MATHEMATICS GRADES 9-12 - Theory of Action, PLDs, and Proficiency Levels

Oct 10, 2026

Uploaded by hdkawk

This document outlines academic standards for mathematics grades 9–12 and explains how state assessments measure students’ knowledge, skills, and understanding using common performance data. It describes the role of performance level descriptors (PLDs) in connecting assessment results to classroom instruction and formative assessment systems. Proficiency is characterized as observable performance across multiple pathways and is shown to depend on text/task complexity and context. The document then presents proficiency-level claim statements for functions, numbers and quantity, and algebra.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Theory of Action

Role of PLDs in Defining Proficiency

Proficiency and Difficulty

Claim 1: Functions

Above Proficient

Proficient

Approaching Proficient

Below Proficient

Claim 2: Numbers and Quantity

Above Proficient

Proficient

Approaching Proficient

Below Proficient

Claim 3: Algebra

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MATHEMATICS GRADES 9-12 | Theory of Action: Academic standards represent a collective commitment around what students should learn each year. The state assessment asks students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and understanding related to these standards using a common measure. The resulting data allows us to see patterns in performance that should guide school and district improvement, helping identify areas of strength and opportunity.
Role of PLDs in Defining Proficiency: Performance level descriptors bridge the state assessment to classroom instruction and the systems of formative assessments that guide local instruction and choices about individual students. Academic proficiency represents a range of observable student performance characteristics. There are multiple pathways to proficiency, and students rely upon their strengths differently within that range of performance.
Proficiency and Difficulty: A student’s ability to demonstrate proficiency is influenced by the complexity of the texts or stimuli presented, tasks they’re asked to complete, and the contextsin which they are engaged. As student performance improves, students are typically able to handle more challenging texts/stimuli, tasks, and contexts, and are able to demonstrate their skills and knowledge more accurately and consistently | | --- | --- | | Claim 1: Functionsi Student performance indicates the ability to ... | | | --- | --- | | Above Proficient | Demonstrate a strong understanding of functions, including logarithmic, rational, radical, and trigonometric functions, and their transformations, compositions, and inverses. Can analyze and model linear, exponential, and trigonometric behaviors, including their graphs and key features. | | Proficient | Demonstrate a solid grasp of linear, quadratic, and exponential functions, including their transformations, domain/range, and key features; graph and analyze these functions, including polynomial functions, and manipulate them through operations, such as multiplication and division; and perform operations involving trigonometric functions, right triangle trigonometry, and special right triangles. | | Approaching Proficient | Interpret and analyze linear functions; understand the slope, intercepts, and basic characteristics of linear functions; use function notation; identify the effects of transformationson graphs; and find inverses. | | Below Proficient | Demonstrate a foundational understanding of functions, working with tables, ordered pairs, and basic linear graphs; identify changes to basic functions and recognize key features of linear and exponential models, including growth/decay from graphs; and use the Pythagorean theorem. | | Claim 2: Numbers and Quantityii Student performance indicates the ability to ... | | | --- | --- | | Above Proficient | Recognize and apply rational exponents in various contexts and solve multi-step equations involving them; utilize properties of rational and irrational numbers in practical applications like area and volume; and solve problems with complex numbers, demonstrating the ability to find complex solutions to polynomial equations through multiple steps. | | Proficient | Perform operations with rational exponents, simplify expressions, and compute exponential expressions; justify the properties of rational and irrational numbers, including how their sumsand products result in rational or irrational values; simplify algebraic expressions with complex numbers; perform calculations involving complex numbers (product, quotient, powers of i); and solve quadratic equations to find complex zeros using factoring or the quadratic formula. | | Approaching Proficient | Convert between roots and rational exponents; perform addition and multiplication with both rational and irrational numbers; calculate sums and differences with complex numbers, including rewriting negative radicands as complex numbers; and determine the number of complex solutions of a

FAQs

What is the theory of action behind the grade 9-12 state mathematics assessment?

Academic standards reflect a collective commitment to what students should learn each year. The state assessment asks students to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and understanding using a common measure, producing data patterns that guide school and district improvement.

How do PLDs connect assessment results to classroom instruction?

Performance level descriptors bridge the state assessment to classroom instruction and local formative assessment systems. They define academic proficiency as a range of observable student performance characteristics with multiple pathways to proficiency.

What factors influence whether a student can demonstrate proficiency?

A student’s demonstrated proficiency depends on the complexity of the texts or stimuli, the tasks they are asked to complete, and the context in which they engage. As performance improves, students typically handle more challenging texts, tasks, and contexts more accurately and consistently.

Oct 10, 2026

Uploaded by hdkawk