Numeracy Levels at Second
Level in Ireland
(Setting the context)
Junior Certificate School
Programme
• (1959 Crowther Report)
• 1960s : primary school mathematics
– 3Rs
• 1990s – to date: TSBL and ATBL
– Maths results + Chief Examiner’s Reports
• Second International Mathematics Study
(SIMS) (1983-1986)
– 13 year olds and Final Year students
• Third International Mathematics and Science
Study (TIMSS)(1995)
– 9 and 13 year olds
• International Adult Literacy Study
(IALS)(1995)
– 16-64 year olds
Junior Certificate School
Programme
• Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA) (2000 +)
– 15 year olds
• “Literacy and Numeracy in Disadvantaged
Schools” (LANDs) (2005)
– DES Inspectorate
• National Adult Literacy Association
(NALA)(2010)
• “Inside Classrooms: (the Teaching and
Learning of Mathematics in Social Context”
(DES Inspectorate / Lyons et al.)(2003)
Junior Certificate School
Programme
Why Numeracy 1?
The Impact of Numeracy in Society
(Steen 1997)
Junior Certificate School
Programme
• Practical
– has a direct applicability and functionality in
the routines of everyday living
• Civic
– facilitates an understanding of public issues
• Professional
– required for employment
• Recreational
– facilitates an appreciation of games, sports
and lotteries etc.
• Cultural
– A core component of the tapestry of
civilisation
Junior Certificate School
Programme
Planning a School Wide Approach to
Numeracy Development at Second
Level
Where to begin?
Junior Certificate School
Programme
“The only policy worth having is one which
is written after a period of consultation and
negotiation”
Tanner, Jones and Davies 2002
Junior Certificate School
Programme
Some Components of a Coordinated School
Wide Approach 1
Introductory CPD
provision for entire
staff
Building capacity
in the staff /
developing shared
understandings
about numeracy
Arriving at a
working definition of
numeracy /
identifying numeracy
indicators
Raising staff awareness
of the impact of
numeracy skills on
learning across the
curriculum
Raising staff awareness
of the opportunities
and activities that exist
for numeracy
development in each
subject area across the
curriculum
Assessing, auditing and
analysing current numeracy
attainment + standards +
current numeracy provision
and supports + current best
practice
Establishing a rationale for
planned and coordinated
school wide numeracy
development
Identifying critical
needs and success
criteria
Junior Certificate School
Programme
Some Components of a Coordinated School
Wide Approach 2
Making numeracy
development an
integral part of
each subject
department’s
developmental
plan
Subject
departments
identify the
impact of
numeracy in
specific topics /
tasks / activities
Identifying what
numeracy
strategies are
working well in the
teaching of these
specific topics /
tasks / activities
Identifying and
documenting
common numerical
errors and
misconceptions
made by students
in specific topics /
tasks / activities
Identifying and
sharing a range of
effective strategies
and pedagogies to
remediate these
problem areas
Key subject
departments
Other subject
departments
Patience
Junior Certificate School
Programme
Some Components of a School Wide Approach 3
Develop a school numeracy policy + action plan:
Numeracy rich environment
Cross curricular thematic projects + display of project data
Numeracy day
Consistent usage of numerical language
Developmental time line
Use of calculators / mental arithmetic / jottings / written
work / estimation / ICT
Numeracy homework + marking policy
Macro +
Enhancement of computational fluency
micro
Numeracy revision
Numeracy assessment
Formative feedback
Numeracy resources
Opportunities for cooperative learning
Junior Certificate School
Programme
Use of “numeracy moments”
Additional numeracy lessons / supports .....
Some Components of a School Wide Approach 4
Availing of current on-site
expertise:
Identifying, documenting and
modelling a range of consistent,
additional or alternative
strategies and approaches to
support numeracy development
Booklet of
numeracy teaching
tips / guides
Strategic usage of
JCSP statements +
resources +
initiatives
Providing support and
coordination:
Principal
Curriculum Leader / Numeracy
Coordinator
Numeracy Link Person (for each
department)
Numeracy Development Group
Maths Department
Learning support Department
JCSP Coordinator
SCP Coordinator
SDP Coordinator
Meeting time
Implementation of the school +
departmental numeracy
developmental plan/s
Junior Certificate School
Programme
Monitoring, feedback and review+