National Math and Science Standards: A Primer for Parents
Wendy Sherman McCann and S. Asli Özgün-Koca

The push toward national education standards is a relatively recent development in American education--the content and skills thought to be necessary for student competency in academic subjects has historically been determined by school districts on an individual basis. Although education standards have been developed for virtually every subject, the math and science standards have drawn special attention for their potential to help U.S. students become first in the world in math and science achievement (U.S. Department of Education, 1991).

How Long Have Math and Science Standards Been Around?

On the national level, mathematics standards have been in place for some time. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) published Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics in 1989, Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics in 1991, and Assessment Standards for School Mathematics in 1995. The NCTM standards set forth five general goals for children: learning to value mathematics, becoming confident in their ability to do math, becoming mathematical problem solvers, learning to communicate mathematically, and learning to reason mathematically. NCTM endorses the idea that children who achieve these goals will be well prepared to use their mathematical knowledge and abilities in ways that will enhance their lives.

The National Research Council (NRC) developed National Science Education Standards (NSES) at the request of the National Science Teachers Association. These standards were published in 1996. According to NSES, the ideal science education would allow children to (1) experience the richness and excitement of knowing about and understanding the natural world, (2) use appropriate scientific processes and principles in making personal decisions, (3) engage intelligently in public discourse and debate about matters of scientific and technological concern, and (4) increase their economic productivity through the use of the knowledge, understanding, and skills of the scientifically literate person in their careers.

Are Schools Required To Adopt the National Math and Science Standards?

Math and science standards are intended to guide schools in their efforts to help children become literate in these school subjects. Consequently, schools are not required to adopt the national standards, but professional teachers organizations have endorsed the standards as a step in the right direction toward classroom reform. Most states have established their own education standards or are in the process of developing them.

Are National Math and Science Standards Really Necessary?

Math and science standards represent a large part of the country's response to dissatisfaction with student performance in these subjects (for further discussion of national test results, see the article "A Comparison of Math and Science Education Here and Abroad"). Although setting higher expectations for student achievement seems to be a natural response to poor performance, national standards have drawn criticism for a number of reasons.

Some members of the education community have argued that tougher math and science requirements would either reduce the high school graduation rate or maintain it at the expense of education quality. Neither of these predictions has been realized. Even though many schools and teachers have not fully reformed their curricula and practices to align with the standards, they seem to be exposing their students to more credit hours of math and science instruction.

Others have worried that standards would exist as rigid prescriptions for educational practices that could stifle the unique needs of different communities and individual children. However, at least at the national level, NCTM and NRC have emphasized that the standards are meant to be guidelines, not repressive regulations. NCTM and NRC continue to stress that curriculum decisions should be made at the state and local levels and that the purpose of national standards is to promote math and science literacy for students, to ensure the equity of educational experiences for all children, and to serve as a coherent vision for what a quality approach to math and science education entails.

The majority of educators believe that teachers, students, and parents benefit from having standards because they are given clear goals and explicit recommendations for the knowledge, skills, and education practices necessary for successful math and science learning.

What Is Being Done To Implement Math and Science Standards?

Although virtually all states have been involved in developing math and science standards, some organizations believe the states should work harder to ensure that standards have a positive effect on individual schools. For example, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) (1996) has studied the development and implementation of state-level standards and has found several problems.

First, although many states plan to use assessment to determine whether children are meeting standards, the actual guidelines tend to be vague and difficult to assess. Second, most states have overlooked opportunities to make their standards internationally competitive. Third, the majority of states have not made provisions for supporting districts that will need to enact drastic reform measures to meet the goals of the standards. Overall, though, AFT is encouraged by current progress and emphasizes that states should be supported in their efforts to produce challenging educational standards for which schools are held accountable.

Control of most school policies, however, remains at the local or district level. Some schools have rushed to implement standards-based curricula and standards-based teaching and assessment practices. Other schools have been slow to introduce such changes. To encourage more rapid reform, some states have established graduation exams or differentiated diplomas based on state-level education standards. In other words, children in some states must pass proficiency exams to graduate from high school.

While disagreement exists over the extent to which children should be held accountable for meeting education standards, most educators concede that standards-based programs can be beneficial when they are not only based on current research about student learning but also established with the goal of helping all children receive the best education possible. Consequently, many school districts have chosen to write their own standards based on national or state guidelines.

