Additional Topics
Success / Learning to 18
Initiatives Resources
Good evening parents, guardians, teachers, staff, and
students. It is with great pleasure that I accepted this invitation from
Guidance Counselor Mrs. Lenovo to speak to you on behalf of some of the
wonderful new programs initiated by the school board and the Ministry of
Education regarding student success and student learning.
As we all know, each teenager has his or her own unique interests,
goals, and strengths. Needless to say, every student should have the
same opportunity to succeed and graduate from high school. In order to
help place each student on a more clearly determined career path, it is
crucial to have the best possible information and the widest possible
information from sources that you can trust. Hopefully, by the end of
this assembly, you will all have a clearer understanding of how the
province of Ontario is working with the Toronto District School Board to
help our students build a more prosperous, promising future for
themselves and for the community.
The Student Success program was started by the McGuinty government in
order to provide greater support for struggling students and to
establish smaller class sizes in key areas, thereby helping to keep
students in school and increase graduation rates. Generally, success for
students means moving beyond college and university to include
apprenticeships and skilled job placements. This comprehensive program
is creating a new role for publicly funded high schools and working to
create a good outcome for every student.
When this idea was first implemented nearly five
years ago, approximately a third of students were not completing their
high school education. Statistics show that compared to high school
graduates, students who drop out are twice as likely to be unemployed
(especially since most jobs require a high school diploma), three times
more likely to spend time in prison, and five times more likely to need
income assistance. The government’s main target is to reach a graduation
rate of 85 percent by 2010-11. This means 20000 more students will
graduate when the target is achieved.
As anticipated, a great deal progress has been
achieved. So far, since 2003 to 2004, the high school graduation rate
has increased by seven percentage points – from 68 to 75 percent. That
means 22,500 more students obtained their high school diploma and a
chance at a brighter future. And more Grade 9 and 10 students are
completing all of their courses and are on track to graduate.
There are many new programs being rolled out across
the province for students pursuing college, apprenticeships or the
workforce after graduation. Some of these initiatives include:
-
Expansion of Cooperative Education which allows
students to count this hands-on learning towards two compulsory high
school credits.
-
E-Learning, a program providing students with
online courses and allows teachers to share resources across
the province.
-
Dual Credits, a program allowing students to
participate in apprenticeship training and college courses. These
credits can count towards their high school diploma as well as a
postsecondary certificate, diploma, degree or
apprenticeship certification. For instance, students can take a
course about entrepreneurship taught by a college professor and a
high school teacher on a college campus. By passing the course, a
student would earn both a high school credit and a college credit.
-
Credit Recovery programs were designed to help
students regain failed credits while building learning skills for
future success.
How are these programs being
funded?
A Student Success leader who is assigned to a
particular school board is funded directly from the ministry, which goes
directly towards resources for principals and teachers to deliver local
action plans to meet the specific needs of students in communities
across the province. In fact, in the 2003-2004 school year, the
government invested $18 million to fund 105 Student Success lighthouse
projects. As you can tell, there is a large amount of money and effort
going into these initiatives.
Recently, the Toronto District School offered a new
program that lets students focus on a potential career that matches
their skills and interests called the Specialist High Skills Major. This
ministry-approved specialized program was also designed to help prepare
students make the transition from secondary school to apprenticeship
training, college, university, or the workplace. Each major is a bundle
of classroom courses, workplace experiences and sector certifications.
Students who complete a major receive a special designation on their
high school diploma. Students who belong in the Toronto District School
Board can major in any one of the following: Arts and culture, business,
construction, hospitality and tourism, horticulture and landscaping,
information and communications technology, and transportation. Each
school board offers different majors, so if a student were interested in
obtaining a major in health and wellness, they would have to register in
a school in the Durham region. Overall, a Specialist High Skills Major
enables students to gain sector-specific skills and knowledge in the
context of engaging, career-related learning environments which will
ultimately orient them towards graduation and pursuing their
postsecondary goals.
With regards to the construction major, my son is
very handy around that house and enjoys building stuff in his spare
time; what kind of classes would he have to take if he were to enroll in
this program?
Students enrolled in a construction major will take
four construction "major" courses, an English course and a math course
using construction examples, a cooperative education placement, and
classes oriented towards training for sector-recognized certifications
in health and safety, first aid and handling hazardous materials. To
elaborate on the sector-recognized certification and training component,
the student would have to complete five compulsory courses related to
standard first aid, CPR, health and safety, fall protection, and WHMIS.
In addition to two other nonspecific construction-related courses such
as forklift safety, electrical safety, traffic control, chainsaw safety,
and so forth. Luckily, we have a guest speaker today who is a former
construction major graduate from Thistletown Collegiate Institute who
can better inform all of us on his experiences and the success he had
with the program.
