District Administration - June 2007 - (Page 10)

Letters EDITOR’S NOTE: Many readers reacted to our May 2007 report on the new National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ (NCTM) “Focal Points for Pre-K8 Math”—which identify fewer topics to be studied in depth—where we raised questions on how, when and even if the new curriculum recommendations would be implemented. It turns out that our readers are not all on the same page about the Focal Points, as you can see from the following letters. Must Sell the States On ﬁrst glance at the NCTM Focal Points, we are taken with the idea of targeting fewer concepts at each grade level while developing mathematical thinking and more in-depth understanding of the concepts. Your report raises several pros and cons to this approach and aids the reader in understanding what must take place before it can be accepted across the nation. While states generally rely on NCTM for expertise in mathematics education, state and local educational agencies are bound by the constraints of their governing bodies. Focal Points are broad goals, and developing standards that reﬂect these goals at the state level is a time-consuming task. In comparing Virginia’s state standards to the Focal Points, I ﬁnd many similarities. Problem solving, for example, is integrated throughout Virginia’s six content standards and seems to be a common thread between our state standards and the Focal Points. The NCTM Focal Points also combine several standards under each topic, resulting in the appearance of fewer standards, but there seems to be little diﬀerence between Virginia’s current state standards and the Focal Points. Bringing about change is always diﬃcult. If NCTM is serious about the 10 June 2007 “Are we preparing future mathematicians or math-using citizens?” principles underlying the Focal Points, it will need to sell this concept to the states and back the ideas with research and data. This is the beginning of nationwide changes that will aﬀect all levels of mathematics teaching, from pre-K through teacher training. Though the road may be long, I think it will be worth the eﬀort. Angela S. Turley, 2006 Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics Elementary Teacher of the Year with state standards in mathematics, will guide teacher instruction and student learning, and educators will know what needs to be taught. Phyllis R. Bartoli, coordinator of mathematics K12, Danbury Public Schools, Danbury, Conn. Missing Materials and Methods NCTM's Focal Points provide a consistency to ensure that all students receive the best education possible, and having fewer math topics to study in depth is an idea that I embrace. I was pleased that addition, subtraction and numeration were given so much emphasis—which many newer math programs water down—but see that money and time are not included. The NCTM site shows that these are still to be taught, and that must be articulated for curriculum developers so it’s not misconstrued and the topics are left out. I also wonder how diﬀerent skill levels will be addressed. Materials and methods need to be developed for educators to put the Focal Points in context and teach all the skills, strategies and algorithms essential to developing mathematical ﬂuency and mastery. Carol Goodrow, founder and director of KidsRunning. com, Fiskdale, Mass. Identifying Math Big Ideas The NCTM is highly regarded by mathematics teachers and is on the forefront for teaching and learning. By establishing Focal Points for prekindergarten to grade 8, the “big ideas” or most important topics are set for students to move successfully from one grade to the next, with the emphasis on problem solving, reasoning, communication, making connections, and designing and analyzing representations along the entire continuum. The Focal Points, together District Administration

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - June 2007

Contents
Editor's Letter
Letters
News Update
Security Update
Technology Update
Curriculum Update
Inside the Law
Admistrator Profile
District Profile
Refreshing the ISTE Technology Standards
Action Teams
RE-Construction
Professional Development for the New Century
Multimedia LIT
New Products
Leadership Books
Problem/Solution
Online Edge
Speaking Out
Supervisor's Opinion
Professional Opinion
Research Corner
Calendar of Events
Understanding the Times

District Administration - June 2007