The District 59 intermediate mathematics program was developed to meet the needs of the students of the new millennium. The goals of the program are to:

• Provide teachers and students with materials that implement the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) curriculum and evaluation standards and the Illinois Learning Standards (ILS).
  
• Provide intermediate students with a sound foundation for success in mathematics by reinforcing the mathematical understandings introduced in the primary grades and extending these foundations to prepare the students for middle school mathematics.
  

Implementing the ILS and NCTM Standards
The intermediate mathematics program implements the standards and goals by encouraging students to be mathematically powerful students who can communicate mathematically and who value mathematics as contributing to their academic success and their success in real-life endeavors. The program is designed to develop students' confidence in their math ability through the development of problem-solving skills, math-reasoning ability, and computational competence. The goals of the ILS and NCTM Standards are reflected in the District 59 intermediate mathematics program through:

• Encouraging students in every lesson to explore and talk about mathematical ideas
  
• Ensuring computational competence through the development of a strong number sense (This will in turn place emphasis on proficiency with basic facts, algorithms, estimation, mental math, reasonableness of answer, use of calculators and other state-of-the-art technology and the ability to choose appropriate calculation methods. We believe that students who develop a strong number sense will be more proficient with computation and more powerful problem solvers.)
  
• Providing a sound base of mathematical problem-solving skills and strategies that can be applied to real-world situations and transferred to other content areas (Through a strong literature connection students learn to apply their reading skills and the process of reasoning to solve math problems. These problem-solving strategies will appear throughout specific chapter lessons.)
  
• Continuing to motivate students through an interesting array of integrated mathematical topics and building an intuitive understanding of algebra, geometry and data analysis in preparation for the middle grades
  
• Promoting understanding of mathematical concepts through hands-on experiences (Throughout the grades, work with numbers is connected to physical, hands-on representations to enhance understanding of key mathematical concepts and skills. Manipulatives and pictorial models play an important role in helping students to develop continuing number sense.)
  
• Evaluating students will provide staff with ongoing assessment of student progress (Use of performance, as well as objective assessments will provide a strong indication of a student's level of mastery).