Below is a review of the Standards unanimously adopted by the NC State Board of Education on June 2, 2016
General Review of North Carolina’s proposed math standards for NC Math 1/2/3
Cathy Seeley
Senior Fellow Emeritus, Charles A. Dana Center, Univ. of Texas and
Past President, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
May 18, 2016
General Review of North Carolina’s proposed math standards for NC Math 1/2/3
Cathy Seeley
Senior Fellow Emeritus, Charles A. Dana Center, Univ. of Texas and
Past President, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
May 18, 2016
- The proposed standards continue to be forward thinking and well designed overall to prepare students for a productive and successful life after high school. I applaud North Carolina’s vision and commitment to a high quality mathematics program for all students.
- I strongly support the inclusion of the Standards for Mathematical Practice, and I see these as the heart of the mathematics program. Note that in order for these standards to have a likelihood of being well addressed in the classroom, it will be important to make these practices a priority in assessment.
- The emphasis on mathematical modeling is excellent. This emphasis is critical in order to equip students to use mathematics in a wide variety of high-paying fields across disciplines. Individuals with a background in mathematical modeling are increasingly in demand in both STEM and non-STEM fields, with a growing importance in the business world.
- The incorporation of statistics throughout the three-course sequence is exemplary. This is one of the most important shifts every state needs to make in order for graduating students to be prepared for any level of employment or study after high school. Whether entering the workforce directly after high school or by way of a technical certificate program or higher education, a working knowledge of practical, applied statistics is increasingly essential for success. The North Carolina standards appropriately include statistics across the high school course sequence, the most effective way to address this important strand.
- NC’s particular integrated course structure seems to blend the best of both the traditional mathematics course structure and the most widely used international structure, with important elements of algebra 1, geometry, and algebra 2 coherently developed over the three-year structure. This structure eliminates the significant issues faced by many students in a traditional sequence where they jump back and forth across the years between algebra and geometry, often doing well in either algebra or geometry but not in both. The course structure and design includes geometric content and the development of reasoning through formal proof in both algebraic and geometric contexts, a strength often lacking in a traditional course sequence. I also applaud the true integration of geometric content into non-geometric topics in the curriculum, notably algebra and statistics, as students develop a very strong foundation for further study into Precalculus (leading to calculus), AP Statistics, or a variety of applied courses. Further, the NC course sequence provides for far more continuity than a traditional sequence and allows students to use their strengths in either algebra or geometry as access points to other aspects of the mathematics curriculum.
- For future consideration, the choice of fourth-year course options is an important follow-up to this excellent three-course sequence. In addition to a strong Pre-Calculus course to prepare students for calculus, students need a few high-quality options that might include courses like Statistics, a course like your current Advanced Functions and Modeling, and/or possibly an integrated course designed to follow NC Math 1, 2, and 3. It’s not necessary to offer a large number of courses (focusing on a few good options may be preferable)—the most important consideration is that options should allow for different paths to the workplace or further study.