Proponents of mathematics education reform have argued that teaching and learning practices must be revisited and that the development of mathematics education that addresses the needs of the modern student is long overdue. They argue that students have been shortchanged in traditional classrooms by viewing learning as a process of absorption, rather than construction, of knowledge. Thus, mathematics reform suggested content revisions focusing on all students "doing" mathematics through active participation in worthwhile problem-solving activities including the use of calculators and computers (Romberg & Carpenter, 1986; Rothman, 1995).
The National Council of Teacher of Mathematics (NCTM) has played an active role in promoting these ideas and developing a framework for much needed changes. NCTM developed a vision for implementing mathematics reforms in a set of documents proposing standards for curriculum and evaluation, teaching, and assessment for K-12 school mathematics (NCTM, 1989, 1995). This vision for curriculum and evaluation standards suggested that all students should learn to value mathematics, reason and communicate mathematically, develop confidence in their mathematical understandings, and become problem solvers (NCTM, 1989). To further guide teachers in designing a variety of assessment practices, a complementary document outlining relevant standards was published by NCTM in 1995. These standards provide ideas to weave assessment practices as an integral part of the teaching-learning process.
The American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) followed suit and released a report in 1995 describing standards for introductory college mathematics before calculus. These standards reflected, in general, the same vision of the NCTM Standards while focusing on college needs and proposed to enhance the career development for all students, heavily emphasizing mathematical applications in realistic contexts featured in technical programs.