diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-api/src/trace/NoopTracer.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-api/src/trace/NoopTracer.ts
index f76a73ee548..d733c930ea2 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-api/src/trace/NoopTracer.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-api/src/trace/NoopTracer.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import { Span, SpanOptions, Tracer, SpanContext } from '..';
 import { Context } from '@opentelemetry/context-base';
 import { NoopSpan, NOOP_SPAN } from './NoopSpan';
 import { isSpanContextValid } from './spancontext-utils';
-import { getActiveSpan } from '../context/context';
+import { getParentSpanContext } from '../context/context';
 
 /**
  * No-op implementations of {@link Tracer}.
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export class NoopTracer implements Tracer {
       return NOOP_SPAN;
     }
 
-    const parentFromContext = context && getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+    const parentFromContext = context && getParentSpanContext(context);
 
     if (
       isSpanContext(parentFromContext) &&
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-core/test/context/HttpTraceContext.test.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-core/test/context/HttpTraceContext.test.ts
index e1e1a1c8b14..44dbb2632fd 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-core/test/context/HttpTraceContext.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-core/test/context/HttpTraceContext.test.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import {
   defaultTextMapSetter,
   SpanContext,
   TraceFlags,
-  getActiveSpan,
+  getParentSpanContext,
   setExtractedSpanContext,
 } from '@opentelemetry/api';
 import { ROOT_CONTEXT } from '@opentelemetry/context-base';
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@ describe('HttpTraceContext', () => {
     it('should extract context of a sampled span from carrier', () => {
       carrier[TRACE_PARENT_HEADER] =
         '00-0af7651916cd43dd8448eb211c80319c-b7ad6b7169203331-01';
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(
         httpTraceContext.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-      )?.context();
+      );
 
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
@@ -99,9 +99,9 @@ describe('HttpTraceContext', () => {
     it('should extract context of a sampled span from carrier using a future version', () => {
       carrier[TRACE_PARENT_HEADER] =
         'cc-0af7651916cd43dd8448eb211c80319c-b7ad6b7169203331-01';
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(
         httpTraceContext.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-      )?.context();
+      );
 
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
@@ -114,9 +114,9 @@ describe('HttpTraceContext', () => {
     it('should extract context of a sampled span from carrier using a future version and future fields', () => {
       carrier[TRACE_PARENT_HEADER] =
         'cc-0af7651916cd43dd8448eb211c80319c-b7ad6b7169203331-01-what-the-future-will-be-like';
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(
         httpTraceContext.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-      )?.context();
+      );
 
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
@@ -128,9 +128,9 @@ describe('HttpTraceContext', () => {
 
     it('returns null if traceparent header is missing', () => {
       assert.deepStrictEqual(
-        getActiveSpan(
+        getParentSpanContext(
           httpTraceContext.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-        )?.context(),
+        ),
         undefined
       );
     });
@@ -138,9 +138,9 @@ describe('HttpTraceContext', () => {
     it('returns null if traceparent header is invalid', () => {
       carrier[TRACE_PARENT_HEADER] = 'invalid!';
       assert.deepStrictEqual(
-        getActiveSpan(
+        getParentSpanContext(
           httpTraceContext.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-        )?.context(),
+        ),
         undefined
       );
     });
@@ -151,9 +151,9 @@ describe('HttpTraceContext', () => {
         '00-0af7651916cd43dd8448eb211c80319c-b7ad6b7169203331-01-extra';
 
       assert.deepStrictEqual(
-        getActiveSpan(
+        getParentSpanContext(
           httpTraceContext.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-        )?.context(),
+        ),
         undefined
       );
     });
@@ -162,9 +162,9 @@ describe('HttpTraceContext', () => {
       carrier[TRACE_PARENT_HEADER] = [
         '00-0af7651916cd43dd8448eb211c80319c-b7ad6b7169203331-01',
       ];
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(
         httpTraceContext.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-      )?.context();
+      );
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
         traceId: '0af7651916cd43dd8448eb211c80319c',
@@ -177,9 +177,9 @@ describe('HttpTraceContext', () => {
       carrier[TRACE_PARENT_HEADER] =
         '00-0af7651916cd43dd8448eb211c80319c-b7ad6b7169203331-01';
       carrier[TRACE_STATE_HEADER] = 'foo=bar,baz=qux';
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(
         httpTraceContext.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-      )?.context();
+      );
 
       assert.deepStrictEqual(
         extractedSpanContext!.traceState!.get('foo'),
@@ -195,9 +195,9 @@ describe('HttpTraceContext', () => {
       carrier[TRACE_PARENT_HEADER] =
         '00-0af7651916cd43dd8448eb211c80319c-b7ad6b7169203331-01';
       carrier[TRACE_STATE_HEADER] = ['foo=bar,baz=qux', 'quux=quuz'];
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(
         httpTraceContext.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-      )?.context();
+      );
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
         traceId: '0af7651916cd43dd8448eb211c80319c',
@@ -249,9 +249,9 @@ describe('HttpTraceContext', () => {
       Object.getOwnPropertyNames(testCases).forEach(testCase => {
         carrier[TRACE_PARENT_HEADER] = testCases[testCase];
 
