Programmes for Students (PfS) target the age range of years 1–10 and aims to accelerate the learning of students who have been identified as needing further support to experience learning success in literacy and mathematics. The programmes are provided within the students' regular learning setting and are in addition to effective classroom teaching. Learners may or may not be in the same teaching group but their teacher adapts their teaching in response to individual needs of the target students in order to accelerate their progress.
PfS is a one-year intervention, with rapid cycles of inquiry and support within a school. Schools can continue with PfS for up to three years. There is no limit to the number of teachers within a school, cluster or kāhui ako who can participate in the programmes. Teachers work in collaborative groups within or across schools with local and regional meetings to help to spread and sustain effective practice.
Teachers who participate in ALL, ALiM, or MST should be effective and culturally responsive literacy or mathematics teachers with good content and pedagogical knowledge, and the willingness to inquire into doing things differently.
The Ministry funds mentors to support:
- teachers to inquire into their practice in multiple rapid cycles, using lessons learned to adapt teaching practice and develop strategies to accelerate achievement. The teacher may work with the same students, different students or a mix across cycles of inquiry
- teachers to share practice with other teachers and to work in partnership with parents, families and whānau
- school leaders to build conditions to support sustained achievement gains
- school leaders in their school-wide monitoring and assessment through inquiry and knowledge building processes, underpinned by the concept of ongoing improvement.
Accelerating Learning in Literacy (ALL) and Accelerating Learning in Mathematics (ALiM)
The ALL or ALiM teacher provides extra support for a small group of 6–8 students who have been identified as needing some further support to experience learning success in literacy and mathematics.
Accelerating Learning in Literacy (ALL) – delivered in Otago and Southland
Accelerating Learning in Mathematics (ALiM) – delivered throughout the South Island
Mathematics Support Teacher
MST teachers provide extra support for a small group of students who have been identified as needing further support to experience learning success in mathematics.
The MST teacher is a classroom teacher – they are funded to spend time on MST outside their regular classroom teaching, and will run a series of supplementary interventions for different groups of students throughout the year.
Delivered throughout the South Island.
Workshops
In Otago and Southland for both Literacy and Mathematics, we run the introductory workshops at locations in proximity to the participating schools. These are followed by cluster meetings in Term 2 and 3 and an Impact Day held where teachers can celebrate success in November. A similar programme is also offered in Canterbury, Nelson and West Coast.
Facilitators
Literacy - Lauren Latimer and Ann Stevenson.
Mathematics - Averil Lee, Viv Thompson and Derek Smith.
Contact
Literacy
Lauren Latimer
Phone: 021 165 7324
Email:lauren.latimer@otago.ac.nz
Mathematics
Averil Lee
Phone: 021 190 4065
Email: averil.lee@otago.ac.nz