The assessment and grading practices in 19 mathematics classes in 5 high schools in 3 states were studied. In each class the most frequently used assessment tools were tests and quizzes, with these determining about 77% of students' grades. In 12 classes other forms of assessment, such as written projects or interviews with students, were also used, with performance on such instruments counting for about 7% of students' grades averaged across all 19 classes. Test items generally were low level, were stated without reference to a realistic context, involved very little reasoning, and were almost never open-ended. Most test items were either neutral or inactive with respect to technology. Written projects usually involved more complex analyses or applications than tests did. The teachers' knowledge and beliefs, as well as the content and textbook of the course, influenced the characteristics of test items and other assessment instruments. Only in geometry classes did standardized tests appear to influence assessment.

The assessment and grading practices in 19 mathematics classes in 5 high schools in 3 states were studied. In each class the most frequently used assessment tools were tests and quizzes, with these determining about 77% of students' grades. In 12 classes other forms of assessment, such as written projects or interviews with students, were also used, with performance on such instruments counting for about 7% of students' grades averaged across all 19 classes. Test items generally were low level, were stated without reference to a realistic context, involved very little reasoning, and were almost never open-ended. Most test items were either neutral or inactive with respect to technology. Written projects usually involved more complex analyses or applications than tests did. The teachers' knowledge and beliefs, as well as the content and textbook of the course, influenced the characteristics of test items and other assessment instruments. Only in geometry classes did standardized tests appear to influence assessment.

In a classroom environment in which continual access to graphing calculators is assumed, items that have been used to assess students' understanding of functions often are no longer appropriate. This article describes strategies for modifying such items, including requiring students to explain their reasoning, using calculator‐active items, analyzing graphs and tables, and using real contexts.

Most students love a good story! When we use children's literature as a context to explore functional relationships, our students are more motivated to learn. In this article, we share how we use children's literature in courses for prospective middle-grades teachers to explore and deepen these teachers' understanding of functions. We expect prospective teachers to teach functions to their future middle-grades students with understanding; therefore, we use literature to help them develop a personal understanding of functions that is connected and comprehensive.

Many middle school students do not realize that functions and mathematical relations are present in their everyday lives. For example, the number of calories a student burns is a function of how long the student runs; the amount of pizza available to be eaten is a function of the diameter of the pizza. These examples of functions found in our daily lives can be described in a variety of ways, including with tables, graphs, and possibly symbolic generalizations. Many students do not realize that functions and relations exist outside of the mathematics classroom and that they can be represented in numerous ways (Billings and Lakatos 2003).