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Numeracy Plan 2006–2008, New South WalesCurriculum Leadership Journal presents an edited excerpt from a statement by the Hon. Carmel Tebbutt MP, New South Wales Minister for Education and Training, to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly on 8 March 2006.
The New South Wales Government is committed to improving the state-wide numeracy performance of all public school students. It aims to close the gap between students whose numeracy skills are weakest and those whose skills are outstanding. It will do so by setting state-wide targets for improvement; providing more information for parents on what their child should be achieving; tracking students as they move between schools so teachers can quickly ascertain when and in what areas they need help; and improving teacher training and classroom resources. The government has committed $538 million over the next four years to strategies to improve student achievement in key areas of learning through numeracy programs such as Count Me In and Counting On.
We have worked hard in
The state-wide numeracy plan is the first to set numeracy targets for all The plan sets challenging but attainable targets for improvement. The government’s numeracy plan targets a 10% reduction in the number of students who are weakest in numeracy outcomes in Years 3, 5 and 7 assessments. The overall targets are:
Support for schools and teachers The government has committed $144 million towards the professional development of teachers. This will be directed where appropriate to supporting improvements in numeracy teaching. A feature of the government’s new plan will be numeracy teacher networks within and between schools. These networks will help teachers work together, get expert advice and share advice on numeracy teaching. Teacher training is also an important consideration, and that is why numeracy materials will be made available to universities to support pre-service teacher training in student numeracy development. All new teachers entering the profession will be expected to have strong skills in and knowledge about numeracy teaching.
As part of the numeracy plan, the department will publish on its website a simple and easy-to-read numeracy guide for parents. The guide, which will be entitled ‘What my child should know in mathematics’, is based on the expectations of the mathematics syllabus and will allow parents to work with schools and to help their children overcome any identified numeracy problems. The government has also recently appointed Professor George Cooney, an independent expert based at The government’s Numeracy Plan 2006–2008 will provide a co-ordinated state-wide approach and it contains clear targets. This government is interested in lifting the bar, closing the gap and ensuring that all students in government schools can fulfil their potential. Key Learning AreasMathematicsSubject HeadingsAboriginal studentsEducational planning Mathematics teaching Professional development Secondary education Educational evaluation Education policy New South Wales (NSW) Numeracy |