Greetings and Welcome to Term 4 2006, the Last Run for 2006

SCHOOL SUPPORT SERVICES Your Learning Partners Advisor News MATHEMATICS Website http://schools.reap.org.nz/advisor • Mathematics and Statistics • May 2008 • Term 2

Greetings Everyone • Term 2 and all is well. These are goals of performance and The first term is always a very busy organizational time when the almost certainly different from what you will be experiencing. The area planning and work of the previous year come to fruition. “Reap that of concern are the half who have not which you shall sow”. This sounds rather biblical but truth happens. yet mastered multiplic-ation and rely Other memorable ditties noted include “Take a child from where they on inefficient counting and adding to are at…and don’t leave them there!” and “If you want a child to think, build new knowledge and solve give them something to think about”. Good advice that fits neatly with problems. the tikanga of the numeracy project. What do these students “do” in mathematics over the next three Check Timetable Calculation for your staff. In years? Using the 0.66 progression the PPTA contract is an endeavor that “the rate per year reported by AsTTle it average class size” will be a maximum of 26 is possible to do some crystal ball students. Here is a calculation from my third year gazing and make predictions of what can be expected. This assumes the of teaching (1982!) that shows an over-target load rate stays constant. under the current contract. It shows 2xYear 9 classes, 2xYear 10 classes, a Year 11 Waikato The 14% at CL1 and CL2 will form Math group and the “Careers Treat.” the low ability class at Year 11 and (4Ч28 + 4Ч32 + 4Ч30 + 4Ч29 + 4Ч28 + 2Ч12) most will successfully pass the low (4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 2) Just use contact hours and class size. level unit standards. They will gain numeracy for NCEA and possibly gain NCEA L1. These students will How do YOU monitor student progression? definitely be “Math App” students I am very keen to gather quantitative data for some Year 10 students, and rarely achieve more in classes and cohorts that show curriculum level improvement during the mathematics due to exhaustion of all year. AsTTLe research shows 0.66 of a curriculum level is the expected involved. This will need to change under the new Schools Plus improvement. The data from the numeracy project confirms this change initiative where the minimum in the number strand in Year 9 but not Year 10. If you do have some expectation by employers is L2 or evidence then please email or talk to me. What is it that Year 10 success at Curriculum Level 7. students learn? How do you know? We have discovered in the numeracy project that measuring achievement in Year 10 is a difficult The 53% at the top of the table are the future successful senior school undertaking. Validity, reliability, chemistry and variance abounds! students and almost all of them will continue with mathematics at Year EXPECTATION 12. This cohort is the base 100% One thing we are very certain about from Year 9 and 10 assessment is against which department success at that we have a wide spread of abilities. The range extends from just Year 11 is measured. above Level 1 to beyond Level 5. The national expectation data The 32% in the middle are the developed from the numeracy project (www.nzmaths.co.nz) shows the problematic group. These are following as “end of year 8 data” for students who have been engaged traditionally the “combo” U/S and in a numeracy project for several years (longitudinal study results). A/S class. These students have the deluded impression that by gaining Stage 4 or Stage 5 or Stage 6 or Level Stage 7 or Stage 8 or NCEA Level 1 they are ready for Level 1 Level 2 3 Adders/Early Level 4 Level 5 study in mathematics at Year 12 and Counters EarlyAdders Multipliers AA Multipliers Proportional CL7. Parents, careers TICs and AC EA AM Thinkers. AP principals often support this flawed viewpoint. This is the group that 2% 12% 32% 33% 20% need a two year program with a goal of success at NCEA L2 or The level above is Curriculum Level. Compare your own school data. Curriculum Level 7. http://schools.reap.org.nz/advisor • Jim Hogan, Adviser in Mathematics (Secondary) School Support Services • 1358 Hinemoa Street • PO Box 935 • Rotorua Phone 07 348 9079 • Fax 07 349 2214 • Mobile 027 278 5458 • Email [email protected] Conceptual Understanding and On Another Topic NCEA ALLIGNMENT I discovered the book “Conceptual Physics” and was delighted to find that like much The current U/S and A/S are not of my physics and mathematics teaching a strong emphasis on concepts. Once the workable in the revised curriculum. ideas are in place we can quantify the problems and then generate the laws and rules NZAMT is the logical co-ordinator which describe the interactions physicists have discovered describe our world. of the consultative process for the generation of new standards to be I was impressed with this “concept driven physics” and reflected upon the similarities stepped in from 2010 starting with of what we are trying to achieve within the NZ Numeracy Project. Establishing robust Year 11. Look out and participate fundamental concepts must precede numerical application and calculation. fully in this opportunity. What we choose will be what happens! Join At a recent training conference we asked new facilitators to give a selection of Year 9 the local mathematical association. students a decimal concepts test. One question asked for students to “add ten to 0.15”. There was a range of answers. Here are the four most common responses. “10.15, HOD DAY NOTE 0.25, 0.1510 and 1.15”. What concepts were misunderstood in the incorrect I am not able to run “revised responses? This is our challenge as a teacher. We understand, usually, the concepts curriculum” workshops for every being developed. How much attention do we give to the incorrect responses? How mathematics teacher. My goal often do we ask the student to explain their response? What do we do as a result of however is to inform HODs so that their explanation? I learnt that writing these good questions is darn difficult. they are both “ahead of the staff” and “will lead PD” on this very I have attached a complete decimal diagnostic test, with instructions, solutions and important task. The Term 2 some discussion of possible student responses. These are downloadable from my workshop continues to focus on the website and were constructed by Peter Hughes of ACE. Thank you Sir! key competencies but begins to explore the mathematical details in the content. Term 3 will be more on content and scheme design. Dates below. Your schools will by now be engaged in this as well.

