Mathematics
is the key to opportunity. It is no longer just the language of science,
finance, economics, health, or medicine only. Mathematics can maximize
our students' opportunities and open doors to careers. As they grow into
productive citizens, our young people are empowered to make informed decisions
about their own lives, their government, and their global society.
The Pacific Standards for Excellence in Mathematics provides a vision of what is appropriate school mathematics today and in years to come. Its purpose is to lay the foundation for the Pacific child's mathematics education program that will build tools to help the child become a contributing member of society. To better prepare today's students for tomorrow, our schools, teachers, students, parents, and the community-at-large must raise the level of mathematics education and associated expectations.
These standards were created with the whole child in mind. In adapting the NCTM Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (1989), we, the Leadership Team, made a concerted effort to illustrate the Standards with student-centered activities. You will notice that with each standard in each of the grade levels, there is a short description of the standard and its intent and then an activity is suggested for implementing the standard at that level. References and handouts are included.
The Pacific Standards advocates a shift away from routine work that generally consists of algorithms and step-by-step methods to mathematics grounded in problem solving and higher-order thinking. This shift in mathematics content will require new teaching methods that are more student-centered. The combination of new mathematics and instructional methods will provide a more meaningful mathematics program for students and motivate them to continue studies in upper-level mathematics courses.
The Pacific Standards for Excellence in Mathematics represents our collaborative efforts to define what is valued and necessary in mathematics. Teachers and schools may use it as a guide for examples of new or unfamiliar mathematical topics. Governments can use it to align their curriculum frameworks or guides with a contemporary view of mathematics education. Mathematics educators can adapt or develop assessment programs to reflect the changes in mathematics. Finally, this document can be the basis for staff development components.