NCTM

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) was founded in 1920. It

has grown to be the world's largest organization concerned with mathematics education,
having more than 80,000 members and more than 230 Affiliates throughout the United
States and Canada.
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics presents itself as "the public voice of
mathematics education, supporting teachers to ensure equitable mathematics learning of
the highest quality for all students through vision, leadership, professional development,
and research."[1]
NCTM holds annual national and regional conferences for teachers and publishes five
journals. Its published standards have been highly influential in the direction of
mathematics education in the United States and Canada.

Journals
NCTM publishes five journals. All are available in print and online versions.
Teaching Children Mathematics, an official journal of the National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics (NCTM), supports improvement of pre-K–6 mathematics education by
serving as a resource for teachers so as to provide more and better mathematics for all
students. It is a forum for the exchange of mathematics idea, activities, and pedagogical
strategies, and or sharing and interpreting research.
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, an official journal of the National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics, supports the improvement of 5–9 mathematics education by
serving as a resource for practicing and prospective teachers, as well as supervisors and
teacher educators. It is a forum for the exchange of mathematics idea, activities, and
pedagogical strategies, and or sharing and interpreting research.
Mathematics Teacher, an official NCTM journal, is devoted to improving mathematics
instruction for grades 8–14 and supporting teacher education programs. It provides a
forum for sharing activities and pedagogical strategies, deepening understanding of
mathematical ideas, and linking mathematical education research to practice.
Mathematics Teacher Educator contributes to building a professional knowledge base for
mathematics teacher educators that stems from, develops, and strengthens practitioner
knowledge. The journal provides a means for practitioner knowledge related to the
preparation and support of teachers of mathematics to be not only public, shared, and
stored, but also verified and improved over time (Hiebert, Gallimore, and Stigler 2002).
NCTM does not conduct research in mathematics education, but it does publish
the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME), the most influential
periodical in mathematics education research worldwide and the fourth most-cited
educational research journal of any kind.[2] Summaries of the most important findings
in mathematics educational research in regard to current practices can be found on
their website. JRME is devoted to the interests of teachers of mathematics and
mathematics education at all levels—preschool through adult. JRME is a forum for
disciplined inquiry into the teaching and learning of mathematics. The editors encourage

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the submission of a variety of manuscripts: reports of research, including experiments,
case studies, surveys, philosophical studies, and historical studies; articles about
research, including literature reviews and theoretical analyses; brief reports of research;
critiques of articles and books; and brief commentaries on issues pertaining to research.

NCTM Standards
NCTM has published a series of math Standards outlining a vision for school mathematics
in the USA and Canada. In 1989, NCTM developed the Curriculum and Evaluation
Standards for School Mathematics, followed by the Professional Standards for Teaching
Mathematics (1991) and the Assessment Standards for School Mathematics (1995).
Education officials lauded these math standards, and the National Science
Foundation funded several projects to develop curricula consistent with
recommendations of the standards. The Department of Education cited several of these
programs as "exemplary". However, implementation of the reform has run into strong
criticism and opposition, including parental revolts and the creation of antireform
organizations such as Mathematically Correct and HOLD. These organizations object
especially to reform curricula that greatly decrease attention to the practice and
memorization of basic skills and facts. Critics of the reform include a contingent of vocal
mathematicians, and some other mathematicians have expressed at least some serious
criticism of the reformers in the past.
In 2000, NCTM released the updated Principles and Standards for School
Mathematics. Principles and Standards is widely considered to be a more balanced and
less controversial vision of reform than its predecessor.

ICMI

Overview

ICMI as an Organisation

The International Commission on Mathematical Instruction was established at the Fourth

International Congress of Mathematicians in Rome, 1908. Following interruptions
in activity as a result of the First and Second World Wars, ICMI was reconstituted in
1952 and became an official commission of the International Mathematical Union (IMU).

As a scientific union, IMU is a member of the International Council for Science

(ICSU). This implies that through IMU, ICMI is to abide by the ICSU statutes, one of
which (Statute 5) establishes the Principle of the Universality of Science, the essential
elements of which are non-discrimination and equity. Through this principle, ICSU affirms
the right and freedom of scientists to participate without discrimination and on an
equitable basis in legitimate scientific activities, whether they be conducted in a national,
transnational or international context, regardless of their citizenship, religion, political
stance, ethnic origin, sex, etc. Apart from observing IMU and ICSU general rules and
principles, ICMI works with a large degree of autonomy.

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The General Assembly of ICMI meets during the International Congresses on
Mathematical Education (ICMEs), held every four years. This Assembly is responsible in
particular for the election of the Executive Committee of ICMI, which includes the
presiding officers of ICMI.

The General Assembly of IMU formally adopts ICMI's Terms of Reference as well as
the procedures for the election of the Executive Committee of ICMI. Moreover the vast
majority of the current funding of ICMI comes from an IMU subvention that is approved
by the IMU General Assembly. ICMI files an annual report of its activities and a financial
report to the IMU Executive Committee for endorsement. Furthermore, ICMI files
quadrennial reports at General Assembly meetings of both IMU and ICMI.

Devoted to the development of mathematical education at all levels, the International

Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) is a commission of the International
Mathematical Union (IMU), an international non-governmental and nonprofit scientific
organisation whose purpose is to promote international cooperation in mathematics.

Founded at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Rome, 1908 with the initial
mandate of analysing the similarities and differences in the secondary school teaching of
mathematics among various countries, ICMI has considerably expanded its objectives
and activities in the years since.

ICMI offers a forum to promote reflection, collaboration and the exchange and
dissemination of ideas on the teaching and learning of mathematics from primary to
university level. ICMI works to stimulate the creation, improvement and dissemination of
recent research findings and of the available resources for instruction (e.g curricular
materials, pedagogical methods, the appropriate use of technology, etc.).

The Commission aims to facilitate the spread and understanding of information on all
aspects of the theory and practice of contemporary mathematical education from an
international perspective. ICMI has the additional objective of providing a link between
educational researchers, curriculum designers, educational policy makers, teachers of
mathematics, mathematicians, mathematics educators and others interested in
mathematical education around the world.

ICMI takes initiative in inaugurating appropriate activities, publications and other

programmes designed to further the development of mathematical education and to
improve the public appreciation of mathematics. It is also charged with the conduct of
IMU's activities on mathematical or scientific education. In the pursuit of its objectives,
ICMI cooperates with various thematic and regional groups formed within or outside its
own structure.

Among international organisations devoted to mathematics education, ICMI is distinctive

because of its close ties with the professional communities of mathematicians and
mathematical educators as well as its
breadth – thematic, cultural and regional.