A new Push for the Basics 9/7/07

Critics of reform math programs used here and nationwide vented before the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, which is meeting this week at Washington University Medical Center. Read this article from the St. Louis Post Dispatch. New!

Failure To Produce Better Students

Click here to read: A Failure to Produce Better Students, by Senator Robert Byrd, on the mathematics education reform movement. New!

Music - Math Analogy

Click here to read a beautifully written article that will help you understand, using music as an analogy, where we are in American Mathematics Education. New!

Integrated Math Background By Jim Milgram

View a letter from by Jim Milgram providing information on Integrated Math.
You can view his impressive credentials here.

As Math Scores Lag, a New Push for the Basics

View an article from Seattle where school officials are rethinking math education.

Thomas B. Fordham Institute

The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation based in Washington, DC published "The State of State Math Standards" in 2005. Missouri's standards received a grade of "F" in this report. The average grade was a "C". Missouri's standards "remain so general so as to be almost meanginless - and when they are specific the content is consistently below grade level." The MAP test is aligned to Missouri's standards. So, the next time you hear how great Clayton's MAP scores are, keep in mind the test is aligned to very low standards.
Thomas B. Fordham Institute - The State of State Math Standards 2005

Concord Monitor Article

Click here to view an article from the Concord Montitor with the title "U.S. math woes add up to big trouble".

A Study of Core Plus Students Attending Mchigan State University

This is an excellent, peer reviewed study that evaluates the effectiveness of Core Plus Mathematics Project on students arriving at Michigan State University from four high schools that implemented core Plus between 1996 - 1999.

You Tube Videos

If you have ever wondered why it is that today's students struggle with math, here are two YouTube videos which explain what is happening in schools across the US. Both videos are very well presented and are full of credible information. The videos do not last but a few minutes and are well worth your time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx5KDyvlG3Q New! http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=Tr1qee-bTZI
http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=ymvSFunUjx0

Letter From Steven Krantz

Letter Regarding Contemporary Math in Context from Steven Krantz, chair of the Mathematics Department at Washington University, St. Louis. This letter was written to the Clayton School Board President, recommending that Clayton NOT adopt Core Plus for its high school students after a thorough review of the textbook.

Core Plus Text Book Errors

Click on this link to see a sample list of errors in the Core Plus Text books by Professor Lawrence Gray, Mathematics Professor, University of Minnesota: http://www.math.umn.edu/~gray/errors.html

How A Math Program Rose To The Top

Critics say the process of giving 'Core-Plus' a top rating lacked rigor and evidence of long-term positive impact. To view this article, go to http://www.csmonitor.com/sections/learning/mathmelt/p-2story052300.html.

High School Students And Lab Rats

Go to http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/03/12/ED101990.DTL to view an article from the San Francisco Chronicle about integrated math.

Outcome Analysis For Core Plus Students

Go to ftp://math.stanford.edu/pub/papers/milgram/andover-report.htm to view a report about the outcome analysis for core plus students at Andover High School in Michigan.

Reform vs. Traditional Math Curricula

Preliminary report on a survey of the graduating classes of 1997 of Andover High School and Lahser High School, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, concerning their high school math programs and how well these programs prepared them for college math, by Gregory F. Bachelis

Invasion Of The Math Snatchers

An interesting editorial piece comparing American math eduation to that of high achieving countries. You can view this article at http://www.i2i.org/main/article.php?article_id=951

Open Letter About Math In K-12 Education

An Open, signed letter from 200 leading mathematicians in America, (the chairs of the math departments at Harvard, Yale, Cal-Tech, U of Chicago, U of Rochester, Washington U., etc...) to U.S. Secretary of Education Riley, criticizing and raising concerns about the new, fuzzy math in K - 12 education, which appeared in the Nov. 18th, 1999 Washington Post.

Report Urges Return To Basics

The nation's math teachers, on the front lines of a 17-year curriculum war, are getting some new marching orders: Make sure students learn the basics. You can view the article at http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB115802278519360136-lMyQjAxMDE2NTE4MjAxMjIyWj.html