| Throughout the 20th Century, teachers, administrators, mathematicians, and the public in the United States have discussed ways of increasing mathematics student achievement. This study found that changing from a traditional to constructivist high school mathematics curriculum is resource intensive, but can improve student mathematics achievement if implemented with fidelity. This comparative case study examined how two Wisconsin school districts effectively orchestrated the curriculum adoption process. Twenty-three major factors supporting the curriculum change were identified along with minor factors. Examining data, site visits, and empowering teachers to make the decision provided the impetus and political will to undertake the change. Allowing adequate time for the process to take place, providing a decision framework, frequent communication, a friendly approach, not voting, and utilizing a K-12 team to make the decision helped negotiate some of the political aspects of the implementation. Training prior to, during, and after the adoption played a pivotal role in helping teachers make the paradigm shift in their classrooms, and providing all necessary classroom materials enabled the classroom change to take place. Regular collaboration time, ongoing administrative monitoring, access to experts, and teacher assignments helped ensure fidelity to the curriculum implementation. Hiring practices, community support, and consistent leadership helped sustain the change over time. The researcher's hope is that this study will assist school districts adopting a constructivist mathematics curriculum at the high school level. |
