Upon receiving the Glenn Gilbert Award at the 2005 St. Louis Annual Conference, long-time NCSM member and past President (1993-1995), Carey Bolster challenged NCSM as an organization to “mind the gap” and step forward with a clear platform of direction to its membership. The Improving Student Achievement Series: Researched-Informed Answers for Mathematics Education Leaders was inspired by this challenge. The concept received unanimous approval from the NCSM Board as part of the NCSM’s 2007-2008 annual strategic plan. In September 2007, the first two Position Papers were released, coinciding with the launch of a year-long celebration of NCSM’s 40th anniversary of leadership in mathematics education.
NCSM grants permission to reprint these papers for distribution.
The NCSM Board hopes that you will find our positions, the research and literature that support them, and the practical steps you can take to implement each position, to be of use to you and your colleagues. Please let us know your reaction to the NCSM Position Papers. You may write directly to any of these NCSM representatives:
Beginning in 2007, NCSM’s Improving Student Achievement Series links research with classroom practice. These papers focus on important issues in mathematics education. Each paper follows the same format: the position statement, the research supporting the position, and the steps that can be taken to implement the position. The Purpose of the Facilitators Guide for NCSM Position Papers is to offer suggestions to help mathematics leaders facilitate learning opportunities using the NCSM Position Papers.