Collectively, Dégagné and Clayton have contributed immensely to the development of central key resources, which play an instrumental role in unifying how teachers approach mathematics planning and teaching across the board.

NNDSB Assistant Superintendent Kim Pauli says she is very proud of Dégagné and Clayton for their outstanding contributions to math education across the province.

“The resources, professional learning opportunities, and experiences they have provided both in and out of the classroom have had a huge impact on student achievement and mindset in mathematics,” says Pauli.

Pauli goes on to say that in her role as special education math lead, “Gail has been a huge advocate for students with barriers to learning math. She has supported educators to find ways all students can learn grade-level material in a way that is accessible and meaningful.”

Dégagné says the math team has re-examined special education processes, particularly as they relate to mathematics.

“This collaborative effort led to the development of a more robust, tiered mathematics strategy designed to better meet student needs, boost engagement, and ultimately foster student success,” says Dégagné. She adds that staff worked to understand learners, ensuring that every intervention and support was both relevant and responsive.

Learning strategies included small group interventions both inside and outside the classroom, grounded in sound pedagogy and effective resources.

“Receiving this award is not just a personal honour, it’s a celebration of the collective effort, passion, and commitment of everyone who joined in this mission to create positive change for our students,” says Dégagné. She adds this recognition is the perfect way to close this chapter as she heads into retirement next year.

Pauli says that Clayton, in her role as central math facilitator, “has been instrumental in developing tools and assessments to ensure students are on track with their learning outcomes. Working alongside teacher colleagues, Laurie has shared ‘best practices’ and high impact teaching strategies to support a more responsive and deliberate approach to math instruction.”

Clayton says in working with the NNDSB math team for two years, she knows educators are “committed to meeting the diverse learning needs of their students, and they’re looking for practical, sustainable strategies to do so.”

The team has implemented strategies to support educators. The addition of resources like Knowledgehook and MathUp has “created a common language for instruction, enabled focused professional development, and encouraged collegial dialogue,” she says.

Clayton notes that she’s witnessed a noticeable increase in student engagement, a reduction in behavioural challenges during math lessons and improved student achievement. Equally important, teachers are feeling more confident in their ability to use the tools and strategies to move each learner forward.

“This work matters because every student deserves to feel successful in math,” says Clayton.

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Today, Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, issued the following statement on the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results:

The post Ontario Maintains Strong International Standing In Math, Reading And Science appeared first on Muskoka411.

The new curriculum for Grades 1 to 8, which was created over the course of two years with the help of parents, math teachers, academics and math education experts, will come into effect this September. It was designed to improve math scores, which have been declining for a decade according to the government, while also teaching financial literacy, coding and computer programming, and other practical skills. Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Education Stephen Lecce released details of the curriculum in a media briefing at Queen’s Park.

“This is the first new elementary school math curriculum in 15 years,” Ford said. “It’s clear that a lot has changed since 2005 and our children’s education needs to change with it. For the first time ever in Canada, students from Grades 1 to 8 will learn coding along with financial literacy skills as part of the math curriculum.”

Students will start learning coding skills in Grade 1 while financial literacy will be incorporated into all grades with lessons on saving and spending in Grade 4, budgeting in Grade 5 and financial planning in Grade 6. Ford also revealed that Grade 3 and 6 students will not complete Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) assessments for the 2020-21 school year.

When asked about implementing the curriculum in the midst of a pandemic, Education Minister Lecce defended the decision to put the curriculum into effect this fall.

“We’ve got to do better at the foundations of math,” Lecce said. “Numeracy, financial literacy, these are the things that we know we need to do better at, and so I appreciate the broader challenge around us, but we must move forward with these necessary reforms to give hope to these students that when they graduate, they can aspire to get a good paying job.”

NDP education critic Marit Stiles is among those who have criticized the government for the timing of the curriculum changes, calling the decision “completely irresponsible” in a statement. The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) also released a statement saying that the two-month timeline set by the ministry will not allow for successful implementation of the new curriculum. 

“This spring, the disparity in accessing learning resources has deepened inequities and had an impact on student learning outcomes that will carry over to the coming school year,” said ETFO President Sam Hammond in the statement. “Taking care of students and narrowing those gaps must be the priority of educators, which is why the government’s cancellation of EQAO standardized testing this coming year in elementary schools is important. However, more flexibility, time and resources will be needed to effectively implement the new curriculum.”

Learn more about the new math curriculum on the Government of Ontario’s Curriculum and Resources website. To watch a video of the announcement, click here.

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