1. SSLN Improving Numeracy

2. Aims
To support the raising of attainment in mathematics and numeracy across all stages
To raise awareness of the strengths and areas for improvement in children and young people’s numeracy skills
Review strengths and areas for improvement identified within children and young people’s responses within the SSLN Numeracy survey 2011

3. Agenda
Review of strengths and areas for improvement identified within inspection activity and SSLN numeracy survey
Explore features of an effective curriculum and programme of learning
Explore the range of tasks and activities to support learner understanding and development of broader skills
Exploration of progression within a programme of learning
Exploration of breadth, challenge and application in improving learning

4. Identified good practice in primary and secondary environments
Developing Numeracy skills:
 Identified good practice in primary and secondary environments
approaches to
learning and
teaching
contexts
for
learning
range of
resources
collaborative learning:
sharing thinking
use of local
environment
early stages:
active &
exploratory
Strengths in learning and teaching of numeracy from inspection evidence.
Dark purple shows practice specific to primary environments.

5. Effective learning and teaching in numeracy
“All teachers have responsibility for
promoting the development of numeracy. With an increased emphasis upon numeracy for all young people, teachers will need to plan to revisit and consolidate numeracy skills throughout schooling.”
Building the Curriculum 1
The ‘spiral’ of learning supports children and young people to develop confidence and competence in numeracy skills. Providing meaningful opportunities to revisit and consolidate learning is fundamental in supporting progression.

6. The Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN)
What is the SSLN?
National sample-based survey
The survey focuses on literacy and numeracy in alternate years, with some pupils trialling assessments for the following year’s survey each time.
Schools across Scotland are invited to participate in the SSLN survey.
Provides a snapshot of pupil attainment in literacy and numeracy at a specific point in time and allows for comparisons over time to be made.

7. The Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN)
Provides valuable information at a national level on literacy and numeracy performance at P4, P7 and S2.
The SSLN is undertaken as part of a partnership between the Scottish Government, Education Scotland, the Scottish Qualifications Authority and education authorities.

8. Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy 2011 (Numeracy)
Highlights from the report: “ the vast majority of pupils said they enjoyed learning, though the strength of agreement reduced among older pupils. Over 90 per cent of pupils agreed that what they were learning would be useful to them outside school” “ The percentage of pupils not yet working within their respective levels in numeracy was less than 1% in P4, about 2% in P7 and about 32% in S2” “ Pupils were less likely to receive feedback on performance and improvement in S2 than in P4 and P7.”
These are quotes from the SSLN Numeracy 2011 survey report published March 2012.

9. Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy 2011 (Numeracy)
“ pupils were generally more successful with tasks assessing data and analysis and time. Tasks assessing measurement and fractions, decimal fractions and percentages were found to be more challenging for learners” “ Teachers reported high levels of confidence in delivering the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) numeracy experiences, with generally over 95% of primary and secondary maths teachers confident or fairly confident. The one exception was the area of ideas of chance and uncertainty…”
Further quotes from SSLN Numeracy 2011 survey report published March 2012.

10. Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy 2011 (Numeracy)
Highlights from Scotland’s Results were published on 28th March 2012 with full results available on
Also available to view are the teacher and pupils questionnaires which capture the experiences and opinions of learning and teaching in literacy and numeracy, exemplar questions and further data.
Learning and teaching resources based on the SSLN survey findings support and inform learning and teaching practice in schools and can be viewed at

11. Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN)
SSLN information and guidance for 2013 is available from Important dates April 2013 SSLN Literacy Survey results published and SSLN Literacy Professional Learning Resource Part 1 May 2013 SSLN Numeracy survey 2013 takes place September 2013 SSLN Literacy Professional Learning Resource Part 2 published from September 2013 onwards

12. www.scotland.gov.uk/ssln www.sqa.org.uk www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Transforming lives through learning

13. SSLN Numeracy 2011
The SSLN Numeracy 2011 survey reported that there are many strengths in children and young people’s performance within numeracy.
The results from the SSLN numeracy survey highlighted the need to improve aspects of learning in the following numeracy organisers:
Measurement
Fractions, decimal fractions and percentages (including ratio and proportion)
Primary teachers and non-maths secondary teachers expressed a lack of confidence in delivering ‘ideas of chance and uncertainty’
SSLN Numeracy Professional Learning Resource is based on the evidence from SSLN Survey (Numeracy) 2011.

14. Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy Professional Learning Resource ( Numeracy)
Professional learning materials provide:
guidance and advice to help inform learning and teaching practices in line with the survey’s main objectives
practitioners with more detail on children’s and young people’s strengths and areas for improvement identified within the in-depth analysis of the survey data
opportunities for members of the learning community to engage in professional reflection, dialogue and debate about numeracy.
The SSLN Professional Learning Resource was developed from the findings of the SSLN report published in March 2012.
The resource provides numeracy support for all practitioners across all curriculum areas in all sectors.

15. Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy 2011 (Numeracy)
Key aspects explored within the professional learning resource
Tasks and activities
Progression in learning
Assessment Practice

16. Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy 2011 (Numeracy)
Section 1 Introduction
Setting the scene
CPD presentation
Section 2
Numeracy
The place of numeracy within the curriculum
Discrete and contextualised learning
Word problems, real life problems and problem solving
Links between attitudes and attainment
Section 3
Pupil Performance
Pupil performance in measurement
Pupil performance in fractions, decimal fractions and percentages (including ratio and proportion)
Ideas of chance and uncertainty
The Professional Learning Resource is organised in three sections.

17. Section 3
The Professional Learning Resource can be accessed on the Education Scotland website. It has been organised to allow ease of access to relevant aspects of the survey.
Note that each section is a hyperlink to that particular section of the resource.
Section 3 provides further exemplification of pupil performance in identified areas for improvement.

18. Overviews of learners’ strengths and areas for improvement in measurement and fractions, decimal fractions and percentages are provided as an appendix in the Professional Learning Resource.

19. Further information about the Scottish Survey or Literacy and Numeracy can be found on the Education Scotland website.
The Numeracy Professional Learning Resource been organised to allow ease of access to relevant aspects of the survey.
Please use ‘Talk to Us’ to link to the Learning Blog where you can provide feedback and tell us how you are using the resource.
Down the right hand side, you will find related numeracy documents and related resources which offer further support.

20. Big ideas we need to think about now?
Programmes of learning in mathematics and numeracy
Balance of discrete learning versus learning across the curriculum
Improving children and young people’s numeracy skills further
Progression pathways
Four main areas to consider when planning for improvements in numeracy in your learning environment.

21. A Programmes of learning which :
provide a platform which enables learners well-placed to develop subsequent key ideas and methods
support practitioners in understanding the key ideas and concepts that hold the key to subsequent progress and support learners to achieve an effective grasp of these core concepts and techniques
enable practitioners to develop a stronger, more concrete, platform on which the next stage might build rather than perceive learning as a single ladder up which learners race
promote breadth and depth – supplement and strengthen rather than accelerate
look both forwards and backwards
Some features of good practice in a programme of learning.

22. B Contextualisation v Discrete
Number of operations
Number of intermediate steps
Application of inverse operations which require direct operations to be known well
Integration of techniques
Connecting learning from across Es and Os
Blend in the nature and frequency of examples
2.3m
2.3m
2.3m
It is important to ensure a blend and balance of activities both in context and as discrete tasks.

23. C Improving learners’ skills
This summary highlights the key skills identified for improvement based on evidence from the SSLN 2011 (Numeracy) survey.
These key skills for improvement were also found to be consistent with comments from SQA Principal assessors in a range of curriculum areas.

24. Improving Learners’ Skills Activity 1
Group discussion
Given:
Improving learners’ skills overview
SSLN Performance overview
Exemplar questions (Activity 1)
Discussion worksheets (Activity 1)
Review aspects of learning which were identified as strengths and areas for improvement in the 2011 SSLN numeracy survey
How will your establishment use these findings to improve pupil performance in the identified areas ?
Introduction to activity 1: see related activity sheets.

25. D Progression in Learning Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy 2011 (Numeracy) findings
60% of tasks, based on the measurement organiser, were answered correctly by P4 pupils.
52% of tasks, based on the measurement organiser, were answered correctly by P7 pupils.
36% of tasks based on the measurement organiser, answered correctly by S2 pupils.
This information is taken from the SSLN survey results 2011 published March 2012.

26. Progression in Measurement
Early
First
Second
Third
Fourth P4
Counting squares to measure area of irregular shapes
Using length, area and volume of one item to estimate the length area and volume of another
Reading a scale to measure length, volume and weight.
Measuring lengths and weights involving every-day objects, particularly when involving halves or quarters. P7
Relationship between area and perimeter
Calculating volumes
Measuring and conversion of units, especially involving decimal fractions
Fractions, decimal fractions and percentages as a secondary organiser S2
Relationships between length, area and volume (including inverse operations)
Problem solving in context of length, perimeter, area and volume
Conversion of units for length, weight and volume
Fractions, decimal fractions and percentages as a secondary organiser
This possible exemplification of significant aspects of learning in measurement illustrates the impact of progression in learning. 26

27. Significant aspects
“Within the mathematics organisers there are significant aspects of learning which need to be strengthened at each stage in order that there is a platform from which learners are well placed to build on. In particular, where fundamental points of learning are not well known, this impacts negatively on learner performance as they move from stage to stage.”
Assessing progress and achievement in mathematics
This quote is taken from the ‘Assessing Progress and Achievement’ guidance and advice for mathematics and numeracy published in the Education Scotland website, Spring 2013.

