For the past two years, the Ministry of Education has supported the Ontario Association for Mathematics Education (OAME) and the Ontario Mathematics Coordinators Association (OMCA) in collaborating with a research team from the University of Ottawa. The impetus of this work has been to pilot and document the implementation of Grade 9 Applied Mathematics with nine school teams situated across the province. The school teams were charged with investigating a variety of opportunities to support the teaching and learning of the Grade 9 Applied Mathematics curriculum in ways that best meet the needs of their students. The research team has followed and participated in the journeys of the project schools, resulting in unique and powerful practitioner/researcher partnerships. This project has given new insights into the ways we can best support teachers as they go about meeting the mandated curricula, and a better understanding of the ways we can best support students in Grade 9 applied mathematics classrooms.

Speaker Bio:

Alison Macaulay is currently on secondment to the Ministry of Education as a Provincial Lead for Mathematics. Working in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Branch, her work focuses on the implementation and review of the mathematics curriculum. Alison is an Ontario teacher and especially passionate about teaching Intermediate students and supporting their transitions from elementary to secondary school settings. In her home board (PVNC CDSB), she has worked both as a classroom teacher and Mathematics consultant. Her doctoral research focused on effective practices in Grade 9 Applied Mathematics.