This paper examines the expectations set forth by The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and Achieve Inc., focusing on the Data Analysis Standard proposed for middle grades students.  The paper discusses that all students in the middle grades will have difficulty achieving these expectations and standards. To prove this, each objective is examined in depth from examples given in the documents to actual observations made in the classroom.

Not all of the expectations set forth by these two organizations represent inappropriate expectations. However, the request that all students should be able to accomplish all of the goals is unreasonable. Many of the students that live in this country and attend our schools were not born here and speak English as a second language. This is an obstacle that other countries do not have to deal with because of the homogeneity of their students’ demographics.

The two documents Principles and Standards and Foundations for Success are full of great ideas for improving mathematics curriculum. However, not all of their ideas are appropriate for the grade level they suggest. Also, both documents do not make any references to lending the teachers any freedom to make professional decisions about what should be taught at what levels.

Classrooms in this country are very diverse. Whether it is their family’s background, learning styles, developmental stage, or achievement level. All students in this country are different, and these two organizations-National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and Achieve does not recognize the discrepancies in the data. They focus on improving numbers when compared to other countries, without realizing the infrastructure of the different countries around the world.

The objectives set forth by NCTM and Achieve are mostly unattainable for all students to accomplish due to the level of difficulty. These organizations believe all students can met all of the expectations regardless of external factors. They need to reexamine the statement that all students can learn the same objectives at the same level of schooling. Their demands are completely unrealistic. Sure, some students at the middle school level can accomplish the goals. Some students, however, need special education services, and some find math to be very challenging. When students feel as though they are being rushed through a topic they do not understand, they will get anxious and will not be able to perform as well as they normally would. It is acceptable to have high expectations for students, however in order to produce success, the goals need to be within reach of the student’s ability.