Some of the most significant updates to the Iowa Academic Standards for Mathematics are the substantial high school-level changes. To fully understand and appreciate these changes, it is essential to first recognize what has been removed from the standards.
In the previous standards, "Iowa" standards were added to high schools, which have now been removed. This decision was not made lightly, and it's essential to understand that those standards are indeed valuable. However, the truth remains that algebra content remains the biggest gatekeeper concerning post-secondary opportunities. Therefore, the team removed those standards to allow more "Focus" (spending the instructional time on content that will impact the post-secondary gatekeeper most, page 3).
Another removal was the standards, indicated by (+), that were beyond post-secondary success and not meant for all students, which increased the "Focus" of the high school standards. If the team deemed a (+) standard necessary for all students, they changed it to a required standard. This change increases the depth over the breadth of the critical content.
The revision team also had the authority to remove any standard deemed not essential for all students, resulting in a streamlined list of standards necessary for all learners. Having a list needed for all students allowed a division of standards into accessible courses for all students and for the clusters to receive the appropriate Focus within and across the course. The remaining standards formed the required standards for all students.
On page 108 of the Iowa Academic Standards for Mathematics, a table showing this distribution across courses can be found. Bold text indicates standards that fall within Major Clusters; see page 3 for an explanation. Additionally, thishigh school course progression can further illustrate the Major Clusters in high school. These are all the clusters marked as Major Clusters which means that they will be where instruction should be focused for most of the instructional time.
From there, the remaining list of standards, which are required for all students, have been divided into three distinct yearlong courses: Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. A comprehensive table showcasing the High School Required Standards by Course emphasizes the collective standards across the three-year sequence. While most schools in Iowa follow the Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 sequence, variations in specific standards alignment may exist due to local curriculum choices.
The Conceptual Categories, which begin on page 98, have been retained with the notable inclusion of modeling as the first category. This change highlights the significance of modeling and its relationship to other conceptual categories. It is worth noting that this modeling aligns with the Standards of Mathematical Practices #5 and is indeed the same. Modeling becomes more sophisticated and significant when attending to the "Rigor" aspect of the standards.
Lastly, the (★) was retained, to denote standards with full mathematical process listed on pages 100 - 101 is indicated.
In conclusion, the revisions to the high school standards in mathematics aim to streamline the content for enhanced clarity and alignment with national best practices. It is the responsibility of educators and stakeholders to familiarize themselves with these changes, as this is crucial for ensuring effective implementation in classroom instruction.
August 2024 Summer Mathematics Professional Learning Sessions
2024 Iowa Academic Standards for Mathematics Implementation Resources Guidebook
