2009 Revised Wisconsin Model Academic Standards for Mathematics

Draft Revisions

Documents for review:

The 2009 draft revisions to Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards (WMAS) for Mathematics provide guidance relative to PK-12 student learning. They are built upon the foundations of the 1998 WMAS and are organized by grade band with a learning continuum which provides additional grade level specificity. The entire standards document identifies the body of mathematical knowledge and skills that all students should acquire, incorporates explicit connections within mathematics and among mathematics and other disciplines, and facilitates the transition from secondary mathematics education to post-secondary careers and education. The revised mathematics standards provide guidance to schools and districts to shape district curriculum, instruction, and assessment, and are based upon several important principles, including:

All students can learn and must have the opportunity to learn significant mathematics.
Mathematical proficiency is multi-faceted.
Students learn mathematics along an interconnected continuum.
The mathematics students learn is inherently intertwined with how they learn the mathematics.
The majority of the mathematics to be learned during any given grade/course should concentrate on fewer topics, covered in-depth.
When students leave Wisconsin’s PK-12 schools, they must be well-prepared with sufficient knowledge, skills and understanding to enter post-secondary education and careers.

Mathematical Proficiency

Proficiency in mathematics is multi-faceted. Overall, a mathematics program must address the five strands of mathematical proficiency as defined by the National Research Council in Adding It Up (NRC, 2001).

Conceptual Understanding
Procedural Fluency
Strategic Competence
Adaptive Reasoning
Productive Disposition

Mathematical Processes

The mathematical processes are critically important skills both within mathematics and in real-world application. Rather than defining separate process standards, the 2009 Mathematics Standards infuse the following mathematical processes within the PK-12 continuum of learning:

Problem Solving
Conjecture, Reasoning, and Proof
Representation and Visualization
Connections
Communication and Reflection

Organization of the 2009 WI Model Academic Standards for Mathematics

The 2009 Revised Wisconsin Model Academic Standards for Mathematics is a multi-faceted document with three PK-12 standards defined across four grade bands. At each of the four grade bands (PK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12), the standards are defined by one or more Learning Priorities which are each elaborated in a grade-band Learning Continuum which is organized by multiple Focus Areas.

PK-12 Standards

Concepts and Connections in Number and Algebra

Concepts and Connections in Geometry and Measurement

Concepts and Connections in Data Analysis and Probability
The format of the mathematics standards document is designed to reflect the important mathematics that students are learning across each grade band. This format shows a progression of learning across a continuum, providing the opportunity for important district conversations about curriculum.

The PK-8 learning continua are specified for grade levels in each of the focus areas. Some expectations span multiple grades to reflect the developmental nature of mathematical learning.

At the 9-12 level, the standards are not organized by courses, units or grade levels, rather as stages along a continuum. The unshaded areas of the 9-12 learning continuum define the mathematics that all students should acquire. Some expectations in the continuum are shaded light gray, a reflection that these learning expectations are not part of what all students will be able to accomplish before completing high school.

For questions about this information, contact Diana Kasbaum (608) 266-7712

Last updated on 9/2/2009 2:59:06 PM