Interactive Mathematics Program: Difference between revisions

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The '''Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP)''' is a four-year, problem-based mathematics curriculum for high schools, designed to meet the needs of both college-bound and non-college-bound students. It was one of several curricula funded by the [[National Science Foundation]] and designed around the controversial1989 [[NCTMNational Council of Teachers of Mathematics]] standards. The curriculum replaces the traditional [[Algebra]] whichI-[[Geometry]]-Algebra elevatedII/[[Trigonometry]]-[[Precalculus]] "mathematicalsequence. power"The andIMP "equity"books betweenwere racesauthored by Dan Fendel and gendersDiane overResek, "memorizingprofessors methodsof tomathematics computeat [[San Francisco State University]], and by Lynne Alper and exactSherry answers"Fraser.

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Designed in response to national reports pointing to the need for a major overhaul in mathematics education,<ref>[http://www.nap.edu/books/0309039770/html/] ''Everybody Counts: A Report to the Nation on the Future of Mathematics Education'', Mathematical Sciences Education Board, National Research Council, 1989</ref><ref>[http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309041872] ''Reshaping School Mathematics: A Philosophy and Framework for Curriculum'', Mathematical Sciences Education Board, National Research Council, 1990</ref><ref>[http://www.project2061.org/publications/sfaa/online/sfaatoc.htm] ''Science for all Americans'', American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989</ref> the [http://www.mathimp.org/ IMP curriculum] is markedly different in structure, content, and [[pedagogy]] from courses more typically found in the high school sequence.<ref>''Introduction and Implementation Strategies for the Interactive Mathematics Program: A Guide for Teacher-Leaders and Administrators'', Key Curriculum Press, 1997</ref>

The Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP) is a four-year, problem-based mathematics curriculum for high schools, designed to meet the needs of both college-bound and non-college-bound students. It was one of several curricula funded by the [[National Science Foundation]] designed around the controversial [[NCTM standards]] which elevated "mathematical power" and "equity" between races and genders over "memorizing methods to compute exact answers".

* Each book of the curriculum is divided into five- to eight-week units, each having a central problem or theme. This larger problem serves as motivation for students to develop the underlying skills and concepts needed to solve it, through solving a variety of smaller related problems.

Key Curriculum Press in a section titled A Model for Mathematics Education Reform on their web pages states:

* Each year of the IMP curriculum integrates the algebraic, geometric, and trigonometric topics traditionally taught in separate courses, as well as topics from [[statistics]] and [[probability]] that are not included in many traditional programs.

* "The IMP curriculum is designed to make the learning of a core curriculum more accessible, especially to those groups, such as women and minorities, who traditionally have been under-represented in college mathematics classes."

* There is an emphasis on students working together in [[collaborative learning|collaborative groups]]. Together, they tackle problems that are usually too complex to be solved by any one individual.

* "The IMP is designed to be used with heterogeneous classes. The developers of the program believe that virtually everyone can gain a deep understanding of the curriculum and can make valuable contributions as a member of a learning group."

* The development of communication skills is embedded throughout the curriculum, through the use of group and whole class discussions, the use of writing to present and clarify mathematical solutions, and formal oral presentations.

* "...students are organized into small groups (usually four students to a group), and much of the classroom learning is done in the context of these groups."

* The IMP curriculum expects students to make nearly daily use of a scientific [[graphing calculator]]. Students become comfortable with the calculator to such an extent that a Year 4 project tasks students with using their knowledge of trigonometry, [[matrix theory|matrix algebra]], [[graphical projection|geometric projections]] and [[transformation (geometry)|transformations]], and computer programming to design and present an animated cartoon on the screen of the graphing calculator.<ref>Fendel, R., Resek, D., Alper, L. and Fraser, S: “An Animated POW”, page 160, ''Interactive Mathematics Program: Year 4'', Key Curriculum Press, 2000.</ref>

* "...the role of the teacher changes from that of "imparter of knowledge" to that of observer and facilitator."

== NotesDebate ==

The text, which represents the entire first year of high school mathematics, centers around 5 sections:

Nearly every one of these distinctive characteristics has generated controversy and placed the IMP curriculum right in the middle of the “math wars,” the conflict between those that favor more traditional curricula in mathematics education and the supporters of the reform curricula that were largely an outgrowth of the 1989 [[NCTM]] standards.

IMP is among the reform curricula that have been heavily criticized by organizations such as [[Mathematically Correct]]. That organization’s Internet site begins with a statement that “advocates of the new, fuzzy math” (focus) “on things like calculators, blocks, guesswork, and group activities and they shun things like algorithms and repeated practice. The new programs are shy on fundamentals and they also lack the mathematical depth and rigor that promotes greater achievement.”<ref>[http://www.mathematicallycorrect.com/] Mathematically Correct, www.mathematicallycorrect.com</ref> Former NCTM president Frank Allen states, “Trying to organize school mathematics around problem solving instead of using its own internal structure for that purpose … (is destroying) essential connections….”<ref>[http://mathematicallycorrect.com/allen1.htm] Allen, F: “A Critical View of NCTM Policies with Special Reference to the Standards Reports”</ref>

1) Patterns -- a 24-day unit of introduction, operations with integers, angles, functions, and "in-out tables."

