What We Do

Our plan to promote a strong, vibrant, publicly funded education system is focused on three goals:

• High levels of student achievement
• Reduced gaps in student achievement
• High levels of public confidence in public education

To achieve these goals we will focus our activities on (examples follow each activity):

• Identifying and supporting effective teaching, learning and assessment practices

Our goal is to have 75% of 12-year-olds achieving at the provincial standard (level 3) in reading, writing and math, by 2008. Rapid implementation of lower class sizes is ensuring more individualized attention to many primary students. The provincial Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat is providing professional development, targeted funding and expert collaboration with boards on local strategies to ensure each child learns effectively. We are supporting struggling students through extra programs, curriculum changes and new supports to keep them learning to age 18. We are aiding teacher professionalism through a revitalized Ontario College of Teachers, and improved teacher induction.

• Identifying and supporting effective gap-reducing practices

The provincial Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat is providing professional development, targeted funding and expert collaboration with boards on local strategies to lessen the gap between higher- and lower-achieving students.

We are improving special education practices to support improved student outcomes, and appropriate provisions for exceptional students in all new or revised ministry policies. Our Safe Schools Action Team has launched a program to increase resources and alertness across all schools, while reviewing existing policies. Community use of schools, mandatory healthy food guidelines, Sabrina’s Law and CPR training have helped to jump-start practical programs and consciousness about healthy schools.

• Engaging students, families and communities in building a supportive learning environment

We are building stronger connections between schools and the early childhood development system. We set up the Parent Voice in Education project to find out from parents what sort of representative voice they want at the provincial level. Increased parental participation in learning activities is critical to the success of our literacy and numeracy strategies. We are supporting schools as centres of communities: reducing the number of school closures, and improving community use of schools.

• Increasing system effectiveness, efficiency, transparency and responsiveness

We are providing funding to repair flaws in the funding formula that create barriers for students. We are creating effective vehicles for dialogue, including Education Partnership Table to engage all education stakeholders on key policies; Provincial Dialogue with teachers’ federations and school boards that has successfully identified links between policies for stability and progress; Ontario Public Education Network (OPEN) to provide interested parties with current information on the education system. Through our Effectiveness and Efficiency initiative, we intend to ensure that the strengths of the public education system are brought to the fore in pooling costs and spreading innovation more readily.