Background: This paper describes the Problem-Solving Cycle model of professional development and the Mathematics Leadership Preparation model of PD leader preparation. These models form the backbone of our current research-practice partnership project in which we are working with a large urban district to adapt these models to develop district…

This study originated from the realization that many community college students have significant difficulties with the concepts related to linear functions and their graphs even though these topics are included in the mathematics curriculum from about third grade onward. It is an attempt to identify possible gaps in the math standards in this…

Typical middle and high school math curricula are template based, meaning the use of standardized methods to solve mathematical problems as examples on which to base other problem solving. Template based math instruction may help a student to pass tests; however, it is an insufficient way to develop mathematical thinking. Mathematicians are…

With national attention on scaling up the implementation of Response to Intervention, problem solving teams remain one of the central components for development, implementation, and monitoring of school-based interventions. Studies have shown that problem solving teams evidence a sound theoretical base and demonstrated efficacy; however, limited…

The California Mathematics Standards are cynical, mind-numbing, and shallow. Instead of balancing problem solving, concept development, and skill acquisition, the standards are full of obsolete mathematics and devoid of problem solving. Students offering only an algorithm when asked for meaning have style without substance. Blind memorization is…

Implementation of a problem-based mathematics curriculum, the "Interactive Mathematics Program" (IMP), at three high schools in California has been associated with more than just differences in student achievement. The outcomes that distinguished students who participated in the IMP program from students who followed a conventional…

This framework gives direction for the development of mathematics programs in California schools. The introductory chapter discusses expectations and responsibilities: problem solving, calculator technology, computational skills, estimation and mental arithmetic, and computers in mathematics education; implementation of the recommended program,…

The study summarized in this report investigated the current nature of California's high school curriculum, how it is determined, and how it differs for different groups of students. Data were gathered from 26 representative high schools. Chapter 1 describes the six levels of curricular policy and decision making in California and the decisions…