Numeracy for Indigenous Students in Secondary Schools (INISSS)

Staffing

R. Callingham (University of Tasmania), V. Nicholson (Tasmanian Education Department), P. Griffin, K. Corneille, H. Coates (Assessment Research Centre)


Summary

The major objective of the INISSS program in Tasmania is to improve numeracy outcomes for all students (particularly Aboriginal students) in the middle years of schooling through a program of intensive teacher professional development. The professional development is based around the use of Mathematical Problem Solving Task Centres that had been successfully used elsewhere with indigenous students Student assessment tasks had a degree of open-endedness, provided concrete materials for manipulation and all held the possibility of further exploration. To examine the effectiveness of the program, both qualitative and quantitative focused strategies were used to measure students' numeracy outcomes. Teachers from the nineteen participating high schools assessed student performance on the tasks; over 1900 students were involved. OMR sheets were used to record students' scores. OMR Questionnaires were also distributed to teachers and students to ascertain learning environments and attitudes; whereby links between these measures and performance can be examined more closely. The Assessment Research Centre was involved in the study design, data processing and analysis.

Funding

Aboriginal Education Unit, Tasmania Education Department (Indigenous Education Strategy Implementation Program)


Publications

Callingham, R. and Griffin, P. (2000). Towards a Framework for Numeracy Assessment. Mathematics Education Research and Development: Adelaide.

Callingham, R. and Griffin, P. (1999). Developing performance assessment task in mathematics: A case study. In J.M. Truran & K.M. Truran (Eds.), Making the Difference. Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia. MERGA: Adelaide, SA, 4-7 July, pp.135-142.

Callingham, R., Griffin, P. and Corneille, K. (1999). Using performance assessment tasks to assess numeracy outcomes: The INISSS project assessment process. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education, November.

Griffin, P. (2000). Assessment in a Standards Reference Framework. Assessment and Reporting for the High School Certificate. NSW Association of Independent Schools: Sydney.

Griffin, P. (2000). Competency Based Assessment of Higher Order Competencies. NSW State Conference of the Australian Council for Educational Administration, Mudgee, NSW, April.

Griffin, P. (2000). INISSS: Its impact and significance. Keynote Address at the INISSS Annual Conference, Launceston, December 1.

Griffin, P. (1999). Paper and pencil tests: A discussion paper. Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Internet Forum.

Callingham, R. & Griffin, P. (2001) Beyond the Basics: Improving Indigenous Students' Numeracy. Paper presented at 24th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Sydney, NSW, January 2001

Callingham, R. & Griffin, P. (2001) Shaping Assessment for Effective Intervention. Paper Presented at AAMT Conference, Adelaide

Griffin, P. (2000) Assessment and Intervention in an Outcomes Framework

Griffin, P. (2001) INISSS Project - Second Cohort, Second Round (INISSSB12) Analysis, February 2001

Lai, K. (2002) A note on the infit and outfit mean squares. Paper presented at AARE Conference. Brisbane, 2-5 December

Griffin, P. (2000) "Intervention and Readiness to Learn". Learning Matters 5(3) 18-19

Griffin, P. (2000) Rubrics. Education Queensland Mount Gravatt Symposium: Assessment and Reporting in an Outcomes Framework, Mount Gravatt

Griffin, P. (2001) Performance Assessment of Higher Order Thinking. American Educational Research Association, Seattle, Washington, AERA