Fall 2008

The official magazine of the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents

Sheldon Berman John Gardner Heidi Mills Doug Willms

...And others! Canada Post Publications Agreement Number 40609661

Fall 2008 Volume 9, Number 2 M.A.S.S. M.A.S.S. Journal Published For: The Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 375 Jefferson Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R2V 0N3 Phone: (204) 487-7972 Journal Fax: (204) 487-7974 Table of Contents E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.mass.mb.ca Published By: Matrix Group Inc. Message: Publication Mail Agreement 7 A Message from the President Number 40609661 Return Undeliverable Addresses to: 7 M.A.S.S. Executive 2008 52 Donald Street Winnipeg, MB R3C 1L6 Toll free: (866) 999-1299 The Engaged Learner: Toll free fax: (866) 244-2544 8 Are We Asking? Are We Listening? President & CEO By John Gardner Jack Andress The Bridge to Civility: Empathy, Ethics, Civics and Service Senior Publisher 12 By Sheldon Berman Maurice LaBorde Publisher & Director of Sales 18 Student Engagement and Mental Health: Recent Joe Strazzullo Canadian Findings [email protected] By J. Douglas Willms Editor-In-Chief Shannon Lutter 22 Creating Cultures of Inquiry in Elementary Classrooms [email protected] By Heidi Mills Finance/Accounting & Munroe’s ASAP: Engagement for All Students Moves from Administration 26 Shoshana Weinberg, Pat Andress, Intention to Reality By Bob Dixon, Tammy Mitchell and Gareth Neufeld Nathan Redekop [email protected] 29 Student Engagement and Democratic Renewal: Director of Marketing & A Marriage in Trouble Distribution By Alysha Sloane Shoshana Weinberg Sales Manager 32 Assessing Student Engagement in Manitoba Neil Gottfred By Warren Nickerson Sales Team Leader Ken Percival 34 Matrix Group Inc. Account Buyer’s Guide Executives Albert Brydges, Davin Commandeur, Rick Kuzie, Miles Meagher, Peter Schulz, Vicki Sutton, Lewis Daigle, Declan O’Donovan, Jessica Potter,

Bruce Lea, Kevin Harris, Brian Davey Fall 2008 On the Cover: Layout & Design This issue of the M.A.S.S. Journal features four authors who will iation of School Superintendents The official magazine of the Manitoba Assoc Cody Chomiak address The Engaged Learner Conference, October 23-24, 2008 in Winnipeg, as well as other Manitoba authors. All are asking the Advertising Design essential question, how can we engage our students, teachers and James Robinson communities to ensure the youth of today are receiving the best ©2008 Matrix Group Inc. All rights reserved. education possible? Contents may not be reproduced by any

Doug Willms Heidi Mills John Gardner means, in whole or in part, without the prior Sheldon Berman written permission of the publisher. The ...And others! opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Matrix Group Inc. Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 5 6 MASS Journal Fall 2008 A Message from the President with Manitoba Education, Citizenship If we are to educate the whole child, and Youth. We are particularly excited by we must begin to place more emphasis the quality of speakers secured to address and focus on the importance of student the importance of engagement as we seek “buy in,” or engagement, in their own in this new year to ensure a quality educa- educational experiences. Students gain a tion for all students in our schools. Several feeling of ownership over their education of those speakers are featured in this issue, and with that ownership comes a greater joined by writers from three school div- sense of pride in their accomplishments. isions and MECY. I am certain that together, as educa- They will draw parallels between grow- tors, we can continue to learn from our ing problems in our schools and in our soci- experiences and these and other experts ety and the lack of engagement by students in the area of student engagement. Kelly Barkman in their own education. They will say that All that we learn we can put to use to President of the Manitoba in order to increase engagement, we need to further engage the students in our care Association of School Superintendents look at our assessment practices, our plans and together work towards a happier, for students with special needs, and ensure healthier society. he publication of this issue that we are offering a wide enough variety coincides with the conference of opportunities to stimulate engagement of Kelly Barkman The Engaged Learner, which all students—in academics, arts and sports. President of the Manitoba Association of T M.A.S.S. is pleased to sponsor And we need to listen to our students. School Superintendents

M.A.S.S. Executive 2008 Regional Representatives: Regional Table Officers:

Ken Klassen, Neil Johnson, Robert Chartrand, Southeast Interlake Metro Metro

President Past President First Vice-President Kelly Barkman Lawrence Lussier Sandra Herbst

Tanis Pshebniski, Ray Derksen, Tim Mendel, Metro Southwest South Central

Second Vice- Treasurer President Brian O’Leary Paul Cuthbert Hugh Fraser, Executive Director Executive Assistant North Coralie Bryant Pat Drew

Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 7 Are We Asking? Are We Listening?)))

By John Gardner ASAP students at Munroe Junior High (see page 26) enjoy a n these pages, and I am sure in supportive school culture. many other leadership journals Oaround the world, the challenge to improve the outcomes of public We need to seek out students’ views in a purposeful schooling is writ large. Looked at from a government perspective, for example, partnership based on respect and trust if we really there is a need to account for the wise and efficient use of the tax dollar wish to improve what we do and make the most of in schools. Another government view- point sees the future prosperity of the the formative years of our youngest citizens. nation determined by the skills of its young citizens and their readiness for whether in good or bad circumstances, students wanting to learn, enjoying the workplace. And from yet another the students themselves have little say their experience, fulfilling their poten- perspective, all of us as a society want to in the matters affecting them in most tial and ultimately leaving as confirmed see our children flourish and be happy, schools. life-long learners. I can sense sage heads successful citizens. So far so good, and As a society and as a community of nodding ruefully: “Easy to say but….” all of these are laudable aspirations. But educators we are quick to “know best” The “buts” are legion: the need for am I missing something? I am, you for children and young people, but good leadership, proper resourcing and know. does this not smack (no pun intended!) high quality teaching to name just a Where is the student’s perspective of an arrogance born of a top-down, few. Some would argue that even these on effective schooling in all of this? directive approach? Surely what we are not enough. What we need, they Sure, there are surveys here and there have learned repeatedly is that when would say, is a change of culture in our that claim to give voice to the student top-down policy and guidance are schools if we are truly to harness the perspective. But if we are honest about judiciously blended with the pursuit natural desire of children and young most of our education systems’ endeav- of teachers’ participation and com- people to learn about the world around ours, they are designed on the basis of mitment, teachers can be encouraged them in all of its complexities. Now what we (the “adults”) think is best for to take ownership of the change and there is a challenge, changing the cul- the students. We expect them to come thereby increase the prospects of its ture of schools and schooling. to know that we are right—eventually. successful adoption. Why then do we Many of our schools run in an But I wonder how right we are. Most rarely, if ever, seek the opinion of the almost automated fashion, everything schools do a good job at delivering largest stakeholder group, the students, in its place, everyone knowing their the curriculum and following the vari- on such matters as school management, place. Students comply and conform ous procedures set down for them in faculty appointments, the curriculum (and if they do not—well, that is the modern variant of in loco parentis. offered, the learning environment, the another story) and teachers teach them However, there are plenty of schools quality of teaching and so on? In their the set curriculum and prepare them that are little more than mediocre in present mode of working, would most for the set tests. For the most part ensuring their students have a good schools do well from a customer satis- it is a one-size-fits-all system with a experience—and some that simply faction survey among their students? modicum of “best endeavours”—some- fail to provide a good education for For me, an effective school can be where between seeing it as a virtue their students at all. My guess is that, identified from such features as its or a chore—in addressing the needs

