The Educational Project

1. The Educational Project The Essence Of Imagination Philemon Wright High School Governing Board

2. Outcomes • To help members of the Governing Board to get a clear and common understanding of the Educational Project: its purpose, components and a process for elaborating it; • To identify some critical issues for Philemon Wright school; • To set some school goals (for the 2000-2001 year); • To develop some action plans to achieve these goals.

3. Historical Considerations • 1980 The school’s Educational Project • 1982 A responsible community oriented school • 1988 Bill 107 • 1994 Preparing Young People for the 21st Century • 1995 Estates General

4. Historical Considerations • 1996 The State of Education and the Final Report • 1997 Bill 180 • 1997 A New Direction for Success (Plan of Action) • 1998 Policies and Support for Professional Development

5. The Legislation – Bill 180 - SCHOOL • Section 36 - Mission “A school shall pursue its mission within the framework of an educational project defined, implemented and periodically evaluated in collaboration with the students, the parents, the principal, the teachers and other school representatives of the community and the school board”

6. The Legislation – Bill 180 - SCHOOL • Section 37 – Aims and Objectives “A school’s educational project shall set out the specific aims and objectives of the school, and the means by which the educational project is to be implemented and evaluated”

7. The Legislation – Bill 180 - Governing Board • Section – 74 Educational Project “The governing board shall adopt, oversee the implementation of and evaluate the school’s educational project In exercising such functions, the governing board shall seek the collaboration of persons having an interest in the school.”

8. SECTION 74 CONT’D “To that end the governing board shall encourage the communication of information, dialogue and concerted action between students, parents, the principal, teachers and other school staff members and community representatives, and their collaboration in helping students to achieve academic success”

9. The Legislation – Bill 180 – Governing Board • Section 82 – Annual Report “The governing board shall prepare and adopt an annual activity report and shall transmit a copy of the report to the school board”

10. The Legislation – Bill 180 PPO • Section 96.2 –Parent Participation Organization “The purpose of the parent participation organization is to encourage the collaboration of the parents in developing, implementing and periodically evaluating the school’s educational project and their participation in fostering their child’s academic success”

11. The Legislation – Bill 180 – Student Committee • Section 96.6 – Student committee “The purpose of the student committee is to encourage the collaboration of parents in developing, implementing and periodically evaluating the school’s educational project and their participation in fostering academic success and in school activities.”

12. The Legislation – Bill 180 - Teacher • Section 22 – Teacher’s obligations “A teacher shall (7) comply with the educational project of the school”

13. The Legislation – Bill 180 – The Principal • Section – 96.13 - Functions “The principal shall assist the governing board in the exercise of its functions and powers and for that purpose, the principal shall (1) Coordinate the development, implementation and periodical evaluation of the school’s educational project”

14. Howard Gardner • Asks: “ What knowledge and understandings do we want youngsters to have when they leave secondary school”

15. Mission Possible! “The most important answers are those that individuals ultimately craft for themselves, based on their disciplinary understandings, their personal experiences, and their own feelings and values.”* *Howard Gardner, The Unschooled Mind, Basic Books: New York

16. Teacher Student Parent Support staff Principal What specific actions can I engage in in order to ensure the successful implementation of Philemon Wright’s Educational Project Integrating Curriculum Reform

17. 6 Attributes of Effective Schools • Leadership and Leadership density • Parental involvement • Teacher quality • Learning and caring institutions • Local discretion and school improvement go hand in hand • School character T. Sergiovanni, February 2000

18. Purpose of schooling • “Schools should do what only schools can do • Teachers cannot compensate for what parents do not do” • Gordon Elhard, QLC Symposium, Granby Quebec

19. Brainstorming Activity • Answer Howard Gardner’s question: • What understandings (knowledge, skills, values, behaviours) do we want students to have when they leave Philemon Wright High School?

20. Personal Reflection

21. What Should Schools Do? • Develop cross curricular competencies: • Intellectual competencies • Methodological competencies • Personal and Social competencies • Communication-related competencies • MEQ Curriculum Reform 1998

22. The Program of Programs Broad Areas of learning -Consumer Rights and Responsibilities - Environmental Awareness - Media Literacy - Health and Well-Being - Citizenship and Community Life - Personal and Vocational Options - Personal Identity and World View - Social Relationships Essential attitudes and behaviours

23. Prioritizing Activity

24. Attributes Activity • List five attributes of Philemon Wright High School that should be preserved; • List four attributes of Philemon Wright High that should be revised; • List three attributes of Philemon Wright High School that should be eliminated.

25. Components of the Educational Project • A school profile • Guiding principles • Student exit profile • School vision • Mission statement • Critical issues • School goals • Don Rosenbaum, School Reform – Where are we on the journey, New Frontiers School Board, 1999

26. S.W.O.T. • Strengths • Weaknesses • Opportunities • Threats Identify, in groups, the various Strengths – Weaknesses – Opportunities – Threats, that you think you face in implementing the Educational Project in Philemon Wright High School

27. Developing a Plan Now Next Future