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Waterford West State School Whole School Numeracy Plan 2011-2013 Lifelong Confidence with Mathematics
Waterford West State School Whole School Numeracy Plan
2011-2013
Lifelong Confidence with Mathematics
Waterford West
Numeracy Plan
Maths Block Literacy
Of Maths
Whole-‐ Part-‐ Whole
On-‐Going PD
Hands-‐ On
Resources Data
Analysis
Moderation
Problem Solving
Planning Assessment Conversations
Rationale To be numerate is to use mathematics effectively to meet the general demands of life at home, in paid work, and for participation in community and civic life. In school education, numeracy is a fundamental component of learning, across all areas of the curriculum. It involves the disposition to use, in context, a combination of: • underpinning mathematical concepts and skills from across the discipline (numerical,
spatial, graphical, statistical and algebraic); • mathematical thinking and strategies; • general thinking skills; and • grounded appreciation of context. Numeracy is integral to effective learning in all years of schooling and in all areas of learning. This central role is reflected in its identification as a cross-‐ curriculum priority in each of the key learning area syllabuses. Numeracy is an often misunderstood concept, and this is one of the significant challenges that this Framework for Action seeks to address. Waterford West State School is committed to ensuring that: • every teacher of mathematics is supported to offer high quality mathematics programs
to help all students to develop the capabilities to lead numerate lives • every teacher has the support needed to offer high quality numeracy programs for all
students so that they are able to access and meet the numeracy demands of all learning areas of the curriculum.
The Numeracy: Lifelong Confidence with Mathematics – Framework for Action 2007–2010 identifies key priorities and areas for focused action. These are: • understanding numeracy • teacher knowledge and pedagogy • numeracy across the curriculum • numeracy leadership.
Numeracy Vision 2011 – 2013 Waterford West State School believes that a whole school coordinated approach to curriculum numeracy sets high expectations and beliefs about the teaching and learning of numeracy. It is the school’s belief that teacher knowledge can be shared and built upon, while we continue to develop as lifelong learners. The Numeracy Block Our fundamental beliefs around the teaching of numeracy incorporate a whole-‐part-‐whole approach, giving students explicit instructions and modelled demonstration, then allowing students to work away and with the teacher. Waterford West also highly values the inclusion of concrete materials into the maths curriculum. Students from prep to grade 7 benefit from experimenting with concrete objects and learn by ‘doing’, rather than just listening and watching. *Refer to appendix 1 for example of the numeracy block. The numeracy block begins with opportunities to reinforce mental computation strategies. Students are then encouraged to connect and engage with the content material. This is quite often a numeracy demand or opportunity, as students make links to the content by using a real-‐life example. Open ended questioning then ensures that students are actively inquiring and constructing their own mathematical ideas around the content. Group work and consolidation activities then reinforce the content being delivered and built upon. Teachers then review and reflect with students around the concept being covered and build on ideas and beliefs in discussions with the class.
Problem Solving Problem solving skills extend further than the realms of the classroom. Students will use, develop and refine their problem solving techniques in real-‐life situations as they grow into adulthood. The teaching of effective problem solving skills is reliant on skilful teacher-‐directed pedagogy. Teachers provide their students with a range of problem-‐solving strategies that are useful in a variety of contexts. *Refer to appendix 2 to view Strategy Timeline. Problem solving allows students to practise their current maths knowledge to solve meaningful and challenging problems.
Assessment and Reporting Waterford West State School uses a system of continuous assessment to obtain information on student achievement throughout each year level. The assessment schedule for each year level will provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their achievement with respect to the four assessable elements — Knowledge and Understanding, Thinking and Reasoning, Communicating and Reflecting. Teachers assess all four of these elements each term. This is done through end of term assessment, investigation units, Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT Maths) and NAPLAN. The following table outlines our mean scores for last year’s NAPLAN.
National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results
Numeracy (2010) Year 3 Year 5 Year 7 Avg. score at WWSS 307.3 411.5 509.4 Avg. score for Australia 395.3 488.7 547.7 Percentage of students at WWSS above NMS*
69.1% 74.7% 87.3%
*NMS = National Minimum Standard Assessment and monitoring is key to identifying areas of need and areas of strength. At Waterford West State School, PAT Maths is assessed from grades 3-‐7 twice yearly. Data from the testing is analysed by teachers and admin during PAC Talks, then displayed on a
data wall. Our aim is to set realistic goals within the scale scores for teachers and students to aspire to. *Refer to appendix 3 to view data wall template. Waterford West intervention and enrichment strategies include: • Learning Support: Our Learning Support Teacher works as an extension to classrooms providing support to student identified as being at risk.
