DO NEW TEACHING STANDARDS UNDERMINE PERFORMANCE ON OLD TESTS

As almost every state attempts to reform mathematics instruction by im plementing new teaching standards, stare resting practices remain larg ely unchanged Do these new standards undermine student performance on old tests? This question is investigated by examining whether middle a nd high school algebra students taught in a manner consistent with the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics Professional Standards p erformed differently on three standardized algebra assessments than st udents taught ill traditional classrooms. The data come from 94 teache rs, 2,369 students, and 40 schools in one of the nation's largest scho ol districts. Results indicate that the Standards do not undermine per formance on the old tests. Infect, middle school algebra students whos e teachers spent more time using the NCTM teaching approach had higher growth rates than students whose teachers spent less time using the a pproach However students with higher ability levels benefited more. Th e growth rates Of the lowest achieving students, the high school stude nts (who are disproportionately Black and poor), were not helped or hi ndered by the NCTM teaching approach. If; as other studies indicate, t he new standards help students on more novel rests, the finding that s tudents benefit or at least are not hurt on traditional tests strength ens the case for implementing the NCTM reforms.