“Extending” Questions
We’ve had several requests for questions at the extending stage of the BC assessment proficiency scale. According to the BC Ministry of Education, a student demonstrates extending proficiency when they show a sophisticated understanding of grade-level learning standards.
Unlike the former “exceeding expectations” (often beyond grade level), extending focuses on
deeper learning of grade-level concepts, skills, and competencies—often with more complexity,
connections, and transfer.
What does “extending” look like in mathematics?
Extending proficiency may include making connections, using comparative thinking, applying understanding, or transferring mathematics to other subject areas or daily life.
To assess extending proficiency, provide opportunities, experiences, and questions that invite comparison, justification, multiple representations, generalization, and transfer.
Sample prompts that invite an “extending” response
- How are multiplication and division related? Grade 4
- What different ways can you make 5? How do you know if you have found all the ways? Kindergarten
- How are a prism and a pyramid the same, and how are they different? Grade 5
- If a classmate wanted to practice the “related doubles” strategy when adding numbers, what are some example questions you might give them? Grade 2
- When might you use ratios in your daily life or when learning science? Grade 6
Design tips for crafting your own extending prompts
- Compare & connect: Ask students to relate concepts (e.g., operations, shapes, representations).
- Generalize: Invite patterns, rules, or “always/sometimes/never” reasoning.
- Justify: Require explanations, counterexamples, or multiple strategies.
- Transfer: Bring math into science, ADST, or real-life contexts.
- Multiple representations: Numbers, visuals, words, and concrete models.
