CCSS Math Standards emphasize practice, content, and real-life application. Student mastery of essential math skills is more readily attainable under CCSS because of the following:



     •  Fewer  objectives, with deeper understanding in each concept expected
     •  Three to five critical performance objectives targeted at each grade level
     •  Emphasis on reasoning, strategies, and justification for conclusions
     •  Focus on both the “how” and the “why”
     •  More challenging concepts as skill levels increase
     •  More time spent on higher-level skills and less on surface-level skills
     •  Higher-level math skills introduced in elementary school: number systems, expressions and equations,

        geometry, statistics, probability, ratios, and proportional relationships
     •  Emphasis on mathematical modeling and problem solving

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CCSS mathematical standards describe thinking practices and behavior observed in students who succeed in math. Eight practices are woven into content standards that focus on mathematical thinking and strategies  as listed below:



     •  Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
     •  Reason abstractly and quantitatively
     •  Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
     •  Model with mathematics
     •  Use appropriate tools strategically
     •  Attempt precision (e.g., precise communication, calculations)
     •  Look for and make use of structure
     •  Look for expressed regularity and repeated reasoning