About the Mathematics Standards

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics are designed so that what students learn each year is built upon in the next year, much like a staircase.  In Kindergarten the foundation is layed with students learning about numbers, counting, sorting, comparing, adding, and subtracting.  This foundation is the base for twelve more years of math instruction that increases in complexity each year.

There are three major shifts in mathematics as the Common Core State Standards are implemented.  

    1.  Focus - We will focus strongly where the standards focus.  The scope of content will be narrowed and deeper focus will be placed on what is emphasized in the standards so that students gain a strong foundation.

    2.  Coherence - We will think across grade levels and link to major topics within grades.  Learning will be carefully connected within and across grades so that students can build new understanding onto foundations built in previous years.  Each standard is not a new event, but an extension of previous learning.  

    3.  Rigor - We will require conceptual understanding, fluency, and application.  The Common Core State Standards require a balance of solid conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application of skills in problem solving situations.  

Education Northwest provides an overview of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics from the organization and design to view of how they affect the students after the elementary grades.  The Council of Great City Schools has a parent roadmap available to help you support your child with Kindergarten mathematics.

Students are formally assessed, as they were with the Connecticut Mastery Tests, in grades 3, 4, and 5. Assessments are being developed by Smarter Balanced which is a state-led consortium working collaboratively to develop assessments aligned to the CCSS.  For more information on assessments please visit our assessments page.