• Understand how college- and career-ready assessment is different

    All of the mini-assessments presented are designed to highlight one or more aspects of the math Shifts. Although aligned to the CCSS, these items also represent the demands of all college- and career- readiness standards in their call for Focus, Coherence, and Rigor. The resources below explain what each of the Shifts look like in CCR-aligned assessment. Learn more about the math Shifts

  • Focus: Focus Strongly where the Standards Focus

    How are CCR-aligned assessments different from previous assessments?

    Previous CCR-Aligned
    Cover content that is a 
    "mile wide" and an "inch deep"
    Assess fewer topics at each grade (as required by the Standards)
    Give equal importance to all content Dedicate a large majority of score points to the Major Work of the Grade
  • Coherence: Think Across Grades, and Link to Major Topics Within Grades

    How are CCR-aligned assessments different from previous assessments?

    Previous CCR-Aligned
    Assessment as a checklist of individual standards Items that connect standards, clusters, and domains (as is natural in mathematics) as well as items that assess individual standards
    Each topic in each year is treated as an independent event Consistent representations are used for mathematics across grades and Content connects to and builds on previous knowledge
  • Rigor: In Major Topics Pursue Conceptual Understanding, Procedural Skill and Fluency, and Application with Equal Intensity

    How are CCR-aligned assessments different from previous assessments?

    Previous CCR-Aligned
    Unbalanced emphasis on  procedure or application Assessments on all three aspects of rigor in balance
    A lack of items that require conceptual understanding Items that require students to demonstrate conceptual understanding of the mathematics, not just the procedures
    Fluency items that are only routine and ordinary Fluency items that are presented in new ways, as well as some that are routine and ordinary
    Application of mathematics to routine and contrived word problems Application of mathematics to authentic non-routine problems  and real-world situations
  • Recognize Alignment in Assessment

    These mini-assessments are designed for teachers to use either in the classroom, for self-learning, or in professional development settings. Below is a resource with illustrations of what the math Shifts look like in CCSS-aligned assessment. See examples of test questions and learn about what's different with CCSS assessment -- and why.

  • Educator Perspectives: Common Core-Aligned Assessment

    Teachers share stories of how their students are responding to shifts in assessment. New college- and career-ready standards are asking more of our students; here, teachers reflect on how aligned assessments support the hard work happening in classrooms and how students are rising to meet these higher expectations.

    • Educator Perspectives: Common Core Aligned Assessment Video