ROLE-PLAYING THE STANDARDS FOR MATHEMATICAL PRACTICE: A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TOOL

This article describes a performance assessment to use during Common Core-focused professional development and shares insights from research using this assessment regarding about teachers’ comprehension of the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs). We asked 46 teachers from grades K-10 to read and make sense of the SMPs and then role-play a classroom scenario indicative of one SMP. This performance task is called Unpacking the SMPs. Teachers’ interactions during the role-play activity were intended to help them interpret the SMPs. From this role-play activity, PD providers were more aware of teachers’ initial comprehension of the SMPs.