Reviews research on importance of strong professional communities for supporting reform. National Center for Research in Mathematical Sciences Education (NCRMSE) found significant correlation between teachers' professional community and reformed mathematics instruction. Urban Mathematics Collaboratives (UMC), Quantitative Understanding: Amplifying…

Describes the teacher, classroom, and curriculum of the Consortium Calculus based at the Harvard Project, which offers students, especially women, an opportunity to explore the power of calculus in an encouraging environment. (18 references) (MKR)

Describes four projects that support the transition from an abstract to a concrete notion of the effective use of technology in the secondary school classroom: The Interactive Mathematics Program, Systemic Initiative for Montana Mathematics and Science, University of Chicago School Mathematics Project, and Connected Geometry. (MKR)

The University of Chicago School Mathematics Project (UCSMP) courses for the first two years of high school integrate geometry and algebra, incorporate applications as a motivation for learning new content, and use technology as a vehicle for discovery and exploration of mathematical topics and to perform algorithmic tasks. (31 references) (MKR)

The Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD) developed an applied mathematics course that integrates algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and other strands; centers around hands-on laboratory experiences; and uses real-world problems found in the world of work. (MKR)

The College Preparatory Mathematics: Change from Within Project (CPM) was created to develop a rich, integrated mathematics curriculum, based on the best current wisdom of how people learn and the mathematics needed in an era of computers, and involving teachers in materials development. (MKR)

The Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP) is a four-year program emphasizing mathematical modeling, featuring full use of graphing calculators, building on the theme of mathematics as sense-making, and involving investigations of real-life contexts that lead to reinventing important mathematics. (MKR)

Computer-Intensive Algebra (CIA) focuses on the use of technology to help develop a rich understanding of fundamental algebraic concepts in real-world settings using computing tools for easy access to numerical, graphical, and symbolic representations of mathematical ideas. (MKR)

The Hawaii Algebra Learning Project (HALP) developed a curriculum that intertwines algebraic content, instructional methods, and assessment techniques with a problem-solving focus. (MKR)

Discusses a program in New Zealand to assist high school students who have an aptitude for mathematics. Uses the philosophy of extension and enrichment rather than acceleration and has a teaching emphasis of problem solving and the methodology of the research mathematician. (MKR)

Describes the Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP), a four-year program of problem-based mathematics that integrates algebra, geometry, and trigonometry with additional topics, such as probability and statistics, and uses calculator and computer technology to enhance student understanding. (MKR)