Matthew Kenslow, 627639

EDUG-534-01
14 September 2022

CA Frameworks Analysis

 NMUSD (Newport-Mesa Unified School District)’s Pacing Guides/Curriculum Maps

were found here on their page called “Curriculum & Instruction: Secondary Course of
Studies”: https://web.nmusd.us/secondarycourses
 For my content area of mathematics, I clicked here:
https://nmusd-ca.schoolloop.com/file/1518855658118/1218996644669/80700573842157
94266.pdf

The California State Standards for the class that I am teaching – Enhanced Mathematics 8 (9 th
Grade Algebra 1) – compartmentalizes the course into four main categories: “Number and
Quantity, Algebra, Functions, and Statistics and Probability…limited to linear, quadratic, and
exponential expressions and functions as well as some work with absolute value, step, and
functions that are piecewise-defined.” Upon completion of the course, students should have a
deep, extended understanding of linear, exponential, and quadratic relationships, and drawing
from prior knowledge. Students examine the difference between linear, exponential, and
quadratic equations in real-world applications. This is stated as part of NMUSD’s curriculum,
when they confirm that they teach their students linear equations, inequalities, systems, inverse
functions, piecewise functions, absolute value, exponential functions, and quadratic functions
too. Both the State Standards and the California Frameworks include the laws of exponents,
rational exponents, square roots, cube roots, linear equations, etc. According to the standards, in
the unit of Quadratics, students will find the zeros by a few methods (such as factoring, factor by
grouping, and completing the square), ultimately derive the famous Quadratic Formula, tell if
there is a maximum or minimum value, and recognize if there will be a complex solution (such
as a ± bi). To get there, NMUSD’s curriculum appends a refresher on what perfect squares are,
especially in terms of polynomials, which really touches home for me, since that’s exactly the
lesson I did my Cycle 1 CalTPA on. The California framework also calls for the eventual
extension of real numbers to complex numbers, where “x 2 = -1 has a solution.” Important note: I
found that NMUSD’s curriculum does not say anything at all about “complex numbers” (or
imaginary numbers). However, its curriculum does match a lot of the standards of the unit
regarding Quadratics, insofar as focusing on the vertex of the parabola, and differentiating
between standard form and factored form. When I taught this last year, students also learned
about vertex form. With all three forms I just stated, we richly discussed what we can tell (or
easily solve for) just by using them.
 Students learn function notation, domain and range, and their graphs; they need to interpret
functions when given their graphs, as well as explain them verbally, and using symbols and
numbers. Students learn systems of linear equations and inequalities (ultimately with two
variables), as well as describe what their solutions mean to the equations and in real-world
context. Graphing such two-variable equations will produce a curve, representing a set of all
solutions in a coordinate plane. NMUSD’s curriculum lines up with this, since they have students
understand the building and meaning of systems. The curriculum goes so far as using the implied
word, “constraint(s),” which are things that limit what is possible in real-life examples. The
standards, frameworks, and NMUSD curriculum each go so far to allude to logarithmic
functions; the standards mentioned trigonometric functions as well. Students need to build
functions (such as “linear and exponential functions, including arithmetic and geometric
sequences”) and works with inverse functions. Students arithmetically solve for polynomial and
rational expressions, as well as creating equations to explain relationship among variables,
thereby ascending the pyramid of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Students will learn to “add, subtract, and
multiply polynomials.” Students will also have a unit on interest rates while learning about
Exponential and Rational Expressions. Students will also learn how to solve for specific
variables by rearranging equations, thereby producing equivalent equations. This all is what I
have been teaching the past couple of weeks, since we are in Unit 2.
Finally, Statistics. Students need to learn about “dot plots, histograms, and box plots,”
determine the shape of the distribution of data, compare different curves, learn about mean,
mediate, and mode, as well as spread, such as interquartile range and standard deviation (or mean
absolute deviation), “plotting and analyzing residuals,” scatter plots, correlation versus causation,
and interpret data and graphs. NMUSD’s curriculum also calls for the teaching of “dot plots,
histograms, and box plots,” describing distribution while using academic (content-knowledge)
vocabulary, mean, median, standard deviation, variability, outliers, quartiles and ways to
compare and display data. The California Frameworks states that the learning described above
will continue throughout high school – linear, exponential, and logarithmic representations; their
graphs, formulas, tables, and statistics; and being able to verbally describe what is going on and
utilizing the suitable technology. In doing so with everything stated above in this paper, students
will be able to solve various problems and physical phenomena that are found in science.
Speaking of technology, according to Ensign’s website, they utilize state-of-the-art
technology “to enhance student learning,” such as “Smartboards, document cameras, and short-
throw projectors.” Furthermore, “each student is issued a Chromebook for the school year to
utilize for all academic needs.”
Thus, what I found through this assignment, the California State Standards, California
Frameworks, and NMUSD’s Curriculum and Instruction all coincide with each other fairly well.
To NMUSD’s credit, in their PDF of Curriculum and Instruction, it is mostly set up as a three-
column organization, where the right column specifically adds all the standards which come
from the CA State Standards pertaining to that unit. NMUSD, I believe, does a great job,
aligning their curricula to the standards (or at least in mathematics, since that’s what I researched
per my content area). I also applaud Ensign for using the workbooks that NMUSD recommends,
since the workbook is what strictly follows the standards. When I design my unit, I will ensure
that it follows the California State Standards.