CCSSM provides guidance and direction, and helps focus and clarify common outcomes. It motivates the development of new instructional resources and assessments. But CCSSM does not tell teachers, coaches, administrators, parents, or policymakers what to do at the classroom, school, or district level or how to begin making essential changes to implement these standards. Moreover, it does not describe or prescribe the essential conditions required to ensure mathematical success for all students. NCTM, 2014, p. 4

Principles to Actions discusses and documents these realities: Too much focus is on learning procedures without any connection to meaning, understanding, or the applications that require these procedures. Too many students are limited by the lower expectations and narrower curricula of remedial tracks from which few ever emerge. Too many teachers have limited access to the instructional materials, tools, and technology that they need. Too much weight is placed on results from assessments—particularly large-scale, high-stakes assessments—that emphasize skills and fact recall and fail to give sufficient attention to problem solving and reasoning. Too many teachers of mathematics remain professionally isolated, without the benefits of collaborative structures and coaching, and with inadequate opportunities for professional development related to mathematics teaching and learning.

Effective teaching is the non- negotiable core that ensures that all students learn mathematics at high levels and that such teaching requires a range of actions at the state or provincial, district, school, and classroom levels. NCTM, 2014, p. 4

Every leader and policymaker, every school and district administrator, and every teacher, coach, and specialist of mathematics—in conjunction with all other stakeholders, from parents to community members—must make a commitment to these actions. Only when these words become actions and the actions lead to more productive beliefs, new norms of instructional practice, and the implementation of the essential supporting elements will we overcome the obstacles that currently prevent school mathematics from ensuring mathematical success for all students. NCTM, 2014, pp

Our Task Divide the following amongst your leadership team. Three rounds (5 minutes per round) – Each member of your team should visit three (3) tables. Work together to sort from amongst the following productive and unproductive beliefs about: – Teaching and learning mathematics – Access and equity in mathematics – Mathematics curriculum – Tools and technology in learning mathematics – Mathematics assessment – Professionalism in mathematics education Take note of the productive (and/or unproductive) beliefs that you feel have the biggest impact in your school.

Taking Stock of Where We Are To what extent are teachers planning and implementing effective instruction as described by the 8 Mathematical Teaching Practices? Examine the actions for principals and coaches/specialists in the Executive Summary (also on p. 112). How are we doing as leaders? Discuss your priorities for the upcoming school year?