MMSD has adopted the following six National Council of Teachers of Mathematics(NCTM) principles for school mathematics. Decisions about the content and nature of mathematics education have important consequences for students and society. The following principles should be followed when developing curriculum frameworks, selecting curricular materials, planning instructional units or lessons, designing assessments, assigning teachers and students to classes, making instructional decisions in the classroom, and establishing supportive professional development programs for teachers.

Equity. Excellence in mathematics education requires equity—high expectations and strong support for all students.

Curriculum. Curriculum is more than a collection of activities. The curriculum must be coherent, focused on important mathematics, and well articulated across the grades.

Teaching. Effective mathematics teaching requires understanding what students know and need to learn and then challenging and supporting them to learn it well.

Learning. Students must learn mathematics with understanding, actively building new knowledge from experience and prior knowledge.

Assessment. Assessment should support the learning of important mathematics and furnish useful information to both teachers and students.

Technology. Technology is essential in teaching and learning mathematics; it influences the mathematics that is taught and enhances students’ learning

The Teaching and Learning Mathematics staff is focused on providing teachers with curricular and instructional support to meet the needs of diverse learners in our mathematics classroom. The Mathematics staff provides a wide array of support for teachers, including workshops, online professional development and district resources, in classroom coaching and assessment development. The Mathematics Resource Teachers and Coordinator work in partnership with district teachers, instructional resource teachers, department chairs, Educational Services staff, administration and other divisions of Teaching and Learning to build a coherent, focused and engaging K-12 program that will meet the needs of all learners.