TDSB

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TDSB

• A Vision of Hope!

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Every decision made by the TDSB must support a
school system where the No. 1 priority is
supporting Learning for All.
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Learning for All
What we teach How we teach Where we
teach Who we teach
The quality of curriculum The quality of
instruction The effectivenessof schools The
unique characteristicsand background of the
student
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Social Justice

• The path to social justice begins with gaining
  passion for the plight of disadvantaged students.
  
• We need to ask ourselves
• Who tends to be privileged?
• What does it mean to be privileged in this way?
• Who tends to be marginalized?
• What does it mean to be marginalized in this way?
• Ways we tend to deny that privilege is occurring?
• What happens in the classroom?
• How can we take action in the classroom/system to
  interrupt these cycles of oppression?
• Richard A. McCormick, S.J. (1999).
• Blueprint for Social Justice LII(11), 1.

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Achievement Gap

• Exists when specific groups of students do not
  achieve in school at the same level. Achievement
  gaps may correlate with race, ethnicity, family
  income level, language background,
  ability/disability status, gender etc.

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The achievement gap is not as much an
achievement gap as it is an opportunity gap!
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Imagine a TDSB where

• All schools share a common core set of
  characteristics they are all academically
  rigorous, equity oriented, community-driven and
  focused on teaching and learning.
• A wider variety of schools of choice in the
  district appeals to different learning styles and
  interests to allow student/parent choice.
• There is a critical mass of students in every
  school to drive program.
• There is a comprehensive, system-wide, continuum
  of streamlined processes, integrated supports and
  alternative programming to enhance students
  capacity to achieve success.

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Imagine a TDSB where

• We actively contribute to all aspects of a
  childs life health, well-being, safety, and
  development of the wider experiences and skills
  that characterize holistic development.
• Every student is engaged, has a voice, has access
  to a caring adult and the opportunity to develop
  to their full potential.
• Every employee, irrespective of job category,
  will have the opportunity to develop their full
  potential and their contributions to the mission
  of the TDSB are recognized and valued.

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Imagine a TDSB where

• We provide a vital community resource by opening
  our facilities and offering wider opportunities
  for young people and their families.
• We work in partnership with other services and as
  an active partner in planning and program
  delivery.

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• Directors Entry Plan
• Listen, Learn and Lead

• Key Questions
• Where are we now?
• Where do we want to go?
• How are we going to get there?
• How will we know our work has made a difference?

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Guiding QuestionsFrom Listening to Leading

• Who are our learners?
• What are their needs?
• What skills, values, and knowledge will they need
  to be successful, productive members of society?

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Who are todays youth?

• Average school-aged child spends (per week)
• ½ hour with Dad
• 2.5 hours with Mom
• 2.2 hours doing homework
• ½ hour reading for pleasure
• More than 25 hours exposed to electronics

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Some have never

• Lived without a computer
• Received a busy signal
• Used a phone booth
• Lived in a house withoutmultiple TVs and
  remotecontrols

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64 of todays kids come home to no one!

• What has taken the place of human interaction
  with Mom or Dad?
• The virtual relationships and electronic
  interactions have taken the place of real,
  face-to-face relationships.

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Reach and Teach

• Our job is to teach the kids we have
• not the kids we used to have,
• not the kids we wish we had,
• not the kids who exist only in our dreams.

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In the 21st century students will be

• Selling to the world - Buying from the world
• Working for international companies
• Managing employees from other countries
  cultures
• Competing with people on the other side of the
  world for jobs and markets
• Working with people all over the world in joint
  ventures and global work teams
• Solving global problems such as AIDS,
  environmental problems, and resolving conflicts
• Are we ready?

