Overcoming a Common Storm: Designing Professional Development for Teachers Implementing the Common Core

Abstract

Classroom implementation of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) requires significant professional development that develops teachers’ understanding of the mathematics content and practice standards. This professional development must begin with the content and pedagogical needs of the teachers it serves. This study examined elementary and middle school teachers’ perceived mathematics content needs related to the CCSSM mathematics content domains, their perceived pedagogical needs, and the connection between these perceptions and statewide assessment data. K-5 teachers indicated a great need in Operations and Algebraic Thinking and Numbers and Operations on Fractions. Middle school teachers expressed a major need in better understanding modeling, statistics and probability, geometry and measurement, and proportional reasoning. Furthermore, teachers’ perceived mathematics content needs aligned with their previous students’ high-stakes test performance. In light of these findings, we discuss implications for designing CCSSM-related professional development.