Math Works

rks Resource Bank

• Math-Related Articles & Studies
• Achieve’s Math Resources
• Annotation and Links to Math-Related Resources/Organizations

Math-Related Articles & Studies

Adelman, Clifford
U.S. Department of Education
The Toolbox Revisited: Paths to Degree Completion from High School through College, 2006
This follow-up study to an earlier study by Adelman examines the predictors of college success. This
study follows a nationally representative cohort of students from high school through college to show
major predictors for the completion of a bachelor’s degree. Adelman found that academic intensity or rigor
was the strongest predictor of college success and completion, followed by class rank/GPA. Adelman
contends that college going and degree completion could be improved by 30–70 percent for under-
represented minority and low-income students by increasing the number of core academic courses and
the rigor of these courses, and by ensuring these students move immediately from high school to college.

ACT
Rigor at Risk: Reaffirming Quality in the High School Core Curriculum, 2007
In this report, ACT analyzes the gap between the rigor of high school and expectations for success in
postsecondary education and careers. They find that few states require students to take rigorous core
courses associated with success after high school and that academic sequences in most states are not
aligned with postsecondary expectations. Their research shows that students who take rigorous math
and science courses perform better on the ACT college entrance examination, especially when they
attend high schools where their peers are also enrolled in those challenging courses. Policy
recommendations offered in the report include raising graduation requirements, improving course content
standards, providing effective support to teachers, and continually monitoring students’ academic
progress.

ACT
Ready for College or Ready for Work: Same or Different?, 2006
In this policy paper, ACT examined three research questions: (1) What level of readiness in reading and
mathematics is needed to be ready for entry-level jobs that require less than a bachelor’s degree, pay a
wage sufficient to support a family, and offer the potential for career advancement? (2) Are the levels of
performance needed to be college-ready and workforce-ready comparable? and (3) Are ACT scores that
benchmark to college and workforce readiness similar or different? By exploring those questions, and
data from the ACT and WorkKeys assessments, the report provides empirical evidence that that
comparable readiness is needed whether planning to enter college or workforce training programs after
graduation and recommends that policies be set to reflect this convergence.

Bozick, Robert, Steven J. Ingels, and Jeffrey A. Owings

National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
Mathematics Course Taking and Achievement at the End of High School: Evidence from the
Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, 2008
This report documents and examines the relationship between the number and types of math courses
taken in the 11th and 12th grade and growth in mathematics proficiency over the same time period. Using

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data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), the analysis identifies the coursetaking
sequences most prevalent among contemporary high school students in their junior and senior years.
Their findings show that the largest overall gains are made by students who take precalculus and one
other math course during the last two years of high school. In terms of learning in specific content areas,
the largest gains in intermediate skills such as simple operations and problem solving were made by
those who followed the geometry–algebra II sequence. The smallest gains were made by students who
took one mathematics course or no mathematics courses during their last two years of high school.

Carnevale, Anthony P. and Donna M. Desrochers

Educational Testing Service
Standards for What? The Economic Roots of K-16 Reform. Educational Testing Service, 2003
The authors synthesize economic, demographic and educational trend data and discuss the continuing
growth in demand for skilled workers and the persistent pressure on the American education system to
meet high standards for a growing share of students. It documents the increased demand for high skills in
jobs and the decreasing opportunities for individuals with no post-secondary education or training. The
report notes that education is related to the nation’s competitiveness and economic stability and that the
gap in wages based on education attainment will only continue to grow. In particular, the authors contend
that the goal of K-12 education should be to prepare students for more education whether that is
vocational training, community college, certification or a four-year degree to adequately prepare them for
the workforce.

