Mathematics

Mathematics Learning Expectations

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• Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Mathematically proficient students start by explaining to themselves the meaning of a problem and looking for entry points to its solutions.
• Reason abstractly and quantitatively. Mathematically proficient students make sense of quantities and their relationships in problem situations by contextualizing and de-contextualizing each situation for meaning.
• Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Mathematically proficient students understand and use stated assumptions, definitions, and previously established results in constructing arguments.
• Model with mathematics. Mathematically proficient students can apply the mathematics they know to solve problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace.
• Use appropriate tools strategically. Mathematically proficient students consider the available tools when solving a mathematical problem. These tools might include pencil and paper, concrete models, a ruler, a protractor, a calculator, a spreadsheet, a computer algebra system, a statistical package, or dynamic geometry software.
• Attend to precision. Mathematically proficient students try to communicate precisely to others. They try to use clear definitions in discussion with others and in their own reasoning.
• Look for and make use of structure. Mathematically proficient students look closely to discern a pattern or structure.
• Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. Mathematically proficient students notice if calculations are repeated, and look both for general methods and for shortcuts 41 The following chart outlines the different pathways as recommended by the mathematics department.