8 MASS Journal Fall 2008 of those who are different. All too Recognition of the importance of enabling often, in such circumstances, interest in a student view on their schooling students to play a full part in the design, content is not a priority or at best it is voiced as ventriloquism—more or less what and assessment of their schooling and learning we (the “adults”) think they are think- Are We Listening? ing. But how do we really know if our will force a much more radical evaluation of school system is providing the educa- tion, personal development and learn- teacher and school leader beliefs than we have ing that our students want, need and are entitled to? so far seen. ) We can begin by drawing on our improved understanding, developed more important, emerging in the far do Danish schools appear to be more over some 50 years, of how learn- distance. If we strain our eyes we just democratic and successful than else- ing is facilitated, motivated and might see the coming of real partner- where? What she found was that it was improved. The professional develop- ships in schooling, between teachers not simply a case of school culture. It ment community, both academic and students. Some schools in the UK was more the education culture itself. and professional, is beginning to and Ireland have them already, but She came back with one name. Or four learn and absorb the key ingredients in my view they form a tiny minor- names to be precise: Nikolai Frederik of preparing quality teachers. For ity. However, mature democratically- Severin Grundtvig (1783-1872). example, if we involve teachers in the oriented relationships between teachers If you google Grundtvig, among planning and design of their profes- and students are actually the norm in the many hits you will find his name sional development they will own it some places around the world; the very given to a major European Union and commit to it, and the benefits culture of education in such places is in (EU) adult education program, and the will be reaped in the classroom. We fact built on them. link to adult education is no accident. can also look back and chart how the Some years back I had the opportun- Grundtvig rejected the early 19th cen- world of education has juggled the ity to meet with teachers and students tury orthodoxies of schooling, where complexities of what knowledge is in Denmark and was struck immedi- children were treated as empty vessels most worth and what combination of ately by the sense of democracy in the to be filled by the knowledge provided curriculum, assessment and pedagogy relationship. Back at home, the power by teachers. Schooling at that time is best, though only a fool would relationship is very much to the fore was rudimentary, of course, but his argue that we are anywhere near the with resistance almost guaranteed to criticism of the conventional model end of that task. anything that might be perceived to was both withering and persistent over Theories too have helped us along. undermine the authoritative role of the many years: Constructivism plays the leading role, teacher. Indeed, there are those who “…the School for Death…is surrounded by its troupe of innova- might say that giving students a say, what every school is, that begins tive supporting acts: thinking skills, respectfully and meaningfully, in the with letters and ends with book assessment for learning and dialogic business of the school, and specifically knowledge, great or small, and teaching, to name but a few. Popping in their own learning, is a case of the that means everything that has in and out of the wings, behaviourism “inmates taking over the asylum”; that been called ‘school’ over the cen- continues to play its sometimes benign only anarchy can prevail. Not so, not turies and everything that is still but mostly menacing role, dressed up by a long way. There are others who so named. to woo audience approval in its vari- would say that they can achieve the “For all letters are dead even if writ- ous guises of public accountability and same as these Danish teachers and stu- ten by fingers of angels and nibs of improved standards. All of these can dents through school councils, but the stars, and all book knowledge is help to explain how we have reached story on them has not been universally dead that is not unified with a cor- the point at which we are now, in the good. Ranging from dealing with rela- responding life in the reader. political and social drama that is educa- tively minor aspects of school process to “… and not only are mathemat- tion. simply not being listened to, the extent ics and grammar soul-destroy- However, if we really want to iden- of any real influence for students is ing and deadening, but so is all tify the next steps in improving school- generally limited. exhausting brain-work for man ing and its outcomes, we must scan Since my visit, I have also had the in his childhood, before his brain the horizon for clues. Looming close opportunity to supervise a doctoral and the rest of his body are prop- and exciting will be the next develop- student who was examining students’ erly developed and before life, ments in the enhancement of education perspectives on schooling. I suggested both the inner and the outer, has through technology and social learn- a trip to Denmark and off she went— become so familiar to us that we ing. But there is something arguably with a deceptively simple brief: Why can recognize it in description

Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 9

and can feel a natural desire to be Looming close and may not have been a giant stride enlightened about its conditions. forward to enlightenment but a “Therefore, by seeking to implant exciting will be the next step backward for life” (Jensen, in children the order, quietness, 1984 p.68). reflection and wisdom of old age, developments in the The final questions I would ask there- we graft only death from the weak- fore are very simple. Are you asking? ness of old age on to both soul and enhancement of education Are you listening? n body” (Jensen, 1984 p.66). In essence he slammed the straightjacket through technology and Professor John Gardner is Vice- of a fixed curriculum, the one-size-fits- president of the British Educational all model of what students must do social learning. Research Association, a member of the and what schools must do to them. you matter to the school, that you UK’s Assessment Reform Group and Instead he wanted schools to enlighten belong, that it is ‘your school’ and a professor of Education at Queen’s students and instil a desire for learning that you have something to contribute’ University, Belfast. that would prevail into and throughout (Rudduck, 2006 p191). We need to adult life—hence the EU adult educa- seek out students’ views in a purposeful tion programme of his name. partnership based on respect and trust, References Grundtvig’s philosophy cannot if we really wish to improve what we Jensen, N. L. (Ed) (1984) A Grundtvig be the only influence that has made do and make the most of the formative Anthology, Cambridge: Clarke. Scandinavian schools what they are years of our youngest citizens. Rudduck, J. (2006) The past, the today, but it has certainly been a major “Genteel ambition resents the papers and the project, Educational influence. And it has had over 150 thought that a school education Review, 58 (2) 131-143. years to contribute to developing the culture of student participation and school democracy. Recognition of the importance of enabling students to play a full part in the design, content and assessment of their schooling and learning, will force a much more radical evaluation of teacher and school leader beliefs than we have so far seen. Clearly whims and fancies, whether students’ or teachers’, cannot form a responsible design for schooling but students’ views on the weighty mat- ters of curriculum, learning, assessment and pedagogy can be very insightful and thoughtful. On the other hand, tokenistic consultation may raise stu- dents’ complaints about ‘the physical conditions of school [which] are often the familiar face of a much deeper set of issues about respect—feeling that

Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 11 The Bridge to Civility: Empathy, Ethics, Civics and Service

Children’s social consciousness a theory of how society works and Research indicates that pro-social are negotiating their relationship with behaviour and activism are stimulated society. This relationship often remains by the sense of connectedness to others, implicit, visible only in offhand com- and by the sense of meaning that derives ments expressing their attitudes and from contributing to something larger judgments about the world around than oneself. Young people are con- them. tinually negotiating a sense of meaning, Children, in essence, feel their way place, and commitment. In subtle ways into the world. In spite of the stereo- they ask, “do I have a meaningful place type of children as being egocentric, By Sheldon Berman in the social and political world? Are children care about the welfare of others there values I can make a commitment and care about issues of fairness on n 1979, social psychologist Urie to and people I can stand with? Am I both a personal and social level. Social Bronfenbrenner wrote that “it is capable of contributing something use- consciousness and social responsibility Inow possible for a person…to ful to others and will they welcome and are not behaviours we need to instil in graduate from high school without ever appreciate it? Will my efforts actually young people, but rather behaviours we having had to do a piece of work on make a difference? Do I have the cour- need to recognize emerging in them. which somebody else truly depended... age to act without guarantees of suc- Therefore, restoring civility, nurtur- or without ever having comforted or cess?” A sense of self connected to one’s ing character, or developing civic com- assisted another human being who real- morality and to the world at large emer- mitment in young people means recon- ly needed help.... No society can long ges over time and through ongoing dia- necting them with their community, sustain itself unless its members have logue with others. Family and import- providing them with the basic social learned the sensitivities, motivations, ant role models play a critical role in skills to negotiate their differences with and skills involved in assisting and car- this development. Direct experience others, and teaching them they can ing for other human beings” (p. 53). In with human suffering or injustice helps make a difference. This does not occur the absence of a sense of community crystallize it. as a result of a set of lessons on specific and family, many young people lose Throughout childhood and adoles- character traits or civic responsibility. It the connectedness that gives them these cence, young people are formulating occurs when we take the issues of care, sensitivities, motivations, and skills. In part, the incivility and apathy of youth For this Jefferson County (KY) high school student result from the break in their sense of in a medical career program, service learning takes connection to others, as well as from the form of assisting a dentist with screenings. their lack of confidence that they can make a difference to others and to the world as a whole. Democratic culture and social well- being depend on the renewing energy of young people who have the sensitiv- ities and vision to help create a better world. Nurturing a democratic culture and a civil society was, in fact, the central mission of public education at its inception. Although we often pay lip service to this goal, we have not invested the energy, thoughtfulness, or financial support to ensure its effective implementation.

