Supporting Teacher Efficacy
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Volume 10, Issue 2 Fall 2014 the CASSCONNECTION The official magazine for the College of Alberta School Superintendents Supporting Teacher Efficacy Canada Post Publications Agreement Number 40609661 The CASS Connection The official magazine for the College of Alberta School Superintendents Fall 2014 Published for: contents The College of Alberta School Superintendents #1200, 9925 – 109 Street Edmonton AB T5K 2J8 Phone: (780) 451-7126 Fax: (780) 482-5659 Email: [email protected] www.cass.ab.ca Published by: Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Publications Agreement Number 40609661 Return Undeliverable Addresses to: 309 Youville Street Winnipeg, MB R2H 2S9 Toll free Phone: (866) 999-1299 Toll free Fax: (866) 244-2544 www.matrixgroupinc.net President & CEO Jack Andress Chief Operating Officer Jessica Potter [email protected] Publishers Peter Schulz, Joe Strazzullo Editor-in-Chief Shannon Savory [email protected] Messages: Editors 7 Message from the Minister of Education Danelle Cloutier [email protected] 9 Message from the President of CASS Alexandra Walld, Meg Crane Finance/Accounting & Administration 13 Message from the Executive Director Shoshana Weinberg, Nathan Redekop, Pat Andress [email protected] Director of Marketing & Circulation FOCUS ON...SUPPORTING TEACHER EFFICACY Shoshana Weinberg Sales Manager – Winnipeg Neil Gottfred Features: Sales Manager – Hamilton 14 Teacher Efficacy: Capacity Over Context Jeff Cash Sales Team Leader 22 Enhancing Teacher Efficacy Through TRANSFORM in Colleen Bell Edmonton Catholic Schools Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Account Executives 26 Central Alberta Partnership Helps Catholic Educators EXCEL Alex Incretolli, Ansuta Louisy, Anthony Doucet, Bonnie Petrovsky, Brian 28 Building a Collaborative Network Davey, Brian MacIntyre, Carlos Castro, Christine Gilbank, David Roddie, Fatima 31 Improving Instructional Leadership Builds Teacher Efficacy Khan, Frank Kenyeres, Jim Hamilton, John Price, Miles Meagher, Rick Kuzie, 33 Academic Wrap-Around Gives Individual Attention & Support Rob Allan, Rob Choi, Rob Gibson, Roderick O’Quin, Shalynn Ramsden to Student & Teacher Layout & Design Cody Chomiak Advertising Design Department: James Robinson 36 ASEBP’s Healthy People, Healthy Workplace News: ©2014 Matrix Group Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced by The Happy Factor any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Matrix Group Publishing Inc. 38 Buyer’s Guide The College of Alberta School Superintendents 5 The Honourable Gordon Dirks | Minister of Education I am driven to provide students with all the tools they need to thrive in their futures. he start of another new school year always holds so much promise for chil- T dren and adults alike. Fall is an annual opportunity to refocus our energy—to set new goals, learn new skills, hone our talents, discover new ideas and rekindle the passion for learning, for ourselves and for students. A fresh start certainly rings true for me. I am honoured to have the opportunity to serve Albertans as the minister of education. While I may be new to this position, my passion for education is deep-rooted. As a former educa- tor, school administrator and public school board representative, I am driven to provide students with all the tools they need to thrive and administrators to use as they support history to immediately address our school in their futures. This includes: students, from updates on various education shortage. In October, Government com- • Ensuring Alberta’s school curriculum initiatives and upcoming workshops, to tips mitted to the third-phase of a 10-year focuses on foundational elements— on building inclusive and bully-free settings. capital build-out of new schools, expan- reading, writing and arithmetic—while Alberta Education is committed to updating sions and modernizations. We are moving incorporating essential 21st century skills, these toolkits throughout the year so they quickly to provide school boards with the such as innovation and critical thinking; can be used for the benefit of students when- predictability they need for longer-term • Promptly addressing the need for new ever the need may arise. infrastructure planning. schools throughout the province; and One of the best ways to secure a bright It is important to respect and celebrate • Providing students with safe and respect- future for our children is through our teach- the achievements of Alberta’s education ful education environments. ers. After parents, teachers are at the heart of system. But it is also important to recognize I am looking forward to getting to work— a student’s success in learning, which is why that we need to evolve to keep pace with an in co-operation with all of our provincial we work to ensure teachers have the tools ever changing world. It is not a matter of education partners—on these initiatives and and support they need to do their very best disregarding or abandoning our successes, others. As a