Handout 3.
Standards for Mathematical Practice
The Standards for Mathematical Practice describe varieties of expertise that mathematics educators at all
levels should seek to develop in their students. These practices rest on important “processes and
proficiencies” with longstanding importance in mathematics education. The first of these are the NCTM
process standards of problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, representation, and
connections. The second are the strands of mathematical proficiency specified in the National Research
Council’s report Adding It Up: adaptive reasoning, strategic competence, conceptual understanding
(comprehension of mathematical concepts, operations and relations), procedural fluency (skill in carrying
out procedures flexibly, accurately, efficiently and appropriately), and productive disposition (habitual
inclination to see mathematics as sensible, useful, and worthwhile, coupled with a belief in diligence and
one’s own efficacy).
1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Mathematically proficient students start by explaining to themselves the meaning of a problem and
looking for entry points to its solution. They analyze givens, constraints, relationships, and goals. They
make conjectures about the form and meaning of the solution and plan a solution pathway rather than
simply jumping into a solution attempt. They consider analogous problems, and try special cases and
simpler forms of the original problem in order to gain insight into its solution. They monitor and evaluate
their progress and change course if necessary. Older students might, depending on the context of the
problem, transform algebraic expressions or change the viewing window on their graphing calculator to
get the information they need. Mathematically proficient students can explain correspondences between
equations, verbal descriptions, tables, and graphs or draw diagrams of important features and
relationships, graph data, and search for regularity or trends. Younger students might rely on using
concrete objects or pictures to help conceptualize and solve a problem. Mathematically proficient students
check their answers to problems using a different method, and they continually ask themselves, “Does
this make sense?” They can understand the approaches of others to solving complex problems and
identify correspondences between different approaches.
2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Mathematically proficient students make sense of the quantities and their relationships in problem
situations. Students bring two complementary abilities to bear on problems involving quantitative
relationships: the ability to decontextualize—to abstract a given situation and represent it symbolically
and manipulate the representing symbols as if they have a life of their own, without necessarily attending
to their referents—and the ability to contextualize, to pause as needed during the manipulation process in
order to probe into the referents for the symbols involved. Quantitative reasoning entails habits of creating
a coherent representation of the problem at hand; considering the units involved; attending to the meaning
of quantities, not just how to compute them; and knowing and flexibly using different properties of
operations and objects.
3 Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Mathematically proficient students understand and use stated assumptions, definitions, and previously
established results in constructing arguments. They make conjectures and build a logical progression of
statements to explore the truth of their conjectures. They are able to analyze situations by breaking them
into cases, and can recognize and use counterexamples. They justify their conclusions, communicate them
to others, and respond to the arguments of others.
2011 Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics Pages 16-18 p. 1
Handout 3.1
They reason inductively about data, making plausible arguments that take into account the context from
which the data arose. Mathematically proficient students are also able to compare the effectiveness of two
plausible arguments, distinguish correct logic or reasoning from that which is flawed, and—if there is a
flaw in an argument—explain what it is. Elementary students can construct arguments using concrete
referents such as objects, drawings, diagrams, and actions. Such arguments can make sense and be
correct, even though they are not generalized or made formal until later grades. Later, students learn to
determine domains to which an argument applies. Students at all grades can listen or read the arguments
of others, decide whether they make sense, and ask useful questions to clarify or improve the arguments.
4 Model with mathematics.
Mathematically proficient students can apply the mathematics they know to solve problems arising in
everyday life, society, and the workplace. In early grades, this might be as simple as writing an addition
equation to describe a situation. In middle grades, a student might apply proportional reasoning to plan a
school event or analyze a problem in the community. By high school, a student might use geometry to
solve a design problem or use a function to describe how one quantity of interest depends on another.
Mathematically proficient students who can apply what they know are comfortable making assumptions
and approximations to simplify a complicated situation, realizing that these may need revision later. They
are able to identify important quantities in a practical situation and map their relationships using such
tools as diagrams, two-way tables, graphs, flowcharts and formulas. They can analyze those relationships
mathematically to draw conclusions. They routinely interpret their mathematical results in the context of
the situation and reflect on whether the results make sense, possibly improving the model if it has not
served its purpose.
5 Use appropriate tools strategically.
Mathematically proficient students consider the available tools when solving a mathematical problem.
