PowerPoint Presentation - The First Report of the Commission on Post-War Plans

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This resource was developed by CSMC faculty and
doctoral students with support from the National
Science Foundation under Grant No. ESI-0333879.
The opinions and information provided do not
necessarily reflect the views of the National
Science Foundation. 3-6-05
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Committees and Reports that Have Influenced the
Changing Mathematics Curriculum

• This set of PowerPoint slides is one of a series
  of resources produced by the Center for the Study
  of Mathematics Curriculum. These materials are
  provided to facilitate greater understanding of
  mathematics curriculum change and permission is
  granted for their educational use.
  
  
• Commission on Post-War Plans
• First Report 1944, Second Report
  1945
• Guidance Report 1947

http//www.mathcurriculumcenter.org
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Commission on Post-War Plans

• Appointed by the National Council of Teachers of
  Mathematics Board of Directors
• February 25, 1944
• Reports published in The Mathematics Teacher
• First Report May, 1944
• Second Report May, 1945
• Guidance Report November, 1947

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Need for Improvement

• World War II revealed marked deficiencies in
  the mathematical preparation of inductees.
• Many problems related to school mathematics
  detailed in pre-war reports had been largely
  ignored due to the ongoing war.
• A new type of utilitarianism that focused on
  vocational preparation for the majority of
  students threatened the discipline-based unified
  school mathematics curriculum.

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Members of the Commission on Post-War Plans
First Report

• Raleigh Schorling (Chair)
• University High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
• William Betz
• Specialist in Mathematics, Rochester Public
  Schools,
• New York
• Eugenie C. Hausle
• James Monroe High School, Bronx, New York
• Rolland R. Smith
• Coordinator of Mathematics, Springfield Public
  Schools, Massachusetts
• F. Lynwood Wren
• Wren George Peabody College for Teachers

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The First Report of the Commission on Post-War
Plans
Report offered five tentative proposals aimed at
the improvement of secondary school mathematics.

• Proposal 1 The school should ensure
  mathematical literacy to all who can possibly
  achieve it.

• Mathematical literacy was seen as important as
  the ability to communicate, and that the function
  of mathematics was largely identical with that of
  reading and writing.

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The First Report of the Commission on Post-War
Plans

• Proposal 2 We should differentiate on the basis
  of needs, without stigmatizing any group, and we
  should provide new and better courses for a high
  fraction of the schools population whose
  mathematical needs are not well met in the
  traditional sequential courses.

• A three-track program to be differentiated
  according to students needs was proposed
  sequential mathematics, related mathematics, and
  social mathematics.

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The First Report of the Commission on Post-War
Plans

• Proposal 3 We need a completely new approach to
  the problem of the so called slow learning
  student.

A different curriculum and a laboratory or
workshop setting for slow learners was suggested.
Proposal 4 The teaching of arithmetic can be
and should be improved.
More time spent on arithmetic in the early grades
as well as better-trained teachers and continued
attention to arithmetic in later grades was
proposed.
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The First Report of the Commission on Post-War
Plans

• Proposal 5 The sequential courses should be
  greatly improved.

• Improvement of the sequential mathematics track
  by providing better trained teachers, updating
  materials that include a wide variety of
  applications, and appropriately placing students
  in the correct courses was recommended.

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Members of the Commission on Post-War Plans
Second Report
William A. Brownell Duke University Virgil
S. Mallory State Teachers College, Montclair,
New Jersey Mary Potter Supervisor of
Mathematics, Racine, Wisconsin William L.
Schaaf Brooklyn College Ruth
Sumner President, Mathematics Section, State
Teachers Association, Oakland, California
James H. Zant Oklahoma State University of
Agriculture and Applied Science

• Raleigh Schorling
• Chairman, University High School,
• Ann Arbor, Michigan
• William Betz
• Specialist in Mathematics, Rochester Public
  Schools, New York
• Eugenie C. Hausle
• James Monroe High School,
• Bronx, New York
• Rolland Smith
• Coordinator of Mathematics, Springfield Public
  Schools, Massachusetts
• F. Lynwood Wren
• George Peabody College for
• Teachers

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The Second Report of the Commission on Post-War
Plans

• Focused on improvement of mathematics
  instruction from elementary school through junior
  college as well as teacher education.
• Offered a series of 34 theses covering grades
  1-14 that were to serve as tentative guides.
• The first thesis was intended for all grades

the school should guarantee functional
competence in mathematics to all who can possibly
achieve it.
28 different mathematical topics to be included
in a core mathematics curriculum were
identified.
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Seven Theses for Grades 1-6

• Discard the idea of arithmetic as a mere tool
  subject.
• Conceive of arithmetic as having both a
  mathematical and social aim.
• Give more emphasis and attention to the
  development of meanings.
• Abandon the idea that arithmetic can be taught
  incidentally or informally.
• Realize that readiness for learning
  arithmetical ideas and skills is the product of
  relevant experience, not the effect of becoming
  older.
• Learn to administer drill (repetitive practice)
  much more wisely.
• Comprehensively evaluate learning in arithmetic.

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Three Theses for Grades 7-8

• Make the mathematical program of grades 7 and 8
  the same for all normal pupils, providing
• An adequate, organic continuation of work from
• grades 1-6.
• A substantial beginning in achieving functional
  competence.
• A dependable foundation for subsequent courses in
  mathematics.
• Build the mathematics for grades 7 and 8 around
  a few broad categories.
• Number and computation geometry of everyday
  life graphic representation elementary algebra.
• Organize the mathematics program of grades 7
  and 8 to enable the pupils to achieve
  mathematical maturity and power.

