Communities of Mathematics Department Heads for Implementing the New Curriculum
In 2022, the Ministry of Education announced its decision to align the national middle school mathematics curriculum with the international PISA standards. The foundation was asked to reach out to its partners to make the educational materials they had developed in recent years available to as many teachers as possible.
The Ministry of Education selected the University of Haifa, which operates the Israeli National Center for Mathematics Teachers, to consolidate these learning materials and lead teacher training nationwide. In collaboration with the ministry and the foundation, the university has been implementing this initiative (the Maor program) since 2023.
To date, the university has trained 2,500 teachers – approximately 30% of Israel’s middle school mathematics teachers. However, the results of a 2023 international study, which did not indicate an improvement in Israeli students’ performance, have led the Ministry of Education to prepare for a broader implementation.
As part of this expansion, we approached the University of Haifa, asking that it scale up its efforts, with a strong focus on aligning the mathematics curriculum with international standards. The university proposes to do so by engaging mathematics department heads from 250 schools.
The foundation has extensive experience working with mathematics department heads. During the initiative to increase the number of high school students studying five-unit mathematics, the foundation approved four grants for the professional development of department heads, enabling them to lead this effort in schools across Israel.
Key insights from that effort suggest that success is not solely dependent on the training institution but also on the commitment of municipalities, school networks, and principals. Their willingness to allocate resources for department heads’ salaries and to encourage their participation in training is essential for advancing excellence in schools.
At the middle school level, the foundation approved two grants for training school mathematics department heads to raise awareness and support the integration of PISA-related tasks. From these programs, we have learned that schools must commit in advance to dedicating significant classroom time and staff meetings to PISA-focused tasks.
Based on these insights, the University of Haifa plans to approach teachers from school networks and local authorities who have already participated in training on the new materials and identify those currently serving as mathematics department heads.
Following the recommendation of the foundation’s grants committee, the university will invite these department heads to a dedicated professional learning community. The community will include 30 hours of training, classroom observation, and feedback. The department heads will learn how to lead their school’s mathematics team in adapting the curriculum and implementing appropriate teaching strategies.
The department heads will be expected to conduct professional development meetings with their school’s mathematics staff for at least 30 hours annually. These meetings will focus on training teachers to teach at least eight PISA tasks, practice them in the classroom, evaluate them, and receive peer feedback.
In the first year, approximately 100 department heads will participate in the program, with 25 of them trained to lead regional communities of department heads. This will allow an additional 150 department heads to join the program in the second and third years.
* The text above shows the grant as approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors / Grant 601