1. Tim Oates Group Director Assessment Research and Development (ARD)
ACME Annual Conference The Importance of a National Policy for Mathematics 5-19
Tim Oates
Group Director
Assessment Research and Development (ARD)

2. First year undergraduate remediation (and a problem in Finland, too)
Aston and Coventry study
Migration of more demanding content upwards
Focus on number rather than data handling in Hong Kong and Singapore
False ‘spiralling’ in 1999 curriculum
Poor conceptual linking, odd splitting
Reification of intermediate techniques in Strategies
Continued linking of PISA outcomes to labour market success and return
Continued wage premium for maths
The conundrum of low enjoyment and high attainment
The success of primary specialist maths teachers initiative
The limitations of teacher supply
The textbooks conundrum 2

3. Key transnational comparative research (Schmidt, Green)
Specific country and phase comparisons (Ruddock, INCA, Andrews) using detailed scrutiny of materials
International surveys (PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS)
1999 National Curriculum specification
Call for evidence
Contact with key members of subject communities
Reviews of draft specifications 3