-        const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(
+        const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(
           httpTraceContext.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-        )?.context();
+        );
         assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, undefined, testCase);
       });
     });
@@ -260,9 +260,9 @@ describe('HttpTraceContext', () => {
       carrier[TRACE_PARENT_HEADER] =
         '00-0af7651916cd43dd8448eb211c80319c-b7ad6b7169203331-01';
       carrier[TRACE_STATE_HEADER] = 'foo=1 \t , \t bar=2, \t baz=3 ';
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(
         httpTraceContext.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-      )?.context();
+      );
 
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext!.traceState!.get('foo'), '1');
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext!.traceState!.get('bar'), '2');
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-core/test/context/composite.test.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-core/test/context/composite.test.ts
index 727344946ac..9c85ab9eecd 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-core/test/context/composite.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-core/test/context/composite.test.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import {
   defaultTextMapSetter,
   TextMapPropagator,
   SpanContext,
-  getActiveSpan,
+  getParentSpanContext,
   setExtractedSpanContext,
 } from '@opentelemetry/api';
 import { Context, ROOT_CONTEXT } from '@opentelemetry/context-base';
@@ -113,9 +113,9 @@ describe('Composite Propagator', () => {
       const composite = new CompositePropagator({
         propagators: [new B3MultiPropagator(), new HttpTraceContext()],
       });
-      const spanContext = getActiveSpan(
+      const spanContext = getParentSpanContext(
         composite.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-      )?.context();
+      );
 
       if (!spanContext) {
         throw new Error('no extracted context');
@@ -132,9 +132,9 @@ describe('Composite Propagator', () => {
       const composite = new CompositePropagator({
         propagators: [new ThrowingPropagator(), new HttpTraceContext()],
       });
-      const spanContext = getActiveSpan(
+      const spanContext = getParentSpanContext(
         composite.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-      )?.context();
+      );
 
       if (!spanContext) {
         throw new Error('no extracted context');
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-propagator-b3/test/B3MultiPropagator.test.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-propagator-b3/test/B3MultiPropagator.test.ts
index 5866a3d2625..f9d76d4e0a8 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-propagator-b3/test/B3MultiPropagator.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-propagator-b3/test/B3MultiPropagator.test.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 import {
   defaultTextMapGetter,
   defaultTextMapSetter,
-  getActiveSpan,
+  getParentSpanContext,
   setExtractedSpanContext,
   SpanContext,
   TraceFlags,
@@ -149,14 +149,14 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
         carrier,
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
         traceId: '0af7651916cd43dd8448eb211c80319c',
         isRemote: true,
         traceFlags: TraceFlags.NONE,
       });
-      assert.equal(context.getValue(B3_DEBUG_FLAG_KEY), undefined);
+      assert.strictEqual(context.getValue(B3_DEBUG_FLAG_KEY), undefined);
     });
 
     describe('when sampled flag is valid', () => {
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
             carrier,
             defaultTextMapGetter
           );
-          const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+          const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
 
           assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
             spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
             carrier,
             defaultTextMapGetter
           );
-          const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+          const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
 
           assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
             spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
             carrier,
             defaultTextMapGetter
           );
-          const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+          const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
 
           assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
             spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
             carrier,
             defaultTextMapGetter
           );
-          const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+          const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
 
           assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
             spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
             carrier,
             defaultTextMapGetter
           );
-          const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+          const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
 
           assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
             spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
             carrier,
             defaultTextMapGetter
           );
-          const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+          const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
 
           assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
             spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
             carrier,
             defaultTextMapGetter
           );
-          const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+          const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
 
           assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
             spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
             carrier,
             defaultTextMapGetter
           );
-          const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+          const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
 
           assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
             spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
@@ -350,9 +350,9 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
         it('should return undefined', () => {
           carrier[X_B3_TRACE_ID] = undefined;
           carrier[X_B3_SPAN_ID] = 'b7ad6b7169203331';
-          const context = getActiveSpan(
+          const context = getParentSpanContext(
             b3Propagator.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-          )?.context();
+          );
           assert.deepStrictEqual(context, undefined);
         });
       });
@@ -361,9 +361,9 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
         it('should return undefined', () => {
           carrier[X_B3_TRACE_ID] = '0af7651916cd43dd8448eb211c80319c';
           carrier[X_B3_SPAN_ID] = undefined;
-          const context = getActiveSpan(
+          const context = getParentSpanContext(
             b3Propagator.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-          )?.context();
+          );
           assert.deepStrictEqual(context, undefined);
         });
       });
@@ -373,18 +373,18 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
           carrier[X_B3_TRACE_ID] = '0af7651916cd43dd8448eb211c80319c';
           carrier[X_B3_SPAN_ID] = 'b7ad6b7169203331';
           carrier[X_B3_SAMPLED] = '2';
-          const context = getActiveSpan(
+          const context = getParentSpanContext(
             b3Propagator.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-          )?.context();
+          );
           assert.deepStrictEqual(context, undefined);
         });
       });
 
