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NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20418
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
The study was supported by Contract/Grant No. ESI 9618770, between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.
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Additional copies of this report are available from National Academy Press , 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW , Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20418 . Call (800) 624–6242 or (202) 334–3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area).
This report is also available online at http://www.nap.edu
Copyright 2001 by the National Academy of Sciences . All rights reserved.
Suggested citation: National Research Council. (2001). Improving Mathematics Education: Resources for Decision Making. Committee on Decisions That Count, Steve Leinwand and Gail Burrill (Eds.). Mathematical Sciences Education Board, Center for Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Engineering
Institute of Medicine
National Research Council
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M.Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm A.Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I.Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M.Alberts and Dr. Wm A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.
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Committee on Decisions That Count
Joan R.Leitzel, Chair, University of New Hampshire
Jere Confrey, Vice-Chair, University of Texas at Austin
Deborah Loewenberg Ball, University of Michigan
Richelle Blair, Lakeland Community College, Ohio
Jan de Lange, Freudenthal Institute, The Netherlands
Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Michigan State University
Dan Kennedy, The Baylor School, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Thomas L.Moore, Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa
Marge M.Petit, National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
William Steenken, GE Aircraft Engines, Hamilton, Ohio
Jerry Uhl, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Staff
Gail Burrill, Director, Mathematical Sciences Education Board
Brian McQuillan, Senior Project Assistant, Mathematical Sciences Education Board
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Mathematical Sciences Education Board
Joan R.Leitzel, Chair, University of New Hampshire
Jere Confrey, Vice Chair, University of Texas at Austin
Judy Ackerman, Montgomery College, Rockville, Maryland
Richard A.Askey, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Deborah Loewenberg Ball, University of Michigan
Richelle Blair, Lakeland Community College, Kirtland, Ohio
Ingrid Daubechies, Princeton University
Jan de Lange, Freudenthal Institute, The Netherlands
Keith Devlin, St. Mary's College of California, Moraga, California
Karen Economopoulos, TERC, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Susan Eyestone, National Parent Teacher Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Michigan State University
Arthur M.Jaffe, Harvard University
Dan Kennedy, The Baylor School, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Karen Longhart, Flathead High School, Kalispell, Montana
Miriam Masullo, IBM Corporation, Yorktown Height, New York
Thomas L.Moore, Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa
Debra Paulson, Hornedo Middle School, El Paso, Texas
Marge M.Petit, The National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Anthony Scott, Chicago Public Schools, Illinois
William Steenken, GE Aircraft Engines, Hamilton, Ohio
Lee V.Stiff, North Carolina State University
James W.Stigler, University of California, Los Angeles
Jerry Uhl, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Mathematical Sciences Education Board gratefully acknowledges the National Science Foundation for its financial support of Improving Mathematics Education: Resources for Decision Making. Any opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not reflect those of the funders.
We would especially like to acknowledge Brian McQuillan at the Center for Education for his effort in providing administrative support for the report. We also thank the authors, editors, and those responsible for developing the eight documents cited in this report for reviewing the text we selected for inclusion and for their input in making sure the right messages were highlighted.
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC's Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
Henry L.Alder, University of California, Davis
Francis Fennell, University of Western Maryland
DeAnn Huinker, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Jeane Joyner, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Pamela Matthews, National Education Association
Jackie Mitchell, Maine Department of Education
Sharon Stenglein, Minnesota Department of Education
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Edward A.Silver, University of Michigan, and William G.Howard, Jr., Independent Consultant, Scottsdale, Arizona. Appointed by the National Research Council, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.
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CONTENTS
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