12 MASS Journal Fall 2008 connection, and civic action seriously Resource organizations and make them core to the culture Character Education Partnership: www.character.org and curriculum of the school. It occurs Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL): when we apply what we know about www.casel.org learning in general to character and Committee for Children: www.cfchildren.org civic education—that we learn best by National Center for Learning and Citizenship, Education Commission of the doing rather than by being told. States: www.ecs.org Over the past fifteen years, I have Developmental Studies Center: www.devstu.org been fortunate to lead two districts that Educators for Social Responsibility: www.esrnational.org have pursued, in incremental steps, the Facing History and Ourselves Foundation: www.facinghistory.org teaching of civility, character, and social Northeast Foundation for Children: www.responsiveclassroom.org responsibility through instructional strategies focused on the themes of moral terms. However, their behav- Kentucky, we have blended the Caring empathy, ethics, civics and service. The iour did not reflect this because they Schools Community (CSC) program of first district had 3,000 students drawn lacked skill in handling moral conflict. the Developmental Studies Center with from a small working-class community; Thus, the key to teaching empathy and several other programs into a program the other enrols almost 100,000 stu- moral behaviour is training and prac- we call “CARE for Kids.” The program dents from a county that includes the tice in those skills—perspective taking, engages children in thoughtful class 16th largest city in the United States. conflict resolution, assertiveness—that meetings that provide students with In both districts, we sought to embed enable us to maintain clarity in con- a voice in their classroom. Morning these qualities into the fabric of each flictive and stressful situations. meetings drawn from the Responsive child’s school experience from kinder- In Hudson, Massachusetts, we com- Classroom program further enhance stu- garten through twelfth grade. Although bined several programs to teach basic dents’ social development. Teachers the journey is an ongoing one, we have social skills and create a sense of com- also use a model of developmental taken sufficient steps forward for our munity in the classroom. The preschools discipline that provides logical conse- efforts to help others on the road to used the Adventures in Peacemaking quences for behaviour and gives chil- fostering social responsibility among curriculum produced by Educators for dren opportunities to reflect on and young people. Social Responsibility. The elementary correct their behaviour. In addition, the schools used an empathy development program engages older students in ser- Empathy and anger management program pro- vice opportunities through mentoring Often, adult reaction to incivility duced by the Committee for Children younger students. Finally, the program and challenging behaviour in children is entitled Second Step, supplemented includes activities that children take to tighten the school’s behaviour codes. with conflict resolution material from home to do with their parents, and Although this might be a small part of Educators for Social Responsibility. school wide activities that engage par- the solution, the problematic behaviour This program involves students in role ents in social and academic events at of young people is a communication plays and discussions that identify the school. to adults that they do not know how feeling states of those involved and help Although Hudson and Jefferson to act with compassion, empathy, and students reflect on and practice various County selected these programs to cre- sensitivity in reaction to the needs ways of appropriately responding to the ate the right blend of skill instruc- of others or in response to conflict. situations. tion and modeling for our circum- The skill that is most critical to the To create a classroom environment stances, there are a number of equally development of social responsibility is that models these skills on a daily basis, effective programs. The Collaborative that of taking the perspective of others, the teachers in Hudson were trained for Academic, Social and Emotional and the most productive instructional in the Responsive Classroom program Learning (CASEL) published a valu- strategy to develop that skill is to teach developed by the Northeast Foundation able review of these programs, entitled young people skills in empathy and for Children. Based on the principles Safe and Sound: An Educational Leader’s conflict resolution. that the social curriculum is as import- Guide to Evidence-Based Social and Social understanding and social ant as the academic curriculum and Emotional Learning Programs. It is an responsibility are built on children’s that a specific set of social skills fosters excellent resource for schools interested desire to understand and feel effective children’s academic and social success, in the social and emotional develop- in the social world, to initiate and the program enables teachers to effect- ment of young people. maintain connection with others, and ively use class meetings, rules and their to reach out to those in distress. Norma logical consequences, classroom organ- Ethics Haan and her colleagues, in studying ization, academic choice, and family Skills in empathy and conflict reso- the development of empathy and moral communication to create a caring class- lution are important, but not sufficient. behaviour, found that children could room environment. Young people need to find a moral think in profoundly empathic and In Jefferson County (Louisville), center within themselves and learn how

Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 13 to manage moral conflicts. This does provides an opportunity for schools to curriculum confronts young people with not mean preaching a particular set nurture moral and pro-social behaviour. the human potential for passivity, com- of values to children. In fact, there is Good curricula in the area of ethical plicity, and destructiveness by asking how little evidence to show that moralizing development are difficult to find. Hudson genocide can become state policy. It raises to children or giving them didactic and Jefferson County are using a pro- significant ethical questions and sensitizes instruction in moral principles has a gram entitled Making Meaning, from the them to injustice, inhumanity, suffering, positive impact. What seems to work Developmental Studies Center, in which and the abuse of power. best is a combination of considered dia- students read high-quality literature with At the same time, it is academically logue about moral dilemmas, practice pro-social themes and learn strategic com- challenging and helps complicate stu- in situations of moral conflict, and role prehension skills through activities struc- dents’ thinking so they do not accept modeling by adults. tured to teach social skills. To this, we simple answers to complex problems. Consideration of ethics can become have added historical fiction that shows In the process of studying both a his- contentious for schools, with some indi- people dealing with ethical dilemmas and toric period and the personal and social viduals wishing to promote particular making a difference through service or forces that produce genocide, students religious principles within the curriculum social activism, including books such as confront their own potential for passiv- and others advocating for value neutral- Uncle Jed’s Barbershop by Mitchell and ity and complicity, their own prejudices ity. There is a middle path schools can Pink and Say by Polacco. and intolerances, and their own moral follow that helps students reflect on the In addition, we created a core ninth- commitments. The curriculum develops values we hold collectively as a society. grade social studies civics course whose students’ perspective-taking and social- The great contribution that the Character essential question is: “What is an indi- reasoning abilities, and students emerge Education Partnership and the character vidual’s responsibility in creating a just with a greater sense of moral responsibility education movement have made to this society?” A central part of this course is and a greater commitment to participate debate is to help adults see that we can the Facing History and Ourselves curricu- in making a difference. agree on such collectively-held values as lum. This curriculum engages students in trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, the study of the roots of two twentieth- Service learning and student justice, fairness, caring, and citizenship. century genocides, the Holocaust and the leadership Affirming these values, while engaging Armenian Genocide, and has extensions Finally, to truly encourage civility and students in dialogue about moral issues, to genocides of the past two decades. The civic responsibility, young people need to

14 MASS Journal Fall 2008 be involved in taking action that makes for diversity. A student leadership program citizens, but as active and contributing a difference to others. They need to be a provides middle and high school students members of their community today. part of the solution, not passive observers. with leadership training experiences such In the urban environment of Jefferson The understandings they develop through as student leadership conferences, sum- County, service learning takes on an addi- reflection need to be translated into action, mer institutes, and courses. tional dimension. The achievement gap in whether it is through community-service Service learning is more than tutoring reading and math performance between opportunities or direct social or political younger schoolmates or raising money White students and both African-American participation. for a local food pantry. Although such and Hispanic students is a real one, as is We tend to treat young people as activities are a part of the culture of service the achievement gap between those grow- “citizens-in-preparation” rather than as that must be present, true service learning ing up in concentrated and generational active members of their community, and means helping students make connections poverty and those whose families have the give them little responsibility for acting on between the subject material they are means to better support their children’s citizenship skills. The studies of programs studying and issues in the larger world. development. The wake left behind by involving students in active engagement It means engaging students in action racism and poverty is a long one, breed- in the social and political arena indicate and reflection on important community, ing an attitude of powerlessness and that this involvement may be an import- social, political, and environmental issues. hopelessness. Underlying the achieve- ant stepping stone to later participation It means thinking of students not as future ment gap is an empowerment gap that (Berman, 1997). The Hudson Public Schools made a strong commitment to integrating ser- vice learning into the curriculum so all students had service experiences marked by continuity, depth and meaningful- ness. From kindergarten to graduation, each grade develops its own initiatives. Kindergartners create a quilt and a book to donate to a homeless women’s shelter. First graders have an ongoing relation- ship with senior citizens that helps teach students basic literacy skills. The second- grade classrooms collect food for the local Food Pantry. The third grade hosts a community services fair to publicize the efforts of community-based organizations. The fourth grade cares for wetlands and woodlands near their schools. The fifth graders work with classrooms of multiple- handicapped children to develop a respect

Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 15 must be confronted with the same inten- with curricula that are no more than to their academic programs, but they sity as we put into our reading and math our own pleadings for young people to believe students will benefit both intel- remediation efforts. It is in this context be good. If we are truly concerned with lectually and socially from an education that service learning provides the potential helping young people become good indi- that integrates challenging academics with for real inroads toward empowerment viduals and citizens, we need to look more a commitment to nurturing a caring and and engagement. As Jefferson County deeply into what it is that promotes these civil community. launches its CARE for Kids initiative, we qualities and then build sustaining pro- Unless young people experience a sense are poised to begin an equally significant grams. At a time when many members of of community and a connection to others initiative in service learning. the public, as well as most policy makers, and the earth, and see the implications of are focused on standards, accountabil- their actions for the future of our society A commitment to community ity and testing, Hudson and Jefferson and the planet, civility will mean little to Human beings gravitate to simple County have made a bold commitment to them. The focus on empathy, ethics, civ- answers to complex questions. The path teaching social and emotional skills. These ics and service is an effort to help young to teaching civility and character is strewn districts have not neglected improvements people experience the sense of commun- ity that ties us together. It is through this experience that young people begin to understand the meaning of the com- mon good, appreciate that their actions have consequences for others and the community at large, and develop a sense of relatedness to and responsibility for the larger human community. Empathy, ethics, civics and service are planks in the bridge to community—and over this bridge lies a civility that enriches us all. n

Dr. Sheldon Berman is Super- intendent of the Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky, a Past-President of Educators for Social Responsibility, and a Past-President of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents. In 2003, he was select- ed as Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year. This is an updated and condensed version of an article that appeared in The School Administrator, Vol. 55, no. 5, May 1998.

References Berman, S. and LaFarge, P. (Eds.) (1993). Promising Practices in Teaching Social Responsibility. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. Berman, S. (1997). Children’s Social Consciousness and the Development of Social Responsibility. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Haan, N., Aerts, E., and Cooper, B. (1985). On Moral Grounds: The Search for Practical Morality. New York: New York University Press.

