In the early part of this century, the needs of our society were dominated by an emerging industrial age driven by mass production. The needs of that society were served by mathematics education in which the acquisition of computational skills was the primary focus. Computational skills alone are no longer sufficient for the United States to remain competitive in the world marketplace. In the coming century the educational needs of our society will be very different. The economy is global, the economic environment is more competitive, and the workforce is more mobile. The acquisition of computational skills remains important, but more is needed today, due to rapidly changing technology.

The development of mathematical problem solving, reasoning, communication skills, and use of appropriate technology is essential so that people can skillfully address the more complex problems encountered in today's workplaces. We need individuals who can apply their understanding of mathematics to solve real-world problems for which there are no simple formulas and standard procedures. We need individuals who can use their knowledge of mathematics to make sense of complex situations and then communicate that understanding to others. We need individuals who are able to solve tomorrow's problems, as well as today's. Mathematics education for the twenty-first century must address these needs.