Yachad Accelerated Learning Project (YALP)- Numeracy at Shepparton High School
Dr. Bilha Kutscher, a numeracy specialist with expertise and success in disadvantaged students' programs of various education levels, is the only numeracy expert in the Yachad team. Fortunately for Shepparton High School, she was targeted to implement the Yachad Accelerated Learning Program (YALP) in Shepparton. It was doubly fortunate since her presence coincided with the creation of a Shepp High's new Numeracy Program. She was thus able to have a creative input into this endeavour, too.
Dr Bilha Kutscher, Dept of Education, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
One of the purposes of YALP is to support and improve students' numeracy in the middle years of schooling to mainly years 7,8 and 9. This intervention program is implemented by pairing tutors and students who work together for 10 minutes outside the classroom. This method has proved to be extremely effective since the students get the undivided attention of numeracy trained tutors.
During these sessions, the tutors assess the strengths and gaps in the students' mathematical knowledge; with this information in hand the students' numeracy can be developed in leaps and bounds. The critical question is: Are the students' class learning interrupted when they are withdrawn from their mainstream classes? This issue has been addressed by assuring that the learning sessions orient the students to the topics and materials being currently taught in class. Thus, not only do they not lose, they gain! This has been attested to by these students' mathematics teachers.
Even in this short period of implementation, the students have already felt their improvement in numeracy and started to feel more confident. This will surely manifest itself in their mathematics classes and real life.
