![Lessons from Ontario
•
Ontario’s approach to critical thinking and creativity… [is] woven into
virtually all aspects of schooling
– across the curriculum
– use of formative assessments
•
Ontario’s curriculum, assessment and reporting have moved from an
emphasis on mastery of facts to an understanding of “big ideas” and
the ability to apply one’s knowledge to the problems one confronts in
everyday life
•
Interdisciplinary approaches, systems thinking, and collaborative
inquiry into problems of practice is increasingly the norm in Ontario
schools, strongly supported by the work of the Literacy and
Numeracy Secretariat, the Student Success/Learning to 18 team,
and other units in the ministry.
From OECD Report: Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education: Lessons from PISA
for Japan - 2011 9](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/maryjeangallagher-closingthegapsfi-131119045543-phpapp02/85/Closing-the-gap-Shared-Learnings-and-Shared-Responsibility-9-320.jpg)
Closing the gap: Shared Learnings and Shared Responsibility
- 1. Closing the Gap: Shared Learnings and Shared Responsibility Mary Jean Gallagher, Chief Student Achievement Officer of Ontario Assistant Deputy Minister for Student Achievement Ontario Ministry of Education November 18, 2013
- 2. "In our culture we believe every child is born with a gift ... What will our schools do to uncover and develop the gifts of our children?" - An Aboriginal Chief, 2013 2
- 3. Snapshot – Province of Ontario Ontario has: • 40% of Canada’s 33.6 million people (it is the most populous province) • 60% of 225,000 immigrants who come to Canada annually • Over 1 million square kilometres of land • 2.1 million students, 27% born outside Canada • Almost 126,000 teachers (unionized teaching and support staff) • About 5,000 schools in 72 school districts • Funding of $22.8B (CDN) in 2012-13 3
- 4. Ontario’s Goals in Education • High levels of student achievement – 75% of students with high level of literacy and numeracy skill by age 12 – 85% of students graduating from high school within 5 years of starting • Reduced gaps in student achievement • Increased public confidence in education
- 6. Elementary Outcomes: Achievement Results 150,000 more students at provincial standard 4 key levers for elementary reform: 1. Improving classroom teaching and learning 2. Improving school effectiveness 3. Leadership capacity building 4. Research and evaluation 6
- 7. Secondary Outcomes: Achievement Results 6 key levers for secondary reform: 1. Leadership infrastructure 2. Engaging and relevant programming 3. Effective instruction 4. Focused Interventions for students at risk of not graduating 5. Legislation and policy development 6. Research, monitoring and evaluation 7
- 8. Ontario’s International Standing • Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 – From 65 countries, only Shanghai, China scored significantly better in reading. In mathematics Ontario scored very well. – In Ontario, the difference in achievement between students in the top socio-economic quarter and the lowest quarter was half the OECD average. – Within Canada, Ontario has the highest proportion of immigrant students. • McKinsey Report 2009: How the World’s Most Improved School Systems Keep Getting Better – Ontario: from 2003-2009 moved from “good” to “great”, now moving from “great” to “excellent” • Pan Canadian Assessment Program 2010 – Ontario is the only province above the Canadian average in reading, math and science 8
- 9. Lessons from Ontario • Ontario’s approach to critical thinking and creativity… [is] woven into virtually all aspects of schooling – across the curriculum – use of formative assessments • Ontario’s curriculum, assessment and reporting have moved from an emphasis on mastery of facts to an understanding of “big ideas” and the ability to apply one’s knowledge to the problems one confronts in everyday life • Interdisciplinary approaches, systems thinking, and collaborative inquiry into problems of practice is increasingly the norm in Ontario schools, strongly supported by the work of the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, the Student Success/Learning to 18 team, and other units in the ministry. From OECD Report: Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education: Lessons from PISA for Japan - 2011 9
- 10. Lessons from Ontario Ontario’s strong PISA results would suggest that this emphasis on building the critical thinking and problem-solving skills of teachers has strengthened the capacity of teachers to enable the development of these same kinds of skills in their students Ontario has created a broad set of enabling conditions, including: – comprehensive early learning and childcare system – strong cultural commitment to the importance of education From OECD Report: Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education: Lessons from PISA for Japan - 2011 10
- 11. * In 2009-10 the criteria for identifying participating OFIP schools changed significantly, expanding the definition of low achievement to include all assessment areas. Before 2009-10, OFIP participation was based on school achievement on reading assessments.
- 12. Low achieving: Fewer than 50 per cent of their students meet/exceed provincial standard on more than half of the assessments High achieving: 75 per cent or more of the students meet or exceed provincial standard on at least half of the assessments Middle achieving: All other schools.
