1. Laura Fricke, Jan Kloberdanz, and Dr. Susan Pecinovsky
Iowa Core Mathematics Standards: Focusing on Fewer Topics and Learning More
Laura Fricke, Jan Kloberdanz, and Dr. Susan Pecinovsky

2. Math Pilot Team 2008-2009 – Materials Adoption Committee
Committee of teachers
One from each building and each grade level
Curriculum materials replacement
very old
no curricular cycle
Iowa Basic Skills – low performance
Investigations = Standards
Team has evolved to Elementary Math Leadership Team
Heart and soul of elementary mathematics curriculum
A team with courage!

3. The Way It Used to Be enVision Math – drove the curriculum
Previous standards – locally developed
Coverage and spiraling back
Pacing guides designed to support enVision Math
Grade level islands
Grade level growth
The curriculum was spiraled back, and there was not enough time for the students we serve. We were trying to do every lesson.
“It does not feel like students are understanding.”
Little time in deep conceptual understanding.
Began to randomly delete topics – teacher dependent
Previous standards (locally developed) were too many, not used and piece-mealed with no connection. Curriculum materials led the instruction.
Never questioned enVision – year after year

4. Data After Four Years Iowa Assessment Scores: 6th grade:
Proficiency 56%, did not make growth goal
5th grade:
Proficiency 68%, did make growth goal

5. The Problem Clearly Defined
•Elementary Math Leadership Team
•Data discussions across the grades
Never noticed with the data viewed by grade level as opposed to across grade levels or system
That “ah-ha” moment. - They became “our” students.

6. Our Vision Prioritize standards for critical learning
Align enVision Math lessons
Realign lessons for which there are no standards
Identify and assess mastery content to support students’ learning of upper grade- level math
Aligned to vision of Iowa Core

7. The Way It Is Now… enVision Math – supports the curriculum
Content is aligned to Iowa Core
Focus (314 lessons out of 960, 33%, realigned)
Pacing guides designed to support instruction
Interdependence among grade levels
Pilot year growth in grade 5 almost 6%
Bullet 3: 314 lessons out of 960, realigned refers to grades K-6.

8. Our Process, The Products
Prioritize IC Standards
Align enVision Math lessons into prioritized standards
Realign lessons for which there are no standards (focus)
Identify and assess mastery content
(coherence and mastery)
The Products:
1. Grade 5 IC Standards, Prioritized (working copy)
Content Emphasis by Cluster K-8
2. Grade 5 Alignment Guide and Pacing Guide
3. Realigned Content and Transitional Content
Tables
4. Mastery Content Table and Iowa Core Mastery Content
1 and 2 - Jan
3 and 4 - Laura
Pacing Guides percent of time spent in critical areas

9. What We Learned FOLLOW THE IOWA CORE: Prioritize and align
Keep content - Paperclips and 5th grade fractions
Let go of content – Greatest Common Factor
Research current curriculum first
Jason Zimba and the Design Principles
Don’t Assume! Letting go of what is familiar is difficult. Even master teachers will need coaching.
1. First bullet - more efficient to use progressions which include the standards
Third bullet - Do not use the words “skip” or “delete” to refer to realigned content
2. Video link

10. Iowa Core Resources Focus by Mike Schmoker
How the Brain Learns Mathematics by David A. Sousa
(Common Core Standards)
(Iowa Common Core)
(Progressions of Content)
(Illustrative Mathematics)

11. Iowa Core Resources
_K-8_Spring 2013_FINAL.pdf(“K-8 Publisher’s Criteria for the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics”)
core-state-standards-tools-resources/ (IC Design Principles Video with Jason Zimba)
_ pdf (“Content Emphases by Cluster K-8,” both consortia have designated clusters at each grade level as major, supporting, or additional)

12. Thank you!