Instructional Services
Mandate
The Ministry of Education has directed all school boards in the Province of Ontario to focus on students who are deemed to be at risk in Grades 7-12. The focus of this initiative will be:
- Elementary students performing at level 1, or below grade expectations;
- Secondary students who would have previously studied at modified or basic levels;
- Secondary students performing significantly below provincial standard, earning marks in the 50s or 60s and who do not have the foundations to be successful in the new curriculum; Students who are disengaged with very poor attendance.
On the most recent Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, a percentage of the students in the applied courses failed. Statistics show provincially that about 25-28% of students are at risk of failing. This can translate to non-success at school and, in many cases, to student frustration, giving up hope and dropping out without ever reaching their dreams.
A Ministry of Education grant will be annually available to the Board to support these students. This allocation may be used for inservice, books and materials, collaborative time for teachers and other activities that will not involve extra human resources (unless short term contracted work).
The Ministry has provided team leaders and staff with several inservices following the work of the two provincial expert panels on literacy and program pathways (the combination of courses and supports that will guide a student towards their intended education and career destinations). Mathematics literacy has been added for the 2004-05 school year.
Project Structures and Results
A Board steering committee of over 30 people has been established. This committee has representation from key stakeholder groups. The steering committee has decided, with the further addition of several teachers, to establish two sub-committees (literacy and Pathways) from this membership.
The literacy sub-committee has been discussing professional development programs for all Grades 7-12 teachers. Their discussions have centred on research, the characteristics of a student at risk, the types of interventions to support this student, the type of resources needed and how collaborative teams can work effectively to ensure quality dialogue on literacy themes.
The Pathways sub-committee has been developing an infrastructure to help ensure professional dialogue. This model will form the basis of the “family of schools” yearly collaborative structure. Other themes that are being discussed include data gathering strategies to help set educational priorities and the development and/or expansion of Pathways opportunities for students.
Results
Because the funds must be expended each school year, there is a need to move into action quickly. The steering committee also felt that short-term results were essential. It is crucial to begin the process of meeting these students’ needs now!
During January-June, 2004, several events took place that directly supported our 'at risk' learners:
- Two inservices for teachers who are teaching the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course have been successfully conducted. Grade 11 and 12 students who have failed the literacy test at least once are eligible for this course. About $20,000 has been expended from our grant for teacher inservice and books for student use.
- Short and long term goals have been established.
- An infrastructure has been established that, with input from schools, will continue to be used into the foreseeable future. The infrastructure consists of a series of dates, times and activities that will annually evolve so that staff can meet and discuss how to best meet the needs of “at risk” students. Over time the infrastructure will become part of the system’s collaborative culture. This “Family of Schools” model involves the Grades 7-9 teachers meeting at predetermined times to collaborate on programs, services, instructional strategies and new program pathways that teachers will use to support these students. Each family consists of the local secondary school and all the associate elementary schools in that area. Students who are disengaged with very poor attendance.
- Long-term and short-term goals/initiatives have been developed. These will need further discussion and prioritization at future meetings so that support for these students can be sustained.
Goals
...for the 2004-05 school year include:
- To continue to develop meaningful transition planning in every school and family, including a student monitoring system, for all students in grades 7-10 by February 2005, who, as per Ministry of Education definition are deemed to be at risk of failing at either elementary or secondary school.
- To support all grade 7-10 teachers throughout the 2004-05 school year in approaches and materials that will help ensure student success.
- To develop and implement by February 2005, intervention programs at each school that will be deployed if students, after normal classroom strategies have been exhausted, continue to experience failure.
- To support parents/students/teachers with quality information on course pathways and career opportunities so that students will make informed decisions on their academic choices that will lead to successful destinations.
To date, 5 Program Resource teachers have been hired to support teachers and schools. Also a data programmer/analyst has been hired to support schools with current and relevant data so that staff may make changes in students programs and pathways as needs dictate.
For further information, please contact your local school principal or your Superintendent.