Eight recommendations for school mathematics in the 1980s are given. These are based partially on results from mathematical assessments and other studies, and are intended to launch a decade of action in mathematics education. For each of the following recommendations, the document includes a short commentary and a series of recommended actions to be taken: (1) problem solving should be the focus of school mathematics in the 1980s; (2) basic skills in mathematics should be defined to encompass more than computational facility; (3) mathematics programs should take full advantage of the power of calculators and computers at all grade levels; (4) stringent standards of both effectiveness and efficiency should be applied to the teaching of mathematics; (5) the success of mathematics programs and student learning should be evaluated by a wider range of measures than conventional testing; (6) more mathematics should be required for all students and a flexible curriculum with a greater range of options should be designed to accommodate the diverse need of the student population; (7) mathematics teachers should demand of themselves and their colleagues a high level of professionalism; and (8) public support for mathematics instruction should be raised to a level commensurate with the importance of mathematical understanding to individuals and society. (MK)