Researched Parent Fact Sheets on Educational Topics

The Canadian Education Association (CEA) provides one- page fact sheets for parents derived from  the latest education research. References are provided

Their latest fact sheet shows that good high school grades do not guarantee post-secondary success: 
CEA is pleased to provide these findings based on current empirical evidence as part of its popular Facts on Education series of relevant, timely, and easy-to-read fact sheets for parents and educators.

With a generous sponsorship from the Canadian School Boards Association, CEA has teamed up with researchers from the University of Prince Edward Island’s Faculty of Education to conduct the research and produce the content.

To access Do good grades in high school guarantee post-secondary success? and to get The Facts on Education on other hot button issues such as, Under what conditions does technology impact learning? How useful is homework? Should we be streaming students? How effective is sex education? and Do smaller classes improve learning?, please visit:

www.cea-ace.ca/facts-on-education

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Student Achievement Report 2012-2013

If you are interested this report contains a great deal of information. 

The highlights are that graduation rates are rising in Hamilton and are now just below the Provincial level and there is a steady trend in improvement for special education students

• Appendix A describes the continuation of the K-2 Oral Language strategy and Early Reading strategy. The careful evaluation of implementation methods is described
• Appendix B: Strategies to differentiate instruction. Work for Aboriginal and ESL students is described
• Appendix C: Strategies to Support Instruction in Mathematics  
• Appendix D Analysis of collected data: EQAO scores, credit accumulation rates, work experience and apprenticeships,specialist high skills majors and graduation rates.
• Appendix E : special education students in regular classes.
• Appendix F: Strategies to reach out to potential early school leavers: Return and Learn, Turning Point, partnerships,Supervised Alternative learning report(SAL)
• Appendix G  Community and Continuing Education Services (CCE) ( Adult education) to support student achievement: adult day school, elearning, night school, independent learning,work for credit, Uturn, remedial programs.

link to report:

http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/meetings/Information-Nights-Invitation-1384443053.pdf

On-Line Resources for Parents of School Children

Doing Mathematics with your Child Kindergarten to Grade 6. A Parent Guide

Easy activities and two pages of further online resources

http://edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/parentGuideNum2012.pdf

Reading and Writing  with Your Child Kindergarten to Grade 6. A parent Guide

More activities and two pages of further online resources

http://edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/parentGuideLit2012.pdf

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board has a section for parents on its web site: http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/parents/  Note especially the Quick Guide.

The Hamilton Public Library also has some resources go to http://www.hpl.ca/kids/parents

abc123 videos for parents

 Helping your child improve his or her reading, writing and math skills  with new video resources, now available in English and French.ontario.ca/abc123 

Tips and Guides

There are also tip sheets and guides for parents who want to help their children improve their skills in reading, writing and math. These tips and guides are available in English and French, as well as:

Arabic Simplified and Traditional Chinese Farsi Hindi Korean Punjabi

Portuguese Spanish Tagalog Tamil Urdu Vietnamese http://www.edu.gov.onca/abc123/eng/podcast/

Newcomer Parents Guides
 Information available in 6  languages  for newcomer parents. There is an elementary and a secondary guide.

The Newcomers' Guide to Elementary Schoolshttp://www.settlement.org/site/ED/GUIDE/home.asp

Tip Sheets

A variety of tip sheets  are available for parents  in English, French, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, Russian, Tamil, Filipino, Somali, and Farsi and address common questions about the education system :

Go to  the People for Education website at: www.peopleforeducation.com.

Lots of educational resources for parents on the Learning Partnership web site, including access to latest research. visit http://www.thelearningpartnership.ca/parents

Parental Expectations

How Important Are Educational Expectations?

All parents want what’s best for their children, but the support they provide varies significantly depending on the level of their expectations. If expectations are high, parents may encourage their child to take higher-level courses, provide help for homework and tests, assist in researching colleges and universities, or make sure that the school coursework is in line with the admissions criteria for post secondary education. This kind of support often plays a key role in getting the children future-ready and determining successful career decisions. 

Research has shown that there is a clear relationship between what parents expect and the achievement scores of students. Thus, parental expectations for educational attainment strongly predict students’ scores across a variety of subjects (e.g., mathematics, language), and this relationship remains stable even after controlling for socioeconomic status (Fan, 2001; Neuenschwander et al., 2007). Moreover, the effects of early parental expectations (formed as early as Grade 1) tend to persist throughout the years of schooling, influencing children’s performance and self-concept at later grades (Entwisle et al., 2005). 

