As districts are gearing up for the full implementation of the CCSS in mathematics, the one great concern that has become clear to many is that we need to transform the math classrooms into a higher-level of thinking, engagement rich classroom.  This is much easier said than done.  We often teach the way we've been taught.  Therefore, transformation is not an easy task.  The process below is one way that we can begin the task of making the 8 Mathematical Practices more than a vision, but a reality in classrooms.

The Common Core Standards are here and we have been busy at ESSDACK unpacking the documents and helping teachers and school leaders get a better handle on what the standards are all about and what our classrooms will look like. As we all explore the similarities and differences these new standards will bring us, it is easy to wonder, who is going to be in charge of making sure we know everything.  The answer to that question is ALL of US!

So who is responsible for teaching the Common Core Standards?

I have spent the past two years working with a district aligning their curriculum to the CCSS in mathematics.  We are now at a point where this work we have done can be communicated quickly and efficiently to other teachers in the district and the board of education.  The process described below is how one district chose to communicate the differences.  This process was duplicated at each grade level after substantial work with the CCSS document.  It was designed for three purposes:

1.  To communicate clearly with PLC teams.

When it comes to discussions of the common core, the conversation quickly turns to the question uppermost in teachers’ minds,  “What will the new state assessment look like?”   The truth of the matter is, we aren’t sure yet.

For the last several months, I have been privileged to work with hundreds of teachers as they unpack the Common Core State Standards. In each session, which have been held in grade level groups, we have worked through the meanings of the 8 Standards for Mathematical Practice and each time one point becomes extremely obvious.  These eight standards, or measures of student behavior, are inextricably linked.  It is no surprise really, as they were developed using information from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM

An invitation to "take a bite"...
With the newly adopted State Standards on the horizon,
schools have many questions about where to begin;
This blog is intended to provide answers to the most commonly
asked questions about Common Core.

Many converstations with school leaders this fall have resulted in the question, where do I start?  What do we need to start doing first to unpack(unwrap) the Common Core Standards.  In the spirit of the Christmas season, here is a quick list of the buzz words that should be on every school leader's radar.

12 Days of Common Core (to be sung)

On the 12th day of Christmas, the CCSSO and NGA gave to me (CCSSO is the Chief Council of State School Officers and the NGA is the National Governors Association)...

A question I have been asked frequently is, "What should the common core look like in practice?"  In my opinion there is no one right answer to that question.  However, the common core's eight standards for mathematical practice suggests that it should not be business as usual.

Seven entities with vested interest in the area of mathematics and common core state standards have agreed to lend their collective expertise to the formation of a new coalition called MC3.  The organizations include the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM), the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE), the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics (ASSM), the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), and the Partnership for the Assessment of Re