Moreover, by incorporating all these wonderful ideas
in schools all across the region, students will be more inspired to stay
in school and continue their studies until the age of 18, be able to
graduate and earn an Ontario high school diploma. All these programs
share a common goal, that is, to help all students build a promising
future for themselves. This year, more than 800 new teachers are
dedicated to the Student Success program to help struggling students
improve academic achievement and graduation rates. In concert, teachers
will work with students to track their progress, help students catch up
on missing credits and support the development of better programs and
services.
We will now be moving on to our first guest, a
student who is currently part of the jPod program held exclusively at
the Toronto District School Board, which is a facilitated, self-directed
learning to 18 program based on appreciative inquiry, democratic
decision-making, individual timelines, and a student-run Code of Care
Recommendation Committee. Audience members, please free to ask questions
any time throughout the following presentations.
Hello ladies and gentlemen, my
name is Michael and I am here to talk to you about the program I am
involved with called jPod. jPod is a self-directed
democratic decision making learning program where students setup their
own courses, along with the help of the ministry documents, to fit their
own strengths and timetables. It is a program of flexibility and adapts
to meet the students learning needs. Basically, we take the role of both
teacher and student, and we take the documents that the ministry has
setup for courses such as English, science, and math, and we customize
them to form our own course. We even create our own assessment pieces,
so not everything will be tested or evaluated. There may be media pieces
such as posters and videos that we may choose to get evaluated and, with
the aide and supervision of a teacher, we are provided feedback to make
sure we are meeting the expectations of the school board. How we choose
to meet the curricular expectation is up to us.
How did you personally get involved with jPod?
I got involved with jPod because I was practically
feed-up with traditional high school classes. In general, I am a good
student, but I had many problems with certain teachers. I was tired of
not being able to understand why my marks were the way they were; I was
tired of not being able to have control of improving my mark, especially
when my work was judged based on one teacher’s expectations. I did not
like having expectations that I felt were unfair, so I guess I wanted to
take control of it and jPod allows students to take charge.
At first I was very skeptical about the program
because I thought it was somewhat of a bird course, meaning it would be
easy and I could easy fly through with a passing grade. I thought
students were just going to apply, get an easy 90 percent and graduate
without being fully prepared for post-secondary education, especially
since they are picking their own assignments and everything is focused
on them. After the first week of being in the program, I realized that
all my initial presumptions were wrong. In fact, it was truly a wakeup
call because I did not anticipate the amount of work I had to complete.
Essentially, you walk-in and you are presented with a stack of papers
from various Ministry of Education documents outlining several different
high school subjects. You then have to decipher what is truly important
for your personal learning success; this process requires serious
thought and commitment. At the end of the day, I have a greater
appreciation towards teachers because of the work they have to put in
before the start of every lesson or semester.
Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in
Appreciative Inquiry workshops. These workshops are based on positive
thinking, optimism, and relating that back to your school and everyday
life. In other words, it is an intentional process of asking each other
positive questions in order to create positive energy in the group and,
in turn, create an alignment of strengths to make the weaknesses
irrelevant – this is one experience that is truly unique to jPod.
Furthermore, jPod offered the opportunity to rely more on myself,
especially in time of academic need. I have better time management
skills; I am more efficient and effective in pursuing my goals. This is
something I have learned through jPod which I would have never picked
up, had I been enrolled in a traditional high school class. Hence, when
I attend university next year and have an assignment deadline, it will
not be an issue because I will have the positive mindset that no job is
too difficult to approach. Overall, I highly recommend students to take
at least one course and to try out this new approach towards learning
because I am quite sure everyone will enjoy it the same way I do.
What are some key qualities that you have developed
so far in this program that you can use as you proceed further in your
studies?
Leadership, self-reliance, time-management, and
organization are the four main qualities that I have personally
developed throughout this process. In fact, all four of these qualities
are essential to succeed in university and in the real world. My jPod
experience has been one of the best and most beneficial learning
experiences throughout my time in high school. jPod has given me the
opportunity to decide how much time I need to spend and how quickly I
need to go through a unit, while still following the general government
requirements with the curriculum taught by a regular teacher. It has
given me the opportunity to learn how to manage my time wisely,
something that I needed to work on for university. It has taught me to
be responsible, so I can rely on myself and not have someone constantly
reminding me to do my work.
Our next guest speaker was
former Specialist High Skills Major student who
successfully majored in construction and is now working towards a career
in the residential construction industry, everyone please welcome
George.
