A Partnership in Mathematics Education

riculum Framework of 1985. At the elementary school level, broadening the primary focus of the mathematics curriculum on arithmetic skill and learning through memorization to develop mathematical thinking and understanding of concepts as well will require a major shift in emphasis for many teachers. Unless teachers themselves are given an opportunity to reconsider their own images of mathematics and to take part in the kinds of learning experiences they are asked to provide for their students, the reforms envisioned, whether those proposed in the NCTM Standards or elsewhere, will fail. One lesson learned from the “new math” movement is that professional development for teachers is a critical factor in reform. But what kind of professional development is necessary to help teachers make significant change in their mathematics teaching? Should mathematicians be involved in these efforts? What role can they play? This article describes one attempt to answer these questions, a project in mathematics education that involved a two-year partnership between the mathematics department at the University of Utah and Washington Elementary School, a K–6,