Big Ideas Learning, LLC is an educational publisher in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The company's headquarters is located in Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

. It publishes mathematics textbook

Textbook

A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...

s and instructional technology materials.

Big Ideas Learning is a privately owned Limited liability company

Limited liability company

A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...

.

History

The origins of Big Ideas Learning go back to 1980, when mathematics textbook author Ron Larson started a small company called Larson Texts. The company became incorporated in Pennsylvania in 1992 and became Larson Texts, Inc.

In 2008, the owners of Larson Texts decided to form a separate publishing company called Big Ideas Learning.. Big Ideas Learning develops and publishes mathematics textbooks. The name of the company is related to the 2006 "Focal Point" recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics was founded in 1920. It has grown to be the world's largest organization concerned with mathematics education, having close to 100,000 members across the USA and Canada, and internationally....

. In September 2006, NCTM released Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics: A Quest for Coherence

Principles and Standards for School Mathematics

Principles and Standards for School Mathematics are guidelines produced by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in 2000, setting forth recommendations for mathematics educators. They form a national vision for preschool through twelfth grade mathematics education in the US and Canada...

. In the Focal Points, NCTM identifies what it believes to be the most important mathematical topics ("the big ideas") for each grade level, including the related ideas, concepts, skills, and procedures that form the foundation for understanding and lasting learning.

Beginning in June, 2010, Big Ideas Learning signed an agreement with publisher Houghton MIfflin Harcourt

Houghton Mifflin

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is an educational and trade publisher in the United States. Headquartered in Boston's Back Bay, it publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults.-History:The company was...

 to market and sell the Big Ideas Math line of textbooks.Big ideas is really helpful for students and teachers.

Publications

The first publication for Big Ideas Learning is a series of middle school mathematics textbooks that implement the NCTM's focal point curriculum. Each book has a national edition and a Florida edition, which has been submitted for adoption in the state of Florida. In the spring of 2010, Big Ideas Math was adopted by over half of Florida's 67 counties . The series won the 2010 Textbook Excellence Award ("Texty")

Textbook Excellence Award ("Texty")

A Textbook Excellence Award from the Text and Academic Authors Association recognizes current textbooks and learning materials based on criteria established by the group. Judges are veteran authors in appropriate subject areas. Nominations from eight subject areas are reviewed each year from...

for excellence in textbook publishing in the Elementary-High School Division for Mathematics.

1. Larson, Ron; Laurie Boswell (2010), Big Ideas Math 6, Big Ideas Learning, ISBN 978-1-60840-000-3 (Florida), ISBN 978-1-60840-013-3 (National), ISBN 978-1-60840-159-8 (Virginia)
2. Larson, Ron; Laurie Boswell (2010), Big Ideas Math 7, Big Ideas Learning, ISBN 978-1-60840-001-3 (Florida), ISBN 978-1-60840-014-3 (National), ISBN 978-1-60840-165-9 (Virginia)
3. Larson, Ron; Laurie Boswell (2010), Big Ideas Math 8, Big Ideas Learning, ISBN 978-1-60840-002-7 (Florida), ISBN 978-1-60840-015-7 (National), ISBN 978-1-60840-171-0 (Virginia)

Sources

• Ed-Pub Ohio "Ron Larson Introduces New Focal Points Curriculum" http://edpubohio.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/ron-larson-introduces-new-focal-points-curriculum/
• Florida Association of School Administrators http://www.fasa.net/FASA-Membership_Business-Alliance-Member-Profile.cfm?idsBusiness=92
• Math and Literacy Intervention http://www.ciu20.org/documents/Math_Literacy-Intervention-Fair-2009.pdf
• CAMT Online http://www.camtonline.org/09exhibits.html
• Ten County Mathematics Education Association http://www.tencountymath.org/2009_program.pdf
• Florida Department of State http://www.sunbiz.org/scripts/cordet.exe?action=DETFIL&inq_doc_number=M08000003128&inq_came_from=NAMBWD&cor_web_names_seq_number=0000&names_name_ind=N&names_cor_number=P06000095758&names_name_seq=0000&names_name_ind=N&names_comp_name=BIGIDEAWRAPS&names_filing_type=DOMP
• Utah State Office of Education http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/IMC/Publisher%20Meeting%20Minutes%2070709a.pdf
• Orlando Sentinal http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_education_edblog/2008/10/state-associati.html
• Florida Association of District Instructional Materials Administrators http://www.fadima.net/amem.htm
• Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System http://www.polk-fl.net/staff/professionaldevelopment/ese/documents/SpringNewsletter2009.pdf
• The Steve Colgan Gallery http://www.stevecolgan.com/portfolio.htm
• 2009-2010 Florida Short Bid Report http://www.fldoe.org/BII/Instruct_Mat/pdf/ShortBidReport.pdf