Common Core Mathematics Education System

Since its implementation in 2010, the Common Core Standards for Mathematics has proven to be ineffective in how it is delivered to students. Though the United States is a relatively affluent country, we unfortunately do not rank high in education in comparison to other countries. This research will uncover how the mathematics standards of the Common Core system are failing students in the United States. The goal is to expose where the United States Common Core mathematics education is falling short and how it can be repaired. The ranking of the United States quality of education does not match the affluence of the country. Being that mathematics is a key component in how effective our society functions; the delivery of this imperative
educational system is undergoing rapid and substantial changes with many states grappling with the adoption of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM). Important research questions remain unanswered regarding the potential efficacy of the CCSSM to improve student math performance compared with students around the globe. Research of CCSSM shows that the CCSSM lacks rigor in some key areas. The CCSSM deficiencies include algebraic knowledge and problem solving at the 8th-grade level. Over the years there have been multiple attempts to implement new standards on the way math is delivered to students. In 2010 CCSSM was implemented, and was developed under the leadership of the National Governor’s Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers and 46 states and the District of Columbia have officially adopted the new state standards (Khaliqi, 2016). The Common core functions on a three-tiered structure that is based on individual standards. These standards do not dictate curriculum or teaching methods however, they comprise the framework that can be used to deliver the
The Common Core is built on 8 standards of mathematical standards of practice, that describe the ways in which a student engages with the subject matter as they progress through school. These standards are to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them, reason abstractly and quantitatively, construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, model with mathematics, use appropriate tools strategically, attend to precision, look for and make use of structure, and look for and express regularity. The method in which teachers present the material is also problematic as discussed by Elizabeth Green. Green explains that most American math classes follow the same pattern, or a ritualistic series of steps that has been coined a cultural script this being the “I, We, You” pattern. The teacher will begin by explaining how he/she will introduce a mathematical method after which the entire class will work together on the equation and finally the student will work alone to get the right answer. While it is ethically responsible to use standards; it is unrealistic to expect that standards be fully implemented without the support system of high-quality developmentally appropriate experiences for all children (Main,