A Study of the Alignment between the NAEP Mathematics Framework and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M)

Introduction: For decades, prior to the inception of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) was the only vehicle through which states could assess the progress of their students using a common metric. Now, 45 states, 4 U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia have adopted the CCSS to provide a clear and consistent curriculum framework to prepare students for college and the workplace. But because NAEP is a critical monitor for comparing results of student achievement across states, it is imperative that the newer CCSS standards and the NAEP frameworks be examined to determine the degree of alignment. The results will allow policymakers to make decisions about what changes, if any, should be made to the NAEP frameworks. Methodology: This alignment study focuses primarily on the conceptual match between the subtopics and objectives in the NAEP Mathematics Framework and the content standards in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M) in Grades K-8. While an item-to-framework study is also critical when inquiring about alignment, items from the CCSS assessment consortia were not available at the time of this study. Two criteria were used to describe the degree of alignment between the CCSS-M and the NAEP Mathematics Framework: the extent of content coverage and the grade at which the content was covered. To obtain the necessary data, two mappings were conducted: (a) CCSS-M to NAEP Mathematics Framework; and (b) NAEP Mathematics Framework to CCSS-M. Findings: The study's findings relied on the judgment of four panels of experts who identified the specific CCSS-M content that was not covered well in the NAEP mathematics subtopics and objectives for Grade 4 and Grade 8 and the specific NAEP mathematics content that was not covered well in the CCSS-M at or before the grade level of the NAEP assessment. The study did not find wide areas of content in the NAEP Mathematics Framework that were not covered in the CCSS-M. Similarly, the study did not find wide areas of content in the CCSS-M that were not covered by the NAEP Mathematics Framework. Nevertheless, there were differences in specificity and conceptual understandings between the CCSS-M and the NAEP Mathematics Framework that are important to note: (1) the CCSS-M have more rigorous content in eighth-grade algebra and geometry; (2) the CCSS-M infuse and distribute the development of mathematical expertise, such as the ability to estim