As you are aware, here at the College we have introduced the Maths Pathways program into Year 7 for the first time this year. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, we have been unable to go ahead with the parent information evenings that we had planned for the first semester. This article will address some of the questions that parents and guardians may have in regards to the program.

Maths Pathways is a tool that we are using to help differentiate student learning and, essentially, it allows teachers to individually tailor content to the learning needs of each student.

Traditionally, Year 7 maths consists of revising all of the content that students have already learned in Years 5-6. There was very little ‘new’ content introduced in Year 7. Integers and Algebra concepts and skills are the main areas of the new content.

It became clear over past years that this traditional model meets the needs of very few students. Students who had already mastered the skills from Years K-6 were bored in Year 7 maths as they had to repeat the learning that they had already mastered. Students who had large gaps in their maths knowledge and skills prior to Year 5 were ‘left behind’ as teachers were not equipped to assess for all of these gaps and to address every student’s individual needs. Differentiating lessons is an integral part of teaching, but differentiation to the degree required was becoming increasingly more difficult to achieve.

Maths Pathways is a tool to help us to cater to all students. Firstly, the extensive assessment and diagnostic tools used have allowed us to understand exactly where each student is at in the maths curriculum. The gaps in student knowledge is clear and specific. We have some students in Year 7 who are working to master Year 1 concepts and a couple who are currently working on Year 10 Advanced work. The vast majority of students have gaps in their knowledge and skills from Years 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Some students absolutely love this program and find it very motivating to see their ‘gaps’ filled as they master modules. The program really promotes a growth mindset mentality and aims to create independent learners. Of course, not all students prefer this style of learning. Passive learners struggle with the increased level of independence required and students who have traditionally ‘gone under the radar’ find the accountability difficult to accept. We firmly believe, however, that all students are benefitting from this program. The program is a simple one tool employed by the College to help meet the needs of all students.

Please find below some FAQ on the Maths Pathways program and how it is being used at Carroll College. It has taken hard work and time to shape and tailor the program into a model that works best for us. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions.

Is my child spending virtually all their class time on the computer?

No! The dot points below outline what a typical fortnight of 9 lessons of maths looks like:

• 3 lessons a fortnight are module lessons.

During these lessons, students are using their workbooks, pen and paper to complete maths work. The computer is used alongside this to provide access to questions, worked solutions, videos and interactive activities. Students also work with the teacher and interact with their peers to discuss their work and get help if they’re stuck.

A typical lesson consists of:

· 5-10 mins intro of quick review questions that address past content taught explicitly and content that has been highlighted as being an issue for students.

· 20 mins module ‘sprint’ – this is the time for students to complete as much module work as they can.

· 5 mins maths energiser activity. This is typically a maths activity or game to reinforce targeted skills.

· Finish with a 10 mins module sprint.

Frankly, the module lessons are not intended to be fun lessons. However, these are the lessons that are individually tailored to your child and are the best tool to help fill in the gaps in their knowledge and skills from Years K-6.

• 2 – 3 lessons per fortnight are rich learning or explicit learning lessons.

These are often used for doing hands-on problem based learning, where students work in groups to solve problems; typically these lessons do not use the computer at all. These lessons are currently being used for the explicit teaching of content that is new to students in Year 7.

A typical lesson consists of:

· teach Year 7 content explicitly that is new to students (integers and algebra)

· or, run a hands on investigation

· sometimes these also consist of 20 mins of module sprints during a double lesson

• 2 lessons are special Friday lessons.

These lessons are targeted lessons that use hands on and investigative type tasks. Students who require enrichment are in a class together and the other classes target the needs of other students. Students do not necessarily have the same teacher as other days.

A typical lesson consists of:

· hands on/enrichment/support lessons. This is a no module day.

• 1 lesson every fortnight is used for students to complete a test and prove mastery of the concepts that they have been learning.

My child doesn't have a traditional text book — do they need one?

Maths Pathway replaces the text book as the core resource for students; traditional text books are no longer needed. Maths Pathway contains all of the problem sets, information and structure that text books have traditionally provided, but there are now 10 grade levels available to your child rather than just one and the material is continuously adapted to your child’s specific learning needs.

My child has a question about how to use the Maths Pathway system — how do they get help?

If students are unclear about any aspect of using the program they can ask their teachers. Most teachers introduce their students to different features and functions in the program as they go along, rather than covering everything right at the start. If you would like to find out about a particular feature, ask your child’s teacher.

What happens if my child doesn’t understand something they are learning in Maths Pathway?

Ideally, your child will be aware that something isn’t making sense and will ask for help from the teacher on the spot. Your child’s teacher will be expert in providing different explanations and additional resources where needed. Sometimes, your child may not realise that they’re missing something until it’s too late and they are doing their maths test, leading them to answer some questions incorrectly. This is picked up by the system: the student is taken back to the old activity to have another go, and the teacher is alerted so that they can provide extra support if needed.

Is the teacher still teaching the class from up the front of the room on the blackboard?

Not at all times, and not in the same way as traditional teaching. Research has shown that lecture-style lessons are extremely ineffective for student learning, particularly in subjects like mathematics where students learn most by doing. The teacher is still very active in teaching the students, but this now takes the form of more feedback and targeted help for small groups and individuals.

As explained above, content that is new to all students in the Year 7 syllabus is being taught through explicit lessons and rich tasks.

If the teacher isn't explaining everything to my child, how can they learn new things?

Students receive explicit instruction and examples individually, because every student is learning something different at any given point in time. This is done through written explanations, worked examples, and videos that students can watch. Teachers also work with small groups and individuals to provide extra instruction when students get stuck. If any students feel as though they need more explicit instruction, they need to let their teacher know. This individual learning approach is different from what has happened in the past, but is extremely effective; this is the driving idea behind Maths Pathway.

Sometimes when my child asks for help, the teacher directs them to go through a tutorial – why don’t they just explain the maths to my child on the spot?

To be successful learners in year 12 and beyond, students must develop good learning skills and habits. One of the most important abilities to have is to know where to go to get help when you're stuck. Getting help directly from the teacher is certainly part of this, but students also need to learn how to try things out for themselves, read through an example, watch a video, ask a friend and then go to the teacher if they're still stuck. The process is outlined in a poster, which is displayed in the maths classroom. Students who have not been used to this process in the past may feel as though the teacher is refusing to help them, when in fact they are being taught important independent learning skills. Once your child has attempted to help themselves properly, the teacher will step in with explicit assistance if required.

According to the Maths Pathway system, my child is below grade level with their maths. How can this be when on last semester’s report the teacher said they were doing okay?

Maths Pathway has provided a far more sophisticated assessment tool than schools usually have access to. It is designed to detect any gaps, lack of understanding, or things students have forgotten all the way back to Grade 1 level. It is also "mastery" based, meaning that students must have a very deep and thorough understanding of something to be given credit for it. These elements combine to provide a base-line "grade level" for students that is often below what has been reported previously, because in the past teachers have had to estimate grade levels based on far more limited data. However, this does not necessarily mean that students are "behind".

Generally speaking, for a student to have good life skills in numeracy, they should master up to level 7 by the end of year 10.

For a student to access basic mathematics in year 12, they should reach level 8.

For intermediate mathematics, level 9.

And for advanced mathematics, level 10.

Across the country, the average entry level of a year 7 student is around 4.0 as measured by Maths Pathway.

What we are really interested in is "how is my child going with maths?". For this, the only important thing to look at is their growth, and to ask "how much better are they now compared with the start of semester?" Check your child's "Growth Score" to see how they are doing.

Stacey Donoghue

Maths Coordinator