1. Max Marchitello and Will Ragland September 16, 2015
Math Matters:
How the Common Core Will Help the United States Bring Up Its Grade on Mathematics Education
Max Marchitello and Will Ragland
September 16, 2015

2. What’s the deal with Common Core Math?
It’s not how I learned math!
The problems are confusing!
Will it even work?
Even 5 years after the first state adopted the standards, the Common Core remains a contentious issue. A lot of the controversy and anxiety centers around Common Core math. Many of the critiques are above.

3. My kids used to love math. Now it makes them cry
My kids used to love math. Now it makes them cry. Thanks standardized testing and common core! — Louis CK April

4. Goals of Math Matters Clearly explain the need for the Common Core.
Document the evidence in support of teaching mathematics conceptually.
Demonstrate how the Common Core incorporates conceptual and algorithmic math.
Economic imperative; global competitiveness; low overall performance; slipping international performance; more and more jobs require postsecondary education, math skills etc. According to Georgetown University 96% of future jobs require critical thinking skills and 70% need strong mathematical skills.

5. The State of Math Education in the U.S.
Low overall performance and large achievement gaps. Falling behind other countries. Graduates lack the necessary skills for the 21st century workforce.
The majority of American students are not proficient in mathematics, and large achievement gaps persist.
Even students in Massachusetts, the highest performing state in the country, are about two grade levels behind students in Shanghai, China.

6. What does this mean?
In mathematics, American students lack critical thinking and problem solving skills. Students in the U.S. struggle applying math to real-world problems. According to PISA, more than 25% of American students lack the “skills that will enable them to participate effectively and productively in life.”
Source: PISA, Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Results from PISA 2012, United States, available at

7. Teaching for Conceptual Understanding
Conceptual math is the “mental connections among mathematical facts, procedures and ideas”
Cite 1: Hiebert and Grouws 2007; Cite 2: Modiefied from Meir Ben-Hur, “Chapter 1. Conceptual Understanding,” In Concept-Rich Mathetmaics Instruction (ASCD, 2006), available at

8. Problems with Addition
The traditional algorithm introduces misconceptions and errors.
These problems are compounded as students progress through more challenging mathematical concepts.

9. Teaching Addition Conceptually
This approach accurately teaches students about numerical value and the relationship between numbers.

11. Teaching Conceptual Math Works
In a study of PISA and the Common Core, the OECD found:
“Successful implementation of the Common Core States would yield significant performance gains”

12. Research Base of Common Core Math
Since the 1940s, there have been studies demonstrating that conceptual math improves students’ mathematical efficiency, critical thinking skills, and problem solving. In one such study, student performance jumped from the 27th percentile to the 57th percentile after lessons teaching math conceptually.
Brownell and Moser 1949, using base-10 groups vs. the traditional algorithm. After six weeks, students taught the conceptual approach were far an away stronger in math. 1980s study (example), students in 4th 6th and 8th grade were taught the teacher’s traditional way or the conceptual way, and conceptual produced big gains. Particularly in the earlier grades. In the 1990s, there was a study using base-10 blocks and whether students could manipulate them with only their algorithmic knowledge. Only 10 percent could. After conceptual instruction, almost 100 percent were successful.

13. Conceptual Math in the Common Core
Knowledge and skills are scaffolded. The foundations of complex concepts like fractions and geometry are introduced early. Students spend more time learning concepts and their applications before algorithms.

14. First grade math standard:
Reason with shapes and their attributes.
Partition circles and rectangles into two and four equal shares, describe the shares using the words halves, fourths, and quarters, and use the phrases half of, fourth of, and quarter of…

15. Recommendations Stick with the Core!
Give teachers more time and more PD.
Communicate more effectively with parents.
Make sure instructional materials actually align with the CCSS.
Improve teacher preparation programs.

17. “The Common Core has changed how I plan my lessons
“The Common Core has changed how I plan my lessons. When planning, I intentionally connect students’ prior math knowledge and skills with each new mathematical idea. Students “discover” problem-solving procedures, or algorithms, as they begin to understand and master new math concepts.”
“There may be politics and controversy around all of this but I’m not thinking about that. I’m just a teacher who knows that my students are learning and understand math better now because of Common Core. The standards force me to think deeply about the “how” and “what” of my content and to make sure I am doing my best job to help create the next generation of problem solvers.”
Kelsey Lucas, middle school math, RI
Lisa Caponigro, fifth grade math teacher, MA