Promoting applied mathematics skills among Amit Network’s female students

Amit is the second largest network of schools in Israel, serving mainly religious Jewish students. Thirty-two thousand students attend its secondary schools, including almost 15,000 female students, studying in separate, single-gender, or mixed education frameworks. The network is a veteran partner of the foundation in doubling the rate of its graduates of the five-unit track in mathematics to 22.3% (with their female students graduating from single-gender schools at 24%). This high number correlates with 1,200 female students (37%) who graduate from middle school at the highest ability group in mathematics.

However, when Amit examined the rate of female students who major the computer science track, they found it to be very low (6.7%). This low percentage may also reflect lower abilities in applied mathematics. Therefore, Amit is proposing a program for their 1,200 female students of the high ability group in mathematics at the single-gender schools. Their 30 teachers will undergo professional development in applied mathematics through the national program at the University of Haifa and participate in specified workshops on gender-sensitive pedagogy. Then they will implement high-level mathematics tasks in their classrooms and conduct school-based events.

In parallel, in collaboration with the Israel Center for Excellence through Education, the 1,200 students will participate in a diagnostic competition to set the baseline benchmark and to identify 360 students who will need additional support. These students will be invited to a summer course, so they can also be prepared for the 5-6 levels. The goal is for 70% of the participating students to improve achievement, and for the overall rate of excelling students to double.