• Year 2 Net Intervention: Children caught in the year two net for numeracy receive small group or individual intervention with the learning support teacher.
• Lunchtime programs: These ‘clubs’ cater for students who demonstrate a talent in areas such as, dance, chess, visual art, sport and media.
• Homework Centre: This program provides support for our indigenous students through assistance with homework and related topics.
• Gifted and Talented Committee: These members are currently working towards developing a plan of action to enhance teachers’ knowledge and understanding in effectively identifying and catering for the needs of these students. This involves enrichment programs both in and out of the classroom setting.
Action Plan 2011 -‐ 2013 The following plan outlines key areas for implementation in Numeracy Practices for Waterford West State School. This process will begin in 2011 and progress through to 2013. This plan consists of four key areas, each containing a number of strategies. The first key area is Understanding Numeracy. This area focuses on establishing a common language and basis for discussion of numeracy. The second area is Teacher Knowledge and Pedagogy. In this domain we aim to improve teacher knowledge of mathematics and how students learn. The third key area is Numeracy Across the Curriculum. The focus here is to improve teacher understanding of numeracy across the curriculum to enhance student knowledge. The fourth key area is Numeracy Leadership. Its focus is to enhance curriculum leadership. Within these strategies there are performance measures that have a four-‐part progression. The first stage is discussion and drafting within the staff group. Following this, each strategy is implemented and finally embedded within our school practices. The concluding stage allows staff to review and reflect on these practices.
UNDERSTANDING NUMERACY AIM: To establish a common language and basis for discussion of numeracy in the educational and wider school communities.
Considerations Strategies Performance Measures Time Line 2011 2012 2013
Adopt and support an agreed definition of numeracy. -‐ Adopt definition from Framework for Action 2007-‐2010.
-‐ Clear definition stated in Numeracy Plan
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Reach a shared understanding and position on how numeracy is related to: - Mathematics and other key learning areas - Literacy and other cross-‐curriculum priorities - Current and emerging technologies.
-‐ More professional development around inserting Numeracy Moments into other KLAs. -‐ Teachers explicitly highlighting and demonstrating opportunities to utilise maths skills and knowledges in areas not directly linked to maths.
-‐ Evidenced in teacher planning and PAC meetings.
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Broaden the community’s awareness of the importance of students’ numeracy achievements beyond the definitions used in the national testing program.
-‐ Showcasing student work in class showcase events. -‐ Self-‐promotion of school’s numeracy achievements in newsletters, shop fronts and media.
-‐ 100% of teaching staff to be involved in showcases incorporating aspects of numeracy each semester.
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Help parents to understand the purpose of numeracy skills in students’ long-‐term success and everyday contexts.
-‐ Parent information evenings focusing on NAPLAN and QCAT preparation and data.
-‐ 20% of families attend twilight sessions which focus on curriculum, homework and online resources. -‐ Regular media and shopping centre displays. term 1
D I E
Educate the broader community about the nature of teaching and learning programs in numeracy and mathematics.
-‐ Parent information sessions around school’s current maths program and national curriculum expectations. -‐ Parent and carer maths information sessions offered at school by teachers.
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-‐ Public displays of student work during Literacy and Numeracy Week.
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Challenge myths concerning the role of school mathematics and the impact of current and emerging technologies.
-‐ Professional discussions around effective usage of calculators. -‐ Sharing of popular software and websites that compliment current maths pedagogy.
-‐ 100% of all Numeracy PD incorporates elements of ICT-‐based pedagogy.
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Enhance classroom-‐based numeracy programs. -‐ Consistency in: Moderation Authentic assessment Teaching of number facts Hands-‐on learning School-‐based strategies Effective use of technology
-‐ School-‐based maths moderation implemented each term. -‐ 100% of teachers to include school-‐specific teaching strategies into planning.
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TEACHER KNOWLEDGE AND PEDAGOGY AIM: To improve teacher knowledge of mathematics, how students learn and transfer mathematical knowledge and skills and how teaching impacts on student use of numeracy.
Considerations Strategies Performance Measures Time Line 2011 2012 2013
Establish the following fundamental principles: - All students can succeed in mathematics and develop a positive
attitude and confidence in using mathematics. - Teachers must meet learners at their current point of
understanding. - Students’ enjoyment in classroom mathematics influences their
confidence with numeracy outside the classroom
-‐ Student individual goal-‐setting (achievable yet aspirational) -‐ Construction of PAT Maths Data Wall -‐ Use of regular diagnostic assessment -‐ Regular linking of maths concepts to ‘real-‐life’ experiences. -‐ Regular positive and constructive feedback from teacher to student.