16 MASS Journal Fall 2008 Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 17 Student Engagement and Mental Health: Recent Canadian Findings

“A common complaint from students is that they do countless surveys and no one ever listens to what they have to say…. The schools that appear to be most successful are those that use the results to identify and commit to short-term strategies aimed at improving school and classroom climate and increasing student engagement.” By J. Douglas Willms ost students are engaged in the a sense of belonging at school (Willms, life of their school: they get 2003). This definition is embodied in M along well with their teachers Canada’s largest national school survey, and classmates; they are interested in what Tell Them From Me, which is being used they are learning and consider it relevant in over 300 Canadian schools as part of to their future; they participate in a range a school evaluation program developed of sports and extra-curricular activities; by The Learning Bar Inc. Recently the and they have a general sense of belong- Canadian Education Association (CEA) ing at school. But some students do not launched a study called “What Did You feel that way. They do not feel accepted Do in School Today?” which places by others at school, and they do not greater emphasis on students’ engage- find schoolwork interesting or relevant. ment in classroom learning. The study During the elementary school years there defines ‘academic engagement’ as “a are very few students that are disengaged, serious psychological investment using but at about age 12 or 13 many students higher order skills to increase understand- begin to withdraw from school, and by ing, solve complex problems, or construct the time they enter secondary school they new knowledge”. The CEA study is being are prone to dropping out. conducted in collaboration with the The Some of these students are disruptive Learning Bar and Galileo Educational in class, and drain the energy from teach- Network, an organisation which creates ers and their classmates. However, not and disseminates innovative teaching and all disaffected students are a “flight risk”. learning practices. Many students become passively disen- The research on student engagement gaged—they do school in the sense that has been preoccupied with its relationship they attend classes and get good grades, to students’ test scores in reading and but they are not genuinely engaged in mathematics, and the degree to which learning or believe it is relevant to their it predicts whether students leave school future. Many of these students do not feel before graduation. However, many people challenged in class, and so they develop view student engagement as an important strategies to wile away class time—talking schooling outcome in its own right: it is with friends, doodling, day-dreaming, or a disposition towards learning, working doing homework for other classes. with others, and functioning in a social Researchers typically define engage- institution. When students feel accepted ment in terms of the extent to which by their teachers and classmates, and students identify with and value schooling experience deep engagement in learning outcomes, participate in academic and in their classes, they develop a more posi- non-academic school activities, and have tive attitude towards school and acquire

18 MASS Journal Fall 2008 the habit of life-long learning. Student ranging from 45 percent to 90 percent. and happiness in activities at school or engagement is shaped by family values This means that in some schools about at home, and some suffer to the extent and experiences in the community, but 55 percent of the students had a low sense that it affects their ability to concen- it is also affected by school policy and of belonging, while in others it was only trate, their appetite, and their sleeping classroom practice. about 10 percent. patterns. For youth who have problems Student engagement can be measured On all of the measures of engage- with anxiety or depression their feelings reliably with student surveys. In a study of ment there is a marked decline during tend to be chronic and can become student engagement conducted as part of the middle and secondary schools. For worse if there is no intervention. the Programme for International Student example, on the measure of intellectual About 11 percent of the students Assessment (PISA), we found that we engagement, which is based on ten that participated in our survey in 2007- could accurately distinguish among stu- questions about the extent to which 08 experienced high levels of anxiety, dents in their sense of belonging at school students enjoy learning new concepts while 6 percent had high levels of and truancy, and that schools varied in and ideas, find their class subject rel- depression. Anxiety tends to be a pre- their scores on these measures even after evant to their everyday life, and are cursor to depression; among those with taking account of students’ socioeconom- motivated in their classes, about 77 high levels of depression, 70 percent ic background (Willms, 2003). Tell Them percent were considered to have strong also had high levels of anxiety, while From Me includes very precise measures of intellectual engagement, leaving 23 only 7 percent of those who were not students’ sense of belonging and truancy, percent disengaged. The prevalence of experiencing depression experienced as well as measures of the extent to which disengaged students was only 11 per- high levels of anxiety. Girls are about students value schooling outcomes and cent in grade 6, but this increased to 1.5 to 2.0 times as likely as boys to participate in academic and non-academic 21 percent by grade 8, and continued experience anxiety or depression. activities at home and at school. The to increase throughout the secondary Students who have low levels of intel- survey also assesses student health and school years to a high of 26 percent by lectual engagement at school are about wellness and several aspects of class and grade 12. On this measure too, schools 1.2 times as likely to experience anxiety school climate. The CEA study, “What varied considerably. Among the 87 as those with average to above-average Did You Do in School Today?” extended schools that participated in the first levels of intellectual engagement. The these measures of engagement to include year of the CEA study, the prevalence relationship with sense of belonging is a measure of intellectual engagement, as of disengagement varied from 4 percent even stronger; those with low levels of well as measures of the extent to which to 35 percent. sense of belonging are about 4.1 times students feel challenged at school and The measure of classroom intellec- as likely to experience anxiety and 6.6 confident in their skills. In the first year tual engagement developed for the CEA times as likely to experience depression of the CEA study, over 32,000 students study is significantly related to students’ compared with those who have a strong in 87 schools participated, including over sense of belonging at school—the cor- sense of belonging at school. 14,000 students from five school districts relation is 0.25. Also, among students Tell Them From Me also measures in Manitoba. considered to have low levels of intellec- several aspects of classroom and school As an example, the measure of “sense tual engagement, 47 percent are regu- climate. The measures are consist- of belonging” assesses students’ feelings of larly truant, compared with 27 percent ent with Lezotte’s (1991) correlates being accepted and valued by their peers of those with average to above average of school effectiveness, and with the and by others at their school. Students levels of intellectual engagement. features of a preventive, whole-school are asked to indicate their agreement or Tell Them From Me also includes six approach to supporting positive stu- disagreement to statements such as: “At measures of student health and well- dent behaviours as advocated by Sugai school I feel accepted for who I am” or ness. Two of these measures are student and Horner (2002). Their work, and “I get along well with others at school.” anxiety and depression. Many children recent research on vulnerable children Students respond to these statements on and adolescents experience feelings of in Canada (Willms, 2002), calls for a five-point scale which is scored as fol- intense anxiety, and worry incessantly schools to have effective policies and lows: 0 (strongly disagree), 1 (somewhat about particular events or social situa- practices to support vulnerable youth, agree), 2 (neither agree nor disagree), tions. They can exhibit a range of strong student advocacy, and posi- 3 (somewhat agree), and 4 (strongly physical symptoms including dizziness, tive relations with students, parents, agree). Students with an average score nausea, heart palpitations, a dry mouth, and the wider community. Analyses across the items that is above 2.4 (which is sweating or feelings of panic. Other of the data for over 85,000 students slightly higher than a “neutral” response) students experience depression, a men- that participated in our surveys in are considered to have a positive sense of tal state characterized by feelings of sad- 2007-08 found strong positive cor- belonging. Among the 85,387 middle ness, discouragement and inadequacy. relations of these measures with intel- and secondary students that participated These feelings tend to persist for long lectual engagement, ranging from 0.73 in the 2007-08 survey, 72.3 percent had periods, from two or three weeks to sev- to 0.79, and with students’ sense of a positive sense of belonging. The preva- eral years. Youth experiencing depres- belonging at school, ranging from lence varied considerably among schools, sion are typically unable to find joy 0.57 to 0.65.

Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 19 What schools can do senior school administrators need to leadership. School staff need to be open The availability of high quality, stress the importance of using data for to feedback, especially when it is critical, timely data does not by itself cause decision-making, and support school as this allows the dialogue necessary for schools to change. School reform staff in its use. The process of inter- school change to begin. Principals and requires leadership that encourages the preting data and setting priorities is teachers need to let students know they collaborative use of data to set the school-specific, and cannot be accom- have been heard. A common complaint course for a school. Principals and plished without dedicated time and from students is that they do countless surveys and no one ever listens to what they have to say. Many schools effect- ively use student feedback in staff meet- ings, student council meetings, and meetings with parents, and they post key findings in school newsletters and bulletins. Student engagement surveys can also be used to help school staff establish benchmarks, see trends over time, monitor the impact of selected interventions, and assess the progress of sub-groups within the student popula- tion. The schools that appear to be most successful are those that use the results to identify and commit to short-term strategies aimed at improving school and classroom climate and increasing student engagement. n

Douglas Willms holds the Canada Research Chair in Human Development at the University of New Brunswick, where he is a Professor in the Faculty of Education and Director of the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy.

References Lezotte, L. W. (1991). Correlates of Effective Schools: The First and Second Generation. Okemos, MI: Effective Schools Products Ltd. Sugai, G. & Horner, R. (2002). The evolution of Disciplinary Practices: School-wide positive behavior supports. In James K. Luiselli & Charles Diament (Eds.), Behavior psychology in the schools: Innovations in evaluation, support, and consultation. New York: Hawwoth Press. Willms, J. D. (2002). Vulnerable chil- dren: Findings from Canada’s National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Edmonton, AB: University of Alberta Press. Willms, J.D. (2003). Student engage- ment at school: A sense of belonging and participation. Paris: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

20 MASS Journal Fall 2008 Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 21 Creating Cultures of Inquiry in Elementary Classrooms

By Heidi Mills *The students, parents and staff of the Center for Inquiry, a genuine collaboration between the University of South Carolina and Richland School District II, are responsible for developing ourselves as more thoughtful, caring and intelligent people who delight in learning and are committed to creating a more compassionate, equitable, knowledgeable and democratic world! (1996).

aculty from Richland School activities, strategies, particular teaching • Learn to pose as well as solve prob- District Two and the University method, subject or time of day. lems, skills, strategies, content and F of South Carolina collaborated Inquiry is the driving force in all concepts through use; to create a school with a shared phil- curricular structures such as reading, • Learn to examine the world from osophy grounded in the principles of writing and math workshops as well multiple perspectives; inquiry and democracy in an ethnically as integrated units of study. Students • Learn the importance of accessing diverse community. We co-constructed inquire into well-crafted language and primary and secondary sources; this *mission statement and access it effective strategies for constructing and • Learn how to use reflection and self- regularly to institutionalize the original sharing meaning during reading and evaluation to grow and change; and vision and integrity of the school’s phil- writing workshops. They inquire into • Learn to appreciate the integrated osophy with its values of care, compas- the skills and strategies that mathemat- nature of knowledge and life. sion and equity. As the Curriculum icians use when engaging in mathemat- and Development Specialist, I have ical investigations during math work- Bringing inquiry to life in the been studying the evolution of inquiry shop. And they inquire into ways to classroom within classrooms and across the school use reading, writing and mathematics From the school’s inception, we have for the past twelve years (Mills and as tools for learning during integrated been striving to create classroom cultures Donnelly, 2001; Mills, et al, 2001b). In units of study. Regardless of the time of that foster inquiry in ways that look, this piece, I share key beliefs and practi- day, grade level or curricular structure, sound and feel as engaging, joyful and ces that have contributed to the success we foster inquiry by helping children: intellectually rigorous as authentic learn- of our inquiry-based curriculum and • Learn the importance of close, ing in the world. Here we observe Tim show what they look and sound like focused observations; O’Keefe’s second grade classroom during in practice using a classroom vignette • Learn to value a sense of wonder and exploration time and morning meeting. (Mills, O’Keefe and Jennings, 2004). delight in learning; Tim and his second graders were in • Learn through active engagement in the midst of a unit of study of cultures What is inquiry? the process; and animals seen through the lens of As a stance, inquiry is the central • Learn the skillfulness of inquiry diversity. Having found a dead bat in thread woven into the fabric of the (how to learn); his pool, Tim and his class buried the curriculum. It is not simply a set of • Learn to use the language of inquiry; bat in order to excavate and examine

22 MASS Journal Fall 2008 it five months later. Several children Lauren, who had been sorting and Onastasia reacted, “Yeah, you’re right, responded to Tim’s invitation to exam- working parallel to the group, looked over that is the pelvis.” ine and reconstruct the bat’s remains and asked, “I wonder if it’s a female or Tim continued, “We confirmed some one morning during exploration time. a male?” of the things but had to rearrange some They recorded their findings and shared Tim answered, “I personally don’t of the bones we had down because we them during the morning meeting that know but I’m pretty sure that bat experts weren’t exactly sure where they went.” immediately followed exploration time. can tell... Oh look!” Tucker opened the Onastasia chimed in again, “I tried to We join Tim and a group of chil- Zoo Book to the page featuring a bat go on the internet to see if I could find out dren in the midst of their collaboration. skeleton. “Perfect! Set this up here. I think any more things about them. Cause we They are sorting through the soil and you can tell the difference between a male thought that the human body was much carefully teasing out bones and then and a female by the way the pelvis is similar to the bat body.” categorizing them in an effort to recon- shaped. Because a female’s is more shaped Acknowledging her idea, Tim added, struct the bat’s skeleton: for having babies and the male’s is prob- “Almost the exact same kinds of bones, Tim shared a hunch, “I have a feeling ably more narrow.” we noticed. Like in the leg bone, there’s these are the stronger bones that go across Tucker referred to the diagram not- one big bone here and two smaller bones the top [of the wing].” ing, “There’s another leg bone right about down here [pointing to his own leg to Onastasia added, “These should be there, ‘cause look,” pointing to the Zoo demonstrate] just like on humans and the smaller joints.” Book. vertebrate and the backbone, very, very Zach, who just joined the group asked, Tim confirmed, “Oh, I think we had similar. Even to the point where they had “Are you trying to put it together? That that right. You’re right, there are two leg fingers.” looks like an alligator model.” bones together on the bottom.” Pointing to a diagram in The Zoo Lauren wondered, “Is this the claw?” Onastasia added, “We need to put Book, Tucker asked, “Is the collar bone Tim responded, “It could be. I’d say these together.” somewhere?” They explored the relation- if you have any questions about it put it Tim made a connection, “So that’s ship between the bodies of bats and down here and we can sort of sort it out.” just like a human. There’s one at the top, humans for a moment and then Tim They continued sorting and classify- that’s called the femur and there’s two asked, “Any questions or comments for ing and wondering together for a few little ones down below.” us?” minutes. Then Tucker decided it might The conversation continued until Cody began with a compliment, “Well be time to invite the class bat expert Tim played the clean-up music and I think that you guys did a great job into the conversation. William had they all gathered on the carpet in the because I would probably be doing some- completed an impressive expert project front of the room for morning meet- thing else but then I thought, ‘maybe on bats in first grade. ing. I should go help them too,’ but then I “I wonder if we should get William?” Tucker read his entry in the science noticed that you were already done. I “William? Do you think this one is a journal, “The bat’s bones are skinny. noticed how fast you did it.” female or a male?” There is hair.” Tim said, “Thanks. Maybe we can do William responded honestly, “I have Tim suggested, “Show them the dia- something like this again.” no idea.” gram.” Zach added, “Well, uh, this is sort of Being resourceful, Tucker made another Tucker responded, “There’s the bones like a time capsule because you buried suggestion, “Hey! Why don’t we try to find a and the skull,” pointing to his entry. it five months ago and you saw how it bat book? There might be a bat book.” Building on Tucker’s entry, Tim looked five months ahead.” Tim was delighted and said, “If you added, “He wrote this when we first Tim reacted, “Yeah, so it was a time look in the Zoo Books there might be started digging. The more and more capsule, you’re right.” a bat book and they show the skeleton I we dug, the more and more things Jasmine pointed to the model in the think. We should have done that first,” we found. And Lauren was in charge book and asked, “The backbone looks like validating Tucker’s suggestion. of the big pile of dirt. She was so sticks and I don’t know, do they eat flies Although William learned a great deal meticulous she kept finding smaller or worms and other stuff?” about bats in first grade, he had a new and smaller things. It’s easy to find the Tim responded, “They eat small insects, question now, “Mr. O., is there a bone for big bones, the skull and hipbones and mosquitoes. Actually, I’m glad you asked the throat? Because the noise they make is so forth but she just kept at it while that. We kept asking William to come produced from their throat.” some of us were gluing it together and over and give us his ideas because we kept Tim sought clarity, “What was your she kept finding more and more things. having questions like someone said, does question?” Then Tucker said, ‘I wonder if we have a cricket sound like a bat? William, do “The peep noise they make is made a book about this?’ So he found The you want to tell them about that?” from their throat so I was wondering if Zoo Book and opened it up and looked at “Well, um bats are…bats may sound there was a throat bone?” a diagram of a skeleton and it confirmed the same but we don’t really know because “I’m sure there are some bones in the some of the things we were thinking. they are so high pitched we can’t hear throat.” Right, Onastasia?” them. It’s called ultrasonic sound.”

Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 23 Tim asked, “So, therefore, if you can’t and secondary sources. As the chil- were also using reflection to teach others hear the bats and you can hear the crick- dren generated questions when work- and to grow in their own understand- ets, they must have a different sound, ing with the primary source materials, ing. right?” they accessed non-fiction literature, the All voices were heard and valued. William clarified, “They have a higher internet and the class expert to attempt Because their teacher intentionally cre- pitch and the frequency is too high for our to answer them. ated a culture of inquiry, the children ears to pick up.” Both teacher and children extended were developing as more thought- one another’s thinking by sharing obser- ful, caring and intelligent people who So what? vations, connections and questions using delight in learning and are commit- This was a substantive conversation the language of inquiry. As young scien- ted to creating a more compassionate, for second graders and demonstrates tists, they were learning to value close, equitable, knowledgeable and demo- the key principles of inquiry. The chil- focused observations. They were learning cratic world! n dren were learning the skillfulness of strategies and science content through inquiry by learning to use primary active engagement in the process. They Heidi Mills is a professor at the University of South Carolina and the Curriculum and Development Specialist at the Center for Inquiry.

References Mills, H., O’Keefe, T. and Jennings, L. 2004. Looking Closely and Listening Carefully: Learning Literacy Through In- quiry. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. Mills, H. and Donnelly, A. (Eds.) 2001. From the Ground Up: Creating a Culture of Inquiry. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Mills, H. with Jennings, L., Don- nelly, A. and Mueller, L. 2001. “When Teachers Have Time to Talk: The Value of Curricular Conversations.” Language Arts, Vo. 79, No.1, 20-28.

