Reform of High School Mathematics and Science and Opportunity to Learn

This brief concerns the nature of the high school mathematics and science curriculum in the United States. It draws from a large study which documented instructional practices and content using novel methodologies. This research approach is a promising step toward the development of indicators of opportunity to learn. The study also provides encouraging news about the effects of increased standards in math and science - they did not result in a watering down of the curriculum. However, practice in the schools studied is a far cry from the ambitious goals for math and science instruction now being developed by the profession.