Updating Math Standards in South Carolina

Call To Action

The National Mathematics Advisory Panel’s report Foundations for Success presented an overall judgment that “the system that translates mathematical knowledge into value and ability for the next generation—is broken and must be fixed.”

Recommendations of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel Report of 2008, suggest that SC Mathematics Curriculum Standards need some adjusting to align with the most current thinking of the profession.

Advocates for Math Education

Thanks to the South Carolina Coalition for Math and Science and the David E. Maguire Foundation, the South Carolina Academic Standards for Mathematics are being revisited and revised by the South Carolina Mathematics Advisory Panel.

Building the Foundation

The National Math Panel recommendations provide a foundation for our standards:

Ensure the standards are well-aligned and clearly define what is to be taught and learned. (the standards work)
Ensure teachers understand how children learn and how instruction must be informed by the best knowledge that we have.

Tasks At Hand

The committee is charged with addressing the following:

Replace non-mathematics and vague verbs… i.e. ensure that verbs used in standards reflect the language of mathematics practitioners
Vertically articulate standards
Reduce breadth of standards. Clarify so we don’t fall into a “process.”
Rethink the way in which process is encouraged (support document vs. standards) is it possible write items if the process standards are in the support guide with the language “using the process standards…”

Get Involved

If you would like to make suggestions to the committee, a survey is available at www.scmsu.org