The Massachusetts math wars |
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| Authors: | Sandra Stotsky |
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| Institution: | (1) University of Arkansas, 202 Graduate Education Building, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA;(2) 246 Clark Road, Brookline, MA 02445, USA |
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| Abstract: | This article recounts the battle in the “math wars” that took place in Massachusetts, United States in 1999–2000 over the
scope, content and teaching of the state’s K-12 mathematics curriculum. Harsh controversies arose between the partisans of
a “reform-math” movement stressing an undefined “conceptual understanding” and student-created algorithms and those, including
the author, advocating an academically stronger mathematics curriculum as well as fluency in students’ computational skills
with whole numbers and fractions. While “reform-math” supporters privileged and fought for a radical constructivist view of
mathematics learning, the Massachusetts Board of Education decided to implement mathematics standards that linked strong academic
content to the development of authentic computational competencies in students. Following the introduction of newly revised
mathematic standards in 2000, real progress was reached in terms of student achievement. According to the results of the 2007
tests in reading and in mathematics for Grade 4 and Grade 8, reported by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP),
Massachusetts ranked first nationwide in mathematics and tied for first place in reading, with its students having made significant
gains from 2005 to 2007. The article makes a strong case for evidence-based curriculum design and implementation, freed, as
much as possible, of mythologies and misconceptions. It explains why it was necessary to reject the theoretical assumptions
and pedagogical strategies embedded in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ 1989 and 2000 standards documents.
It also highlights the importance of a strong personal life and working “principles” underpinning the mission of curriculum
developers: successful reform “strategies” are indeed meaningless in the absence of such durable personal beliefs and values.
Sandra Stotsky
is Professor of Education Reform and holds the 21st Century Chair in Teacher Quality in the Department of Education Reform
at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, USA. From 2003 to 2005 she was a Research Scholar at Northeastern University,
and from 1999 to 2003 she was Senior Associate Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Education. During that period
she directed complete revisions of the state’s licensing regulations for teachers, administrators, and teacher training schools,
the state’s tests for teacher licensure, and the state’s PreK-12 standards for mathematics, history and social science, English
language arts and reading, science and technology/engineering, early childhood (preschool), and instructional technology.
She is editor of What’s at Stake in the K-12 Standards Wars: A Primer for Educational Policy Makers (Peter Lang, 2000) and author of Losing Our Language (Free Press, 1999, reprinted by Encounter Books, 2002). In May 2006 she was appointed to the National Mathematics Advisory
Panel and is a co-author of its final report, released in March 2008. |
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| Keywords: | U S A (Massachusetts) Math wars "Reform math" "Massachusetts miracle" Mathematics standards K-12 mathematics curriculum Mathematical concepts and skills |
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