[etni] Class sizes in Canada
- From: "Respect" <Respect@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2004 12:02:31 +0200
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Sorry, here it is complete...
Look at the third paragraph from the end
This article is from
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/A
rticle_Type1&c=Article&cid=1087855810030&call_pageid=968332188492&col=96
8793972154
New help for reading
Province plans huge increase in 'foundational' teachers
Part of plan to boost student success come September
THERESA BOYLE
EDUCATION REPORTER
The provincial government plans to quadruple the number of teachers who
specialize in reading and writing - from 4,000 to 16,000 - the Star has
learned.
"This is the most intensive, focused teacher development that there's
been in the province," Education Minister Gerard Kennedy said in an
interview yesterday.
There are currently 4,000 specialist teachers in the province, and
school boards are in the process of training 4,000 more. Next year, an
additional 8,000 so-called "lead" teachers are scheduled to be trained,
bringing the total to 16,000.
"There's going to be a total of 16,000 lead teachers - two in math and
two in English - in every single (elementary) school in the province,"
Kennedy said.
Lead teachers get more intensive training in literacy and numeracy and
serve as a support for classroom teachers. They get release time from
their schools for professional development.
The province is placing an emphasis on literacy and numeracy because
they are considered "foundational," Kennedy said.
"This is where we think we're going to get the biggest return for
students. ... If we don't get basic literacy by 8 years old and advanced
literacy by 12, there will be an immense struggle ahead for that
particular student," Kennedy said.
The move is part of a $150-million plan to boost "student success" when
school resumes in September.
Kennedy will make a formal announcement on the plans within the next
week.
"As the school year winds down, we're gearing up," he said.
This week is the final week of school for 2.1 million elementary and
secondary students in Ontario.
The province is also sending 9,000 regular elementary classroom teachers
to summer school for a two-day "crash" course on reading and math
instruction.
"It's a crash, intensive sort of reinforcement. This will give them
exposure to different techniques they wouldn't have seen before and
confirm some different (teaching) methods," Kennedy said, adding that
these teachers will receive back-up support from their schools' lead
teachers when they return to the classroom in September.
The new school year will see the number of "turnaround" schools in
Ontario increased by 58, bringing the total number to 100. Among the
worst-performing schools on standardized tests, they will get extra help
from teams of educators.
Class sizes will begin to get smaller in September with the hiring of an
additional 1,100 teachers.
Supporting the initiatives will be a new literacy and numeracy
secretariat at Queen's Park that is scheduled to open within a week. The
province is in the midst of hiring 22 staffers who will work with the 72
school boards across the province.
Almost half of Ontario students are not meeting the provincial standard
on province-wide tests. The government has set an ambitious goal of
ensuring that 75 per cent of students meet the provincial benchmark by
2008.
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