The traditional expectation for graduates of education systems is to be prepared to apply the knowledge and skills they acquired in school to real world contexts. In the 21st century, this expectation is challenged by a highly technological, cross cultural and fast-moving world. Therefore, international standards for education, now include transfer and communication proficiencies, such […]
Japan is one of the top 10 countries on the 2018 PISA international assessment with 18.3% of its students excelling in mathematics, compared to 8.8% in Israel. As in other Asian education systems, such as Singapore, Shanghai and Taiwan, Japan also gives significant priority to education, with substantial public investment and a continuous push from […]
This year marks the 10th anniversary of “It’s Time for Education”, a digital magazine established by the foundation in 2014. The magazine was initially created to support the foundation’s attempt to attract talent into teaching mathematics and science in high schools. In recent years, however, the magazine expanded to provide educational content to a wider […]
Be’er Sheva, which comprises 215,000 residents, is the largest in the Southern District and the ninth populated city in Israel. With a university, a hospital, a developing high-tech industry, and an improving education system, Be’er Sheva succeeded in recent years to climb up to group 5 (out of 10) on the national socio-economic index. Among […]
High proficiency English language skills are essential for the 21st century job market, particularly in high-tech professions that engage with global markets. The study of English is compulsory in Israeli elementary schools and is a required test on the high school matriculation exams. Forty three percent of the twelfth-grade students complete their high school studies […]
Following the study of Aaron Institute and the recommendation of the Perlmutter Committee, the government recently approved a new policy aiming to increase the rate of students earning a “tech- matriculation” certificate from 9% to 15% within five years. A tech-matriculation is the combination of five-units in mathematics, English, physics and/or computer science. This package […]
The “Startup Nation” is comprised mostly of men. Only 10% of the CEOs of startup companies, 16% of VC funds’ partners, 28% of the R&D engineers and 23% of the IDF’s tech positions are filled by women. The assumption is that education would be critical to changing this biased trend. In the recent decade, the […]
The evolving role of computers, codes, algorithms, and artificial intelligence is spreading in the world and is already reflected in the PISA mathematics framework. From 2022, the framework includes skills of computational thinking that are intertwined into the mathematical problem-solving cycle. These skills include pattern recognition and decomposition, using algorithms to analyze and solve problems, […]
During November 2022, the foundation organized an international education conference, inviting colleague foundations in the education field to contribute in terms of content and financial support. This led to a collaboration with seven philanthropic foundations – Yad Hanadiv, Davidson, Arison, Lautman, Beracha, Posen, and Leon. The conference that was held at the Tel Aviv Port, […]
The heart of the PISA framework is to encourage education systems around the world to foster profound connections between what is learned in school and the real world that awaits the students. By finding solutions to real-world problems, students build relevant knowledge and develop skills that better prepare them for their future. Most of these […]
Middle school excellence classes concentrate on acquisition of advanced knowledge and high order thinking in mathematics, physics, and computer science. In recent years, with the integration of PISA standards, they also include solving complex real-world problems. Such problems require the ability to engage with independent learning, presenting arguments, and collaborative teamwork. These skills are, however, […]
When asked in surveys about their top priorities for education, parents and children in Israel respond immediately – English, mathematics, and computers. However, although English and mathematics are mandatory subjects as of elementary school, computer science is offered in Israel only as an elective subject in secondary school. Approximately 15,000 students learn computers in middle […]
The pursuit of excellence is sometimes portrayed in Israel as a mere instrumental path for individual success. However, acquiring excellence levels in mathematics, science and technology, holds a bigger promise that entails an additional dimension. In the 21st century, excellence in these areas is becoming a powerful lever to solving major problems confronting humanity. Health […]
The government is preparing for significant expansion of excellence classes across the country, particularly in middle schools serving students of low economic backgrounds. These classes are assigned with the more motivated and capable students, in which they engage in high-order mathematical thinking, computer coding and concepts of physics. Graduates of these excellence classes are considered […]
English is an essential tool for the modern job market, particularly for professions who work with global markets. It is no surprise that almost all of the employees in high-tech companies in Israel, had graduated their high school studies at the advanced five-units level in English, alongside very high rates in mathematics, physics and computers. […]