Epstein, J.L., & D.J. MacIver

The Johns Hopkins University
Opportunities to Learn: Effects on Eight Graders of Curriculum Offerings and Instructional
Approaches 1992
The report, using survey data of over 24,000 eighth graders, explores the relationship between middle
school curriculum and instruction, such as access to courses, course-taking, rigor level and content, and
student success. Overall, they find that middle schools rarely offer challenging advanced academic
courses or enriched learning opportunities. They also find that students in homogenous Algebra classes
(ability grouping) perform better regardless of their ability level, and that more rigorous academic courses
increase student achievement and motivation to learn. Regardless of ability, students who take Algebra I
in middle school benefit to a greater extent than students who take lower level math courses. The results
suggest that more rigorous academic courses are needed during middle school and students of all ability
levels will benefit from such experiences.

Harvard University, Science Daily

College Science Success Linked to Math and Same-Subject Preparation, 2007
The article finds that students with the most rigorous high school preparation in mathematics perform
significantly better in college courses in biology, chemistry and physics. Math skills are a prerequisite of
science in college and students with strong high school preparation are more likely to major in and be
successful in science. Comparatively, and as previous research has found, students who are successful
in one science domain (e.g., Biology, Physics) in high school are no more likely to perform better than
other students in college science courses. The results suggest that some of the arguments for the
‘Physics First’ movement, that it will prepare students for success in other sciences, may be called into
question.

Horn, L. and A.M. Nuñez

National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
Mapping the Road to College: First-Generation Students' Math Track, Planning Strategies, and
Context of Support, 2000
This report compares first-generation college students with peers whose parents had attended college,
focusing on mathematics course-taking – including the effectiveness of taking algebra in 8th grade and
advanced math courses in high school. The report also examines the involvement of students’ parents,
teachers and others capable of helping them prepare for college. It reports that first-generation students
are significantly less likely to take the courses required for college success; however, it also notes that all
students who complete math through Algebra II or higher increase their probability for college enrollment

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significantly. Students whose parents graduated from college were more likely than first generation
students (48 percent vs. 34 percent) to indicate they were involved in the selection of their math
coursework during high school.

National Academies of Science

Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic
Future, October 2006
This report was presented to Congress by a 20-member committee composed of university presidents,
CEOs, Nobel Prize winners, and former presidential appointees. It analyzes the current economic
challenges facing the U.S. and develops four overarching recommendations along with 20
implementation actions that federal policymakers can take to create high-quality jobs and focus new
science and technology efforts on meeting the nation's energy needs. The four recommendations are:
increase America’s talent pool by vastly improving K-12 math and science education; sustain and
strengthen the nation’s commitment to long-term basic research; develop, recruit, and retain top students,
scientists, and engineers from both the United States and abroad; and ensure that the U.S. is the premier
place for world innovation.

National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education

High School Coursetaking: Findings from the Condition of Education, 2007
The National Center for Education Statistics publishes an annual report – Condition of Education – to
track important trends in U.S. education, such as participation and persistence in education, student
performance and other measures of achievement, the environment for learning, and resources for
education. In 2007, the report’s Special Analysis focused on access to and participation and success in
high school course-taking between 1982 and 2005, drawing data from national high school transcript
studies.

National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education

Advanced Mathematics and Science Coursetaking in the Spring High School. Senior Classes of
1982, 1992, and 2004, 2007
This report provides a comparison of high school course-taking between students from the top and
bottom socio-economic status (SES) quartiles, defined by parents’ income and occupational status. The
report examines trends in academic course-taking in both mean credits earned in math and science and
in the highest course level that high school graduates completed in the two subjects. The study finds that,
on average, academic coursework and course-taking increased for all students over this time, although
some disparities between socio-economic groups also increased over time, as the percentage of high-
SES students taking pre-calculus and calculus grew at a faster rate than those in the lowest-SES group.

The National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century
Before It's Too Late, September 2000
This report, also known as the Glenn Commission report, was submitted to the Department of Education
by a distinguished panel of educators, business leaders and policymakers to offer recommendations for
education reform to keep America competitive in the global economy. The report offers three overarching
goals: improve the quality of K-12 math and science instruction, increase the number of qualified and
prepared math and science teachers, and make the teaching profession more attractive for K-12 math
and science teachers.