24 MASS Journal Fall 2008 Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 25 Munroe’s ASAP: Engagement for All Students Moves from Intention to Reality Munroe students By Bob Dixon, Gareth Neufeld in discussion with and Tammy Mitchell co-teachers during the weekly ccording to school reform experts group meeting. Fullan, Hill, and Crevola, “edu- A cation needs a system that will English track is populated predominantly Significant shifts like these cannot be support the day-to-day transformation of by students from the immediate neigh- accomplished overnight. Every player in instruction for all students—a system that bourhood, while the LFI programme the school community has to be willing to is both practical and powerful” (2006 p. attracts students from the entire school change and ready to commit themselves to xv). This sounds like a tall order for any division. Historically, Munroe’s English a major learning process. Over the course school, but École Munroe Jr. High School, track has seen a high rate of behaviour- of the three years, we used every profes- a small grade 7-9 Winnipeg school in the related office referrals and suspensions, sional learning opportunity to i) focus River East Transcona School Division, and a considerable number of students on developing a set of shared beliefs and has accomplished just that, specifically by failing to find academic success. structural supports, and ii) acquire skills developing and implementing ASAP— in outcome based instructional practice “All Students Achieving Potential.” Over Our process and assessment. Early in our journey, the the past three and a half years, this initia- We at Munroe had come to realize entire staff collaborated on the develop- tive has moved the school beyond inten- that “business as usual” just wouldn’t do ment of a PATH (“Planning Alternative tions and made inclusion a reality. any longer, and so we focussed our discus- Tomorrows with Hope”) and have used Our school is located in north sions about change on the development it as a direction-setting foundation for our Elmwood, a part of Winnipeg that has of an instructional model that supports reform. We also participated in a two- been described as among the most socio- differentiated instruction and assessment year-long assessment residency during economically disadvantaged neighbour- using co-teaching partnerships. We start- which we moved our assessment practices hoods in the city (Brownell et al. 2004). ed small, creating co-teaching partner- into line with the practices endorsed in The area’s demographics indicate a sig- ships in just a few classes. Three and the current literature on assessment of and nificant number of unemployed persons, a half years later, virtually all English for learning. These intensive and focussed a high number of homes with lone parent track classroom teachers and educational professional learning opportunities moved families, a disproportionate number of interns in the core academic classes are adults without high school education, and co-teaching all students in regular class- Footnote fewer women in the workforce than the rooms.1 Paraprofessionals are not being 1. In ASAP, co-teachers are Educational city’s average. Brownell et al.’s study also used and students are not being pulled Interns or Teacher Partners. Educational gathered high school completion data in out of their classrooms. Our resource Interns are university-based teacher can- Winnipeg’s neighbourhoods, and found team has guided the teachers in the use didates who typically complete all four that our area has a 37 percent completion of curriculum compacting and clus- years of their practicum in the ASAP pro- rate, as compared to 81 percent in high tering, outcome-based planning and gram. Teacher Partners are certified teachers socio-economic neighbourhoods. assessment and differentiated classroom (often recently graduated ASAP Educational Munroe is a dual-track school, with structures. We’ve seen a significant Interns), who participate in the Co-Teach- both English and Late-entry French positive impact in the rate of learning ing Outcome Based Differentiated Model, Immersion (LFI) programming. The for all students. as described above.

26 MASS Journal Fall 2008 Munroe’s staff toward a common set model that meets the range of learning strategy. The concept of outcome-based of beliefs and structures. The staff now and behaving needs for all students. planning links to Fullan et al.’s (2006) first understands that there is an unequivocal core reform principle of personalization or link between learning and behaving, and Curriculum compacting and putting “each and every child at the center that students learn best in de-segregated clustering and providing an education that is tailored classrooms that offer purposeful support According to Fullan (2006), decreasing to the students’ learning and motivational for the whole child. Munroe staff has the gap between high and low performers needs at any given moment” (p. 16). found that the structures that best support is critical to decreasing social issues. To student learning include diverse instruc- accomplish this crucial goal, ASAP adapts Differentiated structure tional strategies, flexible student grouping, student-learning outcomes to match each Based on the initial outcome-based powerful promotion of positive behav- student’s learning readiness. Many of assessment, our teachers use a standard iour, and synergistic teaming. Manitoba’s curricula are spiral in nature range of one and a half years to establish and provide a large number of outcomes student-working groups. For example, a The results at each grade level, though all outcomes typical Grade 7 class will contain three Data collected during the past three become critical at some point during a groups, accommodating a learning range years back up what Munroe’s staff has student’s learning. Compacting the out- from Grades 3-7, with the possibility of a found. It indicates that the ASAP initia- comes into critical, important, and desir- fourth group for students who have met tive is increasingly making inclusion a able, identifies the core learning at a par- all the Grade 7 outcomes, and are ready reality and is improving student learning. ticular grade level and provides Munroe to move forward. This structure accom- Standardized assessments for math, read- teachers with a more focused number of modates the learning needs of students in ing, and writing show that students move outcomes to assess. Some outcomes are all four groups, who are working on four up an average of two to three grade levels meant for exposure only. For ASAP use, separate critical outcome-based programs in 10 months of instruction. Another area these outcomes are categorized desirable. in a single classroom at the same time. in which we’ve seen dramatic progress is Outcomes that form the foundation for Importantly, the physical layout of the in the area of behaviour. We have seen future learning, and are re-taught at the classroom has been adapted to allow the a drop in suspensions in 2007/2008 to next level, are considered important within four separate student groups to func- less than 50 percent of the numbers the ASAP framework. Outcomes that tion inter- and intra-dependently. Thus, recorded for 2005/2006. It’s not that underpin essential learning or terminate ASAP’s differentiated structure of out- there isn’t conflict at Munroe, but rather in their presented form become the critical come-based instruction and assessment that a significant number of students learning outcomes for our students. is very similar to Fullan et. al.’s second are trusting that alternatives to physical Since all outcomes become critical at principle of reform; “[p]recision is in the violence can work for them. During the some point, assessing students’ mastery service of personalization because it means year 2007/2008, our guidance counsellor of critical outcomes at each grade level to be uniquely accurate, that is, precise to logged over 70 mediations, 80 percent of ensures that core learning takes place. the learning needs of the individual” (p. which were initiated by students rather Clustering outcomes has greatly increased 18). By using assessment-for-learning data than by staff, and were, therefore, pro- efficiency in our outcome-based planning to guide instruction, ASAP has ensured active rather than reactive meetings. and assessment process. that student learning and engagement has been strengthened, and this, as we under- Classroom structure Outcome based planning and stand it, is the primary cause of our stu- Fullan et. al. (2006) identify personal- assessment dents’ significant academic growth rate. ization, precision and professional learn- By thinking of school curricula as ing as the core components required for a continuum of skills that range from ASAP’s response to student’s social/ the transformation of classroom instruc- kindergarten to grade twelve, we have emotional needs tion. In ASAP, we have incorporated been able to develop programming that The primary goal of the co-teaching these three elements, and provide support individually meets the needs of all stu- classroom model is support for student and intervention for learning and posi- dents at Munroe. Teachers use this out- learning; in both theory and practice, tive behaving on a number of important come continuum to assess their students however, ASAP also significantly sup- levels. We believe that the success students against the outcomes of a particular sub- ports students both socially and emo- are finding through the ASAP model ject, identify where on the continuum tionally. Very early in the development stems primarily from classroom program- each student falls, and then regroup stu- of ASAP at Munroe, we recognized the ming. We now use individual students’ dents based on their learning needs. We need for this support, and used our finan- achievement levels rather than their grade then methodically move students along cial resources to respond. Our guidance level as the starting point for instructional the continuum from their point of entry counsellor now partners with a divisional planning, and that important change has forward. Measuring the student’s progress social worker whose school-based time moved us away from large-group instruc- against curriculum outcomes instead of has been increased from a half-day/week tion. Instead, we’ve implemented an products (e.g. assignments, projects) is the to 2.5 days/week. The counsellor-social outcome-based, small-group instructional premise that underpins ASAP’s assessment worker partnership equips students with

Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 27 appropriate socio/emotional skills and ASAP’s success, a recent example being an by ensuring that all students achieve their replacement strategies so that while they’re electronic template designed to support potential. n in the classroom, they can focus on their schools in completing the application of academic work rather than on the personal categorical grant funding. Bob Dixon is a Resource Teacher issues that so often seem to get in the way and Gareth Neufeld is Principal, at of learning for students in the middle Implications Ecole Munroe Jr. High, River East years. Fullan et.al.’s reform principles—per- School Division, and Tammy Mitchell sonalization, precision and professional is Manager of the division’s Student How ASAP is funded learning—are embedded in the ASAP Services. From its inception in 2005, ASAP was structures of curriculum compacting and designed to be developed within the River clustering, outcome-based planning and References East Transcona School Division’s existing assessment, differentiated structure and co- Brownell, M., Roos, N., Fransoo, funding structure. Funds to hire the edu- teaching. The success of École Munroe R., et. al. (2004). How do educational cational interns, teaching partners and to Junior High School’s ASAP program could outcomes vary with socioeconomic status? cover the additional social work time have be used as a model for other school lead- Key findings form the Manitoba Child been provided by re-allocating provincial ers who want to respond positively to the Health Atlas. funding (allocated Student Services and challenges posed by Manitoba’s legislated 2004. Winnipeg, MB: University of level II and III grant dollars). Accountability requirements for inclusion. Implementing Manitoba. structures (education plans and summative ASAP at Munroe has been a steady process Fullan, M., Hill, P. & Crevola, C. reports) have been put into place to ensure of changing beliefs and practices; three and (2006). Breakthrough. Thousand Oaks, that the learning and behaving needs of stu- a half years after it was begun, the process CA: Corwin Press. dents identified to receive these grant dollars has clearly met our original and ultimate Fullan, M. (2006). Turnaround are being met. Significant support provided goal, which was and is to significantly Leadership. San Francisco, CA: John by divisional departments contributes to improve student learning and to do so Wiley & Sons, Inc.

