Implementing and using mathematics standards in North Carolina

School Science and Mathematics, Oct 2001 by Joyner, Jeane M, Bright, George W

In August invitations to the symposium were sent to superintendents and mathematics contacts in all North Carolina school systems. The planning committee encouraged school systems to bring a group composed of central office staff, principals, community leaders, and lead teachers to the symposium on Saturday, September 23. Additional invitations were mailed to heads of educational organizations and political and business leaders for a kick-off dinner prior to the symposium.

Quantities of the Overview ofPrinciples and Standards for School Mathematics booklet, the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics Outreach Kits, and copies of the Principles and Standards were ordered from NCTM and offered to symposium participants at discounted prices. For example, Russ Rowlett, Director of the MSEN Center at Chapel Hill, provided funds to purchase over a hundred Outreach Kits, and the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics provided funds so that each symposium participant would receive an overview booklet.

On Friday evening a kick-off dinner was held for heads of mathematics organizations and projects, state business and political leaders, symposium speakers, and the Department of Public Instruction administrators. State School Superintendent Mike Ward spoke of the challenges in mathematics for North Carolina. Lee Stiff, president of NCTM, was the evening's speaker, and Associate State Superintendent Henry Johnson responded to Stiffs remarks. Teacher leaders from the TEAM project hosted each table and facilitated conversations among the guests about mathematics education in North Carolina.

Saturday's symposium was well attended despite ram throughout the entire day. Joan Ferrini-Mundy, chair of the Principles and Standards Writing Group and Associate Dean for Science and Mathematics Education at Michigan State University, spoke at the general opening session and presented an overview of the document. Following this address, the Principles and Standards writing group members and North Carolina mathematics educators led longer grade-band breakout sessions tailored to the roles and responsibilities of symposium participants. At the same time Mary Lindquist, chair of the NCTM Commission on the Future of the Standards and Calloway Professor at Columbus State University, conducted a special session for higher education faculty focusing on the importance of the Principles and Standards for preservice and in-service programs. In the culminating sessions, symposium participants assembled by geographical regions to meet with leaders from the MSEN Centers to discuss "next steps."

Many of the state's local school system initiatives have made awareness of the Principles and Standards a goal for this year and in-depth examination of the document part of their plans for the 2001-2002 school year. In individual conversations, school district personnel have shared perspectives on the importance of standards for their work. Everly Broadway, mathematics coordinator of Durham Public Schools and coprincipal investigator for a National Science Foundation Local Systemic Change project (Project RAMP), said that "the draft document of the Principles and Standards guided our way as we crafted RAMP. The persistent message ofworking toward meaningful mathematics for all students has been and continues to be the bedrock of our work" (personal communication, March 23, 2001).