Five-unit computer science studies in high school has been found by the Aaron Institute’s research, to predict, among a package of mathematics, physics and English, future employment in high-tech. However in 2022, only 10,800 twelfth grade students graduated the matriculation examination in computer science, a constant number for over a decade. This figure correlates with […]
For the past 29 years, the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) has convened an annual conference to discuss important issues facing the Israeli economy and society. This is a unique framework that attracts the participation of government ministers, high-ranking officials, business executives and civil society leaders. The conference sessions are well planned, based on studies and […]
The public committee to increase human capital in high-tech, chaired by Dadi Perlmutter, recommended, based on research conducted by the Aaron Institute, to significantly expand and diversify middle school excellence classes and high school graduates of “tech matriculation” (combining five-units in mathematics, English, physics and/or computer science). This recommendation is based on an understanding that […]
During 2022, the Trump Foundation has been convening a series of events for the general public and the professional community in order to mark ten years of collaborative work promoting excellence in education in Israel. To date, we have organized a special prize ceremony for the tenth year of the Trump Master Teacher Award, launched […]
With a vibrant high-tech scene that strengthens its economy, Israel prides itself on being the “Startup Nation”. Consequently, when asked in public opinion surveys, Israeli parents and students reflect this notion in practical terms. For example, they constantly rank computer science as the third most important subject in school, after English and mathematics. This response, […]
In order to prepare for a transformation in the instruction of middle school mathematics in Israel, the foundation took upon itself a catalyzing role. Since 2018, we seeded the creation of new learning materials, concentrating on developing high levels of applied mathematical thinking. We have been encouraging the opening of excellence classes across the country, […]
In 2016, the foundation approved a 2,800,000 NIS grant to the Weizmann Institute to develop and pilot test a program to teach middle school mathematics-based physics. The program aimed at high achieving middle school students, relying on their advanced mathematical knowledge and skills. Initially the program faced challenges in recruiting teachers, and only 68 teachers […]
Israel’s phenomenal success in high tech is a remarkable achievement. From 2017 to 2021 the rate of employees in high-tech grew from 9% to 11.9%, with one in six young Israelis working in a tech job. During the pandemic’s lockdowns, the high-tech sector in Israel grew by 11.4%, leading the Israeli economy to maintain stability […]
In recent years, hundreds of mathematics teachers across the country have become familiar with teaching applied mathematics. They participated in designated in-service training programs that exposed them to new content developed by the foundation’s partners. Many of them then joined professional learning communities in order to learn how to implement the content in their classes. […]
Five units in mathematics in high school is the most effective predictor in Israel for future careers in science and high-tech. Doubling the percentage of graduates of the five-unit track, which reached 16.6% in 2021, has succeeded in moving the needle, leading to upward trends in university degrees in engineering and computers and in the […]
In recent years, the Trump Foundation has seeded the development of a rich portfolio of challenging learning materials in mathematics for middle schools. The new material aims to address specific applied mathematical skills that were not part of the national mathematics curriculum. However, they are aligned with innovative science, technology, and global standards for education […]
Ashdod is a large city in southern Israel with a population of 250,000 residents, 30% of whom are ultra-Orthodox Jews. The city has 29 secondary schools of which only 15 prepare students for the matriculation examinations, while 13 of these schools offer a five-unit track in mathematics. In 2013, Ashdod ran a municipal program with […]
The results of the PISA international assessment reveal how some of the highest performing education systems in the world, such as in Singapore, Poland and Ontario, successfully elevated the level of teaching and learning to include more reasoning and modeling in their curriculum. The mathematics curriculum and testing in Israel, on the other hand, still […]
The Rural Education District of the Ministry of Education administers schools that are not run through a municipality. It includes 174 high schools, 87 boarding schools (mostly in kibbutzim and regional councils), 46 youth villages, 33 religious schools and 8 vocational and agricultural schools scattered across the country. With such diversity and geographic spread, it […]
To learn real-world mathematical thinking problems in middle school, a unique skillset is required. These skills are new to both students and teachers in Israel, since in the regular, traditional curriculum the tasks are almost free of the need to make interferences, focusing the students on applying technique and abstract thinking. In contrast, applied tasks […]
