The evaluation of the success in numeracy education program

The Success in Numeracy Education professional development program was designed to address national goals for numeracy in Catholic primary schools in Victoria. Key components in the program included clinical interviews in Number, the use of growth points and growth point activities, rich assessment tasks in Space and Measurement, the extensive training of Focus Teachers from each school, and regular support from Numeracy Resource Officers. Staff from Australian Catholic University (Melbourne) were invited to evaluate the success of the program in terms of student outcomes and teacher professional growth. The major sources of evaluation data were student assessment interviews, teacher questionnaires and teacher, Focus Teacher, principal and Numeracy Resource Officer focus discussion groups. A picture emerged of great variation across content domains in student understanding, and similar variation between schools in terms of implementation and commitment to the program. Clear advice was offered by focus groups on possible directions for enhancing the program.