Will CCSSM Matter in Ten Years?

As elementary educators across the country begin to interpret the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSI 2010) and put them into practice, this article takes a look at this latest set of mathematics standards from a historical viewpoint. The author discusses how educators might use a his...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Teaching children mathematics 2012-09, Vol.19 (2), p.108
Main Author: Larson, Matthew R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Standards
Academic Support Services
Cooperative Learning
Elementary education
Elementary School Mathematics
Faculty Development
Instructional Effectiveness
Low Achievement
Mathematics education
Mathematics teachers
State Standards
Teacher Effectiveness
Teaching Methods
Total Quality Management
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Summary:As elementary educators across the country begin to interpret the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSI 2010) and put them into practice, this article takes a look at this latest set of mathematics standards from a historical viewpoint. The author discusses how educators might use a historical perspective to make the outcome of implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics better than the reform efforts that have preceded it. He says that today's educational climate puts an emphasis on standards and curriculum, but at the present time, there is no correspondingly intense focus on instructional practices. A continued focus on the Content Standards, without a congruent focus on instruction, is likely to--at best--result in continued incremental growth in student learning and, based on history, may fail to have the desired effect on student learning differentials. If a narrow concentration of attention on Content Standards characterizes the CCSSM reform effort, then it is likely to become just another postscript in the chronology of mathematics education. However, if--(1) the implementation of CCSSM "helps teachers move toward more effective instruction in mathematics" through a focus on the Standards for Mathematical Practice; (2) low-track math classes are eliminated and students who struggle are supported with supplementary targeted instruction based on ongoing formative assessment practices while still receiving their grade-level content; and (3) teachers are offered professional development time to collaboratively improve their instructional practices, deepen their understanding of mathematics, and develop their capacity to implement CCSSM--then this reform effort has the potential to improve students' mathematics learning and simultaneously close achievement differentials. As Kilpatrick recently argued, "We can hope for that" (2011, p. 16). Should that hope become reality, then CCSSM is likely to remain a significant force in mathematics education ten years from now.
ISSN:1073-5836
2327-0780