The comments in this article provide a background to the key notions underlying the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics: first, the organization's intent when it decided to prepare this document; second, the anticipated use of the standards by teachers, schools, and states to change how mathematics has been organized and taught in American schools; third, the current process of preparing revisions to the standards by NCTM. The author ends by offering comments about unanticipated reactions to the document.
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