Core Connections 2nd Edition
Core Code Alignment
Mathematics
Statistics
07060013010: Statistics Elective CE (Math 1040)
Statistics
07060013010: Statistics Elective CE (Math 1040)
Recommendation
Recommended Primary
Evaluation
CPM Core Connections 2nd Edition is a comprehensive, research-based mathematics program designed to develop deep conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and problem-solving skills for grades 6–8. Lessons are structured around problem-based learning, collaborative study teams, and guided inquiry, using multiple representations and real-world contexts to engage all learners. The program integrates the Standards for Mathematical Practice throughout, promoting reasoning, modeling, argumentation, and precision, while providing scaffolding, differentiation, and supports for English Language Learners and other special populations. Assessments are varied and embedded, including reflective practice, team challenges, individual tests, chapter closure assessments, and student self-assessment, allowing teachers to monitor understanding and guide instruction. Although its spiral design revisits prior-grade content, the materials emphasize the Major Work of each grade and gradually release support to foster independent mathematical thinking, making CPM both rigorous and accessible while encouraging students to apply mathematics meaningfully.
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Rubric : Mathematics 2025
Compliance with State Law (Required)
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensitive Materials and Prohibited Submission 53G-10-103, R277-628 | Does Not Violate Law | NA | NA | May Violate Law | ||
| Prohibited discriminatory practices 53G-2-103-5, 53B-1-118 and 67-27-107 | Does Not Violate Law | NA | NA | May Violate Law | ||
| Maintaining constitutional freedom in the public schools. 53G-10-202 | Does Not Violate Law | NA | NA | May Violate Law | ||
| Free from advertising, e-commerce, or political interest | Contains none of the listed items. | NA | NA | Contains one or more of the listed items. | ||
Focus and Coherence (Non-Negotiable)
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-negotiable materials must focus coherently on the Major Work of the grade in a way that is consistent with the progressions in the standards. 1- Student and teachers using the materials as designed devote the majority of time to the Major Work of the grade. 2- Supporting Work enhances focus and coherence simultaneously by also engaging students in the Major Work of the grade. 3- Materials follow the grade-by-grade progressions in the Standards. Content from previous or future grades does not unduly interfere. 4- Lessons that only include mathematics from previous grades are clearly identified. Materials that do not meet the non-negotiable requirements for Focus and Coherence will not be recommended as primary resources. Please continue with the review to determine if the materials may be recommended for supplemental use. | Meets all non-negotiable requirements | NA | NA | Does not meet the non-negotiable requirements. *see narrative for determination of which requirement(s) was not met | ||
| Overall, CPM Core Connections 2nd Ed. is a strong contender in terms of coherence, connections, and supporting work. Adoption would likely mean a program that purposefully builds understanding and integrates major work with supporting scaffolds. However, because of its spiral design and inclusion of bridging prior-grade content, carefully planed instruction ensures that time is not overly consumed by review and that students are working deeply on the major work of each grade. | ||||||
Rigor and Balance
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The materials support the development of students’ conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, especially where called for in specific standards or cluster headings. | Meets | Partially meets | N/A | Does not meet | ||
| The CPM Core Connections 2nd Edition materials strongly support the development of students’ conceptual understanding of key mathematical ideas. Lessons are structured around problem-based learning, collaborative study teams, and guided inquiry, allowing students to construct meaning through exploration and discussion rather than direct instruction alone. Mathematical concepts are introduced through real-world contexts and multiple representations—visual, symbolic, verbal, and numerical—which help students make deep connections across topics. The program aligns with standards and cluster headings that emphasize conceptual understanding, ensuring that students not only learn procedures but also understand the reasoning behind them. Teacher supports further reinforce conceptual development through questioning strategies, formative checkpoints, and opportunities for reflection. | ||||||
| The materials are designed so that students attain the fluencies and procedural skills required by the Standards. | Meets | Partially meets | N/A | Does not meet | ||
| The CPM Core Connections 2nd Edition materials are designed to help students develop the fluencies and procedural skills required by the Standards through consistent practice, problem-solving, and application. Procedural skill is built gradually as students revisit concepts across lessons, deepening both understanding and efficiency. Each chapter includes practice problems, review tasks, and spaced repetition to reinforce accuracy and automaticity with essential procedures. While the program emphasizes conceptual understanding first, fluency is strengthened through purposeful practice and connections to mathematical reasoning, ensuring students can perform procedures with confidence and understanding rather than rote memorization. | ||||||
| The materials are designed so that teachers and students spend sufficient time working with applications, without losing focus on the Major Work of each grade. (Are there single and multi-step contextual problems that develop the mathematics of the grade, afford opportunities for practice, and engage students in problem solving?) | Meets | Partially meets | N/A | Does not meet | ||
