Assessing the Alignment With the Common Core: Coherence, Rigor, and Focus of Mathematics Instructional Materials

• In Event: Common Core Implementation: Curriculum and Instruction

Abstract

This study explores the assessment of the alignment of mathematics instructional materials with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). First, focus, rigor, and coherence, identified in TIMSS studies and also established for CCSSM, were chosen as criteria of alignment. Then, the CCSSM Graph (Zimba, 2012) was used as a yardstick to which the mathematics instructional materials were compared. Curriculum data were extracted on lesson level. Indexes for each of the three criterion of focus, rigor and coherence were proposed, which provide a promising way to assess the alignment of the mathematical instructional materials with the CCSSM. As an example, we compared the alignment of two Grade 1 curricula with the CCSSM.

Authors

• Jiahui Zhang, Michigan State University

• Richard T. Houang, Michigan State University

• William H. Schmidt, Michigan State University