Interestingly, research shows that this relationship is bidirectional, which means that the better children do in school, the higher the expectations, and the higher the expectations, the better children do (Englund et al., 2004). Parental and student expectations mutually influence each other, but this influence may also be moderated by gender. For instance, a recent multiple-group analysis revealed that the effects of parental expectations on student expectations were stronger among boys than girls (Zhang et al., 2011). 

This brief synopsis investigates the effects of parental and student expectations on student achievement in Canada, using data from two programs: the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS 2011), which assesses reading literacy at the Grade 4 level, and the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP-2010), which focuses on mathematics performance at the Grade 8 level.

 see more at http://cmec.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/316/AMatters_No4_EN.pdf

Hamilton Parent Charter

We  all know that parents  provide an invaluable role in rearing and nurturing children.  But parents need society's support to do their job well especially at the birth of a child; on their child's entry to elementary school or moving to a secondary school or into the workplace, college or university; and when parents return to work . 

The Parent and Family Engagement Committee of the Best Start Network was inspired by hearing about the Parent Charter in Tower Hamlets, London, England. There  the Parent Charter was used as the backbone for integrated universal, targeted and specialized programs for parents, all linked to the community's strategic planning. 

It is hoped that a Hamilton Parent Charter  will play an important role here too. The desire is that a Hamilton Parent Charter will be endorsed by all those who provide services to parents; emphasize the importance our community gives to  parents;  set a gold standard of how parents can expect to be treated in their dealings with health, early childhood education, schools and other social services; and provide a catalyst for further improvements in parental support.

This Parent Charter was approved by the Hamilton Best Start Network in November 2010

As parents you are involved in your children’s lives from the moment they are conceived. Parenting is a lifelong commitment.  You should be offered support to help you as you raise your children.

The Right to Respect

You will be

·         treated fairly and equally

·         treated with dignity

·         treated without judgement or discrimination

The Right to Information

You will

·         receive timely information

·         receive accurate information that will help you make informed decisions

The Right to Be Heard

You will

·         be listened to

·         be understood

·         get a response to your concerns

The Right to Assistance

You will have timely access to

·         assistance

·         services

·         supports

The Right to be Involved

You have the right to

·         have an active role in all areas of your children’s lives

·         participate in opportunities to make change

The Right to Safety and Security

You can expect

·         privacy and confidentiality  

·         safe physical environments

The Right to Appeal

You have the right to

·         know the process for review

·         ask for change to any decision you have concerns about

These rights shall apply to all parents without discrimination according to race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, ability/disability, ethnic origin, region, economic status, religion, source of income or any other distinction.  This Parent Charter does not replace the law.

“Parent” refers to mothers, fathers, legal guardians, and other adults responsible for the care of a child.

”Child” refers to a dependent, who is not able to advocate on their own behalf.

Suggestions for its use:

Parents can expect the Hamilton Parent Charter of Rights:

o       to help set a gold standard of how parents can expect to be treated in their dealings with service providers, or any organization that they come into contact with.

o       to provide a consistent message about the value of their parenting role

Organizations may refer to the Hamilton Parent Charter of Rights:

o       to raise the profile of parents

o       to advocate for the rights of parents

o       when reviewing their internal policies, their mission and vision

o       in the process of planning and making programming decisions

o       by placing the Charter in a prominent place so that everyone coming into their organization could read it and better understand the commitment to parents in our community

Ontario students are the best

Ontario students consistently place at or near the top in reading, math and science when compared to other jurisdictions in Canada and worldwide.

Ontario Grade 4 student reading abilities are among the best in the world. In the most recent Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessment taken by students in 45 countries and provinces around the world, only students in the Russian Federation and Hong Kong performed better than those in Ontario. There were 8 other jurisdictions in the same performance range as Ontario.

Ontario’s Grade 8 students ranked among the top 14 of 52 countries and provinces in science on the most recent Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) assessment.

And finally, 91% of Ontario Grade 10 students met or exceeded the critical science benchmark in the most recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study. What’s interesting about that study is the achievement gap between rich and poor students in Ontario was among the lowest in the world—making Ontario’s one of the few education systems in the world that can boast both excellence and equity.

