District Administration - May 2007 - (Page 40)

students were proﬁcient in algebra I by the end of high school, a gain of two points over four years. About 45 percent of the state’s students take algebra II, and only 25 percent are proﬁcient, a loss of four percentage points over the last four years. “Direct instruction of basic skills does not suﬃce,” Fraser told the panel. “Moving backwards to ineﬀective habits does not make sense. Our children deserve more.” But Milgram says that students should be learning more, including algorithms and how to construct them. The Focal Points require that students not only learn standard algorithms of arithmetic, but why they work, Milgram says. “The best examples of algorithms are standard algorithms of multiplication, addition, subtraction,” Milgram says. “If students can understand these algorithms and why they work, they can understand the mathemat- Math Curriculum Eras The math curriculum has evolved through multiple inﬂuences. MATH EDUCATION IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS HAS SEEN AN EBB and ﬂow over the past century, shifting from what some refer to as the “actual math” of basic skills and rote memorization, to math that is more abstract and emphasizes logical explanations. And the socalled math wars continue. ■ students must learn how to solve problems. The 1983 report A Nation at Risk, by the National Commission of Excellence in Education, also addressed an array of problems in U.S. public education. ■ In 1989, NCTM published Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematicians, expanding a vision In 1915, William Heard Kilpatrick, one of the nation’s most inﬂuential education leaders, recommended in his report The Problem of Mathematics in Secondary Education that traditional high school math be only for a select few. But mathematiciansobjected, as documented in “A Brief History of American K-12 Mathematics in Education in the 20 th Century” by David Klein, and NCTM was created in 1920. NCTM’s 1923 report justiﬁed the study of math for its intrinsic value and proposed new math curricula for schools. But the Kilpatrick report held greater inﬂuence, Klein states, and math education during the 1930s infused math in other subjects. for teaching and learning in grades K4, 5-8 and 9-12. It was widely accepted and endorsed by the National Science Foundation, the American Mathematical Society, the Mathematical Association of America and the Council of Scientiﬁc Society Presidents. Basic skills and general math principles were to be learned through “real world” problems, with decreased attention on “complex paper-andpencil computations” “long division” and “rote memorization of rules.” The standards reinforced the general themes of progressive education dating back to the 1920s by advocating student-centered, discovery learning. ■ In the 1940s, the “Life Adjustment Movement” emerged, and programs focused on practical consumer math problems rather than algebra, geometry or trigonometry. But such programs were criticized for lack of academic content, and by the late 1940s developments in radar and atomic energy underscored the importance of math. ■ In the 1990s, the math wars heated up again when math textbooks with “radically diminished content and a dearth of basic skills” were published that failed to develop fundamental arithmetic and algebra skills, Klein states. ■ ■ In 1957, the launching of the Russian satellite Sputnik In 2000, NCTM’S Principles and Standards for School Mathematics elaborated on the 1989 standards for grades pre-K2, highlighted the low quality of math and science in American schools and the “New Math” era was born, during which mathematicians introduced curricula that focused on abstractions. A year after Sputnik, Congress passed the National Defense Education Act to advance education in math and science, and the American Mathematical Society set up the School Mathematics Study Group to develop new K12 curricula, including calculus in high school. In the early-1970s these structured programs gave way to the “Open Education” era that emphasized self-directed student investigation and experimentation. 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Although they were accepted by various organizations, critics claimed the standards were still short on mastery of basic arithmetic and memorization of number facts. Those who defended the standards claimed that K12 math lessons had historically failed to build students’ ability to solve problems in different contexts. In 1980, NCTM published An Agenda for Action, which described the shape that K12 math programs should take, outlined 10 recommendations and focused on the fundamental principle that 40 May 2007 ■ In January 2006, President Bush called for 70,000 high school teachers to be trained for Advanced Placement courses in math and science, 30,000 math and science professionals to enter teaching, and early help to be provided for students who struggle with math so that they would have better chances in getting high-wage jobs. “If we ensure that America’s children succeed in life,” Bush stated, “they will ensure that America succeeds in the world.” -Angela Pascopella District Administration ■

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - May 2007

Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Inside the Law
Curriculum Update
Administrator Profile
District Profi le
Focal Points for Pre-K8 Math
Games Students Play
Healthy Choices
Tragic Lessons
Learning with Personal Media Players
New Products
Computer Literature
Problem Solution
Professional Opinion
Speaking Out
Online Edge
Calendar of Events
Research Corner

District Administration - May 2007