An ”Amal” Network Program To Increase the Network’s 5-Unit Mathematics Graduation Rate

Teaching Development Program to Increase the Network's 5-Unit Mathematics Graduation Rate From 7.8% to 12% in Three Years

Teaching Development Program to Increase the Network's 5-Unit Mathematics Graduation Rate From 7.8% to 12% in Three YearsAmal School Network

Local Partnerships

Grant amount

NIS 875,000

Grant term

4 Years

Date of Approval

September 2015

Status

Completed

Amal is a veteran school network, which was established in 1928. Today it serves 40,000 students in 128 schools across Israel’s localities and communities, particularly in the social and geographic periphery. In recent years the network leadership noticed that performance in advanced mathematics of its students must improve. Although 27 of its 30 high schools do offer the five unit learning track in mathematics, in 2012 only 7.1% of the network’s high schools graduates matriculated this track.

These troubling figures led the network to prioritize the issue and a couple of years ago it decided to add 2 learning hours to the five unit classes and to register its schools in national programs, such as the ‘Science and Technology Reserve’ and ‘Mathematics First’. This effort resulted in a mild increase in graduation rates to 7.8%. As a consequence, the network is now prepared to take upon itself a more ambitious goal and it has decided to set it at 12% within the coming three years. In order to achieve such a big leap, the network proposes a systemic program which will incorporate two elements:

Convening professional communities of practice at a network level for 20 five unit teachers, as well as for 20 ninth grade teachers of the high ability group. These two communities will assemble for four hours every other week, both in person and virtually, and will be led by master teachers with guidance from the Haifa University. In addition, the Weizmann Institute will train the teachers with various five unit teaching practices.
Executing an intensive intervention in seven of the schools which hold high potential to increase the number of graduates. Each school will appoint a steering committee, led by the principal, which will administer the program and monitor its progress. The mathematics teachers will participate in in-service training by the Weizmann Institute, which will focus on video documentation of classroom teaching, as well as individual instructional coaching from a master teacher. The instructional coaching will focus on how to personalize their teaching practices and how to create individualized learning plans for each student.

* The text presented above shows the grant as approved by the Foundation Board / Grant 165

Vision & Mission

Advisory Council

Sustainable Infrastructure