U.S. Department of Education exemplary mathematics programs
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This is the list as was published in the Department of Education press release. These math programs were selected primarily for their adherence to standards-based mathematics reform rather than data showing improved learning. A group of several experts on mathematics issued an advertisement which condemned the selection of these mathematics programs which in their view were some of the worst examples of how badly some new math programs had been constructed.
Exemplary Mathematics Programs
College Preparatory Mathematics (CPM) is a four-year, secondary school curriculum that integrates algebra and geometry content with conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills. The program consists of courses that concentrate on six or seven core ideas that are introduced, practiced, revisited, and mastered through the year and reinforced in subsequent courses. Problem-solving and other skills are taught throughout. The curriculum parallels traditional college preparatory course content (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Mathematical Analysis/Pre-Calculus).www.cpm.org
Cognitive Tutor™ Algebra is a full-year, first-year algebra course for students in grades 7-12 that integrates technology in its instructional design. The tutor is an intelligent computer-based device designed on research in cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence and addresses topics in a typical high school or middle school Algebra I course. It provides each student with an individualized coach or tutor and instant feedback and assistance as needed. Students work on cooperative problem-solving activities three days a week in the classroom and similar individual computer-based problems in a laboratory the other two days. They investigate and solve real-world problem situations and link numeric, verbal, graphic, and symbolic representations while using tools such as spreadsheets and calculators. www.carnegielearning.com
Connected Mathematics is a comprehensive, problem-centered curriculum designed for all students in grades 6-8. Each grade level curriculum is a full-year program, and in each of the three grade levels, topics of number, algebra, geometry/measurement, probability and statistics are covered in an increasingly sophisticated manner. The program seeks to make connections within mathematics, between mathematics and other subject areas, and to the real world. The curriculum is divided into units, each of which contains investigations with major problems that the teacher and students explore in class. Extensive problem sets are included for each investigation to help students practice, apply, connect, and extend these understandings. www.math.msu.edu/cmp
Core-Plus Mathematics Project is an integrated curriculum developed to prepare high school students for success in college, careers, and daily life. It consists of a sequence of three core courses for all students, plus a fourth-year course, continuing the preparation of students for college mathematics. Each year of the curriculum features four interwoven strands: algebra and functions, statistics and probability, geometry and trigonometry, and discrete mathematics. The curriculum emphasizes mathematical modeling and features full use of graphing calculators. It is designed so that core topics are accessible to students of different interests and abilities. Comprehensive curriculum-embedded and supplementary assessment tasks allow monitoring of each student?s performance in terms of mathematical processes, content, and dispositions. www.wmich.edu/cpmp
Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP) is a four-year secondary, comprehensive, problem-based curriculum that integrates traditional content, such as algebra, geometry, and trigonometry, with other topics such as statistics and probability. The program is designed to help all students develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and how to apply them and prepare them for using their skills in further education and on the job. It challenges students to explore open-ended situations actively, in a way that resembles the inquiry method used by mathematicians and scientists in their work. Students routinely investigate specific cases, look for and articulate patterns, and make, test, and prove conjectures. www.ithaca.edu/compass
Promising Mathematics Programs
Everyday Mathematics is a comprehensive program for grades K-6 that integrates mathematics with other content areas and real-life situations. Students learn basic computational and arithmetic skills, as well as concepts including data and probability; geometry and spatial sense; measures and measurement; numeration and order; operations; patterns, function, and sequences; and reference frames. Students begin to work with algebraic concepts in the third grade. Features include problem solving; linking past experience to new concepts; sharing ideas; developing concept readiness through hands-on explorations; cooperative learning through small-group activities; and home-school partnerships. www.everydaylearning.com
MathLand is a comprehensive program for grades K-6 focused on students? use of problem-solving approaches to investigate and understand mathematical content. It presents students with coherent, connected, and accessible mathematical experiences. Students learn to become mathematically proficient and confident problem-solvers. Each unit of the program includes investigations, problems, and exercises that are interrelated. Materials emphasize the development of skills such as problem solving, communication, reasoning, mathematical connections, estimation, measurement, statistics, probability, fractions and decimals. www.creativepublications.com
Middle School Mathematics through Application Project (MMAP) is a series of technology-integrated, project-based units for grades 6-8 that fit together into a comprehensive curriculum emphasizing proportional reasoning and algebra/functions and including statistics, geometry, probability, and measurement. Students use technology to create and analyze solutions to real-world problems, increase their conceptual understanding of mathematics, and develop competence with standard symbolic notations for mathematical concepts and an ability to organize their mathematical work in a way that communicates their ideas. mmap.wested.org
Number Power is a supplemental program for grades K-6 focused on developing number sense and social interaction skills in cooperative settings. Students engage in cooperative group work as they learn to make sense of numbers and their relationships, explore numbers as quantities, make judgments about the reasonableness of numbers and solutions, and build understanding about the effects of operations on numbers. Students explore concepts in different situations over a period of time. They learn to estimate, analyze data, use mental computation, devise their own computation and problem-solving strategies, and gain proficiency in accurate computation. www.devstu.org
The University of Chicago School Mathematics Project (UCSMP) is a six-course curriculum, for students in grades 7-12. The following six courses are intended to stand alone, however, it is preferable to use them in sequence: Transition Mathematics; Algebra; Geometry; Advanced Algebra; Functions, Statistics, and Trigonometry; and Precalculus and Discrete Mathematics. All courses place continual emphasis on applications to the real world and to solving problems. The curriculum is designed to revitalize mathematics curriculum, improve student achievement, and increase the number of students who take mathematics beyond algebra and geometry. (ucsmp@uchicago.edu)