Tips for Starting School

The following comes from People for Education. People for Education is an independent parents’ group working to support public education in Ontario’s English, French and Catholic schools.
P.O. Box 64, Station P, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2S6
Phone: 416-534-0100 • fax: 416-536-0100 • email: info@peopleforeducation.com or visit: www.peopleforeducation.com.

Starting school is an exciting time for students and their parents, but some students have first-day jitters.

The following information will help make starting school easier.

What will my child learn in Junior and Senior Kindergarten?

• Kindergarten is an introduction to the more formal learning that begins in Grade 1. It might seem as if kindergarten students just spend their time playing, but they are actually leaning
about letters, numbers, reading, the arts, physical education and science through many different kinds of activities.
• Teachers set up educational toys and games in ‘activity centres’ around the classroom which children visit during the class.
• The Kindergarten program is set out by the provincial Ministry of Education and includes six main areas: Personal and Social Development,
Language, Math, Science and Technology,
Health and Physical Activity, and the Arts.
Kindergarten students do not usually get homework,
but they often bring books home to read with their parents. Reading with your child – in any language – is one of the best ways to help them succeed in school.

What’s the difference between Kindergarten and Grade 1?
• Students go to school all day every day in Grade 1, and the teaching and learning is more formal. Children still play and spend time learning social skills, but they are also taught in a more structured way about reading, writing,
math, science, social studies and the arts.
• By the end of Grade 1, children should be able to read simple words and books and understand
basic math skills like addition and subtraction
and measurement.
• For some students the transition to Grade 1 is just as big as the transition to Kindergarten. It may take them a few weeks to get used to the new structure and the new rules.

How can I help my child settle in?

• Some children cry on their first day of school, but they often calm down shortly after their parents leave. The teacher will let you know if your child is having problems adjusting so that you and the teacher can work together to help your child.
• When parents show an interest in their children’s
school, students are more likely to be successful. Talk about school with enthusiasm, and ask your child specific questions about their day, like “What songs did you sing today? What book did the teacher read?” or “Did you visit the library?”
• Participate in school activities as much as you can. Attending school concerts, sports and community events will help you feel comfortable
in the school and give you a chance to get to know the other members of the school community.

Can I spend time in the classroom with my child?
• It’s important to ask the teacher about visiting the classroom. Most teachers welcome visitors, but they may ask parents to visit at specific times so that they don’t disrupt the learning activities.

How can I find out how my child is doing in school?

• Teachers use different ways to report on your child’s progress. They may talk to you informally
or send a note home.
• Students receive report cards at least twice a year with information on their progress in all
the subject areas, and there are scheduled parent
teacher interviews at least once a year (you
can ask for an interpreter if you need one).

What if I want to speak to the teacher?

• If you have questions or concerns, you can ask
the teacher for an appointment or phone the
school. By making an appointment, you will
ensure that the teacher can set aside enough
time to talk and prepare for the meeting. That
way, the meeting will be much more helpful
for you, your child, and the teacher.

Can I volunteer in my child’s class?

• Ask the teacher about volunteer opportunities
in the classroom. Most teachers appreciate the
help, but may need to schedule volunteer visits
to coordinate them with planned classroom
activities.
• If you are not available during the day, find out
if there are things you can do from home, or
if there are evening or weekend activities that
you can help with. Many schools have events
like movie nights, fun fairs, or other community
events, and they always need volunteers.

What is Curriculum Night and why should I go?

• This is an evening, usually held in September,
for parents to meet the teachers and find out
more about the programs offered at the school.
It is sometimes called an “Open House” or
“Meet the Teacher Night”.
• At Curriculum Night you will meet the teacher
and find out about the class schedule, homework
expectations, and plans for the year. You
will also have the chance to meet other parents
and staff members.

When will my child learn French?

• In some school boards, students start to learn
French in grade 1, while in others, students
start in grade 4.
• French Immersion is a program where students
study in French for most of the school
day. French Immersion programs can start
either in Senior Kindergarten or in grade four.
You can ask your principal for more details.

What is a School Council?

• The school council is the parent organization
at the school. Contact the school council if you
have questions about how to get involved at
the school, or if you are looking for information
from a parent perspective.
• Council meetings are open to everyone in the
community, so you do not have to be a member
to attend. It is a great way to keep up with
what is happening in the school.

Where can I go if I need help?

