Grant to help educators teach math under the CCSS

Many of the educators who work in schools today received their training long before the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) existed. While there is enough time to prepare for the transition to the CCSS, a number of teachers may feel uneasy switching to a Common Core-aligned approach to instruction. Fortunately, the U.S. Department of Education is issuing grants to make sure teachers possess the skills they need to be effective educators.

In Arizona, for example, the Roosevelt School District No. 66 will receive help preparing its math instructors for the CCSS through collaboration with several of the state's colleges and universities that are also recipients of grant money, the Downtown Devil reported. 

"[The goal is] to take the teachers in the schools and ensure that they have the skills and preparations to teach the new Common Core State Standards," Stephanie Jacobson, the Arizona Board of Regents' associate vice president for academic and student affairs, told the news source. "This is affecting a lot of schools. They require a different way of teaching."

For math teachers, it is essential they know how to deliver instruction under the CCSS, as learners will be expected to do more than just memorize facts so they can pass a test. According to the Common Core's website, students will need to understand mathematical concepts, which will mean being able to justify why a mathematical statement is true.