When revising the district mathematics curriculum to align with new standards, what should be the first focus?

• A. Organizing curriculum alignment between mathematics departments across middle and high schools
• B. Writing new standards from scratch
• C. Filling the curriculum with elective courses
• D. Ignoring district middle schools

Answer: (A)

Coordinating and aligning the mathematics curriculum across middle and high schools to create a continuous, coherent learning path. The first step is to ensure vertical alignment so what students learn in middle school sets up the expectations and skills needed for high school topics. This creates a clear progression, helps teachers share common goals, and guides the development of pacing, units, and assessments that mirror the standards throughout the district. When alignment is in place, you can reliably measure whether students are on track as they move from one grade level to the next, and teachers across schools can collaborate effectively to fill gaps and smooth transitions.

Choosing to write new standards from scratch isn’t necessary when the goal is alignment to existing standards. Filling the curriculum with electives doesn’t ensure core standards are met or sequenced properly, and ignoring middle schools would break the essential progression students need to prepare for high school math.