- 14. Elementary Achievement: Groups of Students 80% 67% 70% 56% 60% 70% 71% 67% 61% 54% 50% ELL/AFL/PANA 40% 31% 37% 39% 30% 31% 20% Spec. Ed All 18% 10% 0% 2002-03 2008-09 2011-12 2012-13 14
- 15. Provincial Results for Junior Writing (English-Language) 90 85 80 76 73 70 68 64 60 54 All 50 Girls 44 43 40 Boys SpecEd ESL/ELL 30 24 20 10 12 15 0 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
- 16. “We are improving each year. People are getting smarter. We are starting to think school has potential!” - Ontario elementary student 2010 16
- 18. Provincial Level Strategy • Engage and enable the change at every level – teamwork
- 19. Provincial Level Strategy • • • • An "asset based" stance Pressure and support Leadership, focus and alignment Data, evidence and research in useful formats
- 20. District and School Strategy • Professional ownership, collaboration and support Smart Goals Targeted, Evidence Based Strategies Needs Assessment • Student achievement data • Demographic data • Program data • Perceptual data • Analysis of data Evaluation Resources Professional Learning Monitoring Responsibility
- 21. District and School Strategy • Engaging and relevant programming • Focused interventions with students at risk of not graduating
- 22. Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM) • “…students enrolled in SHSM programs appear to improve their performance in terms of average course marks and rates of credit accumulation compared to those not enrolled; the SHSM programs are attracting higher proportions of males, students with a special education classification, and students from applied (college or workplace) streams compared to the general student population.” (Research funded by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario) 2012-13 2013-14 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Year 7 Year 8 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 600 students in 27 programs in 44 schools 6000 students in 153 programs in 335 schools Sectors - Arts and Culture - Construction - Hospitality and Tourism - Manufacturing - Agriculture - Forestry - Horticulture and Landscaping - Mining Addition of: - Business - Environment - Health and Wellness - Transportation Funding $2.7M $7.95M Addition of: - Information & Communication Technology - Justice, - Community Safety and Emergency Services 20,000 students in over 740 programs in 28,000 students in over 1000 programs in 430 schools 212 schools 14,000 students in over 480 programs in 540 schools Addition of: - Energy - Aviation and Aerospace Addition of: - Sports - Non-profit 34,000 students in over 1300 programs in over 630 schools No new sectors 38,000 students in over 1,500 programs in over 640 schools Addition of: - Food Processing 40,000 students in over 1,600 programs in over 660 schools No new sectors 22 $13.9M $16M $17.45M $22.8M $25.3M $25.3M
- 23. Dual Credit Programs • • Dual Credit programs allow students while still at secondary school to take college or apprenticeship courses that count towards both their OSSD and post-secondary certificate, diploma, degree or apprenticeship certificate of qualification. All seventy school boards that have secondary schools and all 24 Ontario colleges of applied arts and technology are involved in providing secondary school students with dual credit learning opportunities. 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13* 361 2,500 4,300 4,500 7,500 12,800 16,000 17,500 Dual Credit Funding Only $1M $4M $8M $8M $17M $25M $32M $32M SCWI Funding in Total $3M $7M $12M $19M $27M $30M $37M Student Enrolment $36M 2013-14* 22,000 $32M $36M * approved numbers 23
- 24. Ontario Focused Improvement Program (OFIP) • For low achieving elementary schools • It is possible to make powerful difference – the Ontario Statistical Neighbours database • Supports – Funding – Time • School action plans • Province wide learning • Mid year conversations
- 25. Student Success School Improvement (SSSI) • For low achieving secondary schools • Supports – Funding – Focus – Time • School action plans • Ongoing coaching and conversation
- 26. Effective Practices • Higher aspirations – Collaborative learning – Inquiry • Deeper student engagement • Student dialogue and accountable talk • Personalization, precision and ongoing assessment
- 27. What Are We Learning? • School cultures which impact student achievement Hattie’s 8 Mind Frames: 1. Teachers/Leaders believe that their fundamental task is to evaluate the effect of their teaching on students’ learning and achievement. 2. Teachers/Leaders believe that success and failure in student learning is about what they, as teachers or leaders, did or did not do. We are change agents! 3. Teachers/Leaders want to talk more about learning than the teaching.
- 28. What Are We Learning? (cont’d) 4. Teachers/Leaders see assessment ass feedback about their impact. 5. Teachers/Leaders engage in dialogue not monologue 6. Teachers/Leaders enjoy the challenge 7. Teachers/Leaders believe that it is their role to develop positive relationships in the classrooms/staffrooms. 8. Teachers/Leaders inform all about the language of learning.
- 29. Success for All Our Children • • • • It can be done It takes a village to educate a child Ubuntu – I am, because we are. And it is urgent
- 30. A Student’s Voice: We have a dream… Where students will feel free to dream about their futures, Where they are able to connect their passions with possible career options, And that the opportunities and resources needed to support these decisions are provided. - Minister’s Student Advisory Council Representative, 2011
- 31. Thank you! For further information please contact: Mary Jean Gallagher 1-416-325-9964 maryjean.gallagher@ontario.ca Or contact executive assistant: Kim Spence 1-416-327-5317 Kim.spence@ontario.ca