Clinical training for mathematics teachers in state-religious schools

The performance of high school students in the state religious school system in advanced mathematics and science tracks is lower than of the general society. Even when comparing between similar socio-economic populations, it seems that among the national religious population there is an untapped talent among students who are able to succeed, but various reasons drive them not to study the advanced tracks in these areas.

Research on the causes for this lower performance, conducted by the Ne’emnei Torah ve’Avodah Movement, emphasized that state religious schools in Israel are:

1. Devoting high priority to religious studies, volunteer work and participation in youth movements, which in many cases sidelines the attention and resources needed for high level studies of mathematics and the sciences;
2. Preparing students for a future in which they become leaders in a Jewish society, serving in combat IDF units, living Jewish lives, and not necessarily of becoming scientists or high tech entrepreneurs;
3. Run by school principals who only in a handful of cases come with a mathematics or science backgrounds, which tends to predict the level of investment by the school in these areas;
4. In many cases small schools with one or two classes per cohort. This small scale makes it almost impossible to open specialized high level learning tracks in areas which are considered more difficult;
5. Experiencing difficulty in finding excellent teachers who are able to teach the advanced levels, since the existing teacher colleges that prepare teachers for the religious stream do not offer training programs for the advanced levels in these areas.

To address the latter cause, Herzog College, a veteran religious academic teaching college located in Gush Etzion, is proposing to expand their existing programs, and establish a Clinical Teacher Residency Program for five unit teachers of mathematics. Herzog plans to recruit and train 40 excellent candidates over 3 cohorts who will go on to teach advanced level mathematics in the religious sector with the aim of helping to increase the numbers of students graduating with 5-unit mathematics matriculation. The program will significantly raise the acceptance bar and identify suitable candidates via a multi-phase competitive selection process.

Selected students will learn over the course of one year, in which they will spend one day per week learning and gaining practical experience in a school which specializes in teaching 5-unit mathematics. During their training year, they will observe expert school teachers and gain teaching experience, with a focus on pedagogical skills for teaching 5-unit mathematics, guided by an instructional coach and veteran teaching staff from the school.

Throughout the program, there will be a focus on the connection between the theory and practice, while relying on practical experience which will be gathered in schools. Students will be exposed to and will experience a variety of teaching and learning styles and will use student outcome analysis to adapt their instruction to the different needs of each student.  Towards the end of the training, the college will assist students with finding school placements, and as they begin to teach in school, they will be provided with additional two years of individual instructional coaching from the college.