This is good news. Utah should be world leaders in math. This requires raising our current math standards to match the world leaders.

For parents in the Alpine School District this is good news. The ASD CONSTRUCTIVIST Learning Theory is just that, a theory with no data to back it up. Not one of the world leaders in math use the theory.

In order to get grant money to implement the program, ASD was apparently required to do it district wide without any parental or public input. (They were told it would never work to do it school by school because the parents would not put up with it.) Traditional textbooks were surplused and the new plan was put in place in the dark of night. It's been a dismal failure. Math scores in ASD are flat and the constructivist children now in Jr and Sr High are beginning to flounder.

Last year Graff told parents each elementary school could choose which program they wanted yet he made it almost impossible to use anything other than constructivist math. All teacher training is now constructivist. Until there are new state standards or a new administration, ASD will be a constructivist.