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South Australian Secondary Mathematics teachers consider their testing parameters (duration and frequency) to be consistent with teachers elsewhere in the state, however, formal evidence is not available. A review of literature presented similar gaps in this evidence in other jurisdictions in Australia. The logic model that underpins the resource heavy (in terms of time) program are not clearly espoused and therefore require definition. This clarificative evaluation identifies the status quo in secondary Mathematics classrooms and identifies a logic model. The evaluation shows that assessment parameters are set to align with high-stakes assessment, and this preparation occurs throughout high school. It also shows that the mechanism for achieving this preparation not defined, and, at times, is contradictive. With over 64 000 students enrolled in South Australian high schools (Australian Bureau of Statistics , 2021), any program of assessment, consistently administered or otherwise, in which students sit up to eight assessments per year, is a significant outlay of resources that requires thorough evaluation. In South Australian high schools, there is no evidence of a significant increase in numeracy attainment over the past 10 years (Goss, Sonne-mann, & Emslie, 2018), and the prevailing social narrative and evidence from PISA (Thompson, De Bortoli, Underwood, & Schmid, 2019) does not suggest that high school mathematics achievement is increasing. To monitor progress in studies of mathematics, one of the key tools that teachers have access to is school-based assessment, and support could be found for interrogating the success of prevailing school-based assessments given the stagnating results. Interestingly, Australian high school teachers were satisfied with what can be described as traditional tests as valid measures of student ability (Watt, 2005). Mathematics testing protocols in South Australian high schools require evaluation, as over 64 000 students are engaged with over 250 000 hours of assessment that teachers are satisfied with, that is a part of an overall system that is not demonstrating significant progress in student attainment. While the literature suggests that assessments in mathematics both rank students and validate the education program (Watt, 2005), interviews with participants in this research largely focused on preparation for high-stakes assessment as being the determining factor when deciding on the parameters that assessments should have. As a mode of preparation for high-stakes assessment, traditional assessments are susceptible to content bias in longer, single mode assessments (Clarke & Stephens, 1996), and it can be argued that single mode assessments with non-examination style questions are not likely to prepare students for examinations. This evaluation does not make the case for alternative assessments, or argue for traditional versus non-traditional assessment, but identifies the status quo and evaluates the logic of assessment parameters.

Study Question: Do mitochondria-targeted therapies reverse ageing- and oxidative stress-induced spindle defects in oocytes from mice and humans?Summary Answer: Exposure to MitoQ or BGP-15 during IVM protected against spindle and chromosomal defects in mouse oocytes exposed to oxidative stress or derived from reproductively aged mice whilst MitoQ promoted nuclear maturation and protected against chromosomal misalignments in human oocytes.What Is Known Already: Spindle and chromosomal abnormalities in oocytes are more prevalent with maternal aging, increasing the risk of aneuploidy, miscarriage and genetic disorders such as Down's syndrome. The origin of compromised oocyte function may be founded in mitochondrial dysfunction and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS).Study Design, Size, Duration: Oocytes from young and old mice were treated with MitoQ and/or BGP-15 during IVM. To directly induce mitochondrial dysfunction, oocytes were treated with H2O2, and then treated the MitoQ and/or BGP-15. Immature human oocytes were cultured with or without MitoQ. Each experiment was repeated at least three times, and data were analyzed by unpaired-sample t-test or chi-square test.Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: Immature germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes from 1-, 12- and 18-month-old mice were obtained from preovulatory ovarian follicles. Oocytes were treated with MitoQ and/or BGP-15 during IVM. GV-stage human oocytes were cultured with or without MitoQ. Mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial ROS were measured by live-cell imaging. Meiotic spindle and chromosome alignments were visualized by immunofluorescent labeling of fixed oocytes and the 3-dimensional images were analyzed by Imaris.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: MitoQ or BGP-15 during IVM protects against spindle and chromosomal defects in oocytes exposed to oxidative stress and in oocytes from aged mice (P < 0.001). In human oocytes, the presence of MitoQ during IVM promoted nuclear maturation and had a similar positive effect in protecting against chromosomal misalignments (P < 0.001).Limitations, Reasons For Caution: Our study identifies two excellent candidates that may help to improve fertility in older women. However, these potential therapies must be tested for efficacy in clinical IVM systems, and undergo thorough examination of resultant offspring in preclinical models before utilization.Wider Implications Of the Findings: Our results using in-vitro systems for oocyte maturation in both mouse and human provide proof of principle that mitochondrially targeted molecules such as MitoQ and BGP-15 may represent a novel therapeutic approach against maternal aging-related spindle and chromosomal abnormalities.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): The project was financially supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council and Australian Research Council, Australia. U.A.-Z. was supported by the Iraqi Higher Education and Scientific Research Ministry PhD scholarship and O.C. was supported by TUBITAK-1059B191601275. M.P.M. consults for MitoQ Inc. and holds patents in mitochondria-targeted therapies. R.L.R. is an inventor on patents relating to the use of BGP-15 to improve gamete quality.Trial Registration Number: N/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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