A development with potentially far-reaching consequences for the teaching and learning of mathematics is the compression of five years of high school into four, and the development of a new curriculum with a significantly different philosophy about classroom practice and assessment than the old. In the fall of 2003, tertiary institutions will greet students from both the old and the new curriculum.

This raises important issues. Will colleges and universities have reasonable expectations of their matriculants? Will students from the old and new curricula be treated equitably? How well will both types of students fare after high school? How well prepared will colleges and universities be to handle students whose secondary teaching has emphasized investigation, problem solving and use of technology? How consistent will be the implementation of the new curriculum and new methods of assessment across the secondary system?

This task force was formed to consider these issues, and to ensure that there is a flow of information between the secondary and tertiary sectors, so that each understands the context of the others and students are able to flourish. In particular, it will foster the holding of meetings across the province and the posting of information and exemplars on websites.

Committee Members:

Edward J. Barbeau, University of Toronto (co-chair)
Stewart Craven, Toronto District School Board (co-chair)

Peter Crippin, University of Waterloo
Judy Crompton, Niagara Disctrict School Board
Glenda Davis, Mohawk College
Bradd Hart, The Fields Institute
Jeff McGill, Queen's University School of Business

Minutes of Meeting held January 17, 2002

Informational Essay

The following is a downloadable PDF version of an essay by Edward Barbeau, enitled:
Guidance for Teachers and Students Coming to University