District/School Administration Administration
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Progress Report on the Work of the Mathematics Curriculum Framework Revision Panel

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide you with a progress report on our efforts to revise the 2000 Mathematics Curriculum Framework. The Mathematics Curriculum Framework Revision Panel recently completed Phase I of their work, which was to identify areas for revision. Their recommendations are described in the attached document titled Progress Report. Also attached are three appendices: Appendix A, which describes the structure of the current Mathematics Curriculum Framework; Appendix B, which summarizes the contents of the various meetings conducted by the Revision Panel this past year; and Appendix C, which provides a list of Revision Panel members. I look forward to discussing the Progress Report with you at this month's meeting.

During the spring of 2008, the Department circulated a public comment survey to solicit opinions about the usefulness of the Mathematics Curriculum Framework and 2004 Supplement to inform the work of the panel. Results from the survey indicated that teachers, higher education faculty, administrators, students, national experts, and members of professional associations recognized the strengths of the Framework and Supplement. Survey results also included recommendations for improving the framework, such as the inclusion of a wide range of sample problems of varying complexity, the reduction of the number of standards at certain grade levels, and the organization of standards by "big ideas" or "key topics" in addition to the existing strands.

Based upon intensive study and discussions, the revision panel concurs with the results of the public survey and recommends the development of a single framework with grade level standards that will demonstrate the connectivity of pre-K-12 mathematics topics across the five strands. Other recommendations from the panel include revising the pre-K -7 standards to prepare students for Algebra I by grade 8 and creating standards for two new high school courses to increase college and career readiness.

In Phase II, Department staff, panel members, and additional experts will use this progress report to guide the development of the first draft of a revised framework. I plan to present the first draft to the Board for comments in the fall 2009, and then disseminate it to content experts for external review and benchmarking. As we proceed with revision of the framework, we will follow developments in the federal stimulus State Incentive Grant program, which will give preference to states that are willing to collaborate in validating that their standards represent college and career readiness and are internationally competitive. Based on the national discussion, we may incorporate additional development/validation strategies into the revision process.

Jeffrey Nellhaus, Deputy Commissioner; Barbara Libby, Director of Mathematics, Science and Technology/Engineering; and Sharyn Sweeney, Mathematics Specialist will be at the March meeting to answer your questions.

	Progress Report (Link Removed)
	Appendices A, B, C