieties of expertise that mathematics educators at all levels should seek to develop in their students.
- Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
- Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
- Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
- Model with mathematics.
- Use appropriate tools strategically.
- Attend to precision.
- Look for and make use of structure.
- Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Access student-friendly versions and translations of the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
This page was last updated on June 21, 2023