Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Chapter 5 Contents
	Beginning
	Does Decision Making About the Intended Curriculum Take Place at the National, State, or Local Level?
	How Do Education Stystems Support and Monitor Curriculum Implementation?
	What TIMSS 1999 Countries Have Assessments And Exams in Mathematics?
	What Benchmarking Juristictions Have Assessments in Mathematics?
	How Do Education Systems Deal with Individual Differences?
	What Are the Major Characteristics of the Intended Curriculum?
	What Mathematics Content Do Teachers Emphasize at the Eighth Grade?
	Are There Policies on Using Calculators?
	What Mathematics Topics Are Included in the Intended Curriculum?
	Have Students Been Taught the Topics Tested by TIMSS?
	What Can Be Learned About the Mathematics Curriculum?

Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Reference 1
Reference 2
Reference 3
Reference 4
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Appendix D
Appendix E

 

 

 

© 2001 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA)

 

 

 

What Can Be Learned About the Mathematics Curriculum?

In contrast to the United States, most countries around the world have well-established, centrally-mandated national curricula. Recently, however, states and districts in the U.S. have been making great strides in establishing content standards and curriculum frameworks to guide curriculum implementation in schools. Furthermore, many education systems in the U.S. have begun to assess whether the intended curriculum in mathematics is being attained or learned by their students.

Although effort has been made to develop rigorous curriculum standards, the intended mathematics curriculum in the United States overall and in many Benchmarking jurisdictions does not seem as advanced or focused as that in other countries. Students in the U.S. are generally taught more topics with less depth, with each often spread over the course of more grades, than are their peers in other nations.(10) This lack of focus has been cited as a potential explanation for the relatively poor academic performance of U.S. students compared with those in other nations.(11) Thoroughly examining the Benchmarking jurisdictions’ results in an international context can provide insights into what students are expected to learn in mathematics, what is taught in classrooms, and what policies and practices provide the best match between the intended and the implemented curriculum to improve student achievement.