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Two Theses for Grade 9

• Provide a double track in mathematics in grade
  9 algebra for some and general mathematics for
  the rest.
• Enrollment based on ability and long-term goals.
• Teachers warned not to degrade those who enroll
  in the general mathematics course.
• Evaluate algebra in terms of good practice.

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Seven Theses for Grades 10-12

• Reserve the sequential courses for students who
  have the ability, the desire, or the need for
  such work.
• Emphasize functional competence in the
  traditional sequential courses.
• Develop mathematical power in the sequential
  courses.
• Organize each year into a few large units built
  around key concepts and fundamental principles.
• Include simple and sensible applications in the
  sequential courses.
• Provide for the population whose mathematical
  needs are not well met in the traditional
  sequential courses.
• Provide a better program in mathematics in
  small high schools.

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Three Theses for Junior Colleges

• Offer at least one year of mathematics which is
  general in appeal, flexible in purpose,
  challenging in content and functional in service.
• Provide for a one-year pre-vocational course in
  mathematics.
• Make ample provision for the student with a
  major interest in mathematics.

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Two Theses for Education of Teachers of
Mathematics in Grades 1-6

• Demonstrate competence over the whole range of
  subject matter which may be taught.
• Competence assured by making a satisfactory
  score on an acceptable examination.
• Have special course work in content and
  pedagogy, including
• Theory and background of elementary mathematics
  important applications, supplementary
  instructional equipment, methods of teaching,
  student teaching, procedures for comprehensive
  evaluations and research literature.

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Seven Theses for Education of Teachers of
Mathematics in Grades 9-12

• Have a wide background in the subjects he may
  teach.
• Have a sound background in related fields.
• Have adequate training in the teaching of
  mathematics, including arithmetic.
• Have professionalized courses in mathematics.
• Acquire a background of experience in practical
  fields where mathematics is used.
• Have a college minor in mathematics as a
  minimum to teach in a small high school.
• Have continuous education (for teachers in
  service).

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Two Theses for the Use of Multi-sensory Aids in
Mathematics Teaching

• Give careful consideration to the possibilities
  of multi-sensory aids, including
• Motion pictures, film strips and slides, graphic
  charts and pictures, models and other equipment,
  and recordings.
• Be given competent guidance in the production,
  selection, and the use of slide films.

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Members of the Commission on Post-War Plans
Guidance Report
H. Vernon Price, University High School,
Iowa City, Iowa William L. Schaaf,
Brooklyn College Rolland R. Smith,
Springfield MA, Public Schools Ruth Sumner,
Oakland, CA Public Schools F. Lynwood Wren,
George Peabody College for Teachers
James Zant, Oklahoma A M College

• Raleigh Schorling, chair, University of Michigan
• William Betz, Rochester, New York Public Schools
• William A. Brownell, Duke University
• Walter H. Carnahan, Purdue University
• Eugenie C. Huasle, New York City Public Schools
• Virgil S. Mallory, Montclair Teachers College
• C. V. Newsom, Oberlin College
• Mary Potter, Racine,
• Wisconsin Public Schools

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Guidance Report of the Commission on Post-War
Plans

• Spoke directly to high school students,
  guidance counselors, parents and administrators.
• Sought to counsel students regarding high
  school courses and career choices describing
  occupations in which mathematics is important.
• Informed students of both the kind of
  mathematics used in certain careers and the
  mathematics required to prepare for that career.
• Sought to help students answer the question
  Why should I study mathematics?

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Guidance Report Checklist

• Report contained a checklist of 29 key concepts
  that identified how much and what kinds of
  mathematics are a must for every citizen in
  everyday life. The list included
• Computation Can you add, subtract, multiply,
  and divide effectively with whole numbers, common
  fractions, and decimals?
• Estimating Before you perform a computation, do
  you estimate the result for the purpose of
  checking your answer?
• Statistics Can you use average (mean, median,
  mode)? Can you draw and interpret a graph?
• Metric system Do you know how to use the most
  important metric units?

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Guidance Report of the Commission on Post-War
Plans

• Report was organized into sections based on use
  of mathematics
• Mathematics for Personal Use
• Mathematics used by Trained Workers
• Mathematics for College Preparation
• Mathematics for Professional Workers
• Women in Mathematics
• Mathematics used by Civil Service Workers

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Significance of the Commission Reports on
Post-War Plans

• Provided recommendations for different grade
  levels, including a core mathematics curriculum
  and checklist of mathematical competencies
  expected of every citizen.
• Urged special attention to slow learners and
  stronger teacher preparation and in-service
  development.
• Proposed a different mathematics curriculum for
  secondary schools (sequential, related, and
  social) depending on students needs.
• The recommendations failed to move a reform
  agenda forward even though the educational and
  social atmosphere was ripe for change.

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References

• Osborne, R. A., Crosswhite, F. J. (1970). A
  history of mathematics education in the United
  States and Canada (pp. 243-246). Reston, VA
  National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
• Commission on Post-War Plans of the NCTM
• First Report of the Commission on Post-War Plans.
  (1944, May). Mathematics Teacher, pp. 225-232.
• Second Report of the Commission on Post-War
  Plans. (1945, May). Mathematics Teacher, pp.
  195-221.
• Guidance Report of the Commission on Post-War
  Plans. (1947, November). Mathematics Teacher, pp.
  315-339.