Courses That Lead to College and Career Readiness
Mathematics Program Goals
The higher expectations of the CCSS, the recommendations of the Math Work Group, and new definitions of college and career readiness helped form the four goals of the K–12 Curriculum 2.0 Mathematics program
- Develop students who value mathematics and see it as useful to solving problems and making sense of the world.
- Engage all students in experiences with mathematics content and processes that help them reach proficiency, defined as Understanding, Computing, Applying, Reasoning, and Engaging (UCARE) in mathematics.
- Ensure that all students master the knowledge, skills, and understanding necessary to be college and career ready by graduation.
- Prepare students with the desire and skills necessary to have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement or other college-level math courses in high school.
Courses That Lead to College and Career Readiness
The Curriculum 2.0 (C2.0) Mathematics program develops a deep understanding of mathematics by building a strong foundation of number sense at the elementary level before moving into more advanced content. The chart below shows the course options available to students that will prepare them for success in college and careers.
Students successful
in grade-level content will be able to reach
Algebra 1 by Grade 8 and an Advanced Placement (AP)
course in high school.
(first line in graphic)
The kindergarten through Grade 6 mathematics program contains acceleration and enrichment options that challenge students beyond the CCSS.
The few students who demonstrate exceptional
proficiency, as defined by UCARE may be ready to work in a compacted course,
starting in Grade 4.
(second line in graphic)
Students who need support in the grade-level
course may need to work in other courses in
middle school such as C2.0 Math 7 and C2.0
Math 8.
(third line in graphic)
Students taking these classes will still be on a trajectory for Algebra 2 and higher-level math that prepares them for college. It is anticipated that these courses will phase out over time as more students reach proficiency in grade-level standards.
How will we ensure that all children are challenged?
The deeper understanding and higher expectations of the grade-level CCSS, and the ways of measuring that deep understanding, will challenge students and help prepare them for college and careers.
Many students will need more than this. For these students, MCPS developed additional enrichment and acceleration. When a student demonstrates consistent understanding of a mathematical concept, there are enrichment and acceleration opportunities designed within the curriculum that extend students’ understanding.
There also will be a few students who consistently demonstrate a deep understanding of all the mathematical concepts of their grade level, and may need to be advanced. Beginning in Grade 4, there will be access to a compacted curriculum for students who demonstrate this need.