• You should feel free to ask for help or information
whenever you need it. School secretaries
know almost everything that goes on in the
school, so the school office is a good place to
start. There you can find out about things like
interpreters, special education, daycare and
lunchroom programs, or make an appointment
to talk to the principal or your child’s teacher.
• Some schools have settlement workers to help
families new to the country, and most schools
have access to specialists who can help if your
child is having difficulty.
• Community centres, libraries and Ontario Early
Years Centres have many helpful programs
and resources for parents and children.
• The People for Education website has information

available in several languages. Visit us at www.peopleforeducation.com.

Trustees are also available to help you navigate the school system.

Grouping of students by ability

Research Findings for Parents
What Does Research Say About Grouping by Ability?
‘Grouping’ by ability, or ‘tracking’, or ‘streaming’ means that students are placed into groups defined by their ability levels. Students may be grouped by ability either for a subject (for example for mathematics or reading) or for all or almost all their instruction. Students’ assignment to an ability group may be temporary, changing during the year, or relatively permanent.
Advocates of grouping by ability claim that it can raise achievement standards since teachers can target their instruction and use resources more effectively. However, researchers have shown that grouping by ability can have adverse effects on students’ attitudes towards schooling and their self-esteem. Studies on ability grouping show inequitable outcomes and social consequences:

It is very difficult to distinguish ‘ability’ from ‘prior achievement’.

Use of grouping by ability is associated with worse overall student performance.

Students placed in higher ability groups may perform better but students placed in lower ability groups typically perform worse than in mixed ability groups.

There is a tendency for lower teacher expectation and lower quality of instruction in lower ability groups.

For students assigned to low-ability groups, there are negative effects on their self-esteem, motivation and attitudes towards schooling.
Research suggests that students in non-grouped settings, especially for those with lower achievement, have more healthy and positive attitudes towards school than students in grouped settings.
Researchers advocate using mixed grouping and reducing ability grouping in schools, but more important is to focus on improving instruction and curriculum for students of all achievement levels.
For online resources on grouping by ability as well as the research references that inform this issue, please visit:
www.oise.utoronto.ca/rspe/researchforparents/
Copyright information
You are free to reproduce and distribute this material in any form provided that you reproduce the entire commentary and credit to the two sponsors as follows:
© Research Findings for Parents, (April, 2010). “What Does Research Say About Ability Grouping?” Produced by OISE and CEA.
www.cea-ace.ca www.oise.utoronto.ca

Homework: does it make a difference?

This Lessons in Learning is based on CCL’s systematic review of research about homework, completed in spring 2009. The systematic review analyses 18 studies published from 2003 to 2007.

Homework: The recurring debate 

Few issues in education affect as many families as homework. Its near-universal place in formal schooling leaves few students and parents untouched. Yet the history of homework is characterized by debate about both its effectiveness and legitimacy.

Attitudes toward homework move through cycles of enthusiasm and opposition.1Homework is popular in times of worry about the quality of learning among young people (e.g., in the late 1950s after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik)and unpopular when it is perceived as unduly oppressive (e.g., starting in the mid-1960s, alongside a number of societal factors, such as the rise of the civil rights movement, growing opposition to the U.S. war in Vietnam and the emergence of the youth culture).

It is difficult to say which view currently holds sway in Canada and the United States. In 2006, two books opposing homework were published and became quite popular—The Homework Myth and The Case Against Homework.2,3 A significant proportion of media reporting in Canada also tends to frame homework negatively.4 On the other hand, results of the Survey of Canadian Attitudes toward Learning indicate that Canadians feel homework is valuable.5At the expert level, the debate between homework’s proponents and detractors often turns personal and acrimonious.6

Lessons in Learning has previously addressed the topic with the February 2008 article “Parents’ role in their children’s homework,” which highlights Harris Cooper’s systematic review of homework research published between 1987 and 2003.7 Cooper’s 2006 study indicated that, on balance, homework improves achievement. However, there are a number of caveats. Improvement is largest on unit tests (in other words, for promoting the short-term retention of content, rather than the long-term development of understanding) and homework appears to have little or no effect among elementary school students.

The Canadian Council on Learning endeavoured to bring Cooper’s work upto date, completing a systematic review of evidence on the effectiveness of homework, focusing on literature published from 2003 to 2007.

