Hi Dale,
Sorry to take sooo long to respond. The school year has started and my
on-line time is severely limited. Although I scan through the new
messages posted here each day (fewer in number, since the school year
started, I notice), I simply can't take the time to reply. :-(
-> Ah, no I have not looked at the NCTM standards so I don't have first
-> hand knowledge of what they contain.  I mentioned them because they
-> repeatedly came up as "the source" or the "reference point" for math
-> standards (yes, as in the context that we'd been talking about here,
-> so that is a little perplexing) I agree that just because a topic was
-> taught, there is no guarantee the student will learn it.  I guess
-> it's the difference between the teacher centered standard and a
-> student centered standard.
I'm not surprised that the NCTM standards come up repeatedly as _THE_
reference for math standards. I'm not aware of any other national level
standards in math. However, they simply aren't the student-focussed type
of standards that were implied in the reports you've read. :-(
Nowhere do I recall them listing what students should be able to do at
certain ages. They are not standards in that sense. If I get them out
any time within the next few months I will glance through them again
just to make sure, but I have read them a number of times.
Don't you have Internet access? Send me your e-mail adress (or do I
already have it...I think I do?) and I will send you the URL for the Web
site with the complete text of the NCTM standards on line. You could
them browse them for yourself, if you have any interest in it.
-> My understanding of the issue is that we're searching for good
-> student centered standards, a way to measure student achievement and
-> proficiency.
From the context of previous discussions, I would have thought so, too.
-> Now, as an outgrowth of the standards, I would expect some level of
-> standardization in curriculum and teacher training as far as content
-> goes.  Understandably though this is where the issue gets a little
-> rough because you also must balance this with the needs of the
-> district and schools so as not to micro-manage them to death. (at
-> least that's the way I see it).
Certainly this would be a natural by-product of adopting a national set
of standards stating what students must be able to achieve.
Sheila
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