Coming Workshops Term 2 Tauranga/Rotorua HOD Day 22nd May 9am to 3pm University in Durham St, Room SCHOOLS PLUS INITIATIVE 1.01. Agenda on website. This is a new initiative by the Ministry aimed at keeping the under eighteens in learning. The statistics shows that far too many students are leaving school with little Numeracy Symposium or no useful qualifications. These young people are a very problematic group. The 23rd May at Hamilton Race cost of these non-productive distractions is hundreds of millions and that is the Course. Limited to 200 people so expected budget allocation targeted to this project. It is BIG. Pay attention! email quickly if you are keen. Cost is $75. See my website for details. To attempt to remedy the “leaving situation” SCHOOLS PLUS will link students with other learning institutions, industry and community while remaining attached to Waikato HOD Day a school. The document that is out for consultation at the moment outlines how all June 11th 9am to 3pm this could happen and seeks advice. There is a website to read more and download Grosvenor Motor Inn Motel any literature and feedback forms. http://www.schoolsplus.govt.nz/ 165 Ulster St, Hamilton.

IMPLICATIONS • One obvious effect of this retention is there is going to be a large Term 3 group of the lowest ability students retained in the school. A blindingly obvious HOD Days in Gisborne, Date TBA. additional effect is that they will be “doing” numeracy along with literacy. My See July newsletter in Term 3. analytical mind quickly estimated the size of the 30% of a Year 11 cohort (55,000) that do not gain an NCEA Level 1 as 16,500 students nationwide. In classes of 20 this Term 4 translates to 5x165 teachers needed just in mathematics. Where are more than 800 BOPMA Conference, 28th Nov mathematics teachers to be found? Complicate this demand with the need to replace REAP Whakatane. More details in retiring teachers and the low numbers of pre-service mathematics teachers being Term 3. Theme is statistics and I trained. Now blend the enjoyment of teaching low ability older students who imagine curriculum, schools plus, probably wish they were somewhere else. “I love teaching…Yeah Right!” numeracy, standards, resources.

Despite my skepticism I am pleased the “sorting gates” of those who can and those STOP PRESS • VVIP who can’t are being destroyed. Our schools will need to adapt and develop workable SEE GAZETTE for PPTA graduate changes. The revised NZ Curriculum is the perfect vehicle to begin this process. With study awards. Waikato University adequate funding and training I am sure many of the difficulties will be sorted. now has some excellent numeracy papers. CLOSING EARLY JULY. The following article on NCEA alignment is a natural implication as well. Do not see all this information and impending change as a doomsday date but as opportunity. We Enjoy the term and stay happy! will need our collective creative thought and practicality to design and implement Jim Hogan solutions acceptable to all. Student centered learning, always, at the fore. SEC MATHEMATICS ADVISOR