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How can we support Aboriginal student success…?

canadian flag smilingAboriginal children under age 14 make up 7% of all children in Canada.  The Aboriginal population is the fastest growing demographic in this country and eighty percent of Aboriginal children attend off-reserve provincial schools. In terms of school success, there are significant gaps in learning outcomes and graduation rates between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students.  How can we create conditions to better support Aboriginal students and their success in our public schools…?

Check out the Publication and for more information on the research,  visit the CEA website.

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Three CSBA nominees win awards from C21 Canada

C21_icon-150x150C21 Canada seeks to support the accelerated and effective integration of 21st century skills and competencies, teaching practices and learning technologies into Canada’s education systems.   CSBA was proud to submit several nominees for the C21 Shifting Minds National Award for distinctive achievement in the field of 21st Century learning and innovation.  Three CSBA nominees won in their category:

Individual Leadership Award:  Al Reyner, Principal at Sir John A. MacDonald High School in Boutiliers Point, Nova Scotia for inquiry and project based learning.

System Award Red River Valley School Division, Morris, MB for the use of technology in learning and teaching through the “One to the World” technology initiative.

School Team Award: Sisler High School in Winnipeg, for true innovation in education technology.

The Canadian School Boards Association congratulates the above winners on their efforts to integrate technology and the wqst century skills and competencies into their student’s lives.

 

 

 

 

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CSBA puts their commitment to Aboriginal Education in writing…

imagesCSBA , in collaboration with Aboriginal Leaders across the country developed and on February 16, 2014 was proud to adopt unanimously the Canadian School Boards Association Charter of Commitment to First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education.  While in development the document was requested, reviewed and revised by First Nations Communities and was endorsed enthusiastically by all provinces.   It will now serve as our guide to all we hope to accompish in our school boards.  For their contributions and  hard work in producing this important document, CSBA would like to thank the First Nations communities for their precious guidance, as well as the members of the CSBA Aboriginal Education Committee Members and the Canadian Association of Academic Deans for providing a good, foundational resource for us to adapt.   To download your copy:  CSBA Charter of Commitment; First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education.  Display it proudly in your offices.

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CSBA 2014 is around the corner…

2014_speakersAlready, the program for this year’s CSBA conference is looking amazing!  The quality of speakers is reflective of this year’s theme, “Excellence, Reimagined”.  Hosted this year by OPSBA, this event is a lifetime opportunity in a spectacular venue.

For more information on program, registration or transportation, go to the CSBA2014 website .

 

* Please note that the Sheraton on the Falls is already filling up so the Organizing Committee has arranged for additional hotel rooms at the same rate, with shuttle service, at the Marriott Gateway on the Falls Hotel.   For help with accommodation please contact Ernesta Graham egraham@opsba.org.

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Facts on Education Series: Standardized Testing Does Not Lead to Improved Educational Outcomes for Students

Girl writingJPEGEducators and students should be provided with assessment tools to identify issues and gaps for individual students.

Release date: 10 February 2014

Standardized testing is a contentious issue in Canada, and internationally. There is a large body of literature about these large-scale standardized tests with no consensus on their effectiveness. According to the Canadian Education Association’s latest Facts on Education fact sheet, while there is some support for standardized testing, overwhelmingly, research suggests that it does not lead to improved educational outcomes for students.

To access What is the Value of Standardized Testing, go to  Facts On Education – Standardized Testing  And for other hot button issues such as, Under what conditions does technology impact learning? Do good grades in high school guarantee post-secondary success? How useful is homework? and Do smaller classes improve learning?, please visit: www.cea-ace.ca/facts-on-education

About The Facts on Education

With a generous sponsorship from the Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA), CEA has teamed up with researchers from the University of Prince Edward Island’s Faculty of Education to conduct the research and produce the content. Four more facts sheets focusing on what the research says about the correlation of high school grades and post-secondary success, the impact of technology on classrooms, effective approaches to improving students’ mental well-being, creating conditions for Aboriginal student success in our public schools, and defining what standardized testing is actually measuring, will be distributed throughout the 2013-2014 academic year.

 

Max Cooke, Director of Communications

Canadian Education Assocation

 

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School boards address student inactivity

Dr. Mark Tremblay

Only 5 % of Canadian school children are meeting the national physical activity standards.  Dr. Mark Tremblay, an expert in Children’s Health and part of the team that wrote the 2013 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card, will be at the CSBA conference in Vancouver this week to speak to this critical situation and to offer 10 solutions as a starting point for school boards’ discussions.  Student Health and Wellness is a Key Priority for the CSBA and we hope that this Pre-Congress session, which takes place from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on July 4,  will assist trustees and commissioners from across Canada to take an active role in affecting change.

Please visit   http://www.csba2013.ca/index.php/program/july4  for more information on the session or Dr. Tremblay.

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We are looking forward to seeing you in July…

BCSTA, hosts of CSBA 2013 have opened registration and hotel reservations for the upcoming conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.  Go to the congress website here to find out information on speakers, programming, scheduling, tours, etc…everything you will need to know to make your time at the congress a most postive experience.   The theme of this year’s conference is Diversity Matters; in the boardroom, in the classroom, in public education and we have had every indication that we can expect nothing less than a spectacular program this summer.  Make your arrangements soon.  We hope to see you there!

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Working together to inform Canadians…

New Partnership with CEA

The Board of Directors made a unanimous decision to partner with the Canadian Education Association in the publication of “Facts on Education”, articles that are circulated across the country to inform readers of recent evidence-based research that addresses issues that are of interest to the public.   Look for the first issue in September 2013.  We hope that we can participate in clarifying the issues that are of importance in the education today.

We are delighted to be working with the CEA on this publication and look forward to sharing in other new initiatives with them over the coming years.

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CSBA endorses a clear road map for positive, future direction…

 

A Year of Strategic Planning

When the CSBA congress in July 2012 was ended, CSBA had a new Managing Director, a new President and the knowledge that the many structural changes the Association had made over the past years required us to “regroup”, to redefine our priorities and especially, develop a road map that reflected what each province wanted from us in our role to affect change on behalf of their behalf.  After several meetings, workshops and much discussion, we reconfirmed our mission to support, advocate for, and promote publicly elected School Boards across the country and then worked out a 3-year plan on how we wanted to accomplish that over the coming years.  Our Core Issues for Advocacy include Aboriginal Education, 21st Century Learning and our newest addition on our list of national concerns; Student Health and Wellness.  The 2013-2016 Strategic Plan, adopted at our March meeting is available at CSBA 2013-2016 Strategic Plan.