Math Standards for K–12 Education
NCTM Works to Improve the Quality of Math Teaching and Learning
Jul 29, 2008
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) recognizes that those who understand and can do mathematics will have opportunities that others do not; and that “mathematical competence opens doors to productive futures. A lack of mathematical competence closes those doors.”
What is NCTM?
NCTM is non-profit education association dedicated to improving the quality of teaching and learning of mathematics from pre-kindergarten through high school. Founded in 1920, it has nearly 100,000 members (comprised of teachers, educators, and institutions) and 250 Affiliates in the U.S. and Canada.
The group considered itself to be a “public voice of mathematics education.” Its mission is to improve the teaching and learning of math for all students. It aims to do this by providing vision, leadership and professional development to support teachers of mathematics at all grade levels.
National Math Standards
Are there national math standards? No. The federal government has not been given any kind of constitutional or legislative mandate to develop or require national standards for school mathematics. All education standards are left to the individual states to determine.
According the NCTM’s website, that organization first developed its math standards in 1989 with the expressed hope that the states would use them to guide the development of state-level standards. The NCTM’s math standards have been comprehensively studied and revised in the years since. There is no requirement that states adopt the NCTM standards, but most have, in fact, based theirs on the framework established by NCTM.
NCTM Math Standards and Math Curriculum
Are the NCTM math standards the same as a math curriculum? No. The NCTM ‘s Principles and Standards for School Mathematics should not be looked upon as a curriculum. Rather, the document is intended to provide states, local communities, and school districts a focal point for constructive dialogue about their mathematics curricula as expressed at the local level. The document also provides guidelines for the development of a rigorous and challenging math curriculum.
NCTM Standards
The NCTM has established ten standards for the teaching and learning of mathematics. The first five standards set goals in five math content areas:
- numbers and operations
- algebra
- geometry
- measurement
- data analysis and probability
The other five standards describe goals for math processes:
- problem solving
- reasoning and proof
- making mathematical connections
- communicating math concepts
- representing math concepts.
The complete Principles and Standards for School Mathematics document is posted on the NCTM website and is quite comprehensive and detailed. The document includes a discussion of six issues-based principles upon which a high-quality mathematics program should be based (equity, curriculum, teaching, learning, assessment, and technology), as well a full delineation of the ten standards themselves, organized by grade bands (preK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12), and including goals and grade-band level expectations.
A brief summary of the NCTM’s ten math standards as they relate specifically to the primary (pre-K through 2nd) grades can be found in the article “NCTM Primary Math Standards at a Glance.”
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