Development Of Incremental Learning Assignments in Mathematics

In Israel’s social periphery, where the average rate of 5-unit students is below the national average, significant gaps in student knowledge and skill have developed. When these gaps are coupled with fixed mindsets, success in 5-unit mathematics sometimes seems a far-off, even unattainable goal. We noticed through our interactions across the country, that students and […]

Activity on social networks in 2017-2018, and planning the next steps

Four years ago, when the foundation established “It’s time for education,” its activity on social networks was built as an independent activity separate from the foundation in its familiar format. We sought to establish a young, vibrant and energetic community of friends, thereby increasing interest in teaching mathematics and science as a profession, and further […]

A Race For Mathematics Teachers

Six years in to our mission to expand the circle of excellence among high school mathematics students, it is clearer than ever that success in advanced level mathematics is dependent on much more than just talent or a natural ability. Students and their teachers must be determined, and motivated for hard work; they need to […]

A Program To Increase The Number Of Five-Unit Mathematics Graduates In The City Of Eilat

Eilat is Israel‘s southernmost city, a busy port and popular resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea. The city is a popular destination for domestic and international tourism, and is home to 50,000 people, including approximately 10,000 work immigrants. The educational system of Eilat accommodates more than 9,000 youngsters including 67 kindergartens, 10 elementary schools, and 6 high schools. Of the 535 […]

Expanding The Excellence Circle In The Social Periphery

The collective impact coalition, “5p2”, comprised of 80 member organizations, including hi-tech companies, academic institutions and the IDF, has succeeded over the last three years, in organizing a national effort to raise the number of five-unit high school graduates in mathematics. The government joined in to lead the national goal of doubling the number of […]

Establishing Database of Teaching Practices

At the recommendation of the Advisory Council, the foundation decided to deepen the professional discourse in Israel surrounding quality teaching of mathematics and the sciences.  Based on the collective wisdom of teachers, which we gathered from practice and research, we constructed a ‘compass for quality teaching’, which is an ambitious attempt to curate an ideal […]

Coaching Program to Increase Graduation Rates of Five-Unit Mathematics In The Social Periphery

For the past decade, Israeli schools, especially those in the periphery, have focused on increasing the percentage of students eligible for matriculation. To fulfil this goal, they devoted effort and attention to helping weak students, diversifying teaching methods, encouraging motivation and improving general management capacities. Now, as the target is shifting towards expanding excellence in […]

Program to Nurture Excellence In The Social Periphery

Schools in the periphery have always found it harder to recruit talented teachers due to the distance, the working conditions and the more limited opportunities for the families of teachers. Government incentives for teachers to relocate to the periphery are in many cases ineffective, as in practice, they supplement salaries for veteran local teachers. The […]

Twenty School-Based Professional Learning Communities for Middle School Mathematics Teachers in order to Increase Selection and Retention in the 5-Unit Track

In every middle school there is a team of mathematics teachers, ranging in size, who teach a number of different grades and levels, and are essentially responsible for giving their students a strong foundation of knowledge and skills. The quality of instruction and support at this stage of learning determine the scope of the pipeline […]

Trump Master Teacher Award 2017

In 2012 the Trump Master Teacher Award was launched in order to recognize excellent teaching of mathematics and the sciences. The award aims to celebrate master teachers of these subjects and introduce them to the public as role models for high quality teaching practice in Israel, thus igniting discussion around the question: ‘What constitutes excellent […]

Developing Standards and Policy to Sustain and Expand the Operation of Professional Learning Communities of High School Mathematics and Science Teachers across Israel

Professional learning communities of teachers are at the heart of the foundation’s strategy. In such communities, teachers jointly develop clinical teaching techniques and engage in an ongoing improvement of their practice. Over the past five years, the foundation has invested approximately 20 million NIS in a number of programs, enabling hundreds of mathematics and science […]

Personalized Learning Plan Challenge: A Competition to Develop and Implement Effective Class-Based Programs for Individual Students to Reduce Dropout Rate from Five-Unit Mathematics

In an attempt to create a more personalized, student-focused mathematics and science teaching, the foundation has turned to academic institutions to develop diagnostic assignments tailored to the curriculum and based on research on typical learning difficulties. A series of projects at the Weizmann Institute, Tel Aviv University, and the University of Haifa are currently in […]

Physics Studies in Israeli High Schools – 2016 Update

At the outset of the foundation, we approached the Szold Institute to collect data and shed light on the state of physics teaching in Israeli high schools. The study revealed that only 484 schools out of 1,129 offer a physics major, that classes are relatively small, the dropout rate is very high, the ratio of […]

Media Partnership with Yediyot Aharonot to Expose Stories of Excellent Teachers of Mathematics and the Sciences in the Social Periphery of Israel

The traditional approach to reducing social inequalities in education in Israel has been to focus on low performing students reaching the basic standards of the matriculation. The foundation’s Advisory Council however, recommended a different approach, which is to concentrate on the second tier of students and cultivate their efforts to excel. This approach relies on […]

Video-Guide to Physics Teaching for New Teachers

Twenty-five years ago, Haim Harari, then President of the Weizmann Institute, prepared a report for Yad Hanadiv (the Rothschild Foundation) on the future of science education in Israel. This report set the basis for a public committee, appointed by the Ministry of Education, which recommended on a substantial reform. With significant supplementary budget, the Harari […]