National Mathematics Advisory Panel, U.S. Department of Education

Foundations for Success: The Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008
The National Mathematics Advisory Panel was convened to review scientific research and offer
recommendations for how the U.S. can improve mathematics instruction and prepare all students for
Algebra. The panel put forward six principles, based on the message to put first things first: (1) curriculum
in Grades PreK–8 should be streamlined and emphasize a well-defined set of the most critical topics in
the early grades; (2) use should be made of what is clearly known from rigorous research about how
children learn; (3) more rigorous initiatives are required to attract, prepare, evaluate and retain effective
teachers; (4) instructional practice should be informed by research and by the best professional judgment
and experience of accomplished classroom teachers; (5) the National Assessment of Educational

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Progress (NAEP) and state assessments should carry increased emphasis on the most critical knowledge
and skills leading to Algebra and (6) the nation must continue to build capacity for more rigorous research
in education so that it can inform policy and practice more effectively.

National Research Council

Everybody Counts: A Report to the Nation on the Future of Mathematics Education, 1998
This book addresses students’ lack of mathematical literacy and preparation for tomorrow's jobs. The
book then discusses why students in this country do not perform well in mathematics and outlines a
comprehensive, national plan for revitalizing mathematics education in America. It argues for a national
support structure that encourages and supports local K-12 and postsecondary mathematics instruction
reforms.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

PISA 2006: Science Competencies for Tomorrow’s World—Briefing Note for the United States.
December, 2007
This side by side table shows that differentiation between global trends and U.S. results regarding the
PISA, an international test assessing the math, science and reading literacy of 15 year olds. This brief
gives a statistical analysis of the results from the 2006 administration, including how countries stack up
against one another – and in particular against the U.S. – on the test. This study frequently is cited as
evidence that the U.S. has generally stagnated in college enrollment and success, while other nations
have caught up, and that U.S. achievement now lags behind many other nations.

Packer, Arnold
National Forum on Quantitative Literacy
What Mathematics Should ‘Everyone’ Know and Be Able to Do?
This essay discusses a teaching technique called “quantitative literacy,” which refers to teaching course
content through inductive teaching, or allowing students to first learn mathematics through specific,
relevant examples that reflect real applications of mathematical concepts required in the workplace,
marketplace and society. The author encourages teachers and professors to rely on project-based
lessons, rooted in real-world applications from the perspective of a worker, consumer, citizen and
personal interest, while recognizing this will require a shift in pedagogy and assessments.

Rose, Heather and Julian R. Betts

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC)
Math Matters: The Links Between High School Curriculum, College Graduation and Earnings, 2001
This study examines the relationship between mathematics in high school and earnings 10 years later.
The authors study a variety of characteristics including students’ demographic characteristics, measures
of student motivation and ability, family background, and high school characteristics. The report – based
on a transcript study of tenth-graders in 1980 and ten-year follow-up to obtain educational credentials and
earnings – finds that the relationship between curriculum and earnings remains quite strong. However, it
also contends that the rigor of courses is more important than the number of courses. PPIC also released
a research brief summarizing the study: Higher Math in High School Means Earnings Later.

Schoenfeld, Alan H.
Education Researcher
Making Mathematics Work for All Children: Issues of Standards, Testing, and Equity, 2002
This article begins by explaining how individuals who are not quantitatively literate will only be qualified
for, and therefore will only get, jobs in the lowest positions, arguing that mathematics education is a civil
rights issue. The author provides a good overview of the major national math reforms of the 1990s and
addresses four conditions necessary for providing high quality mathematics instruction for all children: (1)
high quality curriculum; a (2) stable, knowledgeable and professional teaching community; (3) high quality
assessment that is aligned with curricular goals; and (4) stability and mechanisms for the evolution of
curricula, assessment, and professional development.

