Former Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch asserts that just as standards improve the daily lives of Americans, so too will they improve the effectiveness of American education. Standards can improve achievement by clearly defining what is to be taught and what kind of performance is expected. A number of recent surveys indicate that most Americans strongly support higher standards that are clear and specific. To date, however, no consensus has emerged with respect to what form standards should take nor how they should be used. Students recognize and appreciate geometry in their world.
Students use mathematics in other curriculum areas.
The first example describes a skill or an ability that a person might use to solve a real-life problem. When at the gas pump, a person might use estimation to determine whether the total generally squares with the price per gallon multiplied by the number of gallons pumped. The second example does not describe a commonly used skill. The third example is not a student knowledge or skill but rather a recommendation regarding the development of the curriculum to work in concert with mathematics instruction. Forty-eight states now test their students and 36 publish annual report cards.