Outcome standards and core curricula: a new orientation for mathematics teachers in Germany

One of the pivotal innovations in Germany after publication and discussion of the results of international large scale assessment studies is the introduction of national educational standards for major subjects. The 16 German federal states have committed themselves to implement these standards by developing core curricula for the use in schools and by regularly testing the achievement of students. This development is expected to have considerable impact on the outcome of education. In this article we give, a picture of the current development in the German education system by describing the design of the core curriculum in one of the federal states (NRW) and discuss its function in bridging the gap between national educational standards and teaching practice