-‐ Years 3-‐7 teachers engage in twice-‐yearly analysis of PAT Maths results through data wall discussions. -‐ 100% of teachers will engage in professional discussions through moderation.
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Develop teacher understanding of mathematics content with respect to: - The nature of mathematics as a discipline - The mathematics topics they teach - The relationship of those topics to further learning and everyday
life - The impact of information and communication technologies on the
teaching and learning of mathematics
-‐ Identifying teachable ‘numeracy moments’ across all KLAs in current unit plans -‐ Use of mentoring timetable -‐ Feedback to teachers around maths lessons -‐ PD and sharing of effective ICT pedagogy to link with maths focus
-‐ 70% of teachers access mentoring time to observe best practice in numeracy lessons. -‐ 100% of teachers reflect on data and own teaching practice during PAC Meetings. -‐ Admin observation with individual feedback.
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Improve teacher knowledge of how students construct their own mathematical concepts.
-‐ Use current teaching staff to exemplify current and effective teaching strategies.
-‐ 70 % of Maths PD to include video footage of real-‐life examples if numeracy-‐based best practice.
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Improve teacher use of technologies to enhance mathematical understandings.
-‐ Well-‐equipped resource room -‐ Professional development with ICT focus
-‐ 100% of planning documents to include a list of relevant online learning resources.
D I E
Improve teacher use of assessment data to inform planning for teaching and learning.
-‐ Analysis of diagnostic assessment -‐ PAC talks
-‐ 100% of teachers from Years 3-‐7 engage in twice-‐yearly analysis of PAT Maths results through data wall discussions. 100% of teachers analyse school-‐based data during PAC meetings.
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Improve teaching practices in mathematics, with particular emphasis on understanding the learner, having high expectations for all students, employing productive pedagogies and assessment for learning.
-‐ Teachers construct assessment tasks to include higher order thinking. -‐ Admin to monitor assessment tasks. -‐ Celebrating high achievements in maths (rewards) -‐ Student goal-‐setting -‐ Explicit explanation of assessment and criteria from teacher to student -‐ Regular feedback – teacher to student and student to teacher
-‐ 100% of assessment to include higher order thinking skills. -‐ One investigation to be done each term across grades 1-‐7.
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Support teachers’ professional development in mathematics to improve teacher confidence and the use of pedagogies that foster positive attitudes to mathematics in their students.
-‐ PAC talks to determine PD direction -‐ Use of key teacher to enhance teacher confidence -‐ Mentoring ‘buddy/buddies’
-‐ 100% of teachers to participate in at least one maths PD every term.
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NUMERACY ACROSS THE CURRICULUM AIM: To improve teacher understanding of numeracy across the curriculum to enhance student knowledge.
Considerations Strategies Performance Measures Time Line 2011 2012 2013
Develop critical thinking and foster behaviours that enable students to make sense of numerical information in their world (e.g. consumer and financial literacy).
-‐ Teaching of higher order thinking skills -‐ Identifying aspects of real life numeracy in newspaper, internet and TV etc
-‐ 100% of planning to include examples of real-‐life numeracy and explicit teaching of meta-‐language in classrooms.
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Identify the numeracy demands and opportunities in all learning areas across the curriculum.
-‐ Inclusion of numeracy moments in all units of work at Waterford West
-‐ 100% of teachers to include numeracy as component of other KLAs where relevant.
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Support teachers in all learning areas to use appropriate pedagogies to encourage the development of student numeracy.
-‐ PD provided for teachers around pedagogy and delivery of numeracy moments
-‐ 100% of teachers to be supported by admin during PAC talks in identifying appropriate pedagogies to develop numeracy skills.
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NUMERACY LEADERSHIP AIM: To enhance curriculum leadership for numeracy.
Considerations Strategies Performance Measures Time Line 2011 2012 2013
Build positive cultures and high expectations in schools so all students can succeed in mathematics and be numerate.
-‐ Increased use of incentive-‐driven awards for improved and high achievers -‐ Team-‐based challenges -‐ Provide real-‐life, hands on experiences in all aspects of numeracy
-‐ 100% of teachers aware of the school’s improvement agenda. -‐ 5% of students to participate in nation-‐wide maths competitions
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Build curriculum leaders’ capacity to support professional development for teachers and themselves.
-‐ PD provided to upskill and share new knowledge -‐ Increased use of mentoring allocation
-‐ All numeracy-‐related PD facilitated relevant curriculum leaders.
