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I understand that the standards reflect a progression from elementary to middle to high school mathematics, but I am wondering why those particular concepts covered in the 12 years of standards-based education are considered important enough that one’s diploma can be withheld if he or she cannot perform/manipulate problems that utilize these particular standards. In particular, I am interested in the high school standards. I am not setting anyone up for debate – I really want to know. I am a high school math teacher, and I have always believed that the purpose of mathematics for the majority of my students has less to do with calculations and far more to do with reasoning. In other words, I feel like math is the medium through which I facilitate the structure of logic in my students’ brains – concrete organic chemistry, perhaps. And so, it would help me immensely to understand the reasoning behind the chosen standards so that I can ferret out the mathematical/logical reasoning goal that each standard aspires to.
On the issue of withholding diplomas, that’s a matter of state and local policy. It’s certainly not mandated by the standards; it’s not even mandated by NCLB. I don’t have a preconceived position on it; it depends so much local conditions, how many students are effected, the school culture, and so on.
As for how the standards were chosen, that’s a long story. The list of sources in the bibliography gives some idea of the answer. Certainly recent reports such as Curriculum Focal Points, the NRC early childhood learning report, and the report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel were influential. Also the standards of high-achieving countries and states. And, perhaps most importantly, the progressions documents written by the work team, which we are no slowing bringing into final form.
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