"Adopted by the California State Board of Education, March 2005"--Cover.

Saxon Math thoroughly covers all the California Mathematics Standards and has been designed to meet all the requirements of the Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools. The cohesive integrated approach of Saxon Math helps build in the time necessary for all California students to develop the solid mathematical foundation needed for success in algebra -- and beyond.

This compelling book tells the history of the past two decades of efforts to reform mathematics education in California. That history is a contentious one, full of such fervor and heat that participants and observers often refer to the “math wars.” Suzanne M. Wilson considers the many perspectives of those involved in math reform, weaving a tapestry of facts, philosophies, conversations, events, and personalities into a vivid narrative. While her focus is on California, the implications of her book extend to struggles over education policy and practice throughout the United States. Wilson’s three-dimensional account of math education reform efforts reveals how the debates tend to be deeply ideological and how people come to feel misunderstood and misrepresented. She examines the myths used to explain the failure of reforms, the actual reasons for failure, and the importance of taking multiple perspectives into account when planning and implementing reform.

Saxon Math thoroughly covers all the California Mathematics Standards and has been designed to meet all the requirements of the Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools. The cohesive integrated approach of Saxon Math helps build in the time necessary for all California students to develop the solid mathematical foundation needed for success in algebra -- and beyond.

This document is the result of the California Mathematics Task Force assigned to address the need to improve the mathematics achievement of California's students. Five recommendations are made and discussed: (1) The State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) must establish clear and specific content and performance standards for mathematics and work with districts and schools to make these standards achievable by all students; (2) SSPI, the California Legislature, and the Governor must move quickly to establish a stable, coherent, and informative system of assessment for all California students; (3) SSPI must take immediate steps to guarantee high-quality classroom mathematics instruction for all students by providing adequate time, adequate instructional materials, mathematically powerful teachers, and additional time during the school day and year for teachers to collaborate to help students succeed; (4) SSPI must act immediately to establish a management, research, and information system to answer basic questions about the operation and effectiveness of mathematics policies and programs, including the implementation and effectiveness of the state's "Mathematics Framework", and (5) School administrators and staffs must move quickly to work with parents to identify the responsibilities of the school and home that support the parents' role in their children's education. (MKR)