Virginia Mathematics Teacher Spring 2017

Note from the Virginia Department of Education: Implementing the 2016 Mathematics Standards of Learning to Support the Process Goals Tina Mazzacane

The 2016 Virginia Mathematics Standards of Learning and Curriculum Frameworks were approved by the Board of Education in September, 2016. The content of the mathematics standards is intended to support the following five process goals for students: becoming mathematical problem solvers, communicating mathematically, reasoning mathematically, making mathematical connections, and using mathematical representations to model and interpret practical situations. The theme of the current edition of the Virginia Mathematics Teacher Journal is “Communicating in the Universal Language of Mathematics.” The expectation for mathematical communication included in the 2016 Virginia Mathematics Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework is shown: Mathematical Communication Students will communicate thinking and reasoning using the language of mathematics, including specialized vocabulary and symbolic notation, to express mathematical ideas with precision. Representing, discussing, justifying, conjecturing, reading, writing, presenting, and listening to mathematics will help students to clarify their thinking and deepen their understanding of the mathematics being studied. Mathemati- cal communication becomes visible where learning involves participation in mathematical discussions. VDOE Mathematics Standards of Learning , 2016 Communication in the mathematics classroom is essential for students to develop a deep understanding of mathematical content and to be able to justify and reason mathematically. In the 2016 curriculum framework documents, revisions have been made to improve precision and consistency in mathematical language and format. The implementation of the newly adopted 2016 Mathematics Standards of Learning will require teachers, specialists, and administrators in public school divisions to analyze, discuss, and

understand the changes. Virginia mathematics educators are encouraged to take time to unpack these new standards and determine the curricular and instructional modifications needed to ensure a smooth transition from the current 2009 standards to the 2016 standards. The Mathematics Team at the Virginia Department of Education is focused on providing support to educators as they make this important transition. Additional resources to support implementation of the 2016 Mathematics Standards of Learning can be found on the Virginia Department of Education Mathematics 2016 webpage. 2016 Mathematics Standards of Learning Im- plementation Timeline 2016-2017 School Year – Curriculum Development VDOE staff provides a summary of the revisions to assist school divisions in incorporating the new standards into lo- cal written curricula for inclusion in the taught curricula during the 2017-2018 school year. 2017-2018 School Year – Crossover Year 2009 Mathematics Standards of Learning and 2016 Mathe- matics Standards of Learning are included in the written and taught curricula. Spring 2018 Standards of Learning assess- ments measure the 2009 Mathematics Standards of Learning and include field test items measuring the 2016 Mathematics Standards of Learning. 2018-2019 School Year – Full-Implementation Year Written and taught curricula reflect the 2016 Mathematics Standards of Learning. Standards of Learning assessments measure the 2016 Mathematics Standards of Learning.

Tina Mazzacane Mathematics Coordinator Virginia Department of Education

Virginia Mathematics Teacher vol. 43, no. 2

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