Only 67 percent of the fourth graders statewide met the new math standard.

Last year, for example, 36 percent of the students in the city's high schools failed to meet the state's English and math standards.

But that was a decline from last year, when 67 percent met the math standards.

Class size is 24 to 28 with more than three-fourths of the students meeting English arts and math standards.

Among Asians, 58 percent met eighth-grade math standards, 6 points more than whites.

Educators point to the math standards as an example.

The attempt to establish math standards has been no less contentious.

Even so, only 34.4 percent of city eighth graders met math standards.

There is enough concrete detail in the math standards to guide teachers well.

There, he learned about backward design, which emphasizes teaching with the end result - knowledge of state reading or math standards - in mind.