Results of CCL’s systematic review of evidence

CCL’s review focused on 18 different studies that reported a total of 57 distinct achievement measures (e.g., overall grades; student marks on a standardized English test; student marks on a standardized math test; student marks on teacher developed tests and projects) across six different subject areas. These distinct measures will be referred to as outcomes for the remainder of this article. Of the 18 studies reviewed, 14 were conducted in the United States and the remaining four in Germany. No Canadian studies of a similar nature were published during this period.

Of the 18 studies examined, 10 reported 32 outcomes that isolated the net impact of homework on achievement, examining the effect of time, frequency, effort and completion. Of these 10 net-impact studies, eight focused on students in grades eight through 12 and two focused on students in grades three through eight. In addition, eight of the 10 studies were strictly correlational, meaning the authors did not systematically vary the amount of homework students received.Instead, they used survey data and correlated eventual achievement with student responses about the time, frequency and effort they expended on homework.

Of the 32 outcomes enumerated, 24 (75%) showed a positive relationship between homework and subsequent achievement. Of these 24 outcomes,16 were large enough (medium or large effect sizes) to suggest a substantial benefit from doing homework. Nonetheless, 25% of the outcomes—a non-trivial proportion—showed a negative (if small) relationship between homework and achievement.

While the majority of evidence favours homework, it remains important to explain the contradictions illustrated in Figure 1. Examining the factors underlying these contradictions reveals some important nuances in the research on homework.

Negative effects tend to occur in analyses that simply correlate time spent on homework with individual student achievement. Because weaker students may spend more time doing homework, either as a remedial activity or simply because it takes them longer to complete their homework, time on homework can be associated with lower achievement. This may be particularly true in lower grades,8 and indeed negative correlations were revealed in one study that analyzed achievement data of Grade 4 students from 26 countries.

Because homework is sometimes a remedial activity where weaker students do more of it, controlling for classroom or school-level effects is important when trying to understand its effectiveness. In other words, do classes that spend more time on homework achieve higher results, on average, than classes that spend less time? From our analysis of the research, the answer appears to be yes. Within classes, weak students do more homework—as a remedial activity—than strong students, thereby creating a negative correlation between homework and achievement. But between classes, the class that has more homework assigned to it achieves at a higher level, on average. Even this assertion must be tempered with the caveat that most research does not control for the types of students who enrol in certain classes or schools.

Lessons in learning: Effective homework practices

Active engagement

 Homework that demands active student engagement is more likely to be effective. A meta-cognitive component, where the students must think about their own learning such as deciding which strategy to use for a particular mathematics word problem may be an important part of this engagement.This was the primary finding of the pedagogical enhancement studies a result that is complemented by the net-impact studies where effort is found to be more important than time spent doing homework. When students actively focus on their homework, their achievement increases. While not surprising (active engagement is typically considered a core principle of teaching and learning),many students experience of homework suggests it is a principle that homework assignments do not necessarily exemplify.

Judicious assignment of homework

Up to a point, classes and schools that assign more homework appear to produce students with better achievement than classes and schools that assign less. As common sense indicates, classes where students do more homework seem to produce students with higher scores. Nonetheless, some studies indicate a point of diminishing returns for amount of homework assigned. For example, Cooper states that for junior-high students the positive relation appeared for even small amounts of time on homework (less than one hour per night) but disappeared entirely after students reported doing between one and two hours each night.11

Furthermore, the studies that reveal a relationship between achievement and amount of homework assigned are correlational and cannot control for other possible causes of the correlation most notably that students in classes and schools assigning the most homework might be higher achieving for other reasons. Overall, empirical evidence connecting homework quantity to higher achievement is qualified, which suggests that teachers and schools be judicious in their homework assignments. With regard to homework load, CCLs review found no evidence to suggest anything to counter Coopers general rule of thumb: any assigned homework at the end of the school day should not exceed 10 minutes per grade level per day (i.e. a Grade 8 should receive no more than 80 minutes of homework per day).12

Homework will affect different students differently

Homework will likely produce different results in different student groups.Older students, (i.e. Grade 8 and above) seem most likely to benefit from doing homework. The evidence we reviewed either did not examine, or did not suggest, homework benefits for younger students. Almost all the net impact homework studies were conducted on older students; the one study examining young students revealed a negative correlation between homework and achievement.