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Steen, Lynn Arthur
Mathematical Association of America
Quantitative Literacy: Why Numeracy Matters for Schools and Colleges.
This article summarized a forum on quantitative literacy held at the National Research Council. Supported
by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the forum was sponsored by the National Council on Education and the
Disciplines and hosted by the Mathematical Sciences Education Board in cooperation with the MAA.
Many contemplated different definitions of qualitative literacy, as well as the potential impact on social
structures and lifelong opportunities associated with rigorous math course-taking and mathematical
literacy.

Strong American Schools

A Stagnant Nation: Why American Students Are Still at Risk, April 2008
This report addresses the recommendations presented by A Nation at Risk, a report issued in 1983 that
helped to jumpstart the standards-based reform movement. A Nation at Risk called for swift action and
reforms to the U.S. education system to prevent a loss of our competitive advantage. Many of the
recommendations in Nation at Risk have not been adopted or implemented and, according to Strong
American Schools, this is primary due to the lack of vigorous national leadership to improve education.
Without national leadership, states and local school systems simply cannot overcome the obstacles to
making the major changes necessary to significantly improve our nation’s K-12 schools.

Tapping America’s Potential

Tapping America’s Potential: The Education for Innovation Initiative, July 2005
Tapping America’s Potential is a campaign championed by fifteen national business organizations to
double the number of students receiving bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) by 2015. This report highlights the need for more students pursuing STEM degrees in the
global economy and offers a number of actionable recommendations to establish a new education
infrastructure and improve the skills of the U.S. workforce.

Venezia, Andrea, Michael W. Kirst, and Anthony L. Antonio

Stanford University’s Bridge Project
Betraying the Dream: How Disconnected K-12 and Postsecondary Education Systems Undermine
Student Aspirations, 2003
This report describes in detail the specific problems leading to the disconnect between K-12 and higher
education, including a lack of alignment between high school and postsecondary course expectations,
assessments and requirements for graduation and admissions. The report goes on to explain why there is
this disconnect and provides recommendations on how to improve this national education problem.

WestEd
Rethinking High School: Supporting All Students to be College-Ready in Math, April 2008
This report, part of a series of reports on high school reform for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,
examines how three struggling high schools successfully improved student mathematics achievement by
implementing research-based strategies. Among the strategies the schools highlighted in the report
focused on were: offering rigorous high-level math courses and supports to all students; helping teachers
develop and continually improve skills that enable them to teach math effectively to students with varying
levels of proficiency; and consistently assessing student learning – formally and informally – to drive
instruction.

Achieve’s Math Resources

Math Works
http://www.achieve.org/MathWorks
The Math Works advocacy kit provides resources that make the case for why all students - regardless of
their plans after graduation - should engage in rigorous math course-taking throughout their high school
experiences. The Math Works materials - ranging from fact sheets, PowerPoint presentations, brochures
and others - are resources for policymakers, advocates, educators, parents and students alike that

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highlight the connection between higher-level mathematics course-taking and college access and
success, workplace and career readiness, and personal and U.S. competitiveness.

Mathematics at Work
www.achieve.org/MathatWork
The brochures present case studies drawn from leading industries nationwide to illustrate the advanced
mathematics knowledge and skills embedded in jobs that offer opportunities for advancement and are
accessible to high school graduates.

Business Leader’s Tool Kit

www.biztools4schools.org/
The “Business Tools for Better Schools” toolkit creates a “one- stop” shopping site where business can
get background information, facts, research and practical tools for engaging in education reform. The
toolkit was developed in consultation with national, state and local business organizations as well as
companies with support from the GE Foundation. The toolkit is designed to be business-oriented and
user friendly, both for those with experience in education reform and newcomers. The toolkit is organized
into four major sections: Case for Action, Education Priorities, Business Champions and Tools for Action.
Among the Education Priorities are: ensuring all high school graduates are college- and career-ready,
improving the STEM pipeline and focusing on data-driven decision making.

