This monograph presents findings from the Recognizing and Recording Reform in Mathematics Education (R3M) project, a study designed to assess the influence of, depth of knowledge about, and interpretation of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM) standards documents in several school and district sites. In R3M, a team of researchers studied 17 diverse sites engaged in attempts at significant change in mathematics teaching and learning. The project's evolution and history, its theoretical and conceptual perspectives, and a discussion of the methodological challenges encountered is presented. Four case studies from four very different project sites are also discussed. The final chapter summarizes what was learned from the case study sites as well as the 13 other sites and concludes with a discussion of the implications of the research. During the 1992-1994 school years, after a national solicitation for site nominations, formation of the project research team, development of the methodology to be used, and site visits were conducted. At all sites, schools, teachers, administrators and parents were grappling with the challenges of implementing different approaches to mathematics teaching, introducing new curriculum, or changing programmatic directions. The stories of mathematics education change in the four settings is portrayed from the perspective of the sites. Features of the different sites include the strong influence of a principal's visionary leadership, the impact of partnerships with industry and university mathematicians, and the effect of reform efforts on the work of an elementary school mathematics specialist. The challenges of this type of research, including finding a balance between identifying "model sites" and more realistically conveying the obstacles and tensions inherent in this type of change, and the balance between being descriptive and being interpretive is also discussed. In the conclusion, implications for instructional practice, administrators and policy makers, future research, and the future of mathematics standards are presented. Chapters include: (1) "The Recognizing and Recording Reform in Mathematics Education Project" (Joan Ferrini-Mundy); (2) "Goals and Conceptual Framework" (Joan Ferrini-Mundy and Karen Graham); (3) "Cross-Disciplinary Teaming in Research on Mathematics Reform: Evolution of Process and Perspective" (Thomas Schram and Geoffrey Mills); (4) "Institutionalizing Mathematics Education Reform: Vision, Leadership, and the Standards" (Beverly Ferrucci); (5) "Walking Together on Separate Paths: Mathematics Reform at Desert View" (Thomas Schram and Loren Johnson); (6) "Evolutionary Reform at East Collins" (Joanna O. Masingila, Patricia P. Tinto, and Loren Johnson); (7) "The Growing Pains of Change: A Case Study of a Third-Grade Teacher" (Laura Coffin Koch); and (8) "Highlights and Implications" (Joan Ferrini-Mundy and Loren Johnson).

Read more at http://ebookee.org/Recognizing-and-Recording-Reform-in-Mathematics-Education-Project-Insights-Issues-and-Implications_313388.html#lxBDqRY2brdsbot8.99