Learning Objectives and Assessment Criteria.
Learning Objectives are the things that students should be learning. They form the basis of a scheme of work and are exemplified by the old framework folder or by the hyperlinks after each statement on the following link:
http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/secondary/framework/maths/fwsm/mlo and then ticking the ones that you want.
The Assessment criteria are the statements for APP which you should use to decide what level a student is at. You can find these by using the link above to select the Learning Objectives and then once these appear click on the APP link at the foot of that page to see the Assessment criteria that go with them. These are the phrases that are used in the APP booklet recently distributed at the Subject Leaders day (25th March) which shows two levels per page and is available to download from the link: http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/150769

At the risk of providing ever too much information, a useful resource is the progression maps provided by the Govt. For each attainment target (on this they call "Statistics" "Handling data and probability") there is a progression map which breaks each AT down into a series of skills, which by name don't quite match the learning objectives or the APP criteria in other documents. Each of these skills within an AT has up to 10 steps (not NC levels though) in progression of understanding and ability. In each step you can click "View Step" for further details of what the step means, a link to the supplement of examples from the old Framework folder, a section of probing questions and a section of what to do if the students say "I don't get it". All of this is found at:
http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/secondary/intervention/progressionmaps

I have been trying to match up the phrases in the new APP booklet with the phrases on the mathematics learning objectives document and don't think they do match. I also had in mind what used to be called "Key Objectives" - a phrase which I don't think really applies anymore. It seems that the phrases in the new APP booklet (the one with two levels per page that we're meant to use for levelling some students in each class) could be viewed as the key objectives as they are what is used to decide if a student is at a level or not. I found a nice document produced by eRidings on their site which I have made available at http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-documents/index.php which does list the old key objectives for each year group (and able students in y9) and matches these up to "probing questions" for each one - perhaps good to have in a scheme of work. They are called "Year 7 key objectives and probing questions eRidings" (Y7, 8, 9 and able y9 files exist.) The eRidings site that these came from also has some resources and is found at http://www.eriding.net/maths/tl_resources_sec.shtml

Fantastic link to loads of Rich tasks for you courtesy of NRich. For each Key Stage there is a Word document which covers the Framework for each objective and has links to Rich tasks appropriate for delivering that content. There is then also an Excel spreadsheet for each year which lists all of the MPA skills (process) and shows you which Rich task supports delivering that skill. Again, it is hyperlinked to the resources so it is easy to follow. These are at http://nrich.maths.org/public/viewer.php?obj_id=5665

There are some links from the Govt site to some Rich tasks at http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/161236?uc=force_uj They reference the MPA skills addressed as well as the curriculum content being covered. A cross referencing table shows how these cover the relevant skills at http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/161811

Using the bubble diagrams from the eMaths website I have collated information about how each skill in each AT progresses across the levels from 2 to 8 (matched to GCSE grades G to A*.) It is less visually attractive than the colourful bubble diagrams but is perhaps useful to teachers to see how skills develop. I have made these available at the usual place: http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-documents/index.php
They are called:
Number tracking levels document.
Algebra tracking levels document.
Geometry and measures tracking levels document.
Statistics tracking levels document.
Can you see the theme I used?
Hope they are useful and thanks to whoever made the bubble diagrams in the first place. The information came from something produced by Collins I think, not an exam board.
I haven't checked out how all these match up with the APP Assessment Criteria. Perhaps one rainy day.......

The old Standards Units produced a great set of resources including lesson activities and a booklet supporting teachers in using these and other rich tasks. They seem now to be managed or have changed into the QIA and the resources were called "Improving Learning in Mathematics." They can be downloaded or viewed on line at:
http://teachingandlearning.qia.org.uk/teachingandlearning/downloads/default.aspx#math_learning
The general booklet supporting teachers in using these resources or in taking some more risks to develop mathematical understanding can be downloaded via this link to the NCETM website: http://www.ncetm.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=13&module=res&mode=100&resid=1442

Helping Year 11 revise

After the SL day in February Fred circulated the questions that could be used by year 11 to categorise the types of questions they could be asked and then to devise strategies for answering them. These are available from this link: http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-documents/index.php
A quick summary of the topics is as follows:
Percentage questions
A to D grade factorising questions
Percentage right and wrong
Ratio and proportion questions
Similar shapes, circle theorems and sectors (also answers available.)

You may want to direct students to the sites listed as "Revision sites" on the left of this page. Check them yourself first though, some of them, like Kangaroo maths, might need some explanation as to how to navigate to what you want them to look at. Some, (Kangaroo maths again) include the answers too so you might want to keep this secret if you are going to use the resources as tests/homework tasks.

Transition Poster from Subject Leaders' Days

Here is the link to the poster that primary school students may be using this summer to complete a picture of "My Maths" as mentioned on the SL day in February. I was thinking that this sort of thing could also be used by students facing exams as a revision exercise - e.g. one for fractions with categories breaking down all the way fractions may be addressed and their notes as to how to tackle such questions.
The link again is http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-documents/index.php

APP resources from Subject Leaders' Day Feb 2009

Here are some of the resources we looked at on the Subject Leaders' Day in February 2009. The are all accessed from the same link but a quick summary is as follows:
"APP Assessment Guidance" is a spreadsheet showing what the skills are at each NC level for the 6 categories in the APP assessment document.
"bap markbook" is nothing to do with bread rolls but is actually a very useful spreadsheet for keeping a record of the recognising of evidence for students you teach. Completing a class list on the first page updates all of the others and a simple colour coding shows a record of what each student has achieved.
"Very Simple Version" is Fred's spreadsheet simply showing the headings on a termly basis which you could use to track the recognising of achievement in each category. The sort of spreadsheet my mum understands.
The link to all of these is http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-documents/index.php