This page lists several web resources on K-12 mathematics education.  There is a growing dispute over K-12 texts and teaching.  For decades, the NCTM(National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) has prescribed the K-12 curriculum.  However, beginning with the NCTM's 1989 mathematics standards and continuing with the proposed 2000 standards, many members of the mathematical community (as well as the scientific and technical communities) question the goals and methods prescribed by the NCTM.  The dispute has led to a wide-spread debate (or war) between the NCTM standards proponents (variously described as constructivist, reformer, "new new math" or "fuzzy math") and several groups opposed to these standards (usually called "traditionalist" or "parrot math").

Having reviewed two mathematics programs intended to cover grades 6-12 (except calculus) and highly recommended by the NCTM, I find myself opposed to the full (or blind) implementation of NCTM ideas and ideals.  Both programs were developed with NSF (National Science Foundation) funding with the advice, guidance and review of the NCTM.   Both programs have serious and similar deficiencies for the settings I have seen.   There are a number of classroom techniques recommended by the NCTM which may be useful in helping students understand some mathematical topics.  Unfortunately, these techniques are used almost exclusively assuring that those students whose needs or learning styles do not fit the NCTM paradigm will not be able to learn math.  Neither my students nor I fit that NCTM paradigm. 

It seems that the superintendents of education of the states of Texas and California have concluded that most, if not all, of the NCTM/NSF sponsored mathematics courses are not approved for use in those states.  In California, at least, a school district is allowed to choose freely, so the state level disapproval does not exclude the NCTM sponsored programs.  The results are taking care of that.  In districts which offer a choice of NCTM course and a "traditionalist" course, very few students sign up for the NCTM course.

Standards:

NCTM:           http://standards-e.nctm.org/1.0/normal/index.html
NCTM Standards 2000:  http://www.nctm.org/standards2000/
Illuminations NCTM:  http://illuminations.nctm.org/

MAA Report on NCTM proposals
http://www.maa.org/features/maa_nctm99.html
http://www.maa.org/past/maa_nctm.html

AMS - American Mathematical Society:    http://www.ams.org/index/ams/nat-policy.html

Fordham Foundation review of mathematics standards by state:
http://www.edexcellence.net/standards/math/math.htm 

Developing Educational Standards -- a list of K-12 Standards internet sites (annotated):
http://putwest.boces.org/stsu/math.html

1997 California Standards:  http://www.cde.ca.gov/board/mcs_intro.html
California Framework:  http://www.cde.ca.gov/cilbranch/eltdiv/mathfw.htm
(Draft December, 1998)

Washington State Standards:

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction   http://www.k12.wa.us/
Since August, 1999 the OSPI website has renamed most of the links associated with the EALRs and the WASL several times.  Please attempt to find the links from the OSPI home page to these topics.
You can try "Reform"(leading to WASL) and "EALRs" as they seem to work as I revise this.

    Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs)
    Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL)

Core Plus Mathematics Program (CPMP) developed "Contemporary Mathematics in Context."

This is a 3 year integrated course plus a fourth year for pre-calculus.  The 3 year integrated course has four strands:  algebra and functions, geometry and trigonometry, statistics and probability and finite mathematics (largely about networks and graph theory). 

CPMP Web Site [Department of Mathematics and Statistics,Western Michigan University]
      http://www.wmich.edu/cpmp/
       Email: cpmp@wmich.edu
Some statistical data supporting CPMP is in the FAQ:  http://www.wmich.edu/cpmp/front.html

A critical review of CPMP by Dr. R. James Milgram, a professor of mathematics at Stanford University  [Word 97 format] from his FTP site:  ftp://math.stanford.edu/pub/papers/milgram/
Look for:  report-word.doc

My notes on reviewing CPMP materials are on this site's Library page.

Washington State -- Selected School Districts:
Bellevue Public Schools (Bellevue, WA) web page:  http://belnet.bellevue.k12.wa.us/
BPS Curriculum:  http://belnet.bellevue.k12.wa.us/curric.html

Vancouver School District (Spokane, WA) web page:  http://www.vannet.k12.wa.us  

NSF Sponsored Initiatives:
Creating a Community of Mathematics Learners:  http://cml.washington.edu/

Other Organizations And Resources:

Mathematically Correct:  http://www.mathematicallycorrect.com/
http://www.mathematicallycorrect.com/calbooks.htm

HOLD, Palo Alto, CA:  http://www.rahul.net/dehnbase/hold
Honest Open Logical Debate on math reform.

Education Program for Gifted Youth -- Stanford:  http://www-epgy.stanford.edu/
A supplemental program used by some families.  I have not reviewed this program.

Swarthmore -- search this mail server for "CPMP" (note submissions by mackeys@alaska.net,  Apr 99):  http://forum.swarthmore.edu/
Swarthmore seems to promote constructivism.

America Counts -- the Glenn Commission:  http://www.ed.gov/inits/Math/
Mathematics Equals Opportunity, find at:  http://www.ed.gov/pubs/

National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES):  http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/
IPEDS Data Completions:  http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/completions.html

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Last modified: July 21, 2001