Criticism often includes anecdotal evidence including stories of school districts that have decided to discontinue or supplement use of the IMP curriculum<ref>[http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/6051712p-5310251c.html] Abe, D: "Back to Basics on Kids’ Math:

2) The Game of Pig -- a 29-day unit dealing with probability and expected value.

Alarmed by Low Scores, Tacoma School Officials OK Added Saxon Textbook,” ''The News Tribune'' (Tacoma WA), August 25th, 2006 </ref> and of students who did not feel they had been prepared adequately for college.<ref>[http://mathematicallycorrect.com/impsf.htm] Datta, S: “Interactive Mathematics Program: Manifesto on an Experimental Concept Gone Awry”</ref>

On the other hand, Key Curriculum Press, the publisher of IMP, points out “the IMP first edition was published after more than 10 years of research, pilot testing, evaluating, field testing, revising, and detailed reviewing.”<ref>[http://www.mathimp.org/downloads/IMPWhitePaper.pdf] “Research Supporting the Interactive Mathematics Program”</ref> Supporters point to statistical studies that compare the performance of students enrolled in IMP courses with their peers enrolled in traditional high school mathematics courses. Merlino and Wolff, two such researchers, report that in their several studies IMP students consistently outperformed traditionally taught students on both the math and verbal sections of the [[PSAT/NMSQT|PSAT]], as well as on the SAT-9.<ref>[http://www.gphillymath.org/StudentAchievement/Reports/SupportData/Part1Intro.htm] Merlino, J. and Wolff, E: ''Assessing the Costs/Benefits of an NSF “Standards-Based Secondary Mathematics Curriculum on Student Achievement'', Philadelphia, PA: The Greater Philadelphia Secondary Mathematics Project, 2001</ref> Kramer reported that grade 12 IMP students in his study performed better on all areas of mathematics tested by the NAEP test,<ref>[http://lmt.mspnet.org/media/data/IMP_block.pdf?media_000000002049.pdf] Kramer, S: “The Joint Impact of Block Scheduling and a Standards-Based Curriculum on High School Algebra Achievement and Mathematics Course Taking” (doctrinal dissertation), University of Maryland, 2003</ref> and Webb and Dowling reported IMP students performed significantly better on statistics questions from the Second International Mathematics Study, on mathematical and reasoning and problem solving problems designed by the State of Wisconsin, and on a quantitative reasoning test developed by a university to administer to entering students.<ref>Webb, N. and Dowling, M: “Comparison of IMP Students with Students Enrolled in Traditional Courses on Probability, Statistics, Problem Solving, and Reasoning,” ''Project Report 97-1'', University of Wisconsin – Madison, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, 1997</ref>

3) The Overland Trail -- a 30-day unit dealing with graphs, variables, rate, and lines of best fit.

== FailureNotes ==

4) The Pit and the Pendulum -- a 28-day unit dealing with graphing, equations (linear vs. nonlinear), and statistics.

<references/>

5) Shadows -- a 26-day unit dealing with ratios and proportions, and basic geometry including similarity and triangles along with some basic trigonometry.

== Links ==

IMP has received intense criticism from organizations such as [[Mathematically Correct]] for being deficient compared to a traditional algebra / geometry / trigonometry high school mathmematics curriculum, and is being discarded by some school districts which have had unsatisfactory results with it.

* [http://www.mathimp.org/] Publisher’s IMP web site

== Failure ==

* [http://www.mathematicallycorrect.com/kmimp.htm] Mathematically Correct Reviewhome page

* In the city of [[Tacoma]], Washington in 2006, school board member Debbie Winskill stated that despite a lengthy selection process and considerable training IMP "has been a dismal failure.” High School teacher Clifford Harris taught sophomores Saxon Math, and their Washington Assessment of Student Learning continually climbed. The program gives students plenty of chances to review material, so students retain their skills, which is not the case with [[IMP]] according to the teacher.<ref>[http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/6051712p-5310251c.html] "Back to basics on kids’ math"

Alarmed by low scores, Tacoma school officials OK added Saxon textbook. by Debby Abe; The News Tribune (Tacoma WA) August 25th, 2006 </ref>

* One reviewer states IMP negatively impacts SAT Mathematics performance. The first two LA Unified pilot schools were Roosevelt HS and Marshall HS, both started IMP in 1992. When they took the SAT a few years later, it was a disaster. Roosevelt dropped an average of 25 points while having 39 fewer seniors electing to take the SAT and Marshall dropped 41 points with 64 fewer students taking the SAT from 1992 to 1996. Within a couple of years, IMP was dropped even at those two schools and, within LAUSD, it has been a dead issue ever since.<ref>[http://www.nychold.com/rev-bishop-0302.html]Standards-Based School Mathematics Curricula</ref>

== External links ==

* [http://gphillymath.org/ListServes/IMP_info.pdf General Information about the Integrated Mathematics Program] Students do just as well in college entrance exams with IMP.

* [http://mathforum.org/mathed/imp.html List of pro-IMP sites]

* [http://www.mathematicallycorrect.com/kmimp.htm] Mathematically Correct Review

"there are several anecdotes about problems with IMP including its inability to prepare students for higher level math and science classes and the remediation sometimes necessary for college-bound students."

* [http://www.nychold.com/imp.html] NYCHOLD reviews, mostly negative.

== Notes ==

<references/>

{{Standards based mathematics}}