Wednesday, September 7, 2011

September 7, 2011—Seven organizations have announced the formation of the Mathematics Common Core Coalition to provide expertise and advice on issues related to effective implementation and assessment of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM).

The members of the coalition are the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM), the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE), the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics (ASSM), the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), and the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC).

The coalition will focus on the following:

1. Provide a means to review, research, develop, and communicate common messages throughout the implementation and assessment of CCSSM.
2. Provide content and assessment expertise and advice from the communities of mathematics education for the development of the content frameworks of the assessment consortia for CCSSM.
3. Collect, analyze, and disseminate information about CCSSM implementation and assessment processes to inform future revisions of the CCSSM.

The Coalition website, www.mathccc.org, will include materials and links to information and resources that the organizations of the coalition are providing to the public and the education community about CCSSM.

"The Common Core State Standards present an unusual opportunity to guide and shape the future of mathematics education in the United States," according to Mike Shaughnessy, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and chair of the coalition. "This new Common Core environment also presents real challenges to teachers, districts, and leaders in the education system. The goal of our coalition is to realize the full potential of the Common Core State Standards by combining our strengths and coordinating our efforts to offer the best possible support for teachers and others responsible for delivering high-quality mathematics education to our students."

The standards define the knowledge and skills that students should gain as they progress from kindergarten to grade 12 to ensure that they will graduate from high school ready to succeed in introductory-level, credit-bearing academic college courses and in careers. To date, 44 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the standards in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics.

Contact: Gay Dillin ( gdillin@nctm.org, 703-620-9840, ext. 2189), Communications Manager, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.