Lower achieving students also appear to have the most to gain from homework.Research focusing on individual students reveals larger gains among lower achievers,13 and the studies focusing on entire schools indicate that students from low-performing schools benefit more from homework than those at high performing schools.14

The homework debate is complex and research examining homeworks effect on student achievement is varied. In short, homework is more likely to be effective and improve academic outcomes when assignments are engaging, relevant and meaningful, because it forces students to actively focus on their homework tasks. In addition, given Coopers finding on diminishing returns, thoughtful consideration needs to be given to the amount of homework assigned,particularly for students at the elementary and junior high-school levels.

Canadian Centre on Learning  Lessons on Learning  May 4 2009
http://www.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/Reports/LessonsInLearning/LinL200900430Homework.htm?Language=EN

Are class sizes in elementary school getting larger?

§         Average class size declined between 1973-4 and 1990-91, class size was determined largely by locally bargained collective agreements in each Board of Education.

§         Historically the primary grades have always had lower average class sizes than those in Junior and intermediate grades.

§         Average class size increased in 1992 and onwards with a mandated reduction of five percent of all teachers, ordered by the NDP government under the Social Contract.

§         In 1999, the Conservative government mandated average class sizes of 25 in elementary grades.

§         In 2000-2001 the average class size in all primary and junior grades was reduced to 24

§         In 2004 the government announced that it was starting to phase in the capping of all primary classes to 20 students and provided additional funds to hire elementary teachers to start this process.  This was completed in 2007

For the last three years the average class sizes in the elementary panel are the lowest that I have records for, at 21.98 in 2006, 21.25 in 2007, 21.47 in 2008. For comparison, for Hamilton in 1973 it was 29.06, in 1996-1997 it was 26.06 and for Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board in 2000, 24.43. 

If you would like to see a complete table email me at judith.bishop@hwdsb.on.ca

What are schools doing to make them safe?

Education is about teaching all students not only about academics, but about how to be good citizens. This means teaching about acceptable behaviour, how to make good decisions and work with others. Schools are about education in the broadest terms and education has to be uppermost rather than punishment or retribution.

Since 2006, the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board has been following the seven correlates for effective schools. One of these is safe and orderly environments.

To keep schools safe HWDSB uses several different approaches:

The first is preventive work:

• Promotion of early learning and care programs in schools: 68 elementary schools have some sort of program now including Best Start resources for parents, and the 6 new HWDSB parenting centres.
• All elementary schools have at least one anti-bullying initiative such as peer mediation, supported by the anti-bullying co-ordinator. Our schools probably have the most peer mediation programs of al schools in the province according to Dr Chuck Cunningham who has promoted this approach
• Engaging students through: the Caring- Adult programs in high schools; mentoring EAs in ten middle schools; the new hall monitor programs in some high schools; after school programs provided with the help of many partners; summer Focus on Youth programs; special interest programs such as athletics, drama, music, and high skills majors and Programs of Choice; special boys or girls only programs such as Boys to Men and GO girls; and NEYAWEH and SHAE programs.
• Roots of Empathy programs in more than 70 schools, which promote the cultivation of empathy for others through a program which concentrates on babies and their needs and development.
• Appropriate social skills and conflict resolution are taught throughout the Board through the Character Builds program.

The second is providing programs to change behaviour:

These include;

• Counselling and anger management programs in conjunction with our community partners including the Police, the John Howard Society and Alternatives for Youth
• A range of interventions (progressive discipline) including in -school detentions, several different types of alternative programming, working with parents, and setting up contracts with students.
• Programs for suspended and expelled students managed by the Principal of Safe schools
• New Restorative Justice programs which teach students to take responsibility for their actions
• Additional funding to enhance elementary school support at an early intervention level for students who have identified behaviour issues

The third is about providing safe environments:

• Surveys of students about their feelings about the safety of their schools with subsequent action plans
• Audits of schools to determine unsafe areas in schools
• Provision  of lighting and video cameras in unsafe areas
• Close liaison with the Hamilton Police Service and school councils.

 Judith Bishop Fall 2008

Four Educational Myths

March 2008
Four Educational Myths that Stymie Social Justice
Literacy is both an educational and a social issue, and literacy disadvantage is ultimately an issue of equity, and a matter of social justice. Coherent policies should govern all aspects of schooling, particularly as they affect literacy outcomes. Policies and practices should be based on informed professional judgment derived from the best available evidence of what works, when it works, and for whom it works. Yet, educational practices are often
shaped less by empirical evidence and more by prevailing socio-political mores and deeply held beliefs by educators and educational communities. The result is a plethora of
practices that persist even though their effectiveness remain unproven. These practices acquire the status of myth and are rarely examined critically.