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Create structures and cultures that focus on: professional development; resources, time and space for teachers to reflect on and be effective in their practices; and appreciation of the significance of their role in preparing numerate citizens.
-‐ Ensure classroom resources match current curriculum -‐ Appropriate amount of time given for year level planning meetings -‐ Admin observations, provision of specific feedback.
-‐ 100% of teachers participating in regular numeracy PD and feedback and reflection through PAC talks.
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Develop leadership capacity in using data to inform planning and target setting.
-‐ PAC meetings: analysing data with Admin members
-‐ 100% of teachers to analyse PAT Maths and NAPLAN data.
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Manage curriculum change and pedagogical reform by building teacher capacities.
-‐ Mentoring opportunities and professional development -‐ Breakdown of national curriculum documents and content
-‐ Entirety of teaching staff familiar with relevant ACARA content.
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Disseminate examples of effective classroom practices in: - Mathematics lessons - Meeting numeracy demands in other areas of the curriculum - Developing and supporting numeracy in the school community
-‐ Video footage of successful lessons and teaching strategies -‐ Sharing of numeracy moments
-‐ 70% of teachers to access mentoring time each semester.
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Promote and support strong partnerships with universities and professional -‐ Create links with Griffith -‐ 100% of prac students E E R
associations in their pre-‐service and in-‐service education roles to include: - Quality and focused teaching and understanding of mathematics - Appropriate pedagogies that enable students to use mathematics
effectively in all curriculum areas - Identifying numeracy demands and using numeracy opportunities
across the curriculum
University focussing on numeracy pedagogy -‐ Pre-‐service students visits focussing on numeracy pedagogy
access relevant professional development while on campus.
Engage in research partnerships and disseminate the findings to inform systemic and classroom planning.
-‐ Contact and engage with universities to generate productive numeracy-‐related partnerships.
-‐ Admin to make first contact with relevant university research bodies.
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APPENDIX 1
APPENDIX 2
APPENDIX 3
APPENDIX 4 Keeping the ‘colour’ of the KLAs (4-7 Literacy Framework Training)
Each Key Learning Area views the world in different ways. Therefore, each KLA requires a different set of lenses through which to ‘see’ the world. This includes students explicitly being taught the unique literacy demands that are necessary for each KLA. Below is a table of appropriate non-literary genres for each KLA. All texts have salient language features that
help the genre achieve its purpose. KLAs: Science SOSE The Arts Technology Maths HPE
Appropriate Text Types
(Bold types
most common)
Science is a study of phenomena in the universe. Scientific knowledge is organised in terms of classification [types of] and decompositional [parts of] taxonomies and explanations. • Procedure • Sequential
Explanation • Causal Explanation • Theoretical
Explanation Factorial Explanation
• Consequential Explanation
• Descriptive Report • Taxonomic Report • Exposition • Discussion • Critical Response
SOSE is the study of the way people interact with each other and their environment. SOSE knowledge is an interpretation of records of the experience of participants in events, generalised as concepts [e.g. multiculturalism, democracy]. • Information Report • Description • Practical Report
(Investigation report) • Factual Recount • Biographical
Recount • Historical Recount • Historical Account • Sequential
Explanation • Causal Explanation • Expository
The Arts is a study of artistic pursuits that expresses and communicates what it is to be human through Dance, Drama, Media, Music and Visual Arts. Through these pursuits we develop, share and pass on understandings of our histories, our cultures and ourselves. Knowledge in the Arts is organised through creating, presenting, critiquing and reflecting on Arts works using symbol systems, technologies and processes appropriate to each of the arts.
• Personal Response • Review • Interpretation
Technology involves envisioning and developing products to meet human needs and wants, capitalise on opportunities and extend human capabilities. Knowledge relates to understandings of technology- its characteristics, diversity and role in changing and influencing society.
• Explanation • Analytical Exposition • Procedure • Procedural Recount • Personal Response
and Evaluation • Critical Response
Mathematics is an investigation of patterns, order, generality and uncertainty in the world. Mathematical knowledge includes knowing about maths, knowing how to do maths and knowing when and where to use maths.
• Transactional • Description • Explanation • Procedure • Personal Response • Critical Response
Health and Physical education reflects the dynamic and multidimensional nature of health and recognises the significance of physical activity for all. Knowledge in HPE helps students make informed decisions about promoting health, participating in physical activity and enhancing personal development.
• Causal Explanation • Persuasive
Exposition • Procedural Report • Analytical Exposition • Procedure • Factual Recount • Hortatory Exposition • Personal Response
Argument • Expository
Discussion • Review • Interpretation • Critical Response
• Critical Response
APPENDIX 5