These tools might include pencil and paper, concrete models, a ruler, a protractor, a calculator, a
spreadsheet, a computer algebra system, a statistical package, or dynamic geometry software. Proficient
students are sufficiently familiar with tools appropriate for their grade or course to make sound decisions
about when each of these tools might be helpful, recognizing both the insight to be gained and their
limitations. For example, mathematically proficient high school students analyze graphs of functions and
solutions generated using a graphing calculator. They detect possible errors by strategically using
estimation and other mathematical knowledge. When making mathematical models, they know that
technology can enable them to visualize the results of varying assumptions, explore consequences, and
compare predictions with data. Mathematically proficient students at various grade levels are able to
identify relevant external mathematical resources, such as digital content located on a website, and use
them to pose or solve problems. They are able to use technological tools to explore and deepen their
understanding of concepts.
6 Attend to precision.
Mathematically proficient students try to communicate precisely to others. They try to use clear
definitions in discussion with others and in their own reasoning. They state the meaning of the symbols
they choose, including using the equal sign consistently and appropriately. They are careful about
specifying units of measure, and labeling axes to clarify the correspondence with quantities in a problem.
They calculate accurately and efficiently, express numerical answers with a degree of precision
appropriate for the problem context. In the elementary grades, students give carefully formulated
explanations to each other. By the time they reach high school they have learned to examine claims and
make explicit use of definitions.
2011 Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics Pages 16-18 p. 2
Handout 3.1
7 Look for and make use of structure.
Mathematically proficient students look closely to discern a pattern or structure. Young students, for
example, might notice that three and seven more is the same amount as seven and three more, or they may
sort a collection of shapes according to how many sides the shapes have. Later, students will see 7 × 8
equals the well-remembered 7 × 5 + 7 × 3, in preparation for learning about the distributive property. In
the expression x2 + 9x + 14, older students can see the 14 as 2 × 7 and the 9 as 2 + 7. They recognize the
significance of an existing line in a geometric figure and can use the strategy of drawing an auxiliary line
for solving problems. They also can step back for an overview and shift perspective. They can see
complicated things, such as some algebraic expressions, as single objects or as being composed of several
objects. For example, they can see 5 – 3(x – y)2 as 5 minus a positive number times a square and use that
to realize that its value cannot be more than 5 for any real numbers x and y.
8 Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Mathematically proficient students notice if calculations are repeated, and look both for general methods
and for shortcuts. Upper elementary students might notice when dividing 25 by 11 that they are repeating
the same calculations over and over again, and conclude they have a repeating decimal. By paying
attention to the calculation of slope as they repeatedly check whether points are on the line through (1, 2)
with slope 3, middle school students might abstract the equation
(y – 2)/(x – 1) = 3. Noticing the regularity in the way terms cancel when expanding (x – 1)(x + 1),(x–
1)(x2+x+1),and(x–1)(x3 +x2+x+1) might lead them to the general formula for the sum of a geometric
series. As they work to solve a problem, mathematically proficient students maintain oversight of the
process, while attending to the details. They continually evaluate the reasonableness of their intermediate
results.
Connecting the Standards for Mathematical Practice to the Standards for
Mathematical Content
The Standards for Mathematical Practice describe ways in which developing student practitioners of the
discipline of mathematics increasingly ought to engage with the subject matter as they grow in
mathematical maturity and expertise throughout the elementary, middle and high school years. Designers
of curricula, assessments, and professional development should all attend to the need to connect the
mathematical practices to mathematical content in mathematics instruction.
The Standards for Mathematical Content are a balanced combination of procedure and understanding.
Expectations that begin with the word “understand” are often especially good opportunities to connect the
practices to the content. Students who lack understanding of a topic may rely on procedures too heavily.
Without a flexible base from which to work, they may be less likely to consider analogous problems,
represent problems coherently, justify conclusions, apply the mathematics to practical situations, use
technology mindfully to work with the mathematics, explain the mathematics accurately to other students,
step back for an overview, or deviate from a known procedure to find a shortcut. In short, a lack of
understanding effectively prevents a student from engaging in the mathematical practices.
In this respect, those content standards which set an expectation of understanding are potential “points of
intersection” between the Standards for Mathematical Content and the Standards for Mathematical
Practice. These points of intersection are intended to be weighted toward central and generative concepts
in the school mathematics curriculum that most merit the time, resources, innovative energies, and focus
necessary to qualitatively improve the curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, and
student achievement in mathematics.
2011 Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics Pages 16-18 p. 3