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High School Reform

NCTM must build on recent publications (Catalyzing Change and High School Mathematics Reimagined, Revitalized and Relevant) to promote a bold new vision.

High School Mathematics

  • It is clear that the status quo is unacceptable and NCTM must provide leadership to empower high school mathematics teachers and provide guidance on long overdue changes in course organization, content and pedagogy.​​

  • Despite vast changes in the realities of the workplace, the expectations of knowledgeable and effective citizenship in a complex democratic society, and the ubiquitous presence of ever more powerful technology, there has been only minimal change in the content of the Algebra to Geometry to Algebra II to Pre-calculus sequence of courses. Yet we know that a large body of traditional algebraic-centered high school mathematics content has very little value for most students and that everyone benefits if we eliminate what is essentially obsolete content.

  • We also know that high school mathematics still pays too much attention to readiness for calculus and ignores the realities of how broadly important statistical understanding, data analysis, and modeling have become.

  • While high school math remains rooted in tradition, there are significant changes taking place in the first and second years of college for which high schools must adapt.  The current program anoints the few and leaves millions behind. The typical program effectively tracks and sorts students into a minority of students prepared for STEM careers and a majority of students left essentially underprepared for any quantitative, mathematical or statistical future. Such programs exacerbate inequities, turn off millions to mathematics and underserve our students and the nation.

  • It is clear that the status quo is no longer acceptable and major changes in course organization, mathematical content, pedagogy and assessment are long overdue.

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