Comprehensive School Mathematics Program

The Comprehensive School Mathematics Program, also known as CSMP, was part of the McREL (Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning) Institute's Comprehensive School Reform program. An elementary math program in the United States of America, it was designed to make math learning "fun" through the use of real life and fantasy elements. One example is that of Eli the Elephant, a pachyderm with a bag of magic peanuts &mdash; some representing positive integers, some negative.

The program had been intended to do right what New Math got wrong; in this regard, it is usually lauded as successful. On the other hand, it could be argued that the inclusion of fantasy characters and "Math Mountains" obscures the same basic mathematical principles it is trying to teach.