Math in BC

Published in the Local Weekly – October 25, 2017

EDUCATION MATTERS – SD46 BOARD OF EDUCATION

**Please note: the BC Ministry of Education announced during publication that the implementation of Grades 11/12 curriculum will be postponed to September 2019.

BC’s New Curriculum is in full-implementation for grades K-9. We are still learning, so expect some changes over time in your school. This is the pilot year for grades 10-12. Full implementation for grades 10-12 begins September 2018. This article will highlight Math in BC in light of BC’s New Curriculum. As mentioned, Math K-9 courses are in full swing in BC schools. There are some curricular changes if compared to the former curriculum from 2007 and 2008, but all students will engage in these courses as they approach the graduating years.

In grade 10, students will choose between two courses: Foundations & Pre-Calculus Math 10 and Workplace Math 10. Students must complete one of these courses for high school graduation. Students entering grade 12 in 2018 must also complete one Math 11 or Math 12 course for graduation requirements. In September 2018, there could be a wide variety of “new” math courses offered at your school in addition to Foundations and Pre-Calculus Math 11 and 12 that students can choose from. Some examples include History of Math 11, Computer Science 11 and 12, Apprenticeship 12, Statistics 12, and Geometry 12. Students can take more than one math course in grades 11 and 12, like they do with science.

Students interested in post-secondary education or training are encouraged look at the math pre-requisites for the program or programs they are interested in. Another change with BC’s New Curriculum is no provincial exams in Math 10. This exam was replaced with the Provincial Numeracy Assessment that students can complete in grades 10 to 12. Successful completion is also required for graduation for students entering grade 12 in 2018. This provincial assessment embraces the direction of BC’s New Curriculum by including core and curricular competencies, personalization, collaboration, First Nations, and self-reflection. The pilot for this Provincial Numeracy Assessment is scheduled for January 2018.

The FSA or Foundation Skills Assessment in grades 4 and 7, which includes a numeracy component, is currently being implemented in schools. For more information about Math in BC and provincial numeracy assessments, go online to curriculum.gov.bc.ca.