Guide
Florida B.E.S.T. Standards for K-12 Math: A Parent & Teacher Guide
If you teach math in Florida — or parent a student who does — you've probably heard the phrase "Florida B.E.S.T. Standards." This guide explains what they are, why they replaced Common Core, and how STEMath Hub's free bilingual practice aligns to each benchmark.
What you'll learn
- What B.E.S.T. stands for
- Why Florida replaced Common Core
- The four math strands K-12
- How STEMath Hub aligns by grade band
- How to find aligned practice on the platform
What B.E.S.T. stands for
B.E.S.T. is short for "Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking." It is Florida's K-12 academic standards framework, adopted in 2020 and fully implemented in math by the 2022–2023 school year. The Florida Department of Education publishes the full benchmark codes on cpalms.org.
Why Florida replaced Common Core
Florida moved off Common Core to give teachers clearer, grade-specific benchmarks that emphasize conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and real-world application — not just test-prep heuristics. The B.E.S.T. math standards keep rigor while explicitly calling out civic and STEM applications.
The four math strands K-12
Number Sense & Operations
Whole numbers, fractions, decimals, integers, real numbers.
Algebraic Reasoning
Patterns, equations, functions, linear and nonlinear relationships.
Measurement & Geometry
Length, area, volume, transformations, similarity, trigonometry.
Data Analysis & Probability
Collecting, representing, and reasoning about data and chance.
How STEMath Hub aligns by grade band
Elementary (Grades 3–5)
Arithmetic, fractions, basic probability, and the coordinate plane. Mapped to MA.3–MA.5 benchmarks across Number Sense, Algebraic Reasoning, and Measurement.
Elementary (Grades 3–5) →Middle School (Grades 6–8)
Ratios, equations, statistics with real Florida data, and coordinate geometry. Mapped to MA.6–MA.8 benchmarks across all four strands.
Middle School (Grades 6–8) →High School (Grades 9–12)
Algebra, geometry, applied trigonometry, and an introduction to calculus. Mapped to MA.912 benchmarks including Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 readiness.
High School (Grades 9–12) →How to find aligned practice on the platform
Open any level page, pick a topic, and start practicing. Each STEM challenge ties one or more B.E.S.T. benchmarks to a real-world Florida context — hurricanes, solar cities, sea turtles, traffic flow, and more. Everything is free and bilingual (English / Spanish).
K-12 · English / Spanish · Florida B.E.S.T. aligned