Grant amount
NIS 870,000
Opening Excellence Classes In Middle Schools In The City Of Netanya
Adding Seventeen Excellence Classes in Middle Schools in the City of Netanya to Expand the Circle of Excellence in Middle School to 25% by 2023
Adding Seventeen Excellence Classes in Middle Schools in the City of Netanya to Expand the Circle of Excellence in Middle School to 25% by 2023
The city of Netanya has a population of about 250,000 residents, of which 75,000 are new-immigrants. The city’s 19 middle and high schools include state, state-religious, ultra-orthodox and special education schools. The social mosaic in the city leads to differences in the socio-economic status and academic performance between neighborhoods and schools. In the city today are 14 excellence classes in nine different schools, serving 414 (15%) of the ninth grade students. In tenth grade, 24% of the students enter the five-unit track. However, in 12th grade only 16% of the students graduate the five-unit track.
The municipality believes that in order to reduce the dropdown rate from the five-unit track in high school, they need to expand the scope of excellence classes in middle school and to elevate the level of teaching and learning. Therefore, they are planning to open 17 additional excellence classes in 14 schools, so at least 25% (724) of the ninth grade students will graduate such classes. To this end, the municipality will add four supplementary teaching hours for 13 new excellence classes in the state and state-religious schools, and two supplementary mathematics teaching hours for 4 new classes in the ultra-orthodox schools.
In order to help teachers improve the quality of teaching, they will organize in professional learning communities. Twenty-five mathematics teachers and 20 science teachers who will teach the supplementary teaching hours in the excellence classes will take part in community-based professional development. An additional designated professional learning community for 15 ultra-orthodox mathematics teachers will open as of the second year, in order to accommodate to their demand not to mix with other educators. Guided by an academic institution, all communities will meet for 60 hours to work on development of high-order mathematical thinking skills according to the excellence levels of PISA and its applications in science.
If the Corona pandemic permits, during the summer, the teachers will be invited to a preparation seminar to become familiar with the new content. The school principals will be invited to a forum where the focus of work will be on promoting excellence in mathematics and the sciences. The ultra-orthodox principals will learn how to establish excellence classes in their schools for the first time.
The performance of the program will be measured by reaching 25% (724) of the students who graduate ninth grade in an excellence class, and the success will be measured by using a diagnostic test with a goal for at least 80% of these students successfully meeting the 5-6 PISA levels in mathematics.