Reports from Finding Common Ground, Indianapolis, March 2006

In the past decade there has been considerable conflict over K-12 mathematics curriculum and instruction in the United States. It is mentioned in the popular press, in the halls of government, and in the business community. K-12 mathematics education is at the heart of this crisis. The conflict has distracted many mathematicians and mathematics educators and has, therefore, impeded efforts to improve mathematics education.

The objective of Finding Common Ground meeting, held on the campus of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis March 2-5, 2006, was to demonstrate that it is possible to reach agreement and elaborate on the topics that need attention in such a way as to allow the community to make significant strides toward improving U.S. school mathematics education. We began on Thursday evening, March 2. During the meeting, each of five groups was asked to explore their differences and to try to find common ground on their topic. Essentially, the groups spent two days (Friday and Saturday, March 3 and 4) in intense discussions. These reports were the presentations made by the groups on Sunday morning,

These reports represent the results of particular individuals, over a very short time period; thus what you will find is necessarily incomplete and cannot be expected to fully resolve any set of issues. The reports do not represent the policy of the MAA, nor are they endorsed by the meetings' steering committee. Please view them as what they are: the output of dedicated groups working hard toward a common goal.

What was remarkable about the meeting was the level of engagement of the groups, and the willingness of participants to listen carefully to each other to try to understand the foundational questions that underly different perspectives. It is not reasonable, or even desirable, to reach complete agreement on what the "best" approach to mathematics education is; what is reasonable, and desirable, is that we find broad areas of common ground that allow those with divergent opinions to nevertheless work together to improve K-12 mathematics instruction.

Reports:

Steering Committee:

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