EDUCATION BEYOND POLITICS
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the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics began a series of
meetings to see whether they could define what it is that students need
to know to be able to do better in mathematics. They looked at what
was being done in other countries. They put together a framework for a
national curriculum: now states are adopting it, and textbook publishers
are looking at it. For the first time, the issue is not being looked at by
just a few textbook publishers but by a national group of people who
understand mathematics. Now that they have done it, the pressure is on
other groups to get together and define what it is that students are sup–
posed to know and do. And they are beginning to meet. There is now a
proposal before Congress to put together a national board, something
like a standards board, just as you have in weights and measures. This
board would certify appropriate content standards and standards for
school achievement at various levels, not just whether IUds are below av–
erage or above average, but what they should know. How many of
them know it? And they would establish the appropriate measurements.
Now it's true that there is a lot of opposition to this, to the idea of
common content standards and national assessments. On the other hand,
we already have a group called the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards. This board says that if you feel you're an outstand–
ing teacher, you can sit for board certification, just as a doctor can be–
come certified for surgery. You don't want to be just any teacher; you
want to be a board-certified teacher. This board will start certifying two
years from now. The board had to question what it is that teachers need
to know. They're wrestling now with the fact that they can't just have
process. They must question what works of literature, what levels of
writing, what kinds of knowledge teachers need. I am optimistic that
they're going to come up with evaluations and ideas that are worth–
while; and that lots of teachers will be eager to take this test. Ultimately,
I think, they will drive teacher-training institutions. These will be
evaluated by how well their future students do. These are positive things.
People are starting to think about standards on a national basis, and are
agreeing upon substance and content. That has never taken place before.
Edith Kurzweil:
What will happen if these initiatives don't comply
with affirmative action guidelines?
AI Shanker:
Well, one of the big worries is over outcomes, how
different groups will do. This issue was discussed for four or five months.
There was another related issue: should there be only one standard? Ob–
viously, if there is only one standard it is going to be set very low. Who
is going to set a standard that the overwhelming majority will fail? You
sort of have to have something that is outstanding, and something that is
