Mathematically Correct was a U.S.-based website created by educators, parents, mathematicians, and scientists who were concerned about the direction of reform mathematics

curricula In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...

based on

NCTM standards ''Principles and Standards for School Mathematics'' (''PSSM'') are guidelines produced by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in 2000, setting forth recommendations for mathematics educators. They form a national vision for pres ...

. Created in 1997, it was a frequently cited website in the so-called

Math wars Math wars is the debate over modern mathematics education, textbooks and curricula in the United States that was triggered by the publication in 1989 of the ''Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics'' by the National Council of ...

, and was actively updated until 2003.

History

Although Mathematically Correct had a national scope, much of its focus was on advocating against mathematics curricula prevalent in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

in the mid-1990s. When California reversed course and adopted more traditional mathematics texts (2001 - 2002), Mathematically Correct changed its focus to reviewing the new text books. Convinced that the choices were adequate, the website went largely dormant. Mathematically Correct maintained a large section of critical articles and reviews for a number of math programs. Most of the program opposed by Mathematically Correct had been developed from research projects funded by the National Science Foundation. Most of these programs also claimed to have been based on the 1989 Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Mathematically Correct's main point of contention was that, in reform textbooks, traditional methods and concepts have been omitted or replaced by new terminology and procedures. As a result, in the case of the high-school program Core-Plus Mathematics Project, for example
some reports suggest
that students may be unprepared for college level courses upon completion of the program. Other programs given poor ratings include programs aimed at elementary school students, such as Dale Seymour Publications (TERC)

Investigations in Numbers, Data, and Space Investigations in Numbers, Data, and Space is a K–5 mathematics curriculum, developed at TERC in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. The curriculum is often referred to as ''Investigations'' or simply ''TERC''. Patterned after the NCTM stan ...

and Everyday Learning

Everyday Mathematics ''Everyday Mathematics'' is a pre-K and elementary school mathematics curriculum, developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project (not to be confused with the University of Chicago School of Mathematics). The program, now pub ...

. After Mathematically Correct's review of the programs, many have undergone revisions and are now with different publishers. Other programs, such as

Mathland ''MathLand'' was one of several elementary mathematics curricula that were designed around the 1989 NCTM standards. It was developed and published by Creative Publications and was initially adopted by the U.S. state of California and schools run b ...

have been terminated.

Reviews by the site

Publications with poor reviews from Mathematically Correct include: * Addison-Wesley Secondary Math: An Integrated Approach: Focus on Algebra * Core-Plus Mathematics Project *

* NCTM's 1989 Standards produced by the professional association for teachers of mathematics. The Standards encouraged increased emphasis on problem solving and decreased attention to algorithms learned by rote. It was perceived by some critics to recommend elimination of standard algorithms. Curricula not judged deficient by Mathematically Correct include: *

Singapore math Singapore math (or Singapore maths in British English) is a teaching method based on the national mathematics curriculum used for first through sixth grade in Singaporean schools. The term was coined in the United States to describe an approach ori ...

– Math textbooks used in Singapore *

Saxon math Saxon math, developed by John Saxon (1923–1996), is a teaching method for incremental learning of mathematics created in the 1980s. It involves teaching a new mathematical concept every day and constantly reviewing old concepts. Early editions ...

– A program created by a retired Air Force officer who had been highly critical of mathematics teaching reforms from the late 1960s to 1990s. *

Modern Curriculum Press Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosoph ...

State tests that were judged deficient by Mathematically Correct are: * CLAS – A defunct California test, based on

and California mathematics standards replaces in 2002 * WASL – Washington State standards

References

External links

MathematicallyCorrect.com
which is "devoted to the concerns raised by parents and scientists about the invasion of our schools by the New-New Math and the need to restore basic skills to math education".
MathematicallySane.com
"Promoting the rational reform in mathematics education" (a website critical of anti-reformers such as Mathematically Correct) {{Standards based mathematics Traditional mathematics Mathematics education Mathematics education reform