| The CPM Core Connections 2nd Edition materials are designed to provide students with ample opportunities to apply mathematical concepts through single- and multi-step contextual problems that promote problem-solving and reasoning. Each lesson engages students in real-world scenarios that connect directly to the mathematics of the grade, supporting both application and understanding. Tasks are intentionally sequenced so that application activities reinforce the Major Work of the grade rather than divert from it. Students are encouraged to explain their thinking, test strategies, and collaborate with peers, which deepens their ability to apply mathematics flexibly in varied contexts. Overall, the materials balance conceptual development, procedural fluency, and application without diminishing the focus on grade-level priorities. | ||||||
Standards for Mathematical Practice
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials address the practice standards in such a way as to enrich the Major Work of the grade; practice standards strengthen the focus on Major Work instead of detracting from it, in both teacher and student materials. | Meets | Partially meets | N/A | Does not meet | ||
| The CPM Core Connections 2nd Edition materials intentionally and consistently integrate the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs) to enrich the Major Work of each grade. Lessons are designed so that students engage in reasoning, discussion, and problem-solving aligned to these practices rather than treating them as separate or supplemental. Students make sense of problems, construct arguments, and critique the reasoning of others through collaborative study teams and structured discourse. Modeling with mathematics and using appropriate tools are embedded in contextual tasks that connect to real-world applications. Precision, structure, and regularity are reinforced through repeated reasoning and reflection activities. Teacher materials include explicit references to the SMPs within lessons, guiding educators on how to highlight and develop each practice in connection with the grade-level content. Overall, the practice standards are well integrated and serve to deepen understanding of the Major Work rather than detract from it. | ||||||
| Tasks and assessments of student learning are designed to provide evidence of students’ proficiency in the Standards of Mathematical Practice. | Meets | Partially meets | N/A | Does not meet | ||
| The CPM Core Connections 2nd Edition materials design tasks and assessments to provide meaningful evidence of students’ proficiency in the Standards for Mathematical Practice. Classroom tasks, including problem-based investigations, multi-step contextual problems, and collaborative study team activities, require students to demonstrate reasoning, model with mathematics, construct and critique arguments, and apply structure and repeated reasoning. Formative and summative assessments, embedded checkpoints, and reflective prompts explicitly evaluate these practices, allowing teachers to gauge students’ mastery of both conceptual understanding and procedural skill within authentic problem-solving contexts. Teacher materials include guidance for interpreting student work in terms of the Standards for Mathematical Practice, ensuring that assessment aligns with both the content and the practices emphasized in the lessons. | ||||||
| Materials support the Standards’ emphasis on mathematical reasoning. | Meets | Partially meets | N/A | Does not meet | ||
| The CPM Core Connections 2nd Edition materials strongly support the Standards’ emphasis on mathematical reasoning. Lessons are structured around problem-based learning and collaborative study teams, which require students to justify solutions, explain their thinking, and analyze the reasoning of peers. Tasks often present multiple solution paths, encourage pattern recognition, and connect procedures to underlying concepts, fostering deep conceptual understanding. Teacher materials provide guidance on prompting reasoning, asking probing questions, and facilitating discussions that strengthen students’ ability to reason mathematically. Overall, the curriculum embeds reasoning throughout, ensuring that students develop both the skills and the habits of mathematical thought emphasized in the Standards. | ||||||
Access to the Standards for All Students
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support for English Language learners and other special populations is thoughtful (evidence-based) and helps those students meet the same Standards (and rigor) as all other students. The language in which problems are posed is carefully considered. | Meets | Partially meets | N/A | Does not meet | ||
| The CPM Core Connections 2nd Edition materials provide thoughtful, evidence-based supports for English Language Learners (ELLs) and other special populations, ensuring that these students can access the same rigorous standards as their peers. Problems are carefully worded, with attention to clarity, academic language, and accessibility, allowing students to engage meaningfully with the mathematics rather than struggle with language barriers. Multiple representations—visual, symbolic, verbal, and numeric—support comprehension, while collaborative structures such as study teams give students opportunities to discuss ideas, justify reasoning, and receive peer support. Teacher materials include guidance on scaffolding, questioning strategies, and differentiated approaches, helping educators adapt instruction to meet diverse needs without lowering expectations. Overall, the program integrates language and accessibility supports directly into instruction so that all students can achieve the intended standards. CPM Core Connections 2nd Edition materials are available in Spanish, providing comprehensive support for Spanish-speaking students and families. | ||||||
| Materials provide scaffolding, differentiation, intervention, and support for a broad range of learners with gradual removal of supports, when needed, to allow students to demonstrated their mathematical understanding independently. | Meets | Partially meets | N/A | Does not meet | ||
| The CPM Core Connections 2nd Edition materials provide structured scaffolding, differentiation, and intervention to support a broad range of learners, while gradually releasing responsibility to promote independent mathematical understanding. Lessons are designed with built-in supports, including guided questions, worked examples, multiple representations, and collaborative study team structures. Teacher materials offer strategies for differentiating instruction, addressing common misconceptions, and supporting students who need additional reinforcement. Over time, scaffolds are intentionally reduced, allowing students to apply concepts and procedures independently, demonstrating both procedural fluency and conceptual understanding. This approach ensures that all students can engage with rigorous grade-level content while receiving the support necessary to succeed. | ||||||
