Does Everybody Need to Study Algebra

摘要: ven as members of NCTM rally to implement the Council's (1989) Curriculum and Evaluation Standards (Standards), well-known critics such Washington Post columnists William Raspberry ColemanMcCarthy?speaking from opposite sides political house?raise an alarm. How absurd, they say, require algebra all students. Ordinary people don't use in their life or work. So let students choose: those who need mathematics should take algebra, shouldn't have to. Critics argue that is a boring, irrelevant impediment turns off more than it helps. Yet document calls for three-year core curriculum Every body Counts (National Research Council 1989) urges study each year are school. Reformist advocates outcome based education (OBE) recommend per formance outcomes effective problem solving communication replace seat time requirement graduation while traditionalist voices call accountability terms improved test scores. Let's face it. For most current school approach unmitigated disas ter. One out every four never takes being diverted instead into dead-end sid ings general consumer mathematics. And half do first-year alge bra leave course with lifelong distaste Some these go on become newspaper leaders. In fact, none major change specifically pre sent version be The Standards, Everybody Counts, OBE advocates, even President Bush's America 2000 plan speak broadly high graduates, not particu lar requirements at specific grade levels. On this community its agree: present form essential quality education. This say essential. Algebraic skills associated algorithmic think ing means ends mathematical power (NCTM 1989), (OBE), scientif ic competitiveness (President Bush: see Alexander [1991]). too geometric insight, quantitative reasoning, logical clarity, number sense, sta tistical experience. Whether enter work force directly after continue studies higher education, must prepared employ rich variety McCarthy partially right. Rarely will graduates faced problems presented language algebra. Most often mathematically about issues laden incomplete data, ambigu ous graphs, uncertain inferences, hasty gener alizations. To perform well when confronted