The Common Core Mathematics Content Standards

How do we translate the 13 grades/years (K-12) of math content in the Common Core to Adult Basic Education (ABE) and High School Equivalency (HSE) instruction?

Figuring out how to use the content part of the Common Core Learning Standards for Mathematics is currently a huge challenge for ABE  (Adult Basic Education) and HSE (High School Equivalency) teachers for the following reasons:

• We don't have our students for 13 years.

 The Common Core State Standards are P-12, meaning they have laid a focused, coherent, interconnected and rigorous plan to teach math content across 13 years of math instruction.  Obviously, the structure of the Adult education system does not afford us that kind of time. 

• We are preparing our students for an assessment we know very little about. 

In February 2013, the New York State Department of Education has awarded a contract to CTB/McGraw Hill to develop a new high school assessment exam that would allow students to earn high school equivalency diplomas. This exam is called the TASC. This would be in place of the new GED^(R) exam. It is NYS Ed's intention that the TASC assessment will be aligned with the Common Core by 2016. 

We do not yet know exactly what math content to expect on the TASC exam that we will be preparing our students for starting in January 2014.  This is all working itself out in real-time. <To read more about the TASC, click here>

• Here's what we do know about the focus of the TASC Math Content Areas:
• 15% number and quantity
• 25% algebra
• 25% geometry
• 25% functions
• 10% statistics and probability (this is a big shift from the current G.E.D. math section, where there is a lot of graphs, data and charts. It is important to keep in mind that students will still need to know data, statistics and probability, but just not on the math section. Serious data, statistics and probability will appear in the science and social studies sections of the TASC.

For now, our advice is to focus on the same math content (which is to say the K-8 standards)

The current GED^(R) exam is normed against the performance of graduating high school seniors. Basically, what that means is that the passing score of the GED^(R) test is set so that 60% of high school students are able to pass it.  This insures that adult students are not held to a higher standard than high school students, when it comes to earning a high school equivalency diploma. This is also why the content of the current GED^(R) math questions are around a 6-8 grade level - that is the level of math that 60% of graduating seniors are able to do. 

One thing that we do know for certain is that, both the new GED^(R) exam and the TASC assessment will be normed in the same way as the current GED^(R) test. So for now, we believe it is best to focus on the Common Core Math Standards through the 8th grade (and all that comes before them) -  the HSE assessments will continue to be normed, and it is unlikely that high school students will suddenly be able to master the more rigorous content.

We have three years to align our teaching practice with the Common Core. Let us focus on developing our understanding and expertise with (a) the 8 mathematical practices, (b) the 6 instructional shifts, (c) higher cognitive-level mathematical tasks and (d) deepening our own conceptual understanding of the math we teach.

Some Useful Tools from EngageNY

• Emphases in Common Core Math Content K-8
• Emphases in Common Core Math Content K-12

Both of these documents take a grade by grade look at the math content of the CC and categorize the math standards for each grade into three categories: "Major", "Supporting" and "Additional".

*Search the Common Core Math Content*

The link above will take you to an interactive version of the Common Core Math Standards.

You will be able to search the math content by grade or by domain. In other words, you can select "6th Grade" and see all of the math content for that school year.

Perhaps more useful for teachers of adult students is the search the "Standards by Domain". For example, if you select, "Operations and Algebraic Thinking", you can see how that content develops from Kindergarten through the 5th Grade.

1. Deepen your own understanding of how math topics build upon key foundational concepts and develop over time
2. Find out how to make better connections between content areas for yourself and for your students
3. Having a clearer idea of how concepts develop will make it easier for you to be more flexible with your struggling and advanced learners.  
1. Knowing what foundational concepts come before the content you are teaching will allow you to address the gaps in the knowledge of your struggling students.  
2. Knowing what content comes after the content you are teaching might provide some guidance for extending the activity for advanced students. 

Understanding the Content Standards

• Common Core State Standards Video Series - Each video focuses on one or more specific standards and usually includes examples/illustrations geared to enhancing understanding. The intent of each content-focused video is to clarify the meaning of the individual standard rather than to be a guide on how to teach each standard, although the examples can be adapted for instructional use.

The College and Career Readiness Standards for Mathematics - By Level

What is this?

The standards below are the result of a project undertaken by the US Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) to adapt the Common Core Standards (which were written for the K-12 system) for adults and out of school youth seeking their high school equivalency. Since there is such diversity in the structure of HSE and basic education programs, there isn't going to be a perfect fit. The Standards below take the 13 grade levels of the Common Core and divide them up into five different levels. They have also reduced the number of standards, because as we all know, HSE students are only in school for a fraction of the time of a student in the public school system. That said there is likely still too much content, and teachers and programs will still need to make choices about what math topics to focus on.

Level A (K-1)

Level B (2-3)

Level C (4-5, +6) 

Level D ( +6, 7-8)

Level E (High School)