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Early 1800's
During the 1700's, arithmetic was not taught in schools. With religion being the main focal point, literacy was the primary goal in education. In the late 1700’s, Benjamin Franklin saw a need for change and worked toward a utilitarian education (including arithmetic and mechanical arts). Moving into the 19th century, we saw a significant transition in mathematics education with arithmetic becoming part of general education, at both the elementary and secondary levels. -
Algebra
Throughout the early 1800s, secondary schools began to teach algebra. Each state mandated its proficiency requirements, and shortly after that, universities began to require algebra for college entry. In 1820, Harvard required algebra proficiency as a requisite for college admissions, followed by Columbia, Yale, and Princeton (1821, 1846, and 1848 respectively). -
Textbooks
The first edition of Warren Colburn’s 'First Lessons in Arithmetic' was available in the United States. This textbook was considered “new math” because it introduced “very young children (five or six years old) through the discovery of the concepts of numbers and operations.” Until now, students worked from the abstract to the concrete. This transition taught students to work from the concrete to the abstract. -
Geometry
Shortly after schools began integrating algebra, geometry integration would follow. In 1844, Harvard University included proficiency in geometry as a requisite for college admissions. -
Meaningful Mathematics
Adjustments to mathematics courses were made, including offering courses such as bookkeeping for high school students without college aspirations or trigonometry for boys in the natural/ technological sciences.
To provide students with more meaningful mathematics, schools attempted to integrate subjects (i.e., algebra and geometry). This attempt failed because a) teachers were not interested in the integration or b) teachers could not make connections between the two subjects. -
College Entrance Exam Board
"The CEEB was founded for the purpose of standardizing college entrance requirements. The official policy of this board was to never dictate public secondary school curriculums, but the influence of such an organization is inevitable."
The CEEB is what we now know as The College Board. -
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
The NCTM was founded with the intent that the organization would keep the values and interests of mathematics before the educational world" and that "curriculum studies and reforms and adjustments come from the teachers of mathematics rather than from the educational reformers." -
National Defense
(1930-1950) The United States takes interest in mathematics as a matter of national defense. Several committees during the war expressed concern over the inadequate mathematics skills of incoming officers. The NCTM Commission on Post-War Plans reported in 1944 and 1945 a series of recommendations aimed at achieving "functional competence" in mathematics for all who were able. -
New Math Era
(1950-1970) After the Russians launched Sputnik 1 in 1957, the United States became incredibly interested in mathematics, as we now understood the urgency in technological advancement. In 1958, the National Science Foundation created the School Mathematics Study Group aimed at developing textbooks for all grade levels with emphasis on “mathematical structure, the real number system, careful use of language and deductive proofs, discovery, experimentation, and scientific applications.” -
Back to Basics Era
(1970s-1980's) In response to a report titled, "A Nation at Risk," (1983) this movement stressed the importance of simplicity in education through basic fundamental principles. Supporters of this movement agreed that we allowed our lives to become overcomplicated, to which the solution was to get 'back to basics' with reading, arithmetic, grammar, and history. -
No Child Left Behind of 2001
(2001-2007) NCLB requires each state to establish state academic standards and a state testing system that meet federal requirements. This accountability requirement is called Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The major focus of No Child Left Behind is to close student achievement gaps by providing all children with a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education. NCLB officially expired in September 2007. -
Common Core State Standards
(2009-Present) State education chiefs and governors in 48 states developed the Common Core, a set of college- and career-ready standards for K-12th grade in English language arts/literacy and mathematics. Today, 42 states and the District of Columbia have voluntarily adopted and are working to implement the standards, designed to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to take credit bearing introductory courses in two- or four-year college programs or enter the workforce.
