The purpose of this paper is to compare curriculum documents for K-12 education from the state of North Carolina from two time periods, 1920s and 2003. The historical development of the mathematics curriculum in North Carolina provides a snapshot of the shifts in mathematics teaching and learning. North Carolina, a state in the southeast of the United States, has had a statewide standard course over a period spanning more than eighty years. A document analysis of printed curriculum standards from allows a description of the mathematics concepts and tasks that were expected of students in those years. The analysis revealed stark contrasts in the focus of mathematics from a very computational emphasis to one of problem solving. The analysis also highlighted the understanding of algebraic concepts and ideas as an essential outcome of current mathematics programs.

The purpose of this paper is to compare curriculum documents for K-12 education from the state of North Carolina from two time periods, 1920s and 2003. The historical development of the mathematics curriculum in North Carolina provides a snapshot of the shifts in mathematics teaching and learning. North Carolina, a state in the southeast of the United States, has had a statewide standard course over a period spanning more than eighty years. A document analysis of printed curriculum standards from allows a description of the mathematics concepts and tasks that were expected of students in those years. The analysis revealed stark contrasts in the focus of mathematics from a very computational emphasis to one of problem solving. The analysis also highlighted the understanding of algebraic concepts and ideas as an essential outcome of current mathematics programs.