Coherence

​Coherence: think across grades, and link to major topics within grades

The Common Core State Standards: Mathematics are designed around coherent progressions from grade to grade. Learning is carefully connected across grades so that students can build new understanding onto foundations built in previous years. Each standard is not a new event, but an extension of previous learning. 

Thinking across grades: The Standards are designed around coherent progressions from grade to grade. Learning is carefully connected across grades so that students can build new understanding onto foundations built in previous years. Each standard is not a new event, but an extension of previous learning.

Linking to major topics: Instead of allowing additional or supporting topics to detract from the focus of the grade, these concepts serve the grade level focus. For example, instead of data displays as an end in themselves, they are an opportunity to do grade-level word problems.

- from achievethecore.org

The big shifts that the Common Core State Standards: Mathematics bring are increased focus, coherence, and rigor as the guiding principles for mathematics instruction and learning. 
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​Coherence in the SFUSD Curriculum

Examples of coherence in the SFUSD Curriculum:

• SFUSD's Scope and Sequence is based on the Pearson Foundation System of Courses, which organizes the CCSS-M into units of study that flow K–12.  It reflects the coherence and focus of the CCSS-M.

Vertical alignment documents connect learning from grade to grade and illustrate the coherence of elements in the curriculum. Examples include:

• Summary table of the use of Tape Diagrams to Represent and Make Sense of Situations by Problem Type
• Signature Strategies across grades K–12 bring coherence to students' experience of school mathematics.
• Illustrations of Visual Models such as number lines and how they progress from grade to grade.