Abstract:
This study examined the effectiveness of standards based education in elementary school mathematics. The investigation focused on fourth graders' computational and problem-solving skills during the fall semester in an Indianapolis Public School. The data for this examination were collected from three sources. A pre and posttest was given to each student and daily observations were made throughout the semester. The tests were identical and were modeled after the standards delineated by the Indiana - Department of Education, with one question for each substandard. The pretest was given within the first two weeks of the semester and the posttest was administered at the end of the term. These data were evaluated to measure development during the semester. Progress of students toward mastery of the standards was significant in many areas, while some standards were not mastered at all. Progression was greater for the computational standards than for the problem-solving standards. This study provided proof of the prevalence and importance of standards in elementary mathematics, whether or not they are directly instructed upon. Standards based education may not be the perfect curriculum foundation, but it remains the best possible alternative at this point.