28 MASS Journal Fall 2008 Student Engagement and Democratic Renewal: A Marriage in Trouble

By Alysha Sloane rofessional development days are intellectual treasure troves If some of the goals of public education are P of possibility. Each time I walk into a conference room and spot a the realization of a flourishing democracy, PowerPoint presentation, free hotel pens and large blank pieces of paper environmental sustainability, peace, gender taped to the wall, I become delirious with anticipation. As someone who cares very deeply about how engaged equality and the eradication of poverty, or not students are in their learning, I have sought out a myriad of profession- what if we actually made these topics the al development opportunities to learn from people who have thought very curriculum? carefully about this subject. Presenters offer a series of helpful techniques that, deconstruct power relations and solve workings of the school, sometimes we if combined together at a prescribed problems that will help reduce and even let them voice their opinions on moment in the space time continuum, eliminate human and environmental what research topics will occupy their minus any identifiable personal and pro- suffering. These are the noblest and time in History class. Yet, how often fessional flaws of course, should result in most important goals of public educa- do we discuss with students and parents wide spread student engagement. tion in a democratic society. the connection between student voice Nevertheless, the exit slip portion of There needs to be a conscious under- activities and the education of a vibrant many of these PD experiences inevit- standing amongst educators at all levels democratic citizenry? ably causes me to feel a mixture of of the system of the larger purposes of Some might argue that the absence intellectual confusion and panic. When student engagement because the health of the discussion causes no harm, I reflect back to all the PowerPoint of our democracy depends on this but we cannot leave it to chance that slides and the question and answer marriage. For example, if cooperative young people will infer the connection periods, I find it difficult to recall many learning strategies are discussed solely between the development of student conversations about how these student in terms of improving students’ group voice and democratic principles. The engagement fragments are meaningful- work skills in class, the macro context tenets of student engagement need to ly connected to why we send children of such a pursuit is ignored. The rea- be situated within the context of the to public schools in the first place. Why son we want young people to be good larger community so that students can do we really care if students are engaged group members in class is that we hope use their voices purposefully throughout learners? Has the connection between they become adults who are peaceful their lives. Expressions of individualism student engagement and democratic and interdependent community mem- that sometimes wash into division office renewal completely vanished from pub- bers. We certainly need more people switchboards is an indicator that par- lic consciousness? in the world who know how to wage ent and student ‘voice’ is increasingly Young people should graduate from peace instead of war. about an individual’s social and eco- Manitoba schools able to voice opin- Student voice is a vehicle used fre- nomic mobility instead of community ions, with the passion to speak out quently in the quest for student engage- aspirations. Policy makers and educators against injustice and with the ability ment. We offer students choice in are in a unique position to initiate public to activate others to pursue common how they present information, we ask debate about what it is public education goals. Students need to be able to them for perceptual data on the inner should endeavour to accomplish.

Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 29 Many of the student engagement con- democracy, environmental sustainability, 2. Get curious and develop critical ques- versations that take place in schools are peace, gender equality and the eradication tions; focused on how we should engage stu- of poverty, what if we actually made these 3. Define the problem; dents. Very little time and attention is topics the curriculum? Could Education 4. Gather information and explore pos- paid to what should engage Manitoba for a Sustainable Future become a core sibilities; students and why. When teachers do discipline for students in Kindergarten 5. Invent options; sit together and discuss curriculum, the through grade 12, and if so, what should 6. Evaluate options; conversations are often isolated in the it replace? Basic skills and the long lists of 7. Create a plan; moments where they decide what to cover process outcomes in Manitoba framework 8. Present what you have learned to and what to leave out. Changes to cur- documents could be addressed within people who are impacted by the prob- ricular content are left to small, insular, these important content areas. lem; and subject specific provincial committees. The days of institutionalizing the 9. Work with other members of the Rarely are the schools’, divisions’ or prov- notion that content is irrelevant as long community to make a dent in the incial mission statements dusted off and as students can hit prescribed skill targets problem. used to scrutinize what students learn in should come to a swift end. For example, Although the list above makes PBL relation to the kind of democratic society we should be very uncomfortable with appear to be a linear process, it is actually Manitobans are trying to actualize. If you an English Language Arts program that quite organic. For example, with new think about your own mission statement, unabashedly lacks ethical or political con- knowledge, a different problem statement are the content areas in the Manitoba tent. When we pay such little attention may need to be developed. Sometimes a curricular documents the most important to the content of what students learn solution that looks good on paper is not things for students to learn? Do Manitoba in order to train independent, voracious workable in the community and teams curricula allow the aims in your mission consumers of new information, we strip need to go back and invent other options. statement to reach beyond the perimeter young people of the opportunity to be Projects may vary in time and scope, of the school division? critical of the status quo in relation to therefore a classroom characterized by In 2000, Manitoba Education their personal and collective histories. In rigidity and conformity is not conducive Citizenship and Youth published an a time where the media describes the to PBL. excellent resource called, “Education invasion of sovereign countries as ‘peace Some of the critical questions that for a Sustainable Future: A Resource building’ and social activists as ‘special engaged my grade seven and eight stu- Document for Curriculum Developers, interest groups,’ schools must play a role dents at Gordon Bell High School last Teachers and Administrators.” The intent in the engagement of future generations year were: of the document is to encourage educators of wise community leaders who will seek How can I get more people to under- in Manitoba to “integrate sustainability to improve the human and environmental stand the importance of buying Fair concepts into new and existing curricula” condition. Trade products? Can I get other people (2000, p.3). The document describes how In my role as a classroom teacher, to take the Fair Trade Challenge this to teach young people about the know- I am acutely aware that I must situ- month? (Cam)* ledge, values, life practices and decision ate theory in practice in order to make Is Al Gore really telling an making skills that lead to sustainable liv- sense of student engagement. The most Inconvenient Truth or is this just a ing. There are interdisciplinary curricular exciting entry points that have assisted normal climate change? How will I connection maps and lists of topics for the me in my enhancement of the relation- find out? (Pauline) integration of sustainability issues. ship between student engagement and Why do some children have to live I believe excellent projects like this democratic principles are the tenets of in poverty? Can people get out of it? publication are born out of an attempt to Problem Based Learning (MECY, 2006)). Could I make a dent in the problem? circulate more social and environmental In this approach to teaching and learn- (Antonio) justice issues in schools. Unfortunately, ing, students are presented with problems What happens to your brain if you get initiatives like this one have in some ways that actually exist in the community. addicted to drugs? If it’s real bad, how fragmented students’ engagement in sub- The cases that students work on have no can you help people stop? (Dean) ject matter like democratic decision mak- simple answers and their investigations The students in my classroom have ing, peace building and environmental culminate when they present and defend found this process challenging and lib- responsibility from the explicitly stated their conclusions to those impacted by erating. As they work through complex purposes of public education. Topics the problem. In this context, students are dilemmas alongside adults inside and related to the elimination of human and engaged in a process where learning is outside of school who have different environmental suffering are dangerously multidisciplinary and inextricably linked perspectives and skill sets, they grow a assimilated amongst a myriad of others in to the betterment of society. tremendous amount as human beings order to create allure for students inside Problem Based Learning typically and learners. the ‘legitimate’ curriculum. involves these steps: Students come to understand that If some of the goals of public educa- 1. Find or present a case study or prob- what they learn about in school, and the tion are the realization of a flourishing lem; problems they help to solve matter a great

30 MASS Journal Fall 2008 deal to other people. They become offers some exciting entry points for of disengagement. Students must con- less obsessed with marks and learn to educators who seek to learn more sciously live democratic principles in talk about education in the context of about deepening this relationship. what and how they learn if we want social change. I have seen young people Administrators and teachers need young people to claim their rights and who were once afraid to share an idea to work beside students to identify responsibilities as engaged democratic in front of the class, successfully facili- important community problems and citizens. n tate meetings with representatives from to take action to address issues of community organizations and local injustice however the boundaries of *Names of students have been businesses because they were totally the community are defined. changed. invested in their projects. A lack of self-efficacy needed to help To enhance student engagement address social problems, the inabil- Alysha Sloane is a grade 7 and 8 adults must explicitly teach young ity to critique people in positions of teacher at Gordon Bell High School. people about the connection between power, and the continuous replication Gordon Bell is located in the Inner classroom activities and a healthy of the status quo, are just some of the City District of the Winnipeg School democracy. Problem Based Learning negative and profound consequences Division. YOUR INDUSTRY IS OUR SPECIALTY.

