The Common Core in Mathematics at Nine Years - An Analysis - April and June 2019

Oct 3, 2026

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An analysis of the Common Core State Standards for School Mathematics (CCSSM) addresses whether the standards are meeting, or are on course to meet, the goals created nine years earlier. It explains what the Common Core refers to, outlines the original document’s structure and emphasis, and examines curriculum qualities such as scope, sequence, and timing, alongside intended, implemented, achieved, textbook, and tested curricula.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages31

Reading Time1 h 18 min

AccessFree to download

Overview: What the Common Core Means

Scope, Sequence, Timing, and Curriculum Types

Goals and Evidence for Meeting Curriculum Intent

Models in the High School Appendix

Implementation and Slippage Across Curricula

Zalman Usiskin The Common Core in Mathematics at Nine Years: An Analysis April and June 2019 An adaptation of talks presented at the 2019 NCSM and NCTM annual meetings in San Diego, CA, and the USACAS-11 Conference in Highland Park, IL Opinions are those of the author. This paper is exclusively about the Common Core Standards for School Mathematics, the CCSSM. But it is not about the politics of the Common Core, nor is it about the substance of the Common Core – not about how fractions or geometry or statistics or early number are treated, not about the standards for mathematical practice, not about the timing of teaching various ideas. These remarks deal with one question: Is the Common Core meeting the goals, or on its way to meeting the goals for which it was created nine years ago? We begin with a basic question: What do we mean by the Common Core? The simple answer is that the Common Core refers to the Common Core State Standards themselves, announced in a document that first appeared nine years ago, in 2010, prepared by a committee under the auspices of the National Governors’ Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The original online document, which to my knowledge has not been changed, consisted of a 3-page introduction, 3 pages describing 8 standards for mathematical practice, 76 pages detailing standards for mathematical content at each of the grades K-8 and high school, a 6-page glossary, and a bibliography. Its current form can be found at [www.corestandards.org/Math/](www.corestandards.org/Math/) . The main goal ofthe Common Core is found in the first sentence of the original document following a few quotes: “For over a decade, research studies of mathematics education in high-performing countries have pointed to the conclusion that the mathematics curriculum in the United States must become substantially more focused and coherent in order to improve mathematics achievement in this country.”(emphasis mine) The document and all else associated with the Common Core are means to this end. An appendix to the original Common Core document,“Designing high school mathematics courses based on the Common Core State Standards”, appeared in 2010 almost immediately after the appearance of the standards themselves. That appendix describes four model course pathways to achieve the standards, a traditional algebra-geometry-algebra pathway, an integrated pathway, and compacted versions of each pathway that would allow students to reach calculus or other college-level courses by their senior year. It’s a detailed appendix, Usiskin – Common Core at Nine Years – page 1 148 pages in length, and can be seen at [www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_Mathematics_Appendix_A.pd](www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_Mathematics_Appendix_A.pdf)[f](www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_Mathematics_Appendix_A.pdf). The appendix has not received much attention despite its detail, or perhaps because of its detail, except that it has moved some places to adopt the integrated pathway or to provide that pathway as an alternative to the traditional sequence. Yet the amount of detail given to grades 9-12 reflects that the goal of the Common Core is specifically the improvement ofthe preparation of students for college-level mathematics. That is, despite the common phrase that the Common Core is designed to improve the preparation of students for college and career readiness, there seems to be a tacit assumption that the best way to prepare students for careers is to improve their preparation for college mathematics courses, and specifically for college-level calculus and statistics. The framers of the Common Core have asserted that the CCSSM is not a curriculum ([http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts/](http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts/)), but the CCSSM contain the three main qualities of a curriculum: scope, sequence, and timing. In an early TIMSS repor

FAQs

What question does the paper focus on regarding the Common Core?

It asks whether the Common Core is meeting, or is on its way to meeting, the goals for which it was created nine years ago.

What does the Common Core refer to in this paper?

It refers to the Common Core State Standards for School Mathematics (CCSSM) announced in the 2010 standards document.

How does the paper explain curriculum slippage and why it matters?

It distinguishes intended, implemented, achieved, textbook/materials, and tested curricula, noting slippage at each stage and using that framing to discuss how standards are realized in practice.

Oct 3, 2026

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