MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT AND THE NEW MATHEMATICS MOVEMENT IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITHIN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA (PENNSYLVANIA)

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect that the "new math" movement had upon the mathematics achievement of the secondary school students of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in comparison to the "traditional math" curriculum and the consequential impact of the movement during subsequent years. A secondary objective is to determine the degree of comparability of the results of the Archdiocese with those of the Nation. The study encompasses the past thirty years (1953 - 1983) of mathematics curriculum which has been distinguished to be three specific curricula: traditional math, new math, and a revised math. The population which includes an urban and a suburban high school is assessed according to two categories, school and sex. The predictors of mathematics achievement are teacher math grades for the ninth, tenth, and eleventh years, diagnostic tests, and the Scholastic Aptitude Test of Mathematics. To establish differences which might occur upon entry into high school in regard to general ability and performance ability, teacher math grades and diagnostic tests are used as math predictors of the eighth year. After an Analysis of Covariance was applied by assessing the variance of each curriculum within total population and between population, the study reports that curriculum and in particular, the "new math" curriculum had significantly affected the mathematics achievement of secondary school students but not solely on the basis of curriculum content. The study evaluates the additional factors which contributed to the surmise of mathematics achievement and comments on the entire movement within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Nation.