District curriculum framework documents need to address the curriculum at different grain sizes to be effective, and the Charles A. Dana Center supports districts in creating such framework documents. Sampled below are three of the four types of curriculum framework documents on which we work. These documents represent our thinking about how the concepts and skills described in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics might be developed across the course of a school year.
Year-at-a-glance
Year-at-a-glance documents show an overview of the mathematics through a year of instruction on one page. The documents below cluster the Year-at-a-glance documents into grade bands.
Kindergarten-Grade 2  |
Grade 3-Grade 5 |
Grade 6-Grade 8 |
Algebra I-Geometry-Algebra II |
Sequenced Units
Each of these documents shows the standards clustered into units, and suggests a sequence to the units. For each unit, both content standards and standards for mathematical practice are listed, as well as the approximate time suggested for completing the unit.
Kindergarten |
First grade |
Second grade |
Third grade |
Fourth grade |
Fifth grade |
Sixth grade |
Seventh grade |
Eighth grade |
Algebra I |
Geometry |
Algebra II |
These documents are intended as a starting point for districts as they think about the design of their own courses. When using these documents in planning, districts should also have ready access to full copies of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, the relevant progressions documents for the CCSSM, and the model content frameworks for the appropriate assessment consortium.
In addition, the Dana Center and Agile Mind have collaborated to develop elaborated scope and sequence documents, informed by the Dana Center sequenced units documents, for Algebra I and Geometry. These elaborated scope and sequence documents form the basis for comprehensive model courses developed by the Dana Center and Agile Mind.
Elaborated Scope and Sequences
In these documents the units are broken down into topics or lessons that address smaller chunks of material for which instructional resources can be identified and used in classrooms with students to achieve success on the identified standards.
Algebra I Scope & Sequence |
Geometry Scope & Sequence |
Not included in the samples on this page is an important transitional document in moving from a “Year-at-a-glance” to an elaborated scope and sequence document: the “Units of study” document. This document, designed to help teachers deeply study each unit, clarifies the content standards in the unit and describes what students have done in previous years and will do in future years with this or similar content. It also describes how the chosen standards for mathematical practice are enacted with this content, and identifies important questions students will be able to answer at the end of the unit.
For more information on any of these curriculum framework documents or on how we work with districts to design them, please contact Katey Arrington at katey.arrington@austin.utexas.edu or Kathi Cook at klcook@austin.utexas.edu. For more information about the collaboration between the Dana Center and Agile Mind, contact Kathi Cook or visit