Education

A Brief History of the ‘Math Wars’

January 22, 2003 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

1989

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics releases “Currisulum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics.” The document emphasizes that students should understand the concepts underlying the discipline of math as well as be able to perform its basic operations.

1990

The National Science Foundation begins subsidizing 15 projects to write new curricula that conform to the NCTM standards. The independent federal agency eventually spends more than $25 million on the ventures.

1996

Several textbooks and other curricula materials influenced by the NCTM’s standards are published and make their way into school districts.

1997

The California state board of education adopts standards that emphasize basic skills, such as computation and downplay the understanding of concepts advocated by the NCTM.

1999

Richard W. Riley

A panel formed by the U.S. Department of Education declares that 10 math programs are “exemplary” or are “promising” in improving student achievement. All are written to reflect the NCTM standards. A group of critics publishes an open letter to the Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley asking him to withdraw the status bestowed on the programs.

2000

The NCTM publishes revised standards, inserting sections to clarify that basic skills should be taught along with concepts. Critics of the original standards, however, say the changes don’t go far enough.

2001

The National Research Council publishes a report suggesting that the opposing sides in the “math wars” should be able to agree that both basic skills and conceptual understanding be taught and that the camps should be able to compromise.

2002

Achieve publishes a set of “expectations” for the math that 8th graders should learn. The document is the product of a committee that includes NCTM supporters and critics.

President Bush

2003

The Bush administration plans a project that will evaluate research in mathematics education and examine ways to improve the mathematical knowledge of teachers.

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: March 13, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 7, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 31, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read