ABSTRACT
A sixth-grade mathematics data team has developed an instructional plan based on a detailed analysis of previous test scores, along with the unpacking of the upcoming learning objectives. Through this effort they attempted to establish a more deeply aligned instructional approach that moves beyond surface alignment to an approach that has more carefully considered the appropriate level of cognitive rigor while fostering deep, pedagogical alignment. The group’s analysis of the previous quarterly assessment, which covered standards in measurement, indicated patterns of errors in student conceptual understanding of measurement. These errors denoted students’ basic misunderstandings of converting units of measure from length, area, weight/mass, and volume. Teachers readily recognized that these patterns of mistakes were similar to those made by students across all strands. Students struggled with core conceptual understandings of fractions, decimals, and percentages. With this knowledge as the background, the group moved on to unpacking the upcoming standards that covered a portion of the probability and statistics standards.
