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In my previous post, I detailed the findings from the latest Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP) tests written by a broad cross-section of Grade 8 students. The results generally continue an upward trend in girls’ achievement and illustrate the growing achievement gap between girls and boys in reading and writing.
On November 28, 2011, the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) released the 2010 results of the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP). The PCAP is administered to 13- and 16-year olds and is designed to assess students’ “abilities to use their learning skills to solve real-life situations” (www.cmec.ca). The assessments in science, math and reading incorporate cultural, linguistic and geographic differences that exist within Canada and test the commonly agreed-upon curriculum for all jurisdictions. The most recent round of PCAP tests was administered to 32,000 Grade 8 students from 1,600 schools across the country.
In the dusky throes of the quiet room, awash with the pale blue light of the dimming streetlamp, the little boy sat up in bed, and in a hushed, lilting voice whispered, “Mommy, you always take care of me and make me feel better.”
Recently, I took part in a discussion about the provincial math curriculum with some of our teachers. As a department, we discussed restructuring some aspects of the math curriculum to best prepare students in Grade 10 for success in the Diploma level math courses of the IB. The discussion was lively, passionate and filled with a variety of opinions, but at the heart of the debate was whether we would end up sacrificing topics that bring out the beauty and aesthetic appeal of math in favour of emphasising certain key concepts.
The little boy peered up at his father with a painfully longing glance. The father was immediately struck by the look of unfiltered innocence filling the boy’s aspect. “Why, Daddy,” he inquired, “why do you do your job?”
Gordon MacIntyre Deputy Head of School