The Colorado Model Content Standards for Mathematics were designed to serve as a guide for school districts as they define standards that will enable every Colorado student to develop the mathematical literacy needed for citizenship and employment in the 21st century. A new vision is provided of the content students should study in order to…

In the attempt to improve the quality of geometry instruction in schools, researchers and teachers alike have given considerable attention to the van Hiele theory of geometry learning and development, which proposes a series of cognitive levels through which every geometry student passes. This paper reports a study to determine the extent to which…

This paper discusses an experiment designed to determine the effects of a problem-solving approach to instruction (PSAI) on eighth grade Algebra I students. Comparisons were made of the scores from the 1991 and 1993 Subject Area Testing Program--Algebra I of skills taught via PSAI and skills taught traditionally. In 1991 (n=56) eighth grade…

For effective educational reform, a teacher must be aware of students' views of their role in the classroom culture, and only then may a teacher assist students to become aware of their own prejudices and resistance to change in the classroom structure. This paper discusses a study that investigated the changing student role, particularly from the…

Drawing from research and observations at Lansing Community College (Michigan) (LCC), this paper argues that typical arithmetic courses do little to prepare students to master algebra, and proposes an alternative set of arithmetic skills as actual prerequisites to algebra. The first section offers a description of the algebra sequence at LCC,…

This study examined achievement differences between algebra students taught with the non-traditional textbook developed by Saxon and those taught with a "traditional" textbook by Dolciani. Student absences, rate of turning in homework, and ability level were considered, as well as teachers' comments. One Algebra I section in each of…

The papers in this report represent the imagination, analysis, and experiences of many people involved in recent curricular studies in secondary school mathematics. It differs from reports that seek broad agreement on conservative, traditional curricula, representing instead the point of view of those working with emerging electronic technology…

The conference of which these are the proceedings was held in June-July 1982 at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The purpose was to discuss the restructuring of the first two years of college mathematics to provide some balance between the traditional calculus-linear algebra sequence, and discrete mathematics. The volume contains…

This paper dealt with the use of classroom observation data for formative evaluation purposes, and with a research project in which scores based on observed performance of teachers in secondary school algebra and English classes were compared with efficiency scores based on an input-output model. The model, using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)…

The aim of this unit is to assist teachers in the presentation of integers and the combining of like terms in algebra in a more interesting and meaningful way. This program was developed for use in mathematics classes, grades 7-12. The unit is a descriptive module on the teaching of integers using bingo chips to develop a concrete approach to…

Results of empirical research relating computer programming instruction and understanding of the concept of mathematical variables is unclear. While some studies have found a positive relationship, others have reported nonsignificant results. The purpose of this study was to investigate high school students' (n=36) understanding of the concept of…

This curriculum guide is an adaptation for students who need to proceed more slowly with new concepts and who also require additional reinforcement. The materials have been designed to assist the teacher in developing plans to be utilized in a variety of classroom settings. The guide can be used to develop both individual and group lessons. In…

This curriculum guide lists mathematics topics and concepts, learning outcomes, and sample learning objectives (in three columns) for these secondary school mathematics courses in Alaska: (1) general mathematics; (2) consumer mathematics; (3) pre-algebra; (4) algebra I; (5) algebra II; (6) geometry; (7) trigonometry; (8) precalculus; and (9)…

The purpose of this study was to conduct formative and summative evaluation for Computer Integrated Instruction (CII), an alternative use of computer-assisted instruction (CAI). The non-equivalent control group, pretest-posttest design was implemented with the class as the unit of analysis. Several of the instruments were adopted from existing CAI…

Algebra is a skill, according to this author, and as such, is best learned through repeated practice over an extended period of time. Unlike texts which treat a topic in some detail before moving to the next, Saxon's 126 lessons break a concept down into small units so that each may be practiced thoroughly before the next part of the same concept…