researching secondary mathematics standards

This paper analyzes the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) mathematics curriculum for secondary mathematics. The analysis uses the National and State Standards Analysis Worksheet (NASSAW) to quantify the alignment of the TEKS and the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (PSSM). The NASSAW was created by this researcher as a modification of the Guide for Reviewing School Mathematics Programs, developed in 1991 by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Each standard, category and subcategory of the PSSM was aligned with TEKS, and coded on a scale of 0 to 3 in three areas, percent of coverage, number of TEKS aligned, and wording. A chi square contingency table analysis, as well as a comparison of mean, median, and standard deviation, was used to determine alignment. The results indicate that TEKS, taken as a complete document, were measurably aligned with the PSSM, while a few subcategories are not aligned at all. A comparison between the PSSM and the Texas College and Career Readiness Standards (TCCRS) was deemed not necessary.

In conjunction with the standards analysis, a parental survey was collected from 800 parents. The survey solicited opinions on curricular issues: the definition of curriculum, the effects of standardized testing on curriculum, and the evolution of curriculum. Box plots, bar graphs, and percentage comparisons showed that some of the questions had clusters of answers, though no one opinion thread could easily describe participants' opinions.