Algebra II End-of-Course Exam

http://www.achieve.org/node/842
Fifteen states, working with Achieve, have developed a Common Algebra II end-or-course assessment,
the largest multi-state assessment partnership to date. The exam is intended to improve high school
Algebra II curriculum and instruction, including consistency of content and rigor within and across the
states; serve as an indicator of readiness for first-year college credit-bearing courses; and to provide a
common measure of student performance within and across the states over time. In spring 2008, 12
states administered the assessment for the first time to over 90,000 students. A progress report on this
administration can be found here: http://www.achieve.org/2008Algebra2report.

Mathematics Benchmarks, Grades K-12

http://www.achieve.org/node/966
The American Diploma Project (ADP) Math Benchmarks describe the skills and knowledge necessary for
the high school graduate to succeed in both the college classroom and the workplace. The benchmarks
are cumulative, describing what students need to learn by the end of high school. Achieve has
"backmapped" the ADP Mathematics benchmarks from Grade 12 down through Kindergarten to provide
states with more detail about the progression of content and skills students need to master in order to
meet the end-of-high-school ADP benchmarks.

Mathematics Benchmarks, Grades K-12 Resources

http://www.utdanacenter.org/k12mathbenchmarks/index.php
Achieve and the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin jointly launched web-based
tools to help states, districts and schools establish mathematics coursework aligned with entry
requirements for higher education and the workplace. The online resource provides benchmarks and
tools to ensure that mathematics education is streamlined and connected from grade to grade as
students progress toward high school graduation. Also included are classroom and workplace tasks that
illustrate the practical application of the benchmarks, model course sequences for integrated and
traditional middle and high school courses, and fourth year capstone courses and evaluation tools.

Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work?
http://www.achieve.org/RisingtotheChallenge
In this survey, high school graduates entering either college or the workforce, college professors and
employers report that high school graduates are not prepared for college or work, did not feel challenged
in high school, and would have worked harder if more was expected of them. Achieve worked with Peter
D. Hart Research Associates to poll 861 high school graduates currently enrolled in college, 626

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graduates not enrolled in college, 300 college professors and 400 employers. A PowerPoint summary
also is available.

The Expectations Gap, 2008: An Annual 50-State Progress Report on the Alignment of High
School Policies with the Demands of College and Careers, 2008
http://www.achieve.org/ClosingtheExpectationsGap2008
This report serves as Achieve’s third annual 50-state progress report. As of February 2008, Achieve
reports that while more than a third of states have raised high school standards and graduation
requirements, there is more work to be done to ensure that all students graduate ready for college and
careers. The report details state progress implementing the American Diploma Project policy agenda that
advocates for the alignment of standards, graduation requirements, assessments, data systems and
accountability with the expectations of college faculty and employers.

Math-Related Resources/Organizations

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

http://www.nctm.org/
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a public voice of mathematics education, providing
vision, leadership and professional development to support teachers in ensuring equitable mathematics
learning of the highest quality for all students. Two of NCTM’s most powerful resources are Principles and
Standards for School Mathematics, which outlines the essential components of a high-quality school
mathematics program and presents a common foundation of mathematics to be learned by all students,
and Curriculum Focal Points, which identifies the three important topics at each grade level pre-K–8, and
is the next step in implementing the Standards.

Dana Center
http://www.utdanacenter.org/
The Dana Center provides Texas education leaders with new knowledge about teaching and learning and
also supports K–12 teachers and leaders throughout the country working to implement high academic
standards for all students. The Dana Center conducts research, offers continuing education to teachers
and administrators, and creates resources to help the professionals responsible for the education of our
children. The Center’s purpose is to help more children successfully master a rigorous curriculum.

The Mathematical Association of America

http://www.maa.org/
The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) is the largest mathematical society in the world that
focuses on mathematics for students, faculty, professional mathematicians, and all who are interested in
the mathematical sciences; that is, mathematics at the undergraduate level. Its members include
university, college, and high school teachers; high school, undergraduate and graduate students; and
others in academia, government, business, and industry. The MAA’s core interests are Education,
Research, Professional Development, Public Policy, and Public Appreciation. The MAA’s student web
pages - http://www.maa.org/students/middle_high/ - cover topics in academics, careers, research/summer
opportunities, meetings for students, and more.