Executive Summary: Principles and Standards For School Mathematics
Executive Summary: Principles and Standards For School Mathematics
Mathematics
Overview
We live in a time of extraordinary and accelerating change. New knowledge, tools, and ways of doing and com-
municating mathematics continue to emerge and evolve. The need to understand and be able to use mathematics in
everyday life and in the workplace has never been greater and will continue to increase.
In this changing world, those who understand and can do mathematics will have significantly enhanced opportu- nities and
options for shaping their futures. Mathematical competence opens doors to productive futures. A lack of mathematical
competence keeps those doors closed. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) challenges the notion
that mathematics is for only the se- lect few. On the contrary, everyone needs to understand mathematics. All students
should have the opportunity and the support necessary to learn significant mathematics with depth and understanding.
There is no conflict between eq- uity and excellence.
A Foundation for All Students
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, pub- lished by NCTM in 2000, outlines the essential components of
a high-quality school mathematics program. It calls for and presents a common foundation of mathematics to be learned by
all students. It emphasizes the need for well- prepared and well-supported teachers and administrators. It acknowledges the
importance of a carefully organized system for assessing stu- dents’ learning and a program’s effectiveness. It also
underscores the need for all partners— students, teachers, ad- ministrators, community leaders, and parents—to contribute
to building a high-quality program for all students.
What Is Principles and Standards for School Mathematics?
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics is a guide for focused, sustained efforts to improve students’ school
mathematics. It aims to do the following:
forth a comprehensive and coherent set of learning goals for mathematics for all students from prekin- dergarten
• Set
through grade 12 that will orient curricu- lar, teaching, and assessment efforts during the next decades.
• Serve as a resource for teachers, e ducation leaders,
and policymakers to use in examining and improving the quality
of mathematics instructional programs.
• Guide the development of curriculum frameworks, as-
sessments, and instructional materials.
• Stimulate ideas and ongoing conversations at the na-
tional, state or provincial, and local levels about how best to
help students gain a deep understanding of important mathematics.
Educational research shaped many of the proposals and claims made throughout Principles and Standards. The
document contains references to research on what it is possible for students to learn about certain content ar- eas, at certain
levels, and under certain pedagogical condi- tions. The content and processes emphasized also reflect society’s needs for
mathematical literacy, past practice in mathematics education, and the values and expectations held by teachers,
mathematics educators, mathematicians, and the general public.
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics is orga- nized into four main parts:
•• Principles for school mathematics
• Standards outlining in detail both the content and the
processes of school mathematics, accompanied by
corresponding expectations, for four separate grade bands: prekindergarten through grade 2, grades 3–5, grades 6–8, and
grades 9–12
•A discussion of steps needed to move toward the
vision
The Principles are statements reflecting basic precepts
ment of mathematics education in classrooms, schools, that are fundamental to a high-quality mathematics edu-
and educational systems. The document includes, as an cation. The document elaborates the underlying assump-
additional resource, an appendix, “Table of Standards and tions, values, and evidence on which these Principles are
Expectations,” that details the grade-band expectations for founded. The S tandards are descriptions of what mathe-
each Standard. matics instruction should enable students to know and do. Together, the P rinciples and S
tandards
constitute a vision to guide educators as they strive for the continual improve-
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The ways in which mathematical ideas are repre- sented is teaching and learning and the contextual factors that shape it.
fundamental to how people understand and use those ideas. Principles and Standards articulates principles to guide
Many of the representations we now take for granted are the decisions about school mathematics and high, but attainable,
result of a process of cultural refinement that took place over standards.
many years. When students gain access to mathematical
representations and the ideas they express and when they can Realizing the vision of mathematics education that is
create representations to capture math- ematical concepts or described in Principles and Standards requires the contin-
relationships, they acquire a set of tools that significantly ued creation of high-quality instructional materials and
expand their capacity to model and interpret physical, social, technology. It requires enhanced preparation for teach- ers and
and mathematical phenomena. increased opportunities for professional growth. It requires the
creation of assessments aligned with cur- ricular goals.
Realizing the vision depends on the active participation of
teachers, students, school administrators, teacher-leaders,
policymakers, parents and other caregiv- ers, mathematicians,
mathematics educators, and the local community. It will
Principles and Standards provides a catalyst for the require that the vision be shared and understood and that
continued improvement of mathematics education. It everyone concerned be committed to improving the future of
represents the best current understanding of mathemat- ics all children.
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has also produced supporting resources for
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Among them are a set of Frequently Asked Questions about
Principles and Standards, a Quick Reference Guide that outlines Standards and Expectations by grade band, and
an outreach CD to assist those making presentations about Principles and Standards o r interested in exploring the
ten Standards and learning more about them. The Navigations book series translates the Principles and Standards
into action in the classroom and highlights major mathematics content areas in grade-band-specific volumes. Most
recently, the Council published the Administrator’s Guide: How to Sup- port and Improve Mathematics
Education in Your School for school administrators and others responsible for implementing standards, as well as
A Research Companion to “Principles and Standards for School Math- ematics.” A ll are available for sale
from NCTM Customer Service (800-235-7566) or the NCTM Web site (www.nctm.org/catalog).
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