Maths and Our Learning Communities “Who makes our schools count?”

Maths and Our Learning Communities “Who makes our schools count?” July 2006 http://www.nzmaths.co.nz/Numeracy/References/Hyland_Numeracy_Symposium.ppt Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

Mandate for Mathematics/Pāngarau • Major Government Goal for New Zealand Education since 1998 … • Legislative requirement and focus for schools … • Focus of Ministry publishing programmes both print and on-line… • Focus for preservice and inservice teacher learning … Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

Mandate for Mathematics What is the knowledge data telling us? * Recalls muliplication facts up to the 10 times tables … Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

Mandate for Mathematics What is the Strategy data telling us? * eg double/halve, rounding and compensating etc Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

Mandate for mathematics Considering this data – • If this was reading data what would our response be as principals and lead teachers? • Discussion • What would our parents expect? • Discussion Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

Mandate for mathematics Considering the data • Reprioritisation of staffing with an allocation of focussed on in-class support for students “at risk” • Teachers focus their teaching on any students “causing concern”. • A case for one hour of mathematics daily with regular teaching of arithmetic for all students. Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

Mandate for Mathematics Considering this data – What is it that our secondary schools are wanting and expecting? Consensus from 2005 SNP teachers: “Students arriving at Year 9 competent in Number and number operations (Level 4); i.e. able to start work at level five of the mathematics curriculum and find it easy and enjoyable” (Harvey & Higgins 2005 – in press) Level Three Number; Level Four Number Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

Mandate for Mathematics/Pangarau • Even within an extensive curriculum have you considered how mathematics and numerical competency underpin:* science? *social studies? * technology? *the Arts ?*physical education and health? • Therefore: Has your school allocated sufficient time for effective mathematics teaching and learning? Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

Mathematics – medium term External Support • continuing Ministry focus • facilitators/advisers • web-site • national data-base and analysis tools • publications • access to mathematics education qualifications for teachers • pre-service priority for all graduates Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

Mathematics – medium term School - based Support • Leadership from the principal • Lead Teachers (in-school facilitators) • Continuing professional learning focus • Focus for all newly appointed staff • School staffing priority • School budget priority • Timetabling priority • Individual Ownership by each teacher Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

Who Makes Our Schools Count? WE DO if…. Administration • Our principals are fully involved in this priority learning area. • Our lead teachers are fully supported including release time and/or management units. • Our lead leaders are encouraged to complete graduate and postgraduate qualifications. • Our lead teachers enjoy teaching mathematics. • Our lead teachers are seen by all staff as leading continuous professional learning in mathematics. • We regularly allocate time for mathematics focussed staff and syndicate meetings. Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

Who Makes our Schools Count? WE DO if …. Teaching and Learning • Our teachers enjoy teaching mathematics/pāngarau effectively with arithmetic emphsised at all levels. • Our children enjoy learning and understanding mathematics/pāngarau with their individual needs addressed. • Teaching and learning mathematics/pāngarau involves listening to, and sharing children’s ideas and problem solving strategies • The language of mathematics/pāngarau is used in every lesson as a tool for communicating mathematics ideas and understanding. Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

Who Makes our Schools Count? WE DO if …. • We have prioritised the time allocated to mathematics/pāngarau.(at least four hours per week as a minimum) • We have allocated additional staffing to support at risk students. • All our students progress and achieve on the Number Framework. • Teachingrules to get right answers is minimised (although rules or calculators should still be used when the numbers are too complex – stage 6 and above). Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

Long Term Success If we Sustain Effective Mathematics Teaching • Our children will develop acuity with the four number operations, with fractions and decimals. • All our children will be at least at Stage 7 on the Number Framework when leaving year 8. • We will prioritise the time allocated to mathematics/pāngarauwithout the need for further legislation. Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

MINZC-Level 3 Number Exploring computation and estimation Within a range of meaningful contexts students should be able to: • Recall basic multiplication facts; • Write and solve problems which involve whole numbers and decimals and which require a choice of one or more of the four arithmetic operations; Return to 3 , 4, or 6 Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

MINZC-Level 4 Number Exploring computation and estimation Within a range of meaningful contexts students should be able to: • Write and solve problems involving decimal multiplication and division; • Find a given fraction or percentage of a quantity Return to slide 3, 4, or 6 Making Your School Count Symposium 2006

Maths and Our Learning Communities “Who makes our schools count?”