In an article published this month in The Educational Forum, Joan Beswick, Elizabeth Sloat and Doug Willms analyze four educational myths that they argue have a negative impact on students early literacy development, and ultimately on societal aspirations to be more inclusive and equitable. The authors offer informed opinion and research evidence to dispel these myths.


Myth 1: Literacy learning trajectories are not alterable.
This myth is based on evidence that children are already oriented toward success or failure at the time of school entry. These children enter school with greater cognitive
maturity and higher readiness skills, and are likely to enjoy a far greater level of parental support. These children start out ahead; and the longer they stay in school, the wider the gap becomes with other children.
Response: 
While some children enter school at a greater disadvantage, this does not mean that their fates are sealed. Childrens early years experiences should be viewed as one of the determinants of the range of potential that children possess when they enter school.
Moreover, evidence suggests that literacy learning trajectories are alterable and that children who encounter reading difficulty can be identified in kindergarten or even
earlier. Early identification and intervention can prevent most reading difficulties. When children at-risk receive the support necessary to develop literacy skills early in their
school career, they close the gap with more advantaged peers.


Myth 2: Retention is the answer.
This myth presumes that all children have the ability to master grade-level curricula and all that is required is more time on task.


Response: 
Recent research clearly demonstrates that children who are retained in kindergarten perform less well on measures of both literacy and numeracy than they
would have performed had they been promoted to the next grade level with same-age peers. Additionally, early grade retention is a powerful predictor of school disengagement and of later school dropout. Research on early grade retention strongly suggests that retention is an ineffective, expensive, and often counterproductive intervention for children who do not achieve curricular objectives during their first year in a grade.


Myth 3: Early identification stigmatizes students.
Proponents of this myth argue that providing extra support to boost early literacy learning will unnecessarily stigmatize young children, harm their self-esteem, and reduce their motivation to learn.
Response: 
In reality, children know all too well when their reading skills are weak  they engage in ongoing peer evaluation and in self-evaluation in relation to peers. A preventive early intervention approach is inclusive and non-categorical. No label is assigned, and support is
available to all students regardless of the reasons for their reading difficulties. By preventing literacy failure, early intervention ensures that stigmatization does not occur
and that students can participate fully in the curricular and social life of school.


Myth 4: Efforts are futile.
Proponents of this myth argue that schools cannot reverse developmental delays or undo cases of severe deprivation. Students readiness to learn at school and their literacy trajectories are influenced by numerous factors  many of which are beyond the control of schools.
Response:
 Excuses for low expectations perpetuate the status quo and stymie equity. They deny hope to those who need it most. Since the Coleman report (1966), numerous studies have shown that schooling outcomes do vary considerably, even when account is taken of students family backgrounds. Therefore, schools, as publicly funded and universally accessible societal institutions, must be ready to address the diverse needs children bring with them to the school setting. This requires parents and educators to adopt a stance that school reform is possible, and that efforts are not futile.


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Resources for Parents on the Web

Doing Mathematics with your Child Kindergarten to Grade 6. A Parent Guide

Easy activities and two pages of further online resources

http://edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/parentGuideNum2012.pdf

Reading and Writing  with Your Child Kindergarten to Grade 6. A parent Guide

More activities and two pages of further online resources

http://edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/parentGuideLit2012.pdf

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board has a section for parents on its web site: http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/parents/  Note especially the Quick Guide.

The Hamilton Public Library also has some resources go to http://www.hpl.ca/kids/parents

abc123 videos for parents

 Helping your child improve his or her reading, writing and math skills  with new video resources, now available in English and French.ontario.ca/abc123 

Tips and Guides

There are also tip sheets and guides for parents who want to help their children improve their skills in reading, writing and math. These tips and guides are available in English and French, as well as:

Arabic Simplified and Traditional Chinese Farsi Hindi Korean Punjabi

Portuguese Spanish Tagalog Tamil Urdu Vietnamese http://www.edu.gov.onca/abc123/eng/podcast/

Newcomer Parents Guides
 Information available in 6  languages  for newcomer parents. There is an elementary and a secondary guide.

