Implementing and Using Mathematics Standards in North Carolina

North Carolina has a history of supporting and using national standards in structuring the state‐adopted mathematics curriculum framework. This focus is associated with increased achievement of North Carolina students. The connection of the 1989 revision of the framework to the 1989 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards seemed to increase acceptance of the framework by teachers, school boards, and the public; revisions since then have been explicitly responsive to evolving national standards. Plans for the next revision include attending to the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. To inform leaders in North Carolina about the Principles and Standards, a symposium was held in September 2000. This symposium provided a model for making the Principles and Standards visible to different constituencies. It is also important to involve teacher education institutions in sharing the Principles and Standards with new teachers so that they enter teaching with a deep understanding of and appreciation for standards.