What Do Middle School Teachers Need to Know to Teach Mathematics Effectively

State of Illinois, MAA/AMS, NCTM, NCATE

The following is a list of documents from the State of Illinois and professional societies, detailing the mathematical content knowledge needed by middle school mathematics teachers.

Mathematics Content Standards for Teachers (Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), 2002, 2^nd Ed.)
http://www.isbe.net/profprep/CASCDvr/pdfs/27130_math.pdf (Standards 6-10: Content Knowledge)

Section 1.720 Requirements for Teachers of Middle Grades (Coursework requirements). ISBE.
http://www.isbe.net/rules/archive/pdfs/ONEARK.pdf (go to section 1.720)

The Mathematical Education of Teachers. Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences (CBMS). (2001). Providence RI and Washington DC: American Mathematical Society and Mathematical Association of America.
Front Page and Table of Contents: http://www.cbmsweb.org/MET_Document/index.htm
Chapter 4 (Middle Grades Teacher Preparation): http://www.cbmsweb.org/MET_Document/chapter_4.htm

A Call for Change: Recommendations for the Mathematical Preparation of Teachers (1991) - Prepared by the Mathematical Association of America's Committee on the Mathematical Education of Teachers, this report is available from MAA.

Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), 1991)
http://my.nctm.org/standards/previous/profstds/index.htm (member password required online)

NCATE/NCTM Program Standards Programs for Initial Preparation of Mathematics Teachers - Standards for Middle Level Mathematics Teachers (National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2003) http://www.nctm.org/about/ncate/middle_indic.htm

Secretary's Mathematics and Science Initiative: Teacher Knowledge Working Group Report - (2003) Describes a the Teacher Knowledge Action Plan http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/progs/mathscience/action-strategies-dec2.doc
Before It’s Too Late: A Report to the Nation from the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century (a.k.a. the "Glenn Report") (2000)
http://www.ed.gov/inits/Math/glenn/report.pdf

Prepared by Jim Olsen, W.I.U., May 2005.
Updated: August 20, 2006