California is moving one step closer in making Common Core State Standards for Mathematics a reality with its draft Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools, K-12, set for public comment between now and June 20.
The public can review the draft framework at the state Department of Education's Public Review and Comment on the Math Framework web page. To leave comments, people may use the 2013 Mathematics Frameworks Online Survey. Visit www.cde.ca.gov, then search for the frameworks.
Comments will then be presented to the Instructional Quality Commission this summer for review and possible inclusion into the final draft of the framework. The State Board of Education may take action on the final frameworks in the fall.
The state Education Code requires the state board to adopt a revised mathematics curriculum framework. The draft math framework is the culmination of several years of work involving educators, content experts, and other education and community leaders. It keeps the best of California's current standards, but replaces outdated ways of learning with a focus on the key knowledge and skills students need, and provide teachers the time to teach them well, state officials believe.
The new framework, an update of the 2005 version, comes at a time when the Common Core State Standards, a nationwide set of learning benchmarks at every grade level in English and math, take effect in fall 2014. The vast majority of states have adopted the standards.
"This draft math framework is an important step on California's path toward the Common Core State Standards, which provide a practical way to prepare children for the challenges of a constantly changing world by learning step-by-step the practical skills they need for career and college," Tom Torlakson, state superintendent of public schools, said in a press release. "I'm looking forward to feedback from the public as we put these standards to work remodeling our education system."
The framework serves as a guide for the new standards. Standards define the knowledge and skills students should acquire at each grade level. The draft math framework differs from the last one, because it is aligned to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.
The draft shows the progress from kindergarten to higher-level math using three principles: The first is "focus," an emphasis on the math concepts and content in the standards; the second is "coherence," the connections between mathematics topics that create a progression of learning from kindergarten through high school; and the third principle, "rigor," calls for instruction with an equal emphasis on developing students' understanding, procedural skills, and ability to apply mathematics to solve problems inside and outside the classroom.
This draft links to tools and research; describes options for higher math even at the middle-school level, including Algebra I; provides greater support for universal access for English learners and students with disabilities; changes the approach to technology; and aligns with the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium's test content specifications. Smarter Balanced is the new computer adaptive student assessment system. The draft framework also will help guide publishers in developing instructional materials.