Eric.ed.gov – Common Core Math in the K-8 Classroom: Results from a National Teacher Survey

Successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M) should result in noticeable differences in primary and middle school math classrooms across the United States. “Common Core Math in the K-8 Classroom: Results from a National Teacher Survey” takes a close look at how educators are implementing the Common Core math standards in classrooms across the nation. A nationally representative survey of over one thousand teachers reveals that they are increasingly familiar with the Common Core and believe that it will benefit students. Yet findings also point to several areas that warrant mid-course corrections if the standards are going fulfill more rigorous expectations. Takeaways include the following: (1) Teachers like the Common Core but they don’t think all of their students and parents are equally enamored. (2) Teachers know what’s in the Common Core-and they’re teaching it at the appropriate grade level. (3) Further, teachers are changing how they teach. (4) Teaching multiple methods can yield multiple woes. (5) Teachers need support. The CCSS-M are designed to support a more focused, coherent, and rigorous instructional program that places greater emphasis on conceptual understanding and real-world application, in addition to procedural fluency. Are these shifts occurring at the classroom level? Overall, the survey results suggest they may be, though there is still much work to be done and much about how the standards are being implemented that is yet to be understood. Appended are: (1) Methodology; (2) Complete Survey Results. [“Common Core Math in the K-8 Classroom: Results from a National Teacher Survey” was written with Ann Duffett, and David Griffith. The foreword and executive summary were written by Amber M. Northern, and Michael J. Petrilli.]