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Second, you asked a separate question that was framed as "an attempt to get an indirect answer for [this question]," and I had left an answer there with four Math Ed references some time ago. I hope that my general point about the difficulty of directly teaching heuristics was not lost, even as the question was ultimately closed, and that the relation to this post is apparent.

Second, you asked a separate question that was framed as "an attempt to get an indirect answer for [this question]," and I had left an answer there with four Math Ed references some time ago. I hope that my general point about the difficulty of directly teaching heuristics was not lost, even as the question was ultimately closed, and that the relation to this post is apparent.

I realize Mathematics Education posts are often of questionable admissibility on MO. I will try to do the question here some justice by answering from within the field of Math Education, but I cannot speak to how widespread my own views on the matter are. If my response seems somewhat long, then I might suggest one consider its ratio to how broad the question title is; unless, of course, a length:breadth comparison only confuses further.

I realize Mathematics Education posts are often of questionable admissibility on MO. I will try to do the question here some justice by answering from within the field of Math Education, but I cannot speak to how widespread my own views on the matter are. If my response seems somewhat long, then I might suggest one consider its ratio to how broad the question title is; unless, of course, a length:breadth comparison only confuses further.

I suspect that CCSSM will have a stronger effect than its predecessors, for two reasons: 1, its near nationwide acceptance by governors, which coincides not surprisingly with a shift towards a more centralized approach to education, and presages tests (hence accountability) of some sort or another; and 2, the realization that the Standards might have a long-term presence has led to some who might otherwise oppose such a document to try and make the best of the situation. I recently attended a colloquium given by Alan Schoenfeld at Teachers College, where he talked about related issues, and his work to help teachers with CCSSM despite the shortcomings it might have. (I expect this to appear in written form as: Schoenfeld, A. Mathematical Modeling, Sense Making, and the Common Core State Standards. The Journal of Mathematics Education at Teachers College, 4(2).) Henry Pollak, who was involved in the School Mathematics Study Group (SMSG) of the 1950s and 60s behind New Math, remarked on the wonder of seeing others helping to promote and improve mathematics curricula with which they might not agree. (It is perhaps a lack of this sort of support that derailed New Math, and led to its condemnation and the following Back to the Basics movement, though its detractors would no doubt be surprised to realize the atavistic re-emergence of some wonderful materials developed around that time in "new" textbooks.)

I suspect that CCSSM will have a stronger effect than its predecessors, for two reasons: 1, its near nationwide acceptance by governors, which coincides not surprisingly with a shift towards a more centralized approach to education, and presages tests (hence accountability) of some sort or another; and 2, the realization that the Standards might have a long-term presence has led to some who might otherwise oppose such a document to try and make the best of the situation. I recently attended a colloquium given by Alan Schoenfeld at Teachers College, where he talked about related issues, and his work to help teachers with CCSSM despite the shortcomings it might have. (This talk has since been written up as a short article: Schoenfeld, A. Mathematical Modeling, Sense Making, and the Common Core State Standards. The Journal of Mathematics Education at Teachers College, 4(2).) Henry Pollak, who was involved in the School Mathematics Study Group (SMSG) of the 1950s and 60s behind New Math, remarked on the wonder of seeing others helping to promote and improve mathematics curricula with which they might not agree. (It is perhaps a lack of this sort of support that derailed New Math, and led to its condemnation and the following Back to the Basics movement, though its detractors would no doubt be surprised to realize the atavistic re-emergence of some wonderful materials developed around that time in "new" textbooks.)