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Proposals for the New Mathematics Curriculum and Assessment

Proposals for the New Mathematics Curriculum and Assessment. Margaret Brown Department of Education and Professional Studies, KCL. Structure. AS/A changes and implications for maths Other Post-16 changes and implications GCSE changes and implications

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Proposals for the New Mathematics Curriculum and Assessment

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  1. Proposals for the New Mathematics Curriculum and Assessment Margaret Brown Department of Education and Professional Studies, KCL

  2. Structure • AS/A changes and implications for maths • Other Post-16 changes and implications • GCSE changes and implications • National curriculum changes (implications for Y7 entry in maths) and KS3 teaching resources

  3. What is happening at A/AS level? • No January exams (from Sept 2013) Following consultation, Michael Gove has written to Ofqual with requirements for new system(first teaching from 2015): • Linear, not modular, course – exams only at end-of-2 years • Free-standing AS, intended also as 2-yr course (vertical not horizontal split) [students expected to choose between A and AS in each subject at start of Y12]

  4. What happens next? • Awarding bodies respond to a joint panel of their senior staff chaired by a V-C about changes needed for each facilitating subject, having consulted with Russell Group staff, teachers and learned societies. • Panel will make recommendations to Ofqual, who will consider exam arrangements with content. • If little change, ABs will work on own syllabuses to go to schools by Sept 2014 for 2015 teaching. Otherwise (& other subjects) by Sept 2015 for 2016

  5. Implications for maths • May take AS maths at end of Y12 (other subjects?) AS tougher so harder experience in Y12. • May lead to 4As, then drop 1 or move to AS • Single area of maths application more likely? • More complex exam questions on 2 years’ work • Lack of easy start, bite-sized modules and quick feedback may reduce A-level and especially AS-level maths numbers (both now high) and results • More differentiation at the top to assist selection

  6. What else is happening to maths 16-18? • From Sept 2013, everyone must continue with maths GCSE until acquire grade C+ (Wolf) (17s in compulsory ed. from Sept 2013, 18s from 2015) • New ‘core maths’ syllabuses for those with grade C but not wanting A-level [following Is the UK an outlier?(Hodgen et al.) and university statistics on students on courses with no A-level maths (ACME & HE STEM reports: 40% of Chemistry, 50% of Architecture,60% of Computer Science with no more than GCSE maths).

  7. What is happening now? • ACME setting up group to look at content • Some awarding bodies announcing new ‘Core maths’ courses e.g. OCR/MEI Certificate in Quantitative Methods (60 guided learning hours; CQM + Decision+ Stats = AS in QM) – subject to Ofqual approval

  8. Implications for maths • Reluctant learners if repeat GCSE course – need mature GCSE • Need for more maths teachers – FE/6thForm colleges expect to cope with staffing most of GCSE resits but not core maths – may draw from KS3 teachers qualified but not teaching post-16. • New types of courses mean more work for teachers alongside new A/AS and new GCSE

  9. What is happening to GCSE (14-16)? • GCSE content for Ebacc subjects published for consultation by DfE by August 20th. • GCSE arrangements consultation by Ofqual by Sept 3rd • Continue with all awarding bodies competing • Only June exams (also Nov for Maths/Eng L retakes) • New grading 1-8 with more differentiation at top and less at bottom • More challenging threshold grade (4?) • Tiers only for maths & science (1-5,3-8; 1-4,4-8?) • Accessibility to same percentage of age group(!) • External end-of-course exams only (except science) • Ebacc subjects first teaching from 2015 (rest 2016) • Draft KS4 Programme of Study published, consultation later this year? (But overtaken by GCSE?)

  10. What is happening (accountability)? Consultation finished 1st May on 2 major measures for secondary schools: 1) % achieving both Maths & Eng Lang GCSE threshold grades (grade 4?) 2) progress KS2 points score (Maths and English?) to mean GCSE pointscore across 8 subjects (M+E+3Ebacc + 3 others, possibly voc)

  11. Headline changes in GCSE content • Procedures upfront • Very pure set of skills and understandings – little indication of purpose or application • More transformation geometry (not matrices), APs & GPs, kinematics • Some odd phraseology e.g. ‘solve formulae’ ‘symmetric polygons’ • Higher tier with proofs, sequence convergence, compound interest, conditional probability • Recall & procedures (35-45%, of which 14-18% on items testing more); reasoning (30-40%); applications and non-routine problems(20-30%).

  12. Implications for maths • Continued focus on achieving maths threshold, but with tougher threshold, will make it difficult for maths teachers • Reduction in number of ‘passes’ • More non-routine examples? • What happens to ‘linked pair’?(Initial reference to ‘maths suite’ now disappeared.)

  13. What is happening to the National Curriculum (ages 5-14)? • Currently waiting for final version after KS1-3 consultation – implemented by Sept 2014 • Not legally required for academies, independents and free schools (but Y6 SATs & GCSE related) • Detailed year-by-year undifferentiated programmes of study at primary (40pp for maths) (only brief outline for foundation subjects) • Single short list for KS3 (5pp) • Levels removed; attainment targets are defined as attainment of everything in programmes of study

  14. Maths curriculum 5-14 headlines • Aims are fluency, reasoningmathematically and solvingproblems (i.e. fluency replaces communication) • At primary, greater emphasis on arithmetic, promoting the efficient written method of long multiplication and division, and more demanding content in fractions (4 operations), decimals and percentages • More ambitious content generally, including KS3 (& financial maths at KS3) • Little influence of ICT on curriculum (more at KS3)

  15. Maths 5-14 Curriculum Issues Mathematically, the draft is much improved but very pure - main questions are a) emphases in primary on written algorithms and b) how practical it is in relation to learners and teachers Will learners manage this curriculum? What happens to those who fall behind – will additional support be enough? Is there so much content that reasoning and problem-solving will miss out? How will teachers obtain the necessary resources and PD to deliver this? (No government budget, but ARK primary EEF project and KS3 MEI project)

  16. Maths 5-14 assessment and accountability issues • How will tracking work with no levels? • Will Y6 tests be harder? Will they be more procedure-based? • How will results be reported? • What will Y6 accountability be?

  17. And also...... • ICCAMS (Investigating Competence and Confidence in Algebra and Multiplicative Structures) – KS3 survey results and Y8 amended lesson plans ready for further trials • KCL Maths School – a free school 6th form college for 120 students without good A-level provision in maths, further maths and physics who want to specialise in STEM subjects, opening 2014 near Waterloo (open meeting 5.45 tonight on Waterloo Campus) • MathsWorldUK– developing a maths museum/exploratory (and SciMus Math Gallery)

  18. The Emir of Quatar, quoting the Fourth Caliph.... ‘Teach your children other than what you were taught, as they are created for a time other than yours.’ (Independent 26th June 2013)

  19. And remember... ...there is an election in May 2015.

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