Achieve, Inc., and Dana Center Offer New Online Resource to Strengthen Mathematics Education

NEWS STATEMENT

CONTACT: Laura Slover (202) 419-1548, lslover@achieve.org or Susan Hull (512) 913-0903, shhull@mail.utexas.edu

WASHINGTON - June 12, 2008 - Achieve, Inc., and the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin today publicly launched new web-based tools to help states and school districts establish mathematics coursework aligned with entry requirements for higher education and the workplace. The "Mathematics Benchmarks, Grades K-12" website at utdanacenter.org/k12mathbenchmarks makes the tools available at no charge to educators nationwide.

"Achieve and the Dana Center share the goal of ensuring that all students graduate from high school prepared to meet the challenges of postsecondary education and the workplace," said Achieve president Michael Cohen. "We know that higher-level mathematics courses are the gateway to success and that schools, districts and states need tools to ensure that all students have access to and can succeed in rigorous mathematics courses. It is our hope that this new resource will help fill that need."

The online resource provides benchmarks and tools to ensure that mathematics education is streamlined and connected from grade to grade as students progress toward high school graduation. Also included are classroom and workplace tasks that illustrate the practical application of the benchmarks. The resource also makes available program, school and district practices that show promise in strengthening secondary mathematics teaching and learning.

"Our common goal," said Uri Treisman, the Dana Center's executive director, "is to provide school districts with practical curriculum, instructional, and planning tools to help them ensure that their graduates are prepared to succeed in their collegiate studies and to flourish in high-quality workplaces."

The new website was announced during the Urban Mathematics Leadership Network annual retreat in Washington, D.C. The Network, another joint Dana Center-Achieve project, provides a forum for mathematics leaders from some of the country's largest and most influential school districts to work together to solve common challenges in mathematics education and identify areas for the development of new tools and expertise.

To learn more about the "Mathematics Benchmarks, Grades K-12" website, visit utdanacenter.org/k12mathbenchmarks.  

Created by the nation's governors and business leaders, Achieve, Inc, is a bipartisan, non-profit organization that helps states raise academic standards, improve assessments and strengthen accountability to prepare all young people for postsecondary success. At the 2005 National Education Summit, Achieve launched the American Diploma Project (ADP) Network, a coalition that has grown to 33 states, educating nearly 80% of public school students in the United States. The ADP Network is committed to aligning high school expectations with the demands of college, career and life. For more information, please visit www.achieve.org.

The Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin (www.utdanacenter.org) is a university research center that works to improve mathematics and science education in Texas and the nation. We do so by providing resources and direct service to districts, to local, state, and national education leaders, and to professional organizations and nonprofits concerned with the strengthening of American education.

Read a related press release from the Computer Science Teachers Association.