The Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in 1989 set forth a broad vision of mathematical content and pedagogy for grades K-12 in the United States. These Standards prompted the development of Standards-based mathematics curricula. What features characterize Standards-based curricula? How well do such curricula work? To answer these questions, the editors invited researchers who had investigated the implementation of 12 different Standards-based mathematics curricula to describe the effects of these curricula on students' learning and achievement, and to provide evidence for any claims they made. In particular, authors were asked to identify content on which performance of students using Standards-based materials differed from that of students using more traditional materials, and content on which performance of these two groups of students was virtually identical. Additionally, four scholars not involved with the development of any of the materials were invited to write critical commentaries on the work reported in the other chapters. Section I of Standards-Based School Mathematics Curricula provides a historical background to place the current curriculum reform efforts in perspective, a summary of recent recommendations to reform school mathematics, and a discussion of issues that arise when conducting research on student outcomes. Sections II, III, and IV are devoted to research on mathematics curriculum projects for elementary, middle, and high schools, respectively. The final section is a commentary by Jeremy Kilpatrick, Regents Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Georgia, on the research reported in this book. It provides a historical perspective on the use of research to guide mathematics curriculum reform in schools, and makes additional recommendations for further research. In addition to the references provided at the end of each chapter, other references about the Standards-based curriculum projects are provided at the end of the book. This volume is a valuable resource for all participants in discussions about school mathematics curricula--including professors and graduate students interested in mathematics education, curriculum development, program evaluation, or the history of education; educational policy makers; teachers; parents; principals and other school administrators. The editors hope that the large body of empirical evidence and the thoughtful discussion of educational values found in this book will enable readers to engage in informed civil discourse about the goals and methods of school mathematics curricula and related research.

The Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in 1989 set forth a broad vision of mathematical content and pedagogy for grades K-12 in the United States. These Standards prompted the development of Standards-based mathematics curricula. What features characterize Standards-based curricula? How well do such curricula work? To answer these questions, the editors invited researchers who had investigated the implementation of 12 different Standards-based mathematics curricula to describe the effects of these curricula on students' learning and achievement, and to provide evidence for any claims they made. In particular, authors were asked to identify content on which performance of students using Standards-based materials differed from that of students using more traditional materials, and content on which performance of these two groups of students was virtually identical. Additionally, four scholars not involved with the development of any of the materials were invited to write critical commentaries on the work reported in the other chapters. Section I of Standards-Based School Mathematics Curricula provides a historical background to place the current curriculum reform efforts in perspective, a summary of recent recommendations to reform school mathematics, and a discussion of issues that arise when conducting research on student outcomes. Sections II, III, and IV are devoted to research on mathematics curriculum projects for elementary, middle, and high schools, respectively. The final section is a commentary by Jeremy Kilpatrick, Regents Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Georgia, on the research reported in this book. It provides a historical perspective on the use of research to guide mathematics curriculum reform in schools, and makes additional recommendations for further research. In addition to the references provided at the end of each chapter, other references about the Standards-based curriculum projects are provided at the end of the book. This volume is a valuable resource for all participants in discussions about school mathematics curricula--including professors and graduate students interested in mathematics education, curriculum development, program evaluation, or the history of education; educational policy makers; teachers; parents; principals and other school administrators. The editors hope that the large body of empirical evidence and the thoughtful discussion of educational values found in this book will enable readers to engage in informed civil discourse about the goals and methods of school mathematics curricula and related research.

Anyone responsible for the curriculum review and selection process within a district will find this book essential reading.

