Presented at NSF PI Meeting, 111009

1
About Standards, Possible Influences of DR-K12,
and Synecdoche of X-County
Presented at NSF PI Meeting,
11-10-09 Richard S. Millman, Professor of
Mathematics and Director Center for Education
Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing
(CEISMC)Georgia Institute of Technology richard.m
illman_at_ceismc.gatech.edu PI NSF 0918618 Science
Learning Integrating Design, Engineering and
Robotics (SLIDER) Start Date 10/1/09
2
NCTM Principles and Standards for School
Mathematics Documents

• Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School
  Mathematics (1989)
• Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics
  (1991)
• Assessment Standards for School Mathematics
  (1995)
• NCTM Principles and Standards for School
  Mathematics (2000)

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Principles and Standards, contd

• The Math Wars
• Curriculum Focal Points , Pre-K 8 (2006) and
  Focus in High School, Reasoning and Sense Making
  (2009)
• Much Movement Forward, such as common core
  standards, but where from here?
• Exploring County-X issues, their implications,
  and opportunities of DR-K12 input

4
NCTM Principles and Standards for School
Mathematics

• Principles Equity, Curriculum, Teaching,
  Learning, Assessment, Technology
• Content Standards Number and Operations,
  Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, Data Analysis and
  Probability
• Process Standards Problem Solving, Reasoning
  and Proof, Communication, Connections, and
  Representation

5
Lessons from X-County, Georgia Suburban
Metro-Atlanta

• Issues concerning individual students or
  parents
• Modern methods of teaching and learning and the
  standards
• The variety of constituencies (parents,
  principals and other administrators, teachers,
  legislators, etc.) and the standards
• Lack of Belief in the University/College/K-12
  continuum and the standards
• Math looks soooooooo different if it even is
  math at all

6
Consequences of the Lessons from X-County,
Georgia, First Glance

• Need for Significant Professional Development
  for Teachers and Development of the Profession
  concerning the standards for all constituencies
• What are approaches to teaching and learning
  and how do diverse groups of learners respond to
  those approaches
• What does a test measure and how do you
  determine what it is that you are trying to
  measure?
• Implications for the work of DR-K12

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Consequences of the Lessons from X-County,
Georgia, Long View

• Need to address policy issues that are examined
  in an evidence-based manner for all
  constituencies because results of DR-K12, TPC,
  etc. and to address them in a way that increases
  public understanding (p. 6)
• Concerning policy issues a clear
  recommendation of what various constituencies
  should be the point organizations in the early
  formulation of policy (federal government,
  governor and state government, colleges/universiti
  es, business, unions, nonprofits, and others)
• Need for understanding the marriage of Content
  (through common standards) and some preferred
  Pedagogical approaches. How is the material
  really covered in the classroom?
• Need for a discussion of how a College of
  Education can build the new complexity of issues
  into their curriculum for Pre-Service Teachers?
  strengthening the innovation capacity of the
  educational system (p. 2)
• Need for in-depth study of assessment as
  assessment drives instruction at so many schools.
  Need for aligned, sophisticated assessment
  (p. 3)
• Implications for the work of DR-K12
• Carnegie Corporation of
• NY/IAS The Opportunity Equation

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Specific Issues with the Common Core

• Overall philosophy is excellentmathematical
  substance, design for a variety of futures
  (college or career), mathematical practice
  standards that are meaningful (fashioned along
  the notions of Mathematical Habit of the Mind
  Cuocco),
• Areas for Improvement
• Need to connect to pedagogyjust saying that
  one should read ADDING IT UP isnt enough.
  Dont Forget Curriculum, Brown Center Letter on
  Education (10-14-09) shouldnt be forgotten.
• Need to encourage mathematical intuition in
  children, whether for definitions or for
  Mathematical Habit of the Mind. There is
  evidence-based research on the value of intuition
  and it should play a major role in the common
  core standards
• Need to establish a research base to show the
  merits or limits of the Mathematical Habit of
  the Mind
• Implications for the work of DR-K12

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Senior Year Math in Georgia

• Math IV (Pre-calculus), AP Calculus, or
  Statistics
• Advanced Mathematical Decision Making
  Explorations (Dana Center, U of Texas)
• Analyzing numerical data, analyzing, conducting,
  and critiquing statistics, modeling (including
  finance), fair division and selection.
• Advanced Mathematical Decision Making in
  Finance
• Analysis of situations which require financial
  decisions and the financial tools that are a
  part of such decisions
• Advanced Mathematical Decision Making in
  Industry and Government A High School Operations
  Research Course (Based on Project MINDSET of
  NCSU, UNCC, and Wayne State University)

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Math in the Real World A High School Course
in Operations Research for GeorgiaDave
GoldsmanGeorgia TechAtlanta, GA,
USAsman_at_gatech.eduwww.isye.gatech.edu/sman
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What is Operations Research?

• Scientific approach to analyzing problems
  and making decisions.
• Study of certain physical and human systems in
  order to improve or optimize such systems.
• OR is the theoretical sibling of Industrial
  Engineering.
• Examples Airlines, Service Systems,
  Manufacturing, Logistics, Telecomm

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What Is OR (contd)?

• Specific Topics of Interest
• Linear Programming
• Probability and Statistics
• Queueing Theory
• Inventory and Scheduling
• Computer Simulation
• etc., etc.

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Why Should We Care?

• Interesting, Real-Life Topics
• Interesting Theory
• Nice Alternative to Other Math Courses
• Lots of Jobs Available at All Levels
• Airlines
• Consulting Companies
• Wall Street
• Manufacturing
• Schools

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MINDSET NSF Grant 2007-2012

• 3 million 5 year NC State, Wayne State, UNCC
• Currently Developing
• - HS math course and text with Algebra II
  prerequisite
• - Graduate math education course for teachers
• including distance learning version
• - Extensive support services for teachers
• - 80-100 teachers piloting in 2009-2010
• - 50 high schools in NC and Mich. with 1500
  kids
• - Deterministic portion of course is READY