Email
Print

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following open letter of support for the Common Core State Standards was recently sent to the Georgia Department of Education, the University System Board of Regents, Georgia Board of Education Chair Wanda Barrs and State School Superintendent John Barge, the latter with whom the team requested a meeting in which they could discuss with him some ideas about curricula that have gained consensus over the years their diverse team has worked together.

We, the Mathematics Curriculum Team at the University of Georgia, endorse the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) with great enthusiasm and anticipation. We applaud the GaDOE for the visionary progress of the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) and see the CCSS as an additional step forward. We suggest the full adoption of the CCSS over adapting the GPS to be aligned with CCSS. It is doubtful that a state-created blend of two different sets of standards would result in a well-designed set of standards. Therefore, we hope that the use of “CCGPS” designates only that we will be in transition for a period of time. Using the language and enumeration of the national standards will help teachers in Georgia readily communicate and collaborate with other teachers across the nation and will also enable them to fully utilize CCSS national resources.

Today’s students must be prepared to enter a global workforce that is more competitive and challenging than that of previous generations. Toward that end, the CCSS specifies mathematical and statistical content that all students must learn in order to be ready for college and careers. Achieve, a well known educational reform organization, and the CCSS mathematics writing team brought together national experts to organize the CCSS into Model Course Pathways which are described in Appendix A of the CCSS (http://www.achieve.org/mathpathways). These models were created for high school mathematics and have many of the same attributes inherent in the GPS. For example, there are three core math courses required for all students, with fourth year options from which students may choose based on career paths and interests. Additionally, Math Support classes would be offered to give low-achieving students the assistance that they need to be successful in the core math classes. These support classes would not replace core math classes but would provide students with elective credit; thus all students will be held to these high standards. In addition, a “compacted” version is available that corresponds to the accelerated math sequence in the GPS for students who desire to take Advanced Placement courses in Calculus, Computer Science, and/or Statistics.

The Mathematics Curriculum Team strongly advocates for the CCSS Integrated Pathway Model. In response to an audit in 2001 showing the need for an overhaul of Georgia’s mathematics curriculum, extraordinary resources have been utilized in the transition from traditional courses in the Quality Core Curriculum (QCC) to the integrated approach in the GPS. The extensive training, the development of materials, and the tremendous work by teachers have established Georgia as a national leader in mathematics education. Returning to the traditional model of separated subjects would be inefficient, wasteful, and demoralizing. Switching back to traditional courses would also indicate lack of vision on the part of our state and the inability to persevere through the implementation of true reform. In contrast, adoption of the CCSS Integrated Pathway Model would be a natural continuation of the extensive work already performed in Georgia with the GPS. This integrated pathway would also lend itself well to the international benchmarks that will be developed according to the CCSS. Integrated mathematics curricula are typical in other countries where students are high achievers in mathematics. This approach to teaching mathematics enables students to understand connections among concepts from algebra, geometry, and data analysis which, in turn, leads to effective problem solving and critical thinking. Being able to reason both mathematically and statistically is essential for today’s citizens.

Even with the adoption of the CCSS Integrated Pathway Model, much collaborative work needs to occur with respect to designing courses and assessments. Georgia is to be commended for the P-16 committees which characterized the creation and implementation of the GPS. Indeed, the number of people across organizations listed in the Georgia Performance Standards High School Mathematics Research and Resource Manual compiled by the GaDOE in 2007 is impressive (https://extranet.georgiastandards.org/standards/GPS%20Support%20Docs/Math-GPS-High-School-Research-and-Resource-Manual.pdf ). Postsecondary faculty from universities, colleges, and technical schools; math specialists from school districts, RESAs, the GaDOE, and professional organizations; and teachers from classrooms across the state worked side-by-side. We hope and trust that the state will continue to use this model of collaboration in every phase of CCSS implementation. To do so will provide the multiple perspectives needed to ensure an exemplary world-class curriculum. The Mathematics Curriculum Team is eager to join others across the state in these efforts.

About the Mathematics Curriculum Team at UGA
The Mathematics Curriculum Team (MCT) at the University of Georgia began in 2000 as an initiative of the Georgia Systemic Teacher Education Program (GSTEP). To continue the work of the team, funding was provided by the Partnership for Reform in Science and Mathematics (PRISM). With PRISM support, the Mathematics Curriculum Team began to study the GPS in February 2006 in order to review and revise UGA courses for prospective mathematics teachers to reflect the new standards. The team has given presentations on their work with the GPS on the local, state, and national levels. They have also offered colloquia and collegial lunches to share the vision with colleagues in various departments across UGA. Members have served on several GaDOE committees during the creation and implementation of the GPS and appreciate the exemplary collaborative work done by the GaDOE. A STEM grant is currently funding the team’s efforts to keep the UGA teacher preparation program for mathematics and statistics in step with state initiatives. MCT members feel that their greatest strength is the diversity of membership which includes UGA faculty from the Departments of Mathematics, Statistics, and Mathematics Education; a UGA doctoral student from the Department of Educational Psychology; and mathematics educators from three different school districts. MCT members are eager to join with others across the state in the implementation of the CCSS.

2010-2011 MCT Members

Malcolm Adams
Professor and Department Head
Mathematics
University of Georgia

Sybilla Beckmann
Professor
Mathematics
University of Georgia

Sandy Blount
Instructional Coach and Math Department Head
Cedar Shoals High School
Clarke County School District

Laine Bradshaw
Doctoral student
Research, Evaluation, Measurement & Statistics
University of Georgia

Michael Ching
Assistant Professor
Mathematics
University of Georgia

AnnaMarie Conner
Assistant Professor
Mathematics Education
University of Georgia

Christine Franklin
Senior Lecturer, Honors Professor, and Undergraduate Coordinator
Statistics
University of Georgia

John Olive
Professor and Graduate Coordinator
Mathematics Education
University of Georgia

Joseph Palmour
Mathematics Teacher and Department Head
North Oconee High School
Oconee County School District

Darrel Presley
Mathematics Teacher
East Jackson Comprehensive High School
Jackson County School District

Jaxk Reeves
Associate Professor and Director of the Statistical Consulting Center
Statistics
University of Georgia