The Newcomers' Guide to Elementary Schools
http://www.settlement.org/site/ED/GUIDE/home.asp

Tip Sheets

A variety of tip sheets  are available for parents  in English, French, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, Russian, Tamil, Filipino, Somali, and Farsi and address common questions about the education system :

Go to  the People for Education website at: www.peopleforeducation.com.

Lots of educational resources for parents on the Learning Partnership web site, including access to latest research. visit http://www.thelearningpartnership.ca/parents

A Simple Guide to the School System

As a parent you will get the most from the school system if you:

•                     are informed about what your child is learning;

•                     are involved with the school, and work with the school to resolve conflicts;

•                     know your rights;

•                     promote learning in your home;

•                     know whom to contact to get information.

“How do I find out what my child is learning?”

•                     The expectations for each grade are kept at the school; ask to see them.

•                     Or you can read them for yourself: Google Ontario Curriculum.on.ca

•                     Attend Meet the Teacher nights, interview days, and Open Houses and observe and ask    questions.

•                     Volunteer in the school. Contact the school principal about how to do this.

•                     Your child’s report card comes home two times a year: it is a summary of information the teacher has on your child, and you can ask for more details.

•                     Look at your child’s home-work and text books.

•                     Read the school newsletter.

You can also ask to see the Education Quality Assessment Office’s (EQAO) Grade 3 and Grade 6 results for your child’s school and the plan the school has made to deal with them.

“What do I do if there are problems?”

•                     First ask to see your child’s teacher.

•                     If you are not satisfied after speaking to the teacher, ask for an interview with your principal.

•                     Has the school all the information about your child that would help them understand your child’s needs better? Don’t forget to pass on any medical information or other matters that you wish to share that may be upsetting your child at this time.

•                     Each school has a Learning Resource Teacher (LRT) who can assist children who have learning difficulties.

•                     The school system has resources and support staff such as speech and language pathologists, social workers, and psychologists, who may assist your child.

•                     If you continue to feel that problems have not been addressed you can ask that an In School Team meeting take place to problem-solve about your child’s needs.

•                     If you continue to feel dissatisfied you can call the Superintendent of Schools.

Other Useful Information

Each school has a School Discipline Policy and a Safe School Committee with parental membership.

YOUR RIGHTS THROUGH THE EDUCATION ACT:

You may remove your child from school

• ·         for religious holidays
• ·         for up to one half -day a week for music lessons;
• ·         for home schooling.

Discipline:

•                     Parents must be contacted if their child commits a serious breach of discipline at school.

•                     Parents have the right to appeal suspensions of their child.

•                     If the police wish to interview a child during school hours, parents must be informed.

Ontario Student Record (OSR)

Parents may view their child’s student record (OSR) in the school office. You may request to have information removed or changed if you feel it is inaccurate or not conducive to improving the instruction of your child.

Special Education

Parents have the right to request that their child appear before an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) to determine if there are special needs, which make their child exceptional. The process is explained fully in A Guide to Special Education for Parents and Pupils, available in every school and on the web site: www.hwdsb.on.ca. A parent has the right to: 

•                     request an IPRC by writing to the school principal;

•                     attend the IPRC and the following annual IPRC meetings and bring your representative;

•                     request a placement in a regular class;

•                     appeal the IPRC decision;

•                     request in writing a review of your child’s identification or placement after three months;

•                     receive a copy of your child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) within 30 days;

•                     request an application for School Health Support Services.

The Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) is a mandated committee of representatives from parent and community associations that hold public meetings most fourth Wednesdays in the evening at the Education Centre. Chair: Judy Collantino  Contact through 905 527 5092 #2273

Parents Influence the School Board by:

•                     speaking or writing to their trustee and other trustees;

•                     joining their School Council and or Home and School Association; their advice is sought by the Board.

•                     asking a question at the public session of Board meetings held on Mondays.

•                     making a presentation to the Committee of the Whole.

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board

The Board was formed in 1998 from the former Wentworth County Public Board of Education and the Public Board of Education for the City Of Hamilton.

Information about the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board and its services is posted on their web page www.hwdsb.on.ca

A list of superintendents can be found at www.hwdsb.on.ca

Trustees are public officials elected to serve you, students and the school system. Trustees can help parents by:

·                providing information;

•                     advocating for children;

•                     working  to change policies;

•                     helping parents access the system.

Compiled and updated  by Judith Bishop 2011

Trustee Ward 1 and 2

 email: judith.bishop@hwdsb.on.ca