Opening additional excellence classes in middle school and strengthening the mathematical skills of students
In 2018, the foundation established a city-based partnership with Holon to increase the percentage of five-unit mathematics graduates from 17% to 26% (500 students) by 2021. The program is now in its third and final year, with 43% of the 10th grade students enrolled in the five unit track and 25% (487 students) of the twelfth grade students about to graduate from the track within a few weeks. The municipality is very proud of these results, but points to a still very high drop down rate between tenth and twelfth grades.
The teachers in Holon believe that the reason for the high drop down is insufficient preparation in middle school. Therefore, the municipality now plans to focus its efforts on opening additional excellence classes in middle school and strengthening the mathematical skills of students who are able and willing to pursue the five-unit track. Currently, there are nine excellence classes in 12 middle schools, attended by 20% (421) of the students. The consequence of this gap between middle school and high school is that many students, who choose to major in mathematics in high school, are ill prepared for this demanding path.
Holon intends to open 24 new enhanced ability groups for 1,844 eighth and ninth grade mathematics students who will study high-level mathematical thinking. In addition, they will open two city-wide science groups, where 60 students will study mathematical problems in a scientific context. The municipality will allocate two additional weekly teaching hours in mathematics for each of these new groups, on top of the five hours of mathematics they already study every week.
In addition, Holon is planning to organize professional development for 40 eighth and ninth grade mathematics teachers and for 26 mathematics department heads. These teachers will become familiar with teaching applied mathematics. Their professional development will include participating in an ongoing professional learning community and receiving individual instructional coaching. Three science teachers will attend an ongoing course where they will focus on teaching mathematics in a scientific context.
The previous program in high school led the municipality to understand the high importance of engaging school principals in the process. Therefore, 25 school principals will attend a designated workshop four times a year. The goal of the program in middle school is for 80% of the graduates of the excellence classes and enhanced ability groups to succeed on a diagnostic tool, administered at the end of ninth grade, aligned with the top 5-6 proficiency levels of the PISA framework.
* The text above shows the grant as approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors / Grant 421