SMUSD Middle School Transition to CA Common Core Math Pathways
6th 2014-2015
SMUSD CA Common Core Aligned
Standard Pathways:


In 2014-2015, the courses in
grades 6, 7 and 8 will be fully
aligned to the CA Common Core
Standards for Mathematics (CA
CCSS-M).
In school year, 2014-2015,
SMUSD recommends students
follow either the CA CCSS-M
Aligned Standard Pathway or,
for appropriate incoming 7th
grade students, the Accelerated
Math 7/8 Pathway Part 1 that
represents a compression of 3
years of mathematics into 2.
CA CCSS-M
Aligned
Standard
Pathway
Accelerated
Math 7/8
Pathway
CA Common Core
Math 6
Accelerated
Common Core
Math 6
(CA CC 6 with
additional tasks)
7th 2014-2015
CA Common
Core
Math 7
Accelerated
Common Core
Math 7/8 – Pt. 1
(CA CC 7 and
8A)
8th 2014-2015
9th 2015-2016
Intermediate
Algebra/
Geometry
(CA CC 8)
Algebra 1
(CA CC Alg)
Accelerated
Common Core
Math 7/8 – Pt. 2
(CA CC 8B and
Algebra 1)
Geometry Honors
(CA CC G)
Includes
Enhanced (+)
Standards
First offered in
2015-2016
10th 2016-2017
11th 2017-2018
12th
Geometry Honors
(CA CC +
Enhanced
Standards)
Algebra 2 Honors
(CA CC +
Enhanced
Standards)
AP Calc AB
Geometry
(CA CC Geo)
Algebra 2
(CA CC A2)
Math- Analysis
Pre-Calc
AP Stats
Discrete
Algebra 2 Honors
(CA CC A2)
Includes
Enhanced (+)
Standards
AP Calc AB
AP Calc BC
{Options:
Math Analysis
Pre-Calc
AP Stats }
{Options:
Math Analysis
Pre-Calc
AP Stats
Discrete}
What the Changes Mean
This course sequence represents a departure from past practice when most students took Algebra by 8th grade. Beginning in 2014-15, most 8th grade students will take
Intermediate Algebra/Geometry, which embodies the new 8th grade CA CCSS-M. This is a course that did not exist under the old standards and prepares students for a more
challenging Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2 sequence at high school. In fact, Intermediate Algebra/Geometry, based on the 8th grade CA CCSS-M, includes standards from the
“old” Algebra 1 and “old” Geometry. The California Framework for Mathematics (2013) helps explain the change: “Algebra 1 is a course that, prior to CA CCSS-M, has been
taught in 8th grade to an increasing number of students. That same course name will be the default for ninth grade for most students who moving forward will complete the
CA CCSS-M for grade eight – a course that is more rigorous and demanding than the earlier versions of Algebra 1.” It also says, “Today’s students, who are similar to those
who may have previously been able to master Algebra 1 in grade eight, may find the new CA CCSS-M for grade eight significantly more difficult. This provides the
opportunity to strengthen conceptual understanding by encouraging students – even strong mathematical students – to meet the CA CCSS-M grade standards while enrolled
in grade eight.”
In all grades, students will still be developing procedural fluency and solving problems in a traditional way. They will also be using quantitative reasoning to explain their
mathematical thinking, examining different ways to solve problems and completing challenging performance tasks that ask them to read, write and complete complex real world
problems.
Students moving from 6th grade into 7th may choose to take Accelerated 7/8. This demanding sequence compresses three years of standards into two years. Students
experience all the 7th grade standards and much of the 8th grade standards in the Part 1. In Part 2, students experience the rest of the 8 th grade standards and all of Algebra 1.
Once in high school, students may move into Honors Geometry and Honors Algebra 2 that include enhanced standards. SMUSD will offer a range of choices to students beyond
Algebra 2 including Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus AB and BC, Math Analysis, AP Statistics and Discrete Math.