National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Principles
and
Standards for School
Mathematics
 Principles and Standards supplies guidance
and vision while leaving specific curriculum
decisions to the local level. This document is
intended to

set forth a comprehensive and coherent set of

goals for mathematics for all students from
prekindergarten through grade 12 that will
orient curricular, teaching, and assessment
efforts during the next decades;

serve as a resource for teachers, education

leaders, and policymakers to use in examining
and improving the quality of mathematics
instructional programs;
 guide the development of curriculum
frameworks, assessments, and
instructional materials;

stimulate ideas and ongoing conversations

at the national, provincial or state, and
local levels about how best to help
students gain a deep understanding of
important mathematics.
Chapter 1
A Vision for School Mathematics

those who understand and can do

mathematics will have significantly
enhanced opportunities and options for
shaping the future. Mathematical
competence opens doors to productive
futures. A lack of mathematical
competence keeps those doors closed.
Chapter 1 contd

everyone needs to understand

mathematics. All students should have the
opportunity and the support necessary to
learn significant mathematics with depth
and understanding. There is no conflict
between equity and excellence.
Chapter 2
Principles for School Mathematics

They (the six principles) describe crucial

issues that, although not unique to school
mathematics, are deeply intertwined with
school mathematics programs.
The Six Principles Can Influence:
the development of curriculum frameworks
the selection of curriculum materials
the planning of instructional units or lessons
the design of assessments
the assignment of teachers and students to
classes
instructional decisions in the classroom
the establishment of supportive professional
development programs for teachers.
The Equity Principle
Expectations must be raised
mathematics can and must be learned by
all students.
All students should have access to an
excellent and equitable mathematics
program
The Curriculum Principle

A school mathematics curriculum is a

strong determinant of what students have
an opportunity to learn and what they do
learn.
The Teaching Principle
Students' understanding of mathematics,
their ability to use it to solve problems, and
their confidence in, and disposition toward,
mathematics are all shaped by the
teaching they encounter in school.
The Learning Principle

In the twenty-first century, all students

should be expected to understand and be
able to apply mathematics.

conceptual understanding is an
important component of proficiency, along
with factual knowledge and procedural
facility.
The Assessment Principle
Assessment should be:
not merely done to students, but for
students, to guide and enhance their
learning.
an integral part of instruction that informs
and guides teachers as they make
instructional decisions.
The Technology Principle

Technology
enhances mathematics learning.
supports effective mathematics teaching.
influences what mathematics is taught.
Chapter 3

Overview
of
Standards for Mathematics Education
in
Prekindergarten through Grade 12
Chapters 4-7
Four Grade Bands
Content
Prekindergarten-grade 2
and Grades 3-5
Process Grades 6-8
Standards Grades 9-12
Chapter 8

Steps Needed to Move

Toward the Vision
in
Principles and Standards
Process Standards
Communication Standard
Instructional programs from prekindergarten
through grade 12 should enable all students
to
Organize and consolidate their mathematical
thinking through communication
Communicate their mathematical thinking
coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and
others
Analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking
and strategies of others
Use the language of mathematics to express
mathematical ideas precisely
Communication Task Grades 3 - 5
Pretend you are a jeweler. Sometimes people come
in to get rings resized. When you cut down a ring to
make it smaller, you keep the small portion of gold in
exchange for the work you have done. Recently you
have collected these amounts:
1.14 g .089 g .3 g
Now you have a repair job to do for which you need
some gold. You are wondering if you have enough.
Work together with your group to figure out how
much gold you have collected. Be prepared to show
the class your solution.
Communication Task Grades 6-8

A certain rectangle has length and

width that are whole numbers of
inches, and the ratio of its length to
its width is 4 to 3. Its area is 300
square inches. What are its length
and width?
Communication Task Grades 9 - 12
Imagine you are talking to a student in your
class on the telephone and want the student
to draw some figures. The other student
cannot see the figures. Write a set of
directions so that the other student can draw
the figures exactly as shown in the figure
below.
Connections Standard
Instructional programs from prekindergarten
through grade 12 should enable all students
to

Recognize and use connections among

mathematical ideas
Understand how mathematical ideas
interconnect and build on one another to
produce a coherent whole
Recognize and apply mathematics in
contexts outside of mathematics
Connections Task Grades 3 - 5

Estimate the cost of 12 notebooks.

Problem Solving Standard
Instructional programs from prekindergarten
through grade 12 should enable all students
to

Build new mathematical knowledge through

problem solving
Solve problems that arise in mathematics and in
other contexts
Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate
strategies to solve problems
Monitor and reflect on the process of
mathematical problem solving
Representation Standard
Instructional programs from prekindergarten
through grade 12 should enable all students
to
Create and use representations to
organize, record, and communicate
mathematical ideas
Select, apply, and translate among
mathematical representations to solve
problems
Use representations to model and interpret
physical, social, and mathematical
phenomena
Reasoning and Proof Standard
Instructional programs from prekindergarten
through grade 12 should enable all students
to
Recognize reasoning and proof as
fundamental aspects of mathematics
Make and investigate mathematical
conjectures
Develop and evaluate mathematical
arguments and proofs
Select and use various types of reasoning
and methods of proof