Special Report

Making Sense of the Math

Common Core in Practice
November 12, 2014
This special report—the latest in an ongoing series on high-priority issues in K-12 education—looks at how the Common Core State Standards are changing instruction in mathematics. It explores how schools and teachers are adjusting their practices and shows where there are gaps in support and understanding.
  • Standards News in Brief Where's the Training?
    The United States has produced plenty of inspiring, fresh approaches to teaching math. The problem is that it has dropped the ball on implementing them.
    Liana Loewus, November 14, 2014
    1 min read
    Standards News in Brief 'Plus' Standards Spur Course Changes
    Close readers of the common-core standards for math will notice that in the high school section, some items are marked with a plus sign (+). Those are the so-called "plus standards," designed to go beyond the general expectations and prepare students for advanced math courses.
    Jordan Moeny, November 14, 2014
    1 min read
    Standards News in Brief Math Instructional Materials Vetted
    A new group billing itself as a "Consumer Reports for school materials" will soon begin posting free online reviews of major textbooks and curricula that purport to be aligned to the Common Core State Standards—an effort, some say, that has the potential to shake up the market.
    Liana Loewus, November 14, 2014
    1 min read
    Standards News in Brief NCTM Issues Practice Guide for Teachers
    The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has released a document that aims to describe in detail what teachers and education leaders need to do in practice to help students meet the expectations of the Common Core State Standards for math.
    Liana Loewus, November 14, 2014
    1 min read
    Standards News in Brief Researcher Isolates Common-Core Math Implementation Problems
    In a recent talk for education journalists, William Schmidt, a researcher and education professor at Michigan State University, in East Lansing, laid out what he sees as the four major problems with how the Common Core State Standards for math are being implemented in schools.
    Liana Loewus, November 14, 2014
    1 min read
    Standards Fractions by Grade Level Under the Common Core
    Under the Common Core State Standards in mathematics, fractions instruction extends across grades 3 through 6.
    November 10, 2014
    1 min read
    Standards Approach to Fractions Seen as Key Shift in Common Standards
    The common core's emphasis on fractions as points on a number line offers a window into the framework's divergence from past conventions.
    Liana Loewus, November 10, 2014
    8 min read
    Elementary teachers in Kent County, Md., examine progressions documents associated with the common core during a districtwide cross-grade training.
    Elementary teachers in Kent County, Md., examine progressions documents associated with the common core during a districtwide cross-grade training.
    Swikar Patel/Education Week
    Standards Under Common Core, Teachers Band Together to Build Math 'Coherence'
    The common standards for math put a heavy emphasis on coherent instruction, prompting efforts to familiarize teachers with standards for grade levels beyond their own.
    Liana Loewus, November 10, 2014
    6 min read
    William G. McCallum, a lead writer of the common core for math, says the biggest change the standards pose for educators is the increased focus on fewer topics.
    William G. McCallum, a lead writer of the common core for math, says the biggest change the standards pose for educators is the increased focus on fewer topics.
    Standards Q&A Q&A: Behind the Math Standards
    William G. McCallum, a lead writer of the common-core math standards, discusses the aims, effects, and criticism of the framework.
    Liana Loewus, November 10, 2014
    8 min read
    Sixth graders at KIPP Washington Heights Middle School in New York solve problems at a whiteboard in teacher Silvestre Arcos’ computation class. In transitioning to the common-core standards, Mr. Arcos has focused on his English-learners’ language needs.
    Sixth graders at KIPP Washington Heights Middle School in New York solve problems at a whiteboard in teacher Silvestre Arcos’ computation class. In transitioning to the common-core standards, Mr. Arcos has focused on his English-learners’ language needs.
    Mark Abramson for Education Week
    Standards Common-Core Math Standards Put New Focus on English-Learners
    With their heightened emphasis on language and explication, the new math standards pose unique challenges for students who are not fully proficient in English.
    Anthony Rebora, November 10, 2014
    9 min read
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    Standards Common Core Redoes the Math
    Schools and teachers face complex challenges and competing demands as they work toward implementing the new math standards.
    Liana Loewus, November 10, 2014
    6 min read
    Federal Math-Exam Performance Tasks Ratchet Up Expectations, Anxiety
    The state consortia charged with developing common-core-aligned assessments take steps to address concerns about potential bias and difficulty level in the performance-based questions.
    Ross Brenneman, November 10, 2014
    4 min read
    Standards In Transition to Common Core, Some High Schools Turn to 'Integrated' Math
    Long a staple of the high school curriculum, the mathematics-course sequence of Algebra 1, geometry, and Algebra 2 is facing a budding challenge as schools transition to the Common Core State Standards.
    Madeline Will, November 10, 2014
    10 min read
    Standards In Light of Common Core, Ed. Schools Look to Transform Math-Teacher Prep
    A unique partnership of education schools is exploring ways to adapt secondary-math training programs to the new math standards.
    Stephen Sawchuk, November 10, 2014
    6 min read
Coverage of efforts to implement college- and career-ready standards for all students is supported in part by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, at www.gatesfoundation.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.