| Design of lessons incorporates strategies such as using multiple representations, deconstructing/reconstructing the language of problems, providing suggestions for addressing common student difficulties, etc. to ensure grade-level progress for all learners. | Meets | Partially meets | N/A | Does not meet | ||
| Ethnic Studies- (Ethnic studies in core standards and curriculum should be a narrowly tailored incorporation of age-appropriate opportunities that naturally arise through education without pretextual effort in courses, programs, or activities where ethnic studies is not a primary focus. The material should incorporate a curriculum of people and cultures that reflect the state’s various demographics without commentary that seeks to violate the neutrality standard established in codes: 53B-1-118, 53G-2-103, 53G-2-104, 53G-2-105, 67-27-107, | In addition to the content outlined in “Adequate,” this material offers multiple evidence-based supplemental resources and opportunities for learning about various forms of cultural philosophies and epistemologies from Utah, the United States, and worldwide. The materials provide cultural backgrounds, contemporary real-life experiences, and contexts that are relevant to local students. Some examples may include people with disabilities, various body types, and ages. | This material demonstrates respect for diverse socio-cultural identities. The material provides opportunities to acknowledge and integrate the histories, cultures, contributions, and perspectives of people from the United States and worldwide. The material accurately represents the cultures, languages, traditions, beliefs, values, and customs of people from diverse backgrounds through a variety of texts, examples, scenarios, imagery, and applications. | The material has limited themes of social and cultural histories within the United States and globally. The material provides limited examples of inclusive or cultural real-life experiences and does not include diverse characters. | The material does not meet the requirements within the ethnic studies core standards and curriculum requirements. (53E-4-204.1). | ||
| Shared Values and Character Traits | The material extends beyond the content outlined in "Adequate", it includes elements that connect Utahns to the world. The material offers multiple evidence-based supplemental resources and opportunities for cultivating character traits in students. The material offers multiple evidence-based supplemental resources and opportunities for cultivating character traits in students. Some examples may include characters with a variety of personalities, education, income, occupation, or behaviors that illustrate character traits. | The material focuses on the shared values of diverse people and communities, the common elements that unite Utahns, and displays some character traits in its imagery and content. It aims to cultivate character traits in students, such as courage, leadership, intelligence, integrity, honesty, respect, morality, civility, duty, honor, and service, along with principles found in the Constitution. | The material lacks a sense of shared values or common elements that unite Utahns. Furthermore, the material has limited resources addressing civic and character education. | The material does not meet the requirements within the ethnic studies core standards and curriculum requirements (53E-4-204.1) and civic and character education. (53G-10-204) | ||
Assessment
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple measurements of individual student progress occur at regular intervals ensuring success of all students. | Meets | Partially meets | N/A | Does not meet | ||
| While CPM Core Connections 2nd Edition incorporates multiple measures of student progress, the program emphasizes both collaborative and individual assessments to capture learning. Regular checks include embedded activities such as Notes: Reflection and Practice, problem-solving tasks, team challenges, and individual tests, along with chapter closure assessments. Students are also provided opportunities for self-assessment and reflection, encouraging them to evaluate their own understanding. However, because much learning occurs in study teams, isolating individual proficiency can sometimes be challenging, and formative checks may not always provide immediate insight into each student’s independent mastery. Overall, CPM offers a range of assessment strategies, but teachers may need to supplement with targeted progress monitoring to ensure all students demonstrate mastery consistently. | ||||||
| Assessments measure what students understand and can do through well designed mathematical tasks and applications. | Meets | Partially meets | N/A | Does not meet | ||
| The CPM Core Connections 2nd Edition assessments are thoughtfully designed to measure both what students understand and what they can do, going beyond rote memorization to evaluate authentic mathematical reasoning and problem-solving. Assessments incorporate rich, well-structured tasks and real-world applications that require students to make sense of problems, model mathematically, and communicate their thinking clearly. Embedded activities such as Notes: Reflection and Practice, team challenges, and chapter closure assessments provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate understanding in varied contexts. Individual tests and formative checkpoints are designed to capture procedural skill, conceptual knowledge, and the ability to apply mathematics in meaningful ways. Additionally, student self-assessment and reflection are integral components, encouraging learners to monitor their own growth and understanding. Overall, the assessment system in CPM ensures that students are evaluated on deep mathematical thinking, problem-solving, and the practical application of concepts, offering a comprehensive and generous measure of their proficiency. | ||||||
UTAH STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
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Salt Lake City, UT 84111-3204
Phone: 801.538.7807