A volume in Research in Mathematics Education Series Editor Barbara J. Dougherty, Iowa State University The study reported in this volume adds to the growing body of evaluation studies that focus on the use of NSF-funded Standards-based high school mathematics curricula. Most previous evaluations have studied the impact of field-test versions of a curriculum. Since these innovative curricula were so new at the time of many of these studies, students and teachers were relative novices in their use. These earlier studies were mainly one year or less in duration. Students in the comparison groups were typically from schools in which some classes used a Standards-based curriculum and other classes used a conventional curriculum, rather than using the Standards-based curriculum with all students as curriculum developers intended. This volume reports one of the first studies of the efficacy of Standards-based mathematics curricula with all of the following characteristics: - The study focused on fairly stable implementations of a first-edition Standards-based high school mathematics curriculum that was used by all students in each of three schools. - It involved students who experienced up to seven years of Standards-based mathematics curricula and instruction in middle school and high school. - It monitored students' mathematical achievement, beliefs, and attitudes for four years of high school and one year after graduation. Prior to the study, many of the teachers had one or more years of experience teaching the Standards-based curriculum and/or professional development focusing on how to implement the curriculum well. - In the study, variations in levels of implementation of the curriculum are described and related to student outcomes and teacher behavior variables. Item data and all unpublished testing instruments from this study are available at www.wmich.edu/ cpmp/evaluation.html for use as a baseline of instruments and data for future curriculum evaluators or Core-Plus Mathematics users who may wish to compare results of new groups of students to those in the present study on common tests or surveys. Taken together, this volume, the supplement at the CPMP Web site, and the first edition Core-Plus Mathematics curriculum materials (samples of which are also available at the Web site) serve as a fairly complete description of the nature and impact of an exemplar of first edition NSF-funded Standards-based high school mathematics curricula as it existed and was implemented with all students in three schools around the turn of the 21st century.

Associate Editors Fran Arbaugh, University of Missouri–Columbia, David C. Webb, University of Colorado at Boulder and Murrel Brewer Hoover, WVSTEM Center @ Marshall University The purpose of this book is to document the work of the Show-Me Project (1997–2007) and to highlight lessons learned about curriculum implementation. Although the Show-Me Project was charged with promoting the dissemination and implementation of four distinct comprehensive curriculum programs (Connected Mathematics, Mathematics in Context, MathScape, and MathThematics), most of the lessons learned from this work are not curriculum specific. Rather, they cut across the four programs and share commonalities with standards-based curriculum reform at any level. We believe that documenting these lessons learned will be one of the legacies of the Show-Me Project. We anticipate that the comprehensive nature of this work will attract readers from multiple audiences that include state and district mathematics supervisors, middle grades mathematics teachers and administrators involved in curriculum reform, as well as mathematics teacher educators. Those about to embark on the review of curriculum materials will appreciate reading about the processes employed by other districts. Readers with interests in a particular curriculum program will be able to trace the curriculum-specific chapters to gain insights into how the design of the curricula relate to professional development, adoption and implementation issues, and teachers’ personal experience using the curriculum materials. Individuals who provide professional development at the middle grades level will find chapters that they can use for both general and focused discussions. Teachers at all stages of implementation will recognize their own experiences in reading and reflecting on the stories of teacher change. Mathematics educators will find ideas on how these curricula can be used in the preparation of preservice middle grades teachers.

"Many new mathematics curricula have been developed in response to the 1989 release of Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. These Standards-based curricula focus on helping students develop a conceptual understanding of mathematics through meaningful problem-solving activities, and are fundamentally different from traditional curricula which emphasize learning and practicing algorithms for computational fluency. The purpose of this thesis is to determine whether or not school districts can feel confident in choosing a Standards-based curriculum instead of a traditional curriculum. This research show that Standards-based curricula can be just as effective as traditional curricula in helping students -- including disadvantaged students or students with special needs -- learn important mathematical concepts and processes with understanding, especially when the teachers who are using them in their classrooms follow proven implementation guidelines."--leaf 3.

In the movement toward standards-based education, an important question stands out: How will this reform affect the 10% of school-aged children who have disabilities and thus qualify for special education? In Educating One and All, an expert committee addresses how to reconcile common learning for all students with individualized education for "one"â€"the unique student. The book makes recommendations to states and communities that have adopted standards-based reform and that seek policies and practices to make reform consistent with the requirements of special education. The committee explores the ideas, implementation issues, and legislative initiatives behind the tradition of special education for people with disabilities. It investigates the policy and practice implications of the current reform movement toward high educational standards for all students. Educating One and All examines the curricula and expected outcomes of standards-based education and the educational experience of students with disabilitiesâ€"and identifies points of alignment between the two areas. The volume documents the diverse population of students with disabilities and their school experiences. Because approaches to assessment and accountability are key to standards-based reforms, the committee analyzes how assessment systems currently address students with disabilities, including testing accommodations. The book addresses legal and resource implications, as well as parental participation in children's education.