Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME) Professor Alice Rogers

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Established in January 2002 by the Royal Society and the Joint Mathematical Council Supported by the Gatsby Foundation and the DCSF ACME is an independent committee hosted at the RS Chair as a ‘user of mathematics’ Past chairs: Sir Peter Williams, Professor Adrian Smith Current chair: Professor Dame Julia Higgins About ACME

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education The Aim of ACME to enable an effective and constructive partnership between Government and the mathematics community to inform and advise the DCSF and BIS in order to assist in its drive to raise standards and promote mathematics at all levels within education Also provides advice to government agencies and other key stakeholders (e.g. QCDA, Ofqual, TDA etc)

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Membership Seven members of the committee: Jack Abramsky, Fiona Allan, Wendy Hoskin, Lynne McClure, Roger Porkess, Alice Rogers, Anne Watson Augmented by an ‘Outer Circle’, including further HE input Secretariat based at the Royal Society

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education The Big Issues in Mathematics Education GCSE: Twinned pair pilot September 2010: Applications of Mathematics and Methods in Mathematics Early entry Two-tier

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education The Big Issues in Mathematics Education Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL) Lack of focus on improving subject knowledge Aimed at early-career teachers

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Post-16 in 2016 Proactive work looking at pathways in maths. Review of qualifications due in six years’ time. Origins in the Smith report – appropriate pathways for each learner Everyone should be expected to study appropriate mathematics post-16 – but A-level maths shouldn’t attempt to accommodate everyone

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Post-16 in 2016 – discussion paper Baccalaureate-style model proposed – 6 subjects Initial discussion paper suggested 3 mathematics pathways at Level 3 – consultation indicated a need for a pathway at Level 2 other than just repeating GCSE Need for opportunities to transfer between the pathways and flexibility within the system Concern about teacher supply and retention Making the mathematics applicable and relevant to different subjects will have a real implications in term of mathematics teachers’ knowledge – CPD will be crucial here

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Post-16 now and in the near future Use of Mathematics A-level: a key pathway Allows the target audience for Mathematics A-level to continue to include those who will wish to study mathematically rich STEM subjects in HE Broaden participation in mathematics, but taking the pressure off A-level Mathematics to accommodate – more than one tool is needed

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Post-16 in 2016 Use of Mathematics A-level Possible risks? Students ill-advised? But how many reach HE social sciences, geography etc. and regret having studied no mathematics at all for two years?

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education A-level Mathematics QCDA consultation summer 2009 Strong agreement in some areas, lack of consensus elsewhere – student choice of modules versus uniformity of intake Proposals still being developed

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Advanced Extension Award (AEA) AEA to be discontinued in 2013 – Mathematics is the only remaining AEA Introduction of A* grade for >90% on A2 papers with ‘stretch and challenge’ material ACME is pressing for retaining the AEA and developing it further – A* rewards greater accuracy not depth. CMS support

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Mathematical Needs Project Two themes: -Theme A: the Mathematical Needs of HE, business (‘Top down’) -Theme B: the Mathematical Needs of the learners (‘Bottom up’)

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Mathematical Needs Project Theme A (Needs of HE, business) Research commissioned looking at: -Mathematical content of HE courses -Published entry requirements – likely recommendation that depts should be honest about what is desirable Work informs pathways development

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Input from HE Input from HoDoMS is strongly encouraged Input from HE and others in curriculum development referred to by the DCSF/BIS Science and Learning Expert Group, Michael Gove, Sir Richard Sykes... HoDoMS has a valuable role to play

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Discussion / Q&A