In 2008–2009, a representative group of teachers,
parents, principals, community members, and central
office staff gathered for 18 months to review the MCPS
Their work resulted in a number
of recommendations regarding curriculum, acceleration,
system achievement targets, and professional development.
Several of the key recommendations included
Over the last decade, the United States has consistently
ranked below 20 other nations in K–12 mathematics. The CCSS in Mathematics were developed to improve students’ understanding of mathematics compared
with their international peers.
A consortium of 48 states was formed in 2008 to guide
development of new standards, which outline what
students should know and be able to do.
The authors of the CCSS reviewed best practices internationally and
consulted content experts to create a focused, coherent,
and rigorous set of standards. Maryland adopted the CCSS in June of 2010.
MCPS compared the CCSS with the 2001 curriculum standards and found that
Beginning with students who entered Grade 9 in 2011, the
colleges and universities within the University System of
Maryland are expecting students to complete Algebra 2 or
a significant mathematics course with advanced content
during their senior year.
In addition, many schools and
employers are looking for the 21st century skills such
as persistence, collaboration, and critical and creative
Words in blue italic are defined on the back of this booklet. thinking that are the focus of Curriculum 2.0.