Mathematics - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Oregon Department of Education

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Mathematics - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Find the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about mathematics instruction below.

Math Content Standards FAQs

1. What has changed from the 2002 Math Standards?

Number of standards reduced to approximately 20 at each grade.
Number of main topics at each grade reduced by an average of 50%.
Overall breadth of the K-12 standards remains largely intact.
Developmental progression of the content standards is much clearer.
Some standards have moved to different grade levels.
Grades 1 to 5 have a heavier emphasis on arithmetic.
Grades 6 to 8 have a heavier emphasis on preparation for algebra.

In addition to the core standards and content standards, ODE is providing a list of “Connections” which are a grade-by-grade list of topics that do not necessarily appear in the core standard, but are strongly tied to the core standards. They can provide a richer mathematical experience for students, and help with differentiation of instruction. These connections documents will be available for the 2008-09 school year.

Other changes follow as a result of any structural change in standards. Oregon Department of Education’s Office of Assessment is currently revising the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) for K-8 Mathematics. Similarly, we are updating our approved instructional materials list for mathematics to support the instruction of these new content standards.

2. If there are fewer 2007 standards than there are 2002 standards, does this mean I have less content to teach?

In this case, “fewer” standards does not mean “less” mathematics. The 2007 standards should help teachers focus on key concepts and teach them at greater depth for greater mastery. This should also help reduce the number of concepts that are repeated or spiraled to later grades. “Fewer” standards should translate to “greater” mastery of key concepts, and possibly, “deeper” conceptual understanding of mathematics.

3. If a standard is moved up to my grade from a lower grade, when do I start teaching it in my classroom?

A grade-level standard moved from a lower grade to a higher grade implies that such a standard has effectively repeated or spiraled in the curriculum and may not need to be taught at the later grade again. In short, if students have mastered the same (or related) standard from a previous academic year, then they may only need, at most, a brief review of the new 2007 standard to be assessment ready. Teachers should review such a standard carefully to ensure that 2002 standard maintains the complexity and content of the new 2007 standard. If not, classroom instruction to support the greater complexity and/or additional content may be necessary. The Crosswalk document identifies such standards as “above grade standards” and highlights them in yellow.

4. If a standard is moved down to my grade from a higher grade, when do I start teaching it in my classroom?

The 2007 Mathematics K-8 Content Standards have been Board approved. This suggests that teachers should be teaching to the 2007 standards now. However, teachers should be reminded of the fact that the 2007 standards will be phased in to the OAKS mathematics exam beginning 2010. Therefore, teachers should transition from the 2002 to 2007 standards carefully to support the OAKS examination phase-in schedule of the 2007 standards. The WestEd Crosswalk document is a valuable tool for teachers to use in making this transition.

Further, ODE encourages teachers at local school sites to collaborate as much as possible during this phase-in schedule so that students do not miss important math concepts that have moved grade levels as a result of the standards revision process. For example, the 2002 6th grade standard MA.06.GM.01, where students learn to identify, describe, compare and classify polygons by their sides and angles, should be taught at the 6th grade during the transition because this standard is now introduced in the 3rd grade in the 2007 standards. If the 6th grade teacher taught only the new 2007 standards this academic year, then their 6th grade students would likely never learn this mathematics concept. It is, therefore, crucial that teachers work with colleagues to ensure that math important math concepts are not inadvertently skipped in the transition.

5. Do we have to teach the newly adopted 2007 standards in order?

Absolutely not. Any logical order would be completely acceptable. The 2007 Oregon K-8 Mathematics Standards are written in a way so that teachers will often be teaching two (or more) standards simultaneously. For example, a lesson that addresses a specific math “connection” will support two or more standards.

Districts may wish to establish a standard scope and sequence for each grade level to maintain consistency between schools. This is entirely a local decision.

6. What do I do if there are standards brought to my grade level that I have never taught before?

ODE is actively working on a robust professional development plan. We will be including a wide range of partners to assist with the implementation of this plan. We will also provide direction to ESD’s, school districts and leadership teams how to support professional development at local levels. It is also the responsibility of local school districts to provide direct professional development that will help teachers make the transition from the 2002 to 2007 Mathematics Content Standards.
Finally, teachers at local sites should consider collaboration to help colleagues make the transition. In short, we will all need to work together to help our mathematics teachers make transition from the 2002 to 2007 K-8 Mathematics Content Standards smoothly.

7. Where are the connections in the 2007 standards and how am I suppose to use them in the classroom?

The connections are not standards. They simply connect core standards horizontally, vertically, and interdisciplinary. So, Connections will not be explicitly assessed in the standards but should still be considered as concepts supporting learning. Further, the list of Connections currently in development is not necessarily comprehensive. There is much room for educators to develop their own Connections at each school site in an effort to strengthen mastery of the core standards and to help bridge from their grade-level content under the 2002 standards to new content under the 2007 standards. We hope to supplement the K-8 Mathematics Content Standards with a recommended list of Connections in the fall of 2008. In summary, Connections serve three basic functions:

1. They help bridge to core standards between grades,
2. Support learning in relation to core standards that are not actually assigned at that specific grade level, and
3. Enrich and extend the math content.

8. Will the adopted mathematics curriculum materials be aligned with the new Mathematics K-8 Content Standards?

The official evaluation criteria for the instructional materials adoption includes alignment to the Mathematics K-8 Content Standards. You can find the criteria online at:

http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/instructionalmaterials/math68criteria.pdf

Please keep in mind this does not mean that ALL of the content standards are contained in each of the adopted materials at the correct grade level. Publishers design instructional materials to serve the needs of many different states. Therefore, while a particular publisher’s product will include most of the Oregon content, it may not be presented at the same grade level as the Mathematics K-8 Content Standards require. Each district is required to have a curriculum aligned to the standards. This aligned curriculum should be the guidance for instruction using instructional materials as resources.

Diploma FAQs

1. When do the new graduation requirements go into effect?

Please note the new diploma requirements are implemented in phases over the next six years. The timeline and phase-in of diploma requirements can be found at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1684

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