Locally Developed Courses : Report and Strategic Directions (2013)
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Locally Developed Courses: Report and Strategic Directions 2013 Cross Curriculum Infusion Education Program Standards and Assessment Alberta Education ALBERTA EDUCATION CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA Alberta. Alberta Education. Planning and Standards Sector. Locally developed courses: report and strategic directions / Planning and Standards Sector, Education Program Standards and Assessment Division, Alberta Education. ISBN 978–0–7785–9654–7 Available online: http://education.alberta.ca/department/ipr/ldcr.aspx 1. Curriculum planning – Alberta. 2. Curriculum change – Alberta. 3. Student participation in curriculum planning – Alberta. 4. Teacher participation in curriculum planning – Alberta. 5. Community and school – Alberta. I. Title. LB2806.15 A333 2013 375.001 For further information, contact: Alberta Education Cross Curriculum Infusion Planning and Standards Sector Education Program Standards and Assessment Division 8th Floor, 44 Capital Boulevard 10044 – 108 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta T5J 5E6 Telephone: 780–427–2984 in Edmonton or toll-free in Alberta by dialing 310–0000 Fax: 780–422–0576 Copyright © 2013, the Crown in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Education. Alberta Education, Cross Curriculum Infusion, Planning and Standards Sector, Education Program Standards and Assessment Division, 8th Floor, 44 Capital Boulevard, 10044 – 108 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T5J 5E6. Every effort has been made to provide proper acknowledgement of original sources and to comply with copyright law. If cases are identified where this has not been done, please notify Alberta Education so appropriate corrective action can be taken. Permission is given by the copyright owner to reproduce this resource for educational purposes and on a nonprofit basis, with the exception of materials cited for which Alberta Education does not own copyright. Permission is also granted for sharing the electronic files via network capabilities at the school or jurisdiction level. Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 4 What Are Locally Developed Courses? ............................................................................... 4 Future Directions for Provincial Curriculum ......................................................................... 4 Current Policy Regarding Locally Developed Courses ........................................................ 5 Current Status of Locally Developed Courses ..................................................................... 6 Locally Developed Courses in Other Provinces and Countries ............................................ 8 The Strategic Review of Locally Developed Courses ........................................................... 9 Summary of Key Findings ................................................................................................... 9 Feedback on Locally Developed Courses ......................................................................... 10 Stakeholder Feedback ................................................................................................. 11 Student Feedback ....................................................................................................... 15 Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Courses Feedback ................. 18 Strategic Directions for Locally Developed Courses ......................................................... 19 Appendices Appendix A: History of Locally Developed Courses in Alberta ........................................ A1 Appendix B: Policy 1.2.1 – Locally Developed/Acquired and Authorized Junior and Senior High School Complementary Courses .............................................. B1 Appendix C: Policy 1.2.2 – Locally Developed Religious Studies Courses ..................... C1 Appendix D: Strategic Review Consultation Process and Participants ........................... D1 Appendix E: Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Courses Feedback ......................................................................................................... E1 Appendix F: Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Interview and Questionnaire Participants ............................................................................. F1 Locally Developed Courses: Report and Strategic Directions / iii ©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada 2013 Executive Summary Several major initiatives, such as Inspiring Education: A Dialogue with Albertans and Speak Out: The Alberta Student Engagement Initiative, provided Albertans with an opportunity to dialogue about the kind of education that students will need in the 21st century. One of the ministry’s priorities, resulting from these dialogues, is to redesign standards and guidelines for the development of future provincial curriculum (programs of study, assessments, and learning and teaching resources) collaboratively with stakeholders, targeting completion in 2014. As an integral part and in alignment with other components of Curriculum Redesign, locally developed courses will also need to change in their administration and design. Alberta Education conducted a strategic review of locally developed courses that began in May 2010 to answer the question, “How should Alberta Education continue to support locally developed courses?” This review focused on senior high school locally developed courses. The review included consultations with: • stakeholders, including the Curriculum Policy Advisory Committee, an External Advisory Committee, focus groups of school and school authority administrators, and curriculum/ program coordinators • students and parents at the Speak Out Conference (April 2011) and the Alberta Student Leadership Conference of the Alberta Association of Students’ Councils and Advisors Conference (May 2011) • Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate high school administrators and teachers. Participants in the Strategic Review of Locally Developed Courses expressed support for more flexibility and autonomy at the local level. This is consistent with other consultations, such as Inspiring Education, that have recommended a shift to less rules-based governance and increased local direction and decision making. Key Findings Based on the feedback from the participants of this review, the following key findings emerged. • Locally developed courses are valuable in meeting the diverse learning needs of students and in helping school authorities respond to local interests, values and resources. • Alberta Education should continue to support school authorities by allowing increased local autonomy in the development and management of locally developed courses and by extending the authorization period. • Guidelines should be established for different types of locally developed courses; e.g., externally credentialed courses, such as Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate courses and religious studies courses. • School authorities agreed that it would be beneficial for them if widely-used locally developed courses could be transitioned into provincially authorized courses. • The principle of “extension of learning” should be used for the development and review of locally developed courses, rather than adherence to the criterion of “significant overlap.” Locally Developed Courses: Report and Strategic Directions / 1 ©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada 2013 • Alberta Education should continue to collaborate with school authorities so that locally developed courses meet new provincial standards and guidelines emerging from the priority of redesigning standards and guidelines for the development of future curriculum. Strategic Directions for Locally Developed Courses The strategic directions reaffirm Alberta Education’s commitment to locally developed courses and indicate how locally developed courses will evolve to support the vision of an educated Albertan—an engaged thinker and ethical citizen with an entrepreneurial spirit. Some of these directions can begin to be implemented in the short term, and others in the long term. 1. Revised policy, standards and guidelines for locally developed/acquired and authorized courses will support increased local autonomy and the vision of an educated Albertan. 2. Widely-used locally developed courses will become provincially authorized. 3. A collaborative approach will be used to support the sharing and co-development of locally developed courses. 4. Locally developed courses will support and align with the goals of various ministry initiatives (example: Inspiring Education, Inclusion, Curriculum Redesign, etc.). 5. The Locally Developed Courses Online Management System will align with the Curriculum Development Application. The strategic directions address the key findings and associated shifts demonstrated below. Less More centred on the system centred on the learner provincial management increased local autonomy and and administration responsibility for school authorities regulatory procedures standards and guidelines monitoring mentoring and facilitating reviewing and approving all courses focused reviews single limited authorization periods variable and extended authorization for all locally developed courses periods for different categories of (currently three years) locally developed courses prescribed course