News in Brief: A National Roundup

In a surprise move, the California state school board has rejected many of the nominees for a committee charged with revising the states mathematics curriculum framework.

Instead of accepting the list of names proposed by the state curriculum commission, the board this month unanimously appointed a group of 19 that included just four of the names from the commission's list, said Greg Geeting, the executive director for the state board.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin said last week that she planned to send the board a letter of protest. "It's an insult to the people who were removed, and it's an insult to the process we set up," said Ms. Eastin, who was...