Page 19 - Math 9-10 (2009)

18 THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9 AND 10: MATHEMATICS
specific expectations define the particular content or scope of the knowledge and skills referred to in the overall expectations. Teachers will use their professional judgement to deter- mine which specific expectations should be used to evaluate achievement of the overall expec- tations, and which ones will be covered in instruction and assessment (e.g., through direct observation) but not necessarily evaluated.
The characteristics given in the achievement chart (pages 20–21) for level 3 represent the “provincial standard” for achievement of the expectations in a course. A complete picture of overall achievement at level 3 in a course in mathematics can be constructed by reading from top to bottom in the shaded column of the achievement chart, headed “70–79% (Level 3)”. Parents of students achieving at level 3 can be confident that their children will be prepared for work in subsequent courses.
Level 1 identifies achievement that falls much below the provincial standard, while still reflect- ing a passing grade. Level 2 identifies achievement that approaches the standard. Level 4 iden- tifies achievement that surpasses the standard. It should be noted that achievement at level 4 does not mean that the student has achieved expectations beyond those specified for a particu- lar course. It indicates that the student has achieved all or almost all of the expectations for that course, and that he or she demonstrates the ability to use the specified knowledge and skills in more sophisticated ways than a student achieving at level 3.
The Ministry of Education provides teachers with materials that will assist them in improving their assessment methods and strategies and, hence, their assessment of student achievement. These materials include samples of student work (exemplars) that illustrate achievement at each of the four levels.
The Achievement Chart for Mathematics
The achievement chart that follows identifies four categories of knowledge and skills in math- ematics. The achievement chart is a standard province-wide guide to be used by teachers. It enables teachers to make judgements about student work that are based on clear performance standards and on a body of evidence collected over time.
The purpose of the achievement chart is to:
• provide a common framework that encompasses the curriculum expectations for all courses outlined in this document;
• guide the development of quality assessment tasks and tools (including rubrics);
• help teachers to plan instruction for learning;
• assist teachers in providing meaningful feedback to students;
• provide various categories and criteria with which to assess and evaluate student learning.
Categories of knowledge and skills. The categories, defined by clear criteria, represent four broad areas of knowledge and skills within which the expectations for any given mathematics course are organized. The four categories should be considered as interrelated, reflecting the wholeness and interconnectedness of learning.
The categories of knowledge and skills are described as follows:
Knowledge and Understanding. Subject-specific content acquired in each course (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding).