Developing a plan for educational reform is
one thing. Implementing the intended changes
and determining whether they produce the de-
sired effect is another. Cohen and Ball address
this issue in their article,
Policy and practice: An
overview
[2], which looks at the early stages of
mplementing the California Mathematics Cur-
riculum Framework of 1985. At the elementary
school level, broadening the primary focus of the
mathematics curriculum on arithmetic skill and
learning through memorization to develop math-
ematical thinking and understanding of con-
cepts as well will require a major shift in em-
phasis for many teachers. Unless teachers
themselves are given an
opportunity to reconsider
their own images of math-
ematics and to take part in
the kinds of learning ex-
periences they are asked
to provide for their stu-
dents, the reforms envi-
sioned, whether those pro-
posed in the
NCTM
Standards
or elsewhere,
will fail. One lesson
learned from the “new
math” movement is that
professional development
for teachers is a critical
factor in reform.