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Almost every mathematics program on the market today claims to "meet the NCTM Standards." What this typically means is that all content strands in the Standards have been included somewhere in the program. Determining whether a program truly meets the NCTM Standards calls for a deeper analysis. Measuring the Grosse Pointe Objectives against the four criteria below is an effective way to assess the degree to which a program "meets the Standards." The paragraphs that follow will describe how the objectives, materials, and activities selected for grades K-6 meet these criteria.

1. Big ideas of mathematics are emphasized rather than isolated objectives.

Most programs today organize and present mathematics as a sequence of isolated objectives. The objectives in the curriculum presented are organized as a sequence of lessons. The vertical and horizontal integration helps children see how mathematics is connected. The objectives within each topic develop the conceptual understanding of the unit, the algorithm, and its application. In addition to the benefits to students with such an organization, sections help the teacher focus assessment on what is essential.

2. The focus of the Grosse Pointe K-6 Mathematics Program is on making sense of mathematics.

A strong message from the Standards is that the "spirit" of new math programs must be number sense. A look at the objectives shows that number sense is a significant strand in the program. Number sense is not just a special lesson experience every now and then or something placed in small box on the page that is easily skipped. Rather, in the Grosse Pointe Objectives, number sense lies at the very core of the program's philosophy; it was embraced in the way the program is outlined and it was embraced in the nature of all objectives.

3. Students have opportunities to build their own understandings of concepts and skills.

The Standards makes very clear that the most successful teachers do not limit themselves to a teaching approach that begins with the teacher presenting examples and ends with the students doing unlimited practice. Rather, instruction is most effective when the example-practice approach is balanced with hands-on and minds-on student-centered explorations. The Grosse Pointe program balances the example-practice approach with student-centered explorations. Also, the objectives follow the vision of the Standards and go beyond the mere use of manipulative-based activities. This balanced approach has surfaced in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS, 1996) in countries performing highest on this test.

4. Problem solving is the principal reason for studying mathematics.

This statement came from NCTM in 1980 and has continued at the core of NCTM's vision ever since. Grosse Pointe objectives break the mile wide-inch deep approach to problem solving. At the primary grades, students are exposed to problem-solving strategies, but the focus is on making connections between reading strategies and solving word problems. In depth instruction on solving word problems and problem-solving strategies occurs at grades 3-5 in the objectives. The connections between reading and problem solving at the primary grades are extended at grades 3-5 to an intensive study of the meaning of the operations. The emphasis on problem solving instruction moves from a focus on teaching and reteaching strategies to the development and use of strategies in learning and applying mathematics.