       describe('AND b3 header is missing', () => {
         it('should return undefined', () => {
-          const context = getActiveSpan(
+          const context = getParentSpanContext(
             b3Propagator.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-          )?.context();
+          );
           assert.deepStrictEqual(context, undefined);
         });
       });
@@ -393,9 +393,9 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
         it('should return undefined', () => {
           carrier[X_B3_TRACE_ID] = 'invalid!';
           carrier[X_B3_SPAN_ID] = 'b7ad6b7169203331';
-          const context = getActiveSpan(
+          const context = getParentSpanContext(
             b3Propagator.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-          )?.context();
+          );
           assert.deepStrictEqual(context, undefined);
         });
       });
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
         carrier,
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
         traceId: '0af7651916cd43dd8448eb211c80319c',
@@ -459,9 +459,9 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
 
       Object.getOwnPropertyNames(testCases).forEach(testCase => {
         carrier[X_B3_TRACE_ID] = testCases[testCase];
-        const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(
+        const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(
           b3Propagator.extract(ROOT_CONTEXT, carrier, defaultTextMapGetter)
-        )?.context();
+        );
         assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, undefined, testCase);
       });
     });
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ describe('B3MultiPropagator', () => {
         carrier,
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
 
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'b7ad6b7169203331',
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-propagator-b3/test/B3Propagator.test.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-propagator-b3/test/B3Propagator.test.ts
index d4191578c1f..b010b159b9e 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-propagator-b3/test/B3Propagator.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-propagator-b3/test/B3Propagator.test.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import {
   defaultTextMapSetter,
   SpanContext,
   TraceFlags,
-  getActiveSpan,
+  getParentSpanContext,
   setExtractedSpanContext,
 } from '@opentelemetry/api';
 import { ROOT_CONTEXT } from '@opentelemetry/context-base';
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ describe('B3Propagator', () => {
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
 
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'e457b5a2e4d86bd1',
         traceId: '80f198ee56343ba864fe8b2a57d3eff7',
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ describe('B3Propagator', () => {
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
 
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: '6e0c63257de34c92',
         traceId: 'd4cda95b652f4a1592b449d5929fda1b',
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ describe('B3Propagator', () => {
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
 
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'e457b5a2e4d86bd1',
         traceId: '80f198ee56343ba864fe8b2a57d3eff7',
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-propagator-b3/test/B3SinglePropagator.test.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-propagator-b3/test/B3SinglePropagator.test.ts
index c45191031e5..a9baa6da540 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-propagator-b3/test/B3SinglePropagator.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-propagator-b3/test/B3SinglePropagator.test.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import {
   defaultTextMapSetter,
   INVALID_SPANID,
   INVALID_TRACEID,
-  getActiveSpan,
+  getParentSpanContext,
   setExtractedSpanContext,
   SpanContext,
   TraceFlags,
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ describe('B3SinglePropagator', () => {
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
 
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'e457b5a2e4d86bd1',
         traceId: '80f198ee56343ba864fe8b2a57d3eff7',
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ describe('B3SinglePropagator', () => {
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
 
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'e457b5a2e4d86bd1',
         traceId: '80f198ee56343ba864fe8b2a57d3eff7',
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ describe('B3SinglePropagator', () => {
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
 
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'e457b5a2e4d86bd1',
         traceId: '80f198ee56343ba864fe8b2a57d3eff7',
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ describe('B3SinglePropagator', () => {
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
 
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'e457b5a2e4d86bd1',
         traceId: '00000000000000004aaba1a52cf8ee09',
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ describe('B3SinglePropagator', () => {
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
 
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(extractedSpanContext, {
         spanId: 'e457b5a2e4d86bd1',
         traceId: '80f198ee56343ba864fe8b2a57d3eff7',
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ describe('B3SinglePropagator', () => {
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
 
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(undefined, extractedSpanContext);
     });
 
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ describe('B3SinglePropagator', () => {
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
 
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(undefined, extractedSpanContext);
     });
 
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ describe('B3SinglePropagator', () => {
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
 
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(undefined, extractedSpanContext);
     });
 
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ describe('B3SinglePropagator', () => {
         defaultTextMapGetter
       );
 
-      const extractedSpanContext = getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+      const extractedSpanContext = getParentSpanContext(context);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(undefined, extractedSpanContext);
     });
   });
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-shim-opentracing/src/shim.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-shim-opentracing/src/shim.ts
index 5113796ca62..000a96dee3c 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-shim-opentracing/src/shim.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-shim-opentracing/src/shim.ts
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ export class TracerShim extends opentracing.Tracer {
       case opentracing.FORMAT_HTTP_HEADERS:
       case opentracing.FORMAT_TEXT_MAP: {
         const context: api.Context = api.propagation.extract(carrier);
-        const spanContext = api.getActiveSpan(context)?.context();
+        const spanContext = api.getParentSpanContext(context);
         const correlationContext = getCorrelationContext(context);
 
         if (!spanContext) {