What Is the Place of Algebra in the K—12 Mathematics Program?

Abstract

The word "algebra" conjures up many images and emotions, and is the source of many misconceptions. At one time, only the college-educat ed studied algebra; today, it is a standard part of the high school cur riculum. The ability to do complex algebraic maniputations was once the hallmark of the mathematically literate; today, when technology handles much of our computational work, the essence of mathematical literacy is the ability to use mathematical concepts to model and understand the world.