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Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 31 Assessing Student Engagement in Manitoba By Warren Nickerson anitoba’s education commun- Examining 2008 reports on student French Immersion, Français), between ity is buzzing with interest engagement by program schools, or between the division and the M about student engagement. A What would a conversation about province. School leadership teams can make conference for six hundred participants engagement results sound like? To illus- observations and identify priorities. on the topic of engagement sold out trate the process divisions could use to Take for example the general trend soon after the co-sponsors, MASS and examine their own results, let’s examine in the English Program results for stu- MECY, released information. Manitoba the provincial results from January, 2008. dent engagement in Figure 1. Teachers school divisions are redesigning assess- A place to start is to describe the general reported that approximately three quarters ment policies and classroom practices trend. Divisions could examine the propor- of grade seven students are engaged either to encourage more student involve- tions of students in each category, and “quite often” or “nearly always” in each of ment in learning. A recent draft of a note differences between programs (English, the five competencies. The strength of this report card from a River East Transcona middle school gave equal space for both engagement and academics. Grant Park High School cancelled mid-year exams in grades seven and eight so that teach- ers could conference with students, allow them to reflect on their achieve- ment, and set goals for the upcoming semester. A part of this buzz is the new provin- cial middle years assessment that focuses on reading and writing at grade eight, and numeracy and student engagement at grade seven. Information from the assessment can provide system-level data to help educational leaders identify and set priorities and enable public reporting of relevant and understandable indicators of student performance (Levin, 2004, p. 3-4). What will the provincial assess- ment in grade seven tell us about student engagement?

The rationale for assessing student engagement During province-wide consultations in 2004, Dr. Levin (former Deputy Minister of Education) discussed student engage- ment as a focus for assessment. Beyond academic competence, student engage- ment would look at “the degree to which students are actively involved in and take responsibility for their education” (Levin, 2004, p.5). Engagement was seen as cru- cial for student effort and success in school, and beyond school, as connected with lifelong learning. The conversation about student engagement, in conjunc- tion with student self-assessment, would itself have beneficial consequences for students (p. 5).

32 MASS Journal Fall 2008 result is heartening, but there are also areas this top rating. Another example from the superintendents in all of Manitoba’s to target for improvement. data reveals that fifty-seven percent (57 per- school divisions in 2007 to find out The next step is to look more closely cent) of girls nearly always accepted respon- about how divisions were using assess- and make particular observations to target sibility for assignments. Boys were far less ment data to improve student learn- improvements. Again taking broad strokes, likely (36.4 percent) to accept responsibility ing. Most school divisions reported about one in five grade seven students consistently. School learning communities that teachers were generally receptive to are “only sometimes” interested, reflective, and school division leadership teams could the assessment of student engagement. goal-oriented, willing to participate, and consider these gender differences and other Several school division leaders identi- responsible for their work. Schools must difference they might find by disaggregating fied the need to gather more informa- pay particular attention to this twenty per- the data. They should have rich discussions tion about how consistently teachers cent, as they may be at risk of struggling, based on their own data, and formulate have assessed engagement, noting some giving up, and dropping out. specific goals to address gaps. inherent room for subjectivity between The process might then make observa- school buildings. However, several com- tions about particular competencies to School division responses to the mented that the data ignited conversa- find areas to target for improvement. For engagement assessment tions that connect well to reforms that instance, the highest proportion of stu- While the two scenarios in the sidebar were already ongoing in instruction and dents rated “Established” in the English are fictional, Assistant Deputy Ministers assessment. program came on the “accepting respon- Anne Longston and Jean-Vianney This past school year (2007-2008) sibility for assignments.” Nearly half (46 Auclair did engage in conversations with was the first year of full implementation percent) of the students achieved this rating from their teachers. However, more What might conversations about data from the grade 7 assessment than one quarter of students (26.7 percent) were reported to engage in self-assessment of student engagement sound like? Here are two hypothetical “only sometimes.” Perhaps self-assessment scenarios showing how teachers use engagement results. is one area that schools could examine together with students and parents. Scenario #1 – Living Prairie Middle School Living Prairie Middle School teachers noted a pronounced gender gap in their school Examining result by gender engagement results. The grade seven faculty’s professional learning community decided Levin’s report recommended that to focus on the low results for boys in self-assessment. Mary did some research and found “schools and divisions should attempt to evidence that gender differences in self-assessment were particularly correlated with meta- disaggregate assessment results for target cognitive abilities associated with reading (Van Krayenoord and Paris, 1997). Based on groups” such as gender, ethnicity and Mary’s evidence, the team made a plan to focus on increasing boys’ awareness of their socio-economic status (page 6). Faculty reading strategies across subject areas. They also looked for ways boys could use these same can make observations on the data, specu- strategies to reread and revise their own written assignments. This way, Living Prairie hoped late on possible reasons for trends and pat- to close the engagement gender gap. terns, and set goals for improvement. Take the provincial results for gender as Scenario #2 – Sterling Lyon Junior High School an example. Perhaps most observers would Assistant superintendent Rachel Laurent visits each school and invites teachers to have have predicted girls would be more engaged a conversation around the results of the middle years assessment. Kelly, a teacher from than boys in their learning in grade seven. Sterling Lyon Junior High School, raises a concern about the low results in “demonstrating Other studies, such as the High School an interest in learning”. To investigate ways to address these results, Kelly asks Rachel to Survey of Student Engagement, have arrange a visit to a classroom where a teacher is generating more interest among students. reported a gender gap wherein girls were Two weeks later, Kelly visits Ashok’s classroom, observes his teaching practice for a day, more engaged than boys (Yazzie-Mintz, interviews students, and examines assignments and work samples. Kelly notices that 2006, p. 8). In any case, how many would Ashok’s students are given more choice in either the content or the format of their assign- have predicted the degree of difference that ments. His students also work more frequently and effectively in collaborative groups than is evident in Figure 2? In every category her own students. Ashok says he was influenced especially by Phillip Schlechty’s Working of the assessment, girls in larger num- on the Work: Making Student Engagement Central, which he had picked up from the bers than boys were rated as “Established government education library. Kelly explored choice and collaboration as ways she could (nearly always)”. Some of these differences improve her own students’ engagement. represent large gaps. For example, teachers These two scenarios demonstrate the process of using the engagement data to direct reported that girls were much more likely inquiry into teaching. These teachers: to demonstrate an interest in their learn- • Made observations of the data; ing. Nearly half of girls (47 percent) in the • Identified a priority; English program were rated as “Established • Found more information; (nearly always), while only twenty-nine • Implemented changes; and percent (28.9 percent) of boys were given • Monitored results.

Manitoba Association of School Superintendents 33 of the middle years assessment policy family, school and peers, is associated who care about quality in the work- and the first year that student engage- with several health measures among place. Students who become inter- ment was assessed. As teachers and Canadian youth. A comprehensive ested in their own learning will students become more familiar with approach to healthy youth develop- become parents who are interested in the assessment process, consistency ment that emphasizes and increases their children’s learning. The grade will improve and together we will positive relationships in these con- 7 assessment provincial assessment develop a better understanding texts may facilitate the transition of gives Manitobans one opportunity of how to use the data to support Canadian youth into a healthy adult- for important conversations that will teaching and learning. The Assistant hood. (Yugo & Davidson, 2007, 53). celebrate connectedness and help Deputy Ministers will continue to Students who are engaged at school address the gaps. n meet with superintendents this year will make a stronger transition into and in the future to carry on the adulthood and lead healthier lives. Warren Nickerson is a Consultant conversations around assessment and Students who learn to assess their with Manitoba Education, Citizenship, student engagement. own work will become employees and Youth.

Conclusion References Does this data really matter? Is any- Levin, B. Student assessment as public learning: Report on consultations and recom- one surprised some early adolescent mendations for a provincial student assessment policy—grade 6 to senior 1. Winnipeg: boys aren’t passionate about learn- Manitoba Education, Citizenship, and Youth, December, 2004. ing? Whichever the observations van Krayenoord, C.E., Paris, S.G.. “Australian students’ self-appraisal of their work sam- about engagement teachers target ples and academic progress”, Elementary School Journal. Vol. 97 No.5, 1997 pp.523-37. for improvement, much of school Yazzie-Mintz, Ethan. Voices of Studends on Engagement: A Report on the 2006 High engagement can be linked to a sense School Survey of Student Engagement. p. 8 of connectedness. Connectedness Yugo, M, and Davidson, M.J. “Connectedness within Social Contexts: The Relation to within social contexts, particularly to Adolescent Health”. Healthcare Policy / Politiques de Santé, 2(3), 2007: 47-55.

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