The NCTM Standards, Common Core Curriculum and draft Catalyzing Change in High School Math

  

 

 The US-based National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has had an enormous effect on mathematics curricula worldwide -- including BC! Understanding the NCTM is essential for understanding our own curriculum.

Here is the link to the new NCTM Common Core executive summary, a link to the Common Core State Standards (something like our IRPs) with correlations to Canadian curricula, and a link to the executive summary of the NCTM Principles and Standards from 2000. We will look at this today to get a sense of one of the biggest influences on our curricular reforms and understand where it is coming from. We may also look at the new draft NCTM Catalyzing Change in High School Mathematics document.


Note that there are also standards for teachers, related to a neo-liberal climate of measurement, accountability and teacher testing in the US.

The general NCTM website is accessible at NCTM.org. It is well worth getting acquainted with the great lesson plans, puzzles, interactive activities and other resources included on this page too.

We will look at:

the 6 Standards,
the 5 Process Standards,
the 5 Content Standards,
the 8 Mathematics Teaching Practices recommended, and
the 16 Principles to Actions recommended for teachers (6), administrators (5) and policy-makers (5).