Municipal Program in Tamra to Increase the Percentage of 5-Unit Mathematics Graduates to 20% (127 students) and Physics to 25% (159 students) by 2021
Tamra is an Arab city in the northern district of Israel located in the Lower Galilee with a population of 32,800. In Tamra there are three high schools and four middle schools, with 2,915 students attending the high schools. Over the last few years, the city has already seen a significant improvement in their mathematics and science excellence. In 2016, 10.3% of 12th grade students (56 students) took the 5-unit mathematics exam, and in physics, 14% of the students (75 students) took the 5-unit exam, which constitutes an impressive achievement, particularly in comparison to other Arab cities.
The city has identified further potential for excellence among its 4-unit mathematics students, who comprised 14.5% of 12th grade students in 2016. Thirty percent of these students excelled in their matriculation exams. In addition, they have identified 234 ninth grade physics students (36%) studying in advanced levels who are recommended for 5-unit study. Therefore, it is expected that next year, Tamra will have seven 5-unit mathematics classes and seven 5-unit physics classes in tenth grade, comprising 43% of the year group.
Despite the significant potential in middle schools, Tamra reports a high drop-down rate from the 5-unit to 4-unit track in 12th grade. In 2016, for example, 30 mathematics students dropped down to the 4-unit track, due to a lack of confidence in their ability to achieve high grades. The municipality believes that one reason for this is the city’s relatively strong socio-economic level, which allows parents to send their children to study abroad, where the 5-unit level is not required. Another reason is a shortage of 5-unit teachers with suitable experience and qualifications.
Today there are ten 5-unit mathematics teachers in high schools and 15 teachers who teach advanced tracks in middle schools. The city has reported that many of the 5-unit teachers are nearing retirement age, and some only teach part-time. The city reports that these teachers lack clinical teaching skills, and that middle school mathematics teachers are mainly college (rather than university) graduates and therefore possess a lower standard of mathematical knowledge. There is a need to train new 5-units teachers, to strengthen experienced teachers with quality clinical diagnostic training, and to work with both middle school and high school teachers to prevent students from dropping down to 4-units.
In terms of high school physics teachers, there are currently three 5-unit teachers, who reportedly have somewhat of a monopoly on advanced-level physics teaching in the city. Tamra would like to recruit another five teachers to increase the number to eight teachers in total, and have already identified candidates.
Tamra has now set an ambitious goal to increase the percentage of 5-unit mathematics students from 10.3% (56 students) to 20% (127 students) and in 5-unit physics from 14% (75 students) to 25% (159 students) by 2021. To do so, the program will establish professional learning communities for teachers, each of which will meet for 60 hours per year, for three years of the program. They include a community for veteran 5-unit mathematics teachers; a community for 12 mathematics teachers who will train to teach the 5-unit level; a community for middle school teachers to improve their instruction, focusing on the transition from middle to high school; and a small citywide community for physics teachers to advance their clinical teaching skills and content knowledge.
In addition, students will benefit from supplementary lessons in 5-unit mathematics and physics and their parents will be approached to increase their support for their children’s decision to study 5-unit mathematics and physics. The city will convene a forum of principals that will meet (for 30 hours per year) to work on building and implementing a culture of excellence in their schools and supporting the teachers and the students of the 5-unit tracks.