Curriculum

New Mexico Expands Math Curriculum to All Elementary Grades

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 05/31/16

The New Mexico Public Education Department has adopted a new math curriculum for use by students in grades 3-5.

The department selected Stepping Stones from Origo Education in a move that expands on a 2012 adoption of the curriculum for students in grades K-2.

Aligned to the Common Core, Stepping Stones focuses on conceptual learning rather than procedural and features an instructional strategy that "stems from research that highlights the importance of mastering the basic facts that form the necessary foundations of calculating with more complex numbers and operations," according to a news release.

Elementary school teachers in the state will also have access to Origo Gauge, an online assessment platform that tracks student data as they complete each module in Stepping Stones. Gauge is designed to help teachers identify areas in need of intervention and is intended to specifically support students taking PARCC assessments.

"New Mexico is a state that is making great strides in education," said James Burnett, president of Origo Education, in a prepared statement. "We're honored to be a statewide math education resource as New Mexico educators continuously improve education for New Mexican students."