Aligning Mathematics Standards, Instruction, and Assessment

Who Should Attend

• Middle and high school teachers of mathematics
• Upper elementary teachers of mathematics
• School or district staff members who support mathematics implementation efforts

Goals of the Professional Development

Aligning Mathematics Standards, Instruction, and Assessment Institutes improve teacher practice by providing deeper understanding of mathematics content standards. Working in departmental or grade-level teams, teachers learn key elements for aligning their courses (instruction, materials, and assessments) with pertinent state and/or local mathematics standards. The process is useful in the development of district and/or school site assessments or curriculum articulation, as well as in the design of replacement units or new courses.

Format of the Institute

Institutes are held at your school or district site, for teams of up to 35 people. The institutes take place over four days, in two separate phases. The first two days are offered back to back. The last two days take place at a later time, after participants have had an opportunity to implement the standards-based product they have created in collegial teams.

What You Learn

During the institutes, participants learn how to:

• Reach a shared interpretation of the mathematics content standards that considers prerequisite knowledge, skills, and vocabulary
• Choose, develop, or modify assessments so they will be aligned with given standards
• Identify learning experiences students need in order to master the given standards
• Design instruction and materials to support student learning needs
• Examine student work to assess the design and implementation of the standards-based unit
• Revise their design to better meet the needs of students

Who Facilitates Your Learning

Cathy Carroll, recognized nationally for her expertise in mathematics leadership and professional development, and other WestEd mathematics educators will collaborate with you to plan, customize, and facilitate sessions at your school, district, or regional site. Carroll is co-Principal Investigator for two National Science Foundation-funded projects related to mathematics leadership development. She has coauthored several mathematics education books, and served as the mathematics content specialist for Teachers as Learners: A Multimedia Kit for Professional Development in Science and Mathematics, a collaborative project of WestEd, WGBH, and the Boston Museum of Science.

What Resources Support Your Learning

Learning from Assessment: Tools for Examining Assessment through Standards, 2nd Edition, which was co-published by WestEd and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, structures the learning experience.

What the Research Says

“Assessments play a pivotal role in standards-based reform. Classroom curriculum and instruction should also be aligned with standards and assessments.… Therefore, curriculum alignment depends on teachers’ ability to understand and obtain the resources and expertise to help their students meet the expectations of assessments” (No Child Left Behind Issue Brief: A Guide to Standards-based Assessment, Education Commission of the States, 2002).

What Is the Cost

The institutes, including all accompanying materials and facilitator travel and expenses, cost $15,000 per site, for up to 35 participants.

Contact Information

Cathy Carroll
650.381.6422
ccarrol@wested.org