A student plans to take out a $10,000 loan at 7% interest with monthly payments of $120, but before she closes the deal, interest rates rise to 7.5%. What will happen if she keeps her monthly payments at $120?

Employment and Education

            Mathematics is the key to many of the most secure and financially rewarding careers in every sector of the economy (Business Coalition for Education Reform, 1998). The impact of computers and information technology can be seen not just in engineering and science, but in such diverse areas as manufacturing and agriculture, health care and advertising. To be prepared for careers in virtually any industry, and especially for changing careers during a lifetime, secondary school students need to learn a substantial core of mathematics. However, this core is like neither the abstract pre-engineering mathematics of the academic curriculum nor the restricted topics of the discredited "vocational math." New approaches are needed to meet today's challenges.

            A recent survey of 4,500 manufacturing firms revealed that nearly two out of three current employees lack the mathematics skills required for their work, and that half lack the ability to interpret job-related charts, diagrams, and flowcharts (National Association of Manufacturers, 1997). Other reports cite a major shortage of qualified candidates for jobs in the information technology industries (Information Technology Association of America, 1997), as well as for technicians and licensed journeymen in the skilled trades (Mathematical Sciences Education Board, 1995). Even office work has changed, so that technical skills are now at a premium (Carnevale & Rose, 1998).

            What current and prospective employees lack is not calculus or advanced algebra, but a plethora of more basic quantitative skills that could be taught in high school but are not (Murnane & Levy, 1996; Packer, 1997). They need statistics and three-dimensional geometry, systems thinking and estimation skills. Even more important, they need the disposition to think through problems that blend quantitative data with verbal, visual, and mechanical information; the capacity to interpret and present technical information; and the ability to deal with situations when something goes wrong (Forman & Steen, 1998).

            Business has discovered, and research confirms, that diplomas and degrees do not tell much about students' actual performance capabilities. For example, data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) (1997b) show that twelfth-grade students at the 10th percentile are essentially similar to fourth-grade students at the 80th percentile. Indeed, the level that NAEP considers "advanced," and which is achieved by only
8% of U.S. students, is considered just barely adequate in the context of college expectations (NAEP, 1997a). Enrollment data for postsecondary mathematics courses confirm this discrepancy (Loftsgaarden, Rung, & Watkins, 1997): three out of every four students enrolled in college mathematics courses are studying subjects typically taught in high school or even middle school (see Figure 1). Clearly, covering mathematics in school is no guarantee of mastering it for later use.

1995 Postsecondary Mathematics Enrollments

Figure 1

            Nearly two-thirds of high school graduates enter postsecondary education primarily in order to obtain further skills and an advanced degree. Unfortunately, fewer than half of those who begin college attain any degree at all within five years. Furthermore, the majority of those who begin a traditional liberal arts program never finish. Although the economy clearly needs employees with advanced technical training (Judy & D'Amico, 1997), these students--the majority--end up with just a list of courses and no degree or job certification (Barton, 1997).

            Ever since the publication of A Nation at Risk(National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983), many advocates of educational reform have built their case on international competitiveness: to compete in a global economy that is increasingly technological, U.S. workers need better technical education (Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, 1990). Yet, data from international comparisons such as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) show that U.S. students are far from competitive (NCES, 1998). Thus, according to this argument, to remain internationally competitive, we need to radically overhaul mathematics and science education (Riley, 1998a).

            In fact, the U.S. economy is thriving despite consistently weak performances by students on both national and international tests. This paradox has led some observers to suggest that the problem with weakness in school mathematics and science education is not so much that it hurts the overall economy, but that it increases economic inequities by providing the means to a good livelihood to only a few, primarily those from upper socioeconomic backgrounds (Barton, 1997; Bracey, 1997). From this perspective, the primary rationale for improving school mathematics is not competitiveness, but equity: in today's data-driven world, there is no justification for approaches to mathematics education that filter out those with greatest need and equip only the best-prepared for productive high-income careers.

            A high school curriculum that helps all students master functional mathematics would effectively address issues of both equity and competitiveness. Since all students would study the same curriculum, all would have equal opportunity to master the mathematics required for the new world of work. Moreover, a three-year core of functional mathematics would give all students a strong platform on which to build either technical work experience or advanced education. Either route would lead to productive careers.