Not too long ago, I was sitting in science class
wondering why I am here learning about human cells when what I really
want is to work with my hands in a constructive manner and be more
productive. I remember skipping many classes to a point where I just
gave up on school altogether. Fortunately, before officially leaving, I
had a brief meeting with my guidance counsellor who introduced me to
this new innovative program that would allow me to do more of what I
wanted to do rather than follow conventional curricular documents. I
decided to take a second chance on school and join the program which
mainly focused in on a career in construction.
Pursuing the Specialist High Skills Major enabled me
to customize my secondary school education to suit my interests and
talent while meeting the requirements for the Ontario secondary school
diploma. Rather than taking courses like physics and chemistry, I
enrolled in courses that suited my needs and goals. After completing
many of the courses associated with this program, I was able to provide
evidence of achievement for prospective employers and postsecondary
institutions. I gained the confidence to be successful, refine my skills
and work habits, and at the same time make informed choices about future
careers and postsecondary options. Most importantly, I accessed
resources, equipment, and expertise from a combination of different
areas outside my school, such as college and several different training
centers.
What kind of work did you perform throughout your
co-op experience in this program?
During our training and cooperative education
experience, we focused on skilled trades, specifically electrical,
carpentry, and plumbing. At George Brown College, we took part in
additional opportunities in such areas as HVAC, building restoration,
renovations, and management. Basically, I was going to college and
finishing high school at the same time. We designed and installed piping
and electrical systems, as well as constructing a small residential
building. We also had the opportunity to wire residential 120 volt
electrical circuits; cut, join, and assemble plumbing, and draining;
install waste and vent systems; construct flooring and roof and wall
systems; read, draw, and interpret blueprints, using traditional board
drafting and CAD; estimate material requirements and costs; and order
and track materials.
The courses I took were dual credits – they counted
as high school credits and as college preparation courses. The
preparation courses gave me an advantage when applying to college. I can
honestly say that this program changed me as a person; I was once a
slacker, but the teachers in this program pointed me in the right
direction. My parents are also proud of the changes they witnessed in
me. In fact, when I first started the program, they were really excited
about it when I could tell them that I am going to college and I am
going to finish high school at the same time. My marks improved
drastically and so did my self-esteem.
I recommend this program to any student who wants to gain important
skills on the job with actual employers and earn valuable industry
certifications, such as first aid and C.P.R. qualifications.
Our third and final
guest of the night is a current high school teacher who is here to speak
in regards to the implementation of Credit Recovery
programs across the province. Everyone please welcome Mr. Smith.
Good evening everyone, I am here tonight to speak
about this wonderful new and important initiative that has been
implemented across the province. The Credit Recovery program provides
additional opportunities for students to gain missed credits and enables
the students to experience success in learning, feel proud of their
accomplishments and become more engaged in their academic programs.
Which students can be considered for Credit Recovery?
Students who have, within the last two years,
completed an Ontario Ministry of Education approved course and received
a failing grade may be approved by the Credit Recovery Team to recover
the course through the Credit Recovery process. Students may only
recover the credit of the actual course failed which limits them to the
same type, grade, and level. For example a student who fails academic
math can only recover academic math and is not eligible to recover
applied math. Students who withdraw from a course are not eligible to
recover it through the Credit Recovery process.
What will appear on the Ontario Student Transcript
for a student who completes the Credit Recovery process?
Once a student has completed a course through Credit
Recovery, the common course code along with the student's final mark for
the recovered course will be recorded on the student's transcript. There
is no special indicator on the transcript or report card for recording
the method of delivery for achieving a credit. In the case of students
achieving grades 9 and 10 credits through Credit Recovery, only the
highest mark achieved will appear on the transcript.
How many credits may a student recover through the
Credit Recovery process?
There is no present limit to the number of credits
that can be recovered through the Credit Recovery process. The number of
credits an individual student may recover through the Credit Recovery
process is determined by the Credit Recovery Team and signed off by the
principal based on the unique situation of each student.
Furthermore, when a student enrolls in this program,
their final grade is based on two separate portions. For instance, 30
percent of their grade will be based on a final evaluation in the form
of an examination, essay and/or other methods of evaluation suitable to
the course content and administered towards the end of the course. The
other 70 percent of the grade will be determined solely upon the
student’s performance in the Credit Recovery Program. In other words,
did the student show up to class, did they participate in class
discussion, were they attentive, and so forth.
Overall, I recommend the Credit Recovery Program to
any student who is far behind on their high school credits, wants to
catch up and graduate on time with his/her classmates.
I thank each and every one of you for coming and
supporting this cause. By using these resources and services, we can all
play a part in re-engaging recent school-leavers, reduce dropout rates,
improve credit accumulation, and increase graduation rates. Remember,
Student Success is all about making a lasting difference. It means
creating long-term benefits for the student and their community, the
society, and one’s country.
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