How Do I Know If Standards-Based Curricula Are Being Used in My Child's School?

Ask! As a parent, you have the right to know what your school expects of its students, and teachers and administrators are pleased when parents take an interest in their child's education. Find out whether your school's teachers are aware of the national and state standards in math and science education. Most standards documents are readily available and should be easy for educators to obtain (for more information see Resources at the end of this article).

Typically, teachers and administrators are aware of education standards but have had few opportunities to implement them. Find out when your school district is planning to review its curricula and objectives for math and science education and ask whether state and national standards will be used to guide any proposed revisions.

Also, one of the goals of math and science reform is to give teachers regular opportunities for professional development. Remember, teachers who participated in certification programs many years ago may not be familiar with the more recent research findings on which the math and science standards are based. Determine how much support your district gives to teachers for taking refresher courses, attending professional conferences or workshops, or otherwise increasing their knowledge of effective teaching and assessment practices for promoting and ensuring student learning. If opportunities for teachers in your school district are limited, you may want to voice your concerns with administrators and policymakers.

Finally, realize that standards-based math and science classrooms may seem very different from the classes you participated in as a child. It is sometimes difficult for parents to understand or accept nontraditional educational practices, but you should never feel uncomfortable about asking teachers to explain how any unfamiliar strategies benefit your child. You may want to investigate some of the techniques being used in reform-minded classrooms across the country. Much of this information is readily available (see the articles "Best Practices in Science Education" and "Promising Practices in Mathematics Education"). For example, descriptions of many grant-winning, standards-based math and science programs are available on the Internet (see Resources at the end of this article).

How Can I Help My Child Meet the Math and Science Standards?

It is widely recognized that parent and family involvement in a child's education increases student achievement and success. The research in this area is clear and convincing. The most accurate predictor of student achievement is not income or social status, but the extent to which parents are able to (1) create a home environment that encourages learning; (2) communicate high, yet reasonable, expectations for their children's achievement and future careers; and (3) involve themselves in their children's education at school and in the community (National Parent Teacher Association, 1997).

Assisting in your children's education also involves helping them strengthen their math and science skills at home. For more information, see the articles "How Can I Help My Child Become More Interested in Science?" and "How Can I Help My Child Become More Interested in Math?". For specific online resources that you may find helpful, see Resources at the end of this article.

You can play an important role in helping schools implement math and science standards and in helping your children become literate in science and math. With the support of all members of the education community, the standards--and the quality education they represent--are likely to be realized.

American Federation of Teachers. 1996. Making Standards Matter 1996: Executive Summary. (Available online at http://www.synecticsltd.com/AFT96Execsummary.htm)

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1989. Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics. Reston, VA: Author.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1991. Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics. Reston, VA: Author.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1995. Assessment Standards for School Mathematics. Reston, VA: Author.

National Parent Teacher Association. 1997. National PTA National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs. (Available online at http://www.pta.org/programs/invstand.htm)

National Research Council. 1996. National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

U.S. Department of Education. 1991. America 2000: An Education Strategy. Washington, DC: Author.

National Education Goals

Building a Nation of Learners (http://www.negp.gov/WEBPG10.htm)

National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs

National PTA Standards (http://www.pta.org/programs/invstand.htm)

NCTM Standards for Mathematics Education

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1989. Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics. Reston, VA: Author. (Available online at http://standards-e.nctm.org/1.0/89ces/Table_of_Contents.html)

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (To be published.) Principles and Standards for School Mathematics: Discussion Draft. Reston, VA: Author. (Available online at http://www.nctm.org/standards2000)

National Science Education Standards

National Research Council. 1996. National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 391 690. (Available online at http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html)

Content Knowledge: The Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory Standards Database (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks)

Project 2061: Science Literacy for a Changing Future (http://project2061.aaas.org)

The Guide to Math and Science Reform (http://www.learner.org/theguide)

Summary of Analyzed State Curriculum Frameworks (http://www.mcrel.org/hpc/sum-cur-fram)

Wendy Sherman McCann is the Science Education Analyst and an AskERIC Specialist at the ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She is also a doctoral student in science education at the university. S. Asli Özgün-Koca is the Mathematics Education Analyst and an AskERIC Specialist at the ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She is also a doctoral student in mathematics education at the university.

A Parent's Guide to Student Performance in Science and Mathematics
Table of Contents
A Comparison of Math and Science Education Here and Abroad