28. Significant aspects
This is an example of one school of thought* relating to progression in fractions. This diagram identifies possible significant aspects of learning to exemplify a pathway for progression.
(*Freudenthal Institute Utrecht University, Netherlands)
Through professional dialogue and moderation activities in your own learning environment, practitioners can develop a shared understanding of significant aspects of learning in numeracy.

29. Progression Activity 2 Given: Improving learners’ skills overview
SSLN Performance overview
Exemplar questions on progression indicating strengths and areas for
improvement (Activity 2)
Exemplar questions Discussion worksheets (Activity 2)
Choosing either measurement or fractions, decimal fractions and percentages:
Identify at each stage, what are the significant aspects of learning that would allow learners to confidently answer these questions?
Identify the knowledge and skills which require further development to ensure effective progression to the next stage.
Using your identified learning progression, consider how you would plan for progression in your learning environment.
Introduction to activity 2: see related activity sheets.

30. Embedding Problem Solving in Learning
“To emphasise that problem solving is fundamental to good learning and teaching in all aspects of mathematics and its applications, problem solving will be addressed within all lines of development rather than appearing as a separate element.” Building the Curriculum 1
Problem solving is intrinsic to numeracy and therefore vital in supporting the development of learners’ skills across the curriculum.

31. Word problems, real-life problems and problem solving
The SSLN numeracy survey included tasks with different degrees of challenge. The in-depth analysis of learners’ performance in these tasks indicate the need to strengthen their skills to:
select and identify an appropriate strategy
comprehend and interpret questions, particularly word problems
connect their learning across the numeracy experiences and outcomes
use appropriate notation and vocabulary
realise the importance of accurate calculations
Problem solving approaches to learning and teaching provides practitioners with a platform to support breadth, challenge and application.
The Curriculum for Excellence Briefing paper 2: Assessing progress and
achievement in the 3-15 broad general education provides further exemplification on breadth, challenge and application.

32. Embedding Problem Solving in Learning Activity 3
Exemplar questions and discussion worksheet
(Activity 3)
How can we support learners to develop confidence and resilience?
 What does breadth, challenge and application look like in numeracy within your establishment/class?
How are learners’ problem solving skills being developed, how do you know?
How are learners being supported to identify appropriate strategies to solve problems?
Introduction to activity 3: see related activity sheet.
A reflective activity to support and promote professional dialogue in your learning environment.

33. Planning for Improvement
Planning learning and teaching
Questioning
Starting with one or two more challenging questions.
Positive informed decisions about type of questions to select.
(Higher Order Thinking)
Types of problems
Greater range involving different sorts of numbers (whole numbers/integers/ fractions/decimal fractions/percentages).
Different contexts using similar numbers.
Word problems which are not amenable to merely extracting key words and numbers (shift importance of focus from merely identifying leading words and numbers).
Greater depth to support learners’ to think more deeply about the process, rather than the outcome.
Suggested strategies based on evidence from SSLN Numeracy 2011 survey results.

34. When planning for learning and teaching in numeracy, consider these aspects to support improving learners skills.

35. Observing Learning in Numeracy
Planning for Improvement
Observing Learning in Numeracy
Do learners:
estimate answers before carrying out calculations?
use efficient strategies to solve problems?
explain their strategies/articulate thinking?
exhibit fluency and confidence in mental calculations?
apply accuracy in written calculations?
Are learners:
encouraged to consider the reasonableness of their answer?
applying their skills within another curriculum area?
all working at an appropriate level of challenge to meet individual needs?
In observing learning in action, either as senior managers, PTs, peer observers what are some of the features we should consider when planning for improvement in numeracy?

36. Additional Information
National Assessment Resource
On-going publication of support for assessment – most recently Making Good Assessment Decisions
Assessing progress and achievement
On-going professional learning support for all curriculum areas

37. Additional Information
Curriculum for Excellence Briefing papers
Ongoing publication of advice and guidance
Scottish Learning Festival 2013
25/26 September 2013
Raising the Bar in Scotland - Transforming Lives through Learning.

38. Karen.Russell@educationscotland .gov.uk
.gov.uk
Transforming lives through learning