New Math Standards for Kindergarten-8th Grade

In 2012, the State Board of Education adopted new mathematics standards, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), for Kindergarten through eighth grades. These standards will be implemented in the 2014-2015 school year. Revised standards for high school mathematics will be implemented for the 2015-2016 school year.

The changes made at the state level to the mathematics TEKS were quite extensive and affect our Carroll ISD Mathematics Curriculum.

For the past two years, since the new mathematics TEKS were adopted in 2012, Carroll ISD curriculum writers planned and wrote new math curriculum which includes the new TEKS requirements. During the 2013-2014 school year, kindergarten-second grades implemented the new math curriculum with the 2014-2015 math TEKS in an effort to prevent gaps in learning as students transitioned into third grade. Post-STAAR units were developed in grades third-eighth, so students could learn prerequisite skills in order to have a foundation for the new TEKS implemented in their current grade.

During the 2014-2015 school year, all kindergarten-eighth grade students will learn the new Carroll ISD curriculum written to reflect the new mathematics TEKS requirements given by Texas Education Agency. New textbooks have been adopted in order to support the state’s new mathematics TEKS requirements. Many grade levels have quite a few standards that are new to their grade level. Many of the new topics, noted with the blue bars in the graphic, were shifted from other grades.

For example, in sixth grade mathematics, of the 55% of the mathematics standards that are new, 29% of the new math standards in the grade level have shifted down from seventh grade math, eighth grade math and Algebra 1 and 26% are brand new to the math TEKS, such as personal financial literacy.

The new Math TEKS from TEA also emphasize mathematical process standards by making these processes identical for every grade kindergarten through high school math and placing them at the beginning of all grade level mathematics TEKS. For specific grade level math TEKS, visit TEA’s website.

Mastering the new TEKS will require students to use mathematical reasoning, analyzing mathematical relationships, and solving multi-step problems. Learning these new mathematical standards is not only designed to prepare our students for STAAR questions, but provides stronger number sense that fosters mathematical problem solving skills for future mathematics courses, college and career readiness and real life application.

Carroll ISD Teachers are working hard to identify potential gaps in learning due to the shifting of TEKS, support student learning of the new TEKS and include the challenging process standards throughout this transitional year.