L.A. Matheson Secondary 24-25

We believe that focusing on numeracy is important in developing graduates that can critically and reflectively think. We want our learners to make judgments based on reasoning, where students consider options, analyze options using specific criteria, and draw conclusions. These experiences are vital as they provide our graduates opportunities to make decisions in multiple aspects of their lives. For the past several years we have been focussed on adopting a more holistic approach to teaching and assessing mathematics at L.A. Matheson.  This shift ensures we are using modern teaching strategies that are student-centred and assessment strategies that allow students to reflect on previous learning and demonstrate growth.Our student learning cohorts are focused on cultivating our students ability to reason.

Reasoning is an essential numeracy skill because it allows us to make sense of numbers and how they apply to the world around us.  It helps our students understand the logic behind mathematical operations and how these operations could applied in all aspects of life. Through reasoning students can make connections between different ideas and concepts.

In the 2023-24 school year we expanded from two cohorts to three cohorts.  These cohorts were taught by two different teachers. In the 2024-25 year, we continued with three cohorts.

The skills we are focusing on to build the students ability to reason are :

• Using logic and patterns to solve and analyze problems
• Using mental math strategies to build number sense and estimation skills
• Applying reasoning to model scenarios

We believe that explicit and consistent introduction to  numeracy tasks will help our ability to think and reason.

The instructional and assessment strategies that were implemented to help with student proficiency in these areas are:

1) Regular practice with rich tasks

2) Use of vertical whiteboards and other learning spaces and randomized groups.

3. Providing students with unit trackers to help them monitor their learning and their ability achieve proficiency-Research indicates if students are aware of their own learning and assessment they are more likely to be  invested in the process and learning will improve.

Our methods and our results:

In the 2023-24 school year we assessed students' ability to reason in the cohorts at the beginning of the semester and at the end of the semester.  Throughout the semester students were provided instruction and tasks  to bolster the reasoning skills highlighted below.  Our data only focused on student being Proficient based on the Ministry Proficiency scale as this is our target for all learners. This was a  data analysis after the implementation of focused rich learning tasks and varied instructional strategies in that academic year. 

Compared to the 2022-23 academic year we found that there was an increase in the following skills:

• Using logic and patterns to solve and analyze problems: 13 % increase 
• Using mental math strategies to build number sense and estimation skills: 25% increase
• Applying reasoning to model scenarios: 7 % increase

After two years of implementing these instructional strategies with our students it evident that using these strategies was making a positive impact on our student's numeracy skills.  For the 2024-25 school year, we continued to monitor evidence such as our Numeracy assessments to help continue to guide our practices. 

In the 2024-25 School Year we have the analysis of 3 cohorts group summarized below:

2024-25 Baseline Data

2024-25 Final Data

Data analysis after the implementation of focused, rich learning tasks and varied instructional strategies 2024-25:

Using logic and patterns to solve and analyze problems:  11% increase 

Using mental math strategies to build number sense and estimation skills:  24% increase

Applying reasoning to model scenarios: 9% increase

These instructional strategies continue to make a positive impact on our students' numeracy skills.