group, it is up to all of us to in the classroom. but rather a matter of building on our embrace the opportunity for a fresh start and Support for the difficult, but rewarding achievements to accomplish even more. renew our commitment to putting the best jobs of Alberta’s teachers does not begin and Ultimately, it all comes back to our interests of students first. Our students must end with the school year. Alberta Education’s common goal—putting the best interests be at the heart of every decision we make if efforts to work with teachers and other key of students first. And while our approach we are to help them reach their full potential. stakeholders like CASS continue year-round. may change over time, our commitment to Alberta Education joined our partners We remain focused on investing in our grow- doing what is best for our children and their across the province to help students get a ing education system, learning from research teachers will never change. positive and healthy start to the new year. and best practices and building on our success. I look forward to the 2014-15 school Our 2014 Back to School online toolkits As Alberta’s population continues to year and the progress we will make together feature resources for children and parents. grow, we have embarked on the largest in building an even stronger education sys- The toolkits also have links for teachers school construction project in Canadian tem for Albertans.n The College of Alberta School Superintendents 7 Karl Germann President | College of Alberta School Superintendents Our international results are excellent. Why change? Answer: Braydon n individual at the most recent CASS / Alberta Education ...through hard work and A Annual conference made one of the most brilliant speeches I have heard in a long time. He had the courage to chal- dedication, Albertans have lenge everyone to define the problem in Alberta, namely why we would embark on achieved unparalleled success... a radical overhaul of the education system. For years, through hard work and I believe Alberta educators achieve because Our gaps did not improve and statisti- dedication, Albertans have achieved we are research-based and we monitor and cally our students did not achieve at the unparalleled success on the national and react to the data. In the late 1990s, I remember level of the students in Alberta. We even international stage. Countries use our cur- travelling to Northern Lights School Division brought in experts, followed the Reading riculum to establish international schools to gain a better understanding of their early Recovery model and had specialists from and delegations tour our schools attempt- literacy intervention programs. Regina Catholic Schools assist us in our ing to replicate our success. Yet, when At the time I worked in central office work. I came from Saskatchewan in 2001, we in the Meadow Lake School Division. The In conversations years later I now real- too were working hard. So what was the two districts are approximately an hour’s ize that the emphasis on researched-based difference between the two provinces? drive apart and have a similar student demo- strategies and accepting the data, no matter Why did Alberta students achieve at a graphic profile. Yet even though we mirrored how brutal it is, allows Alberta’s educators significantly higher level than students in the Northern Lights model, we were not as to make the necessary changes. Saskatchewan? successful. Continued on page 11 CASS Board of Directors President 2nd Vice President Zone 4 Director Metro Director Karl Germann Colleen Symyrozum-Watt Amber Hester Dianne Yee Superintendent of Schools Superintendent Assistant Superintendent Director, Area 3 Grande Prairie & District Pembina Hills Regional Division Wolf Creek Public Schools Calgary Board of Education Catholic Schools No. 7 Past President Zone 1 Director Zone 5 Director Executive Director Dr. Larry Jacobs Betty Turpin Mark Rawlek Barry Litun Chief Superintendent of Schools Superintendent Superintendent, Support Services Executive Director Wolf Creek Public Schools Holy Family CRD #37 Calgary Catholic School Division College of Alberta School Superintendents 1st Vice President Zone 2/3 Director Zone 6 Director John Waterhouse Michelle Brennick Brian Andjelic Deputy Superintendent Deputy Superintendent Superintendent Westwind School Division Northern Gateway Public Prairie Rose School Division Schools No. 8 The College of Alberta School Superintendents 9 10 Fall 2014 • The CASS Connection Continued from page 9 story; a story about a child we taught or a perform at a higher level. Teaching to the Fast forward to 2014-15. Dr. John child who is one of our own. We need to tell test is not the answer. In the future, if we can Hattie notes that approximately 70 per that story and explain why we need to do a adapt to the learning styles of more students cent of Alberta’s educators are already better job educating more Alberta students at we will have provided every Albertan with a high performing, adapting and changing the highest possible level we can.