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In the global economy society of the 21st
century, all children will be left behind if
their education is not organized with a global
context in mind.
GOLDMAN
SACHS FOUNDATION

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A Laser Like Focus
Equity of Outcome
Focused Intervention
Capacity Building
Community Engagement
Communication
Improved Student Achievement!
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3 Priorities - Less Is More

• Student Achievement
• Parent and CommunityEngagement
• Financial Stability

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Student Achievement

• Every School an Effective Full-Service School
• Boys Education Strategy
• Technology
• Caring and Safe Schools
• Re-creating Our Schools

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Characteristics of Improved School Districts -
Conceptual Framework
Quality Teaching and Learning
Coordinated Embedded Professional Development
Coordinated and Aligned Curriculum and Assessment
High Expectations and Accountability
Quality Classroom Instruction
Sustained Improvement Efforts Over Time
Focus on All Students Learning Dynamic
Distributed Leadership
Effective Leadership
Clear, Collaborative Relationships Professional
Culture, Collaborative Relationships Clear
Understanding of School District Roles
Responsibilities Interpreting Managing the
External Environment
Support for System-wide Improvement Effective
use of data Strategic Allocationof
Resources Policy and ProgramCoherence
Time
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High School Strategy

• Expanding program options
• Building sense of belonging
• Building engagement
• Building community partnerships

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Student Success

• More Choices/Pathways for Students
• Specialist High Skills Major
• Dual Credits
• Differentiated Instruction
• Credit Recovery/Credit Rescue
• Experiential Learning

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K-8Elementary Schools

• Fewer transitions, a sense of community and
  greater access to quality programming through
  specialty teachers
• Drama/Dance
• Guidance and Career Education
• Health and Physical Education
• Technology
• Library and Learning Resources
• Music
• Science and Technology
• Visual Arts

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Boys Education Strategy

• The objective of this strategy is to cast a
  critical eye on how we reach, teach and develop
  our boys.
• By bridging the gap between research and
  educators and by providing tangible strategies
  for teachers/staff/ parents and others by
  focusing on the changing demands of teaching
  boys.

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Fatherless World

• One of the most reliable predictors of whether a
  boy will succeed or fail in high school rests on
  a single question does he have a man in his
  life to look up to?
• A boy without a father figure is like an
  explorer without a map
• Michael
  Gurian

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What we know about boys

• Boys underachieve in comparison to girls - across
  age groups, socioeconomic classes, and ethnic
  groups.
• Boys are over-represented in learning support
  programs.
• There is increasing evidence of boys
  disengagement from school involvement in an
  anti-learning culture.
• Disruptive, aggressive and violent behaviors by
  boys are demonstrated in school district
  discipline data.

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Single Gender Classrooms/Programs/Schools?

• Most of the time, coeducational classes are going
  to be the right answer for a childs learning
  needs. But studies conclude that in some
  instances students do better in a single sex
  setting.
• Male Leadership Academy Sept 2010

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Equipping Every Learner for the Digital Age -
The Vision (2015)

• Access
• All TDSB sites will be wireless-enabled
• Every teacher will have access to a computer in
  their classroom
• Every student will have access to an electronic
  learning environment (both inside and outside of
  the classroom)
• Parents will have electronic access to teachers
  and information about their child and the school
  environment

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First Steps

• Develop a strategic plan for how technology will
  be engaged in the teaching process
• Conduct a broad consultation and planning process
  which includes
• Wide academic representation
• ITS technical representation
• Board community representation
• External research from vendors and other
  jurisdictions
• Develop specific strategies and an implementation
  plan
• Address challenges around in-school technology
• Strategies for providing wireless capability in
  schools
• Evaluate alternative device strategies
• Explore partnership strategies with government
  and the private sector
• Fast-track rollout of technical and support
  infrastructure
• Wide Area Network
• Academic Workspace

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Safe and Caring SchoolsA Safe School Is a Shared
Responsibility

• Reduce the number of violent incidents in the
  TDSB by 10
• Reduce the number of Non-Discretionary Transfers
  by 15
• Reduce the number of suspensionsby 20 and
  increase the number of suspended students
  participating in supportive programs by 20
• Reduce the number of all schools expulsions by
  10 and reduce the number of school only
  expulsions by 20

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Re-Creating Our SchoolsEffective/Full Service
Schools
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Re-Creating Our Schools

• Launch eight ARCs in November 2009 impacting 35
  schools
• These eight ARCs will recreate some of our
  schools and result in improved learning
  environments including additions, program
  upgrades, building renewal (roofs, windows,
  boilers), green sustainable measures, information
  technology and full-service schools.

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Re-Creating Our Schools

• Launch four new Local Feasibility Studies to
  prepare for four potential new ARCs in January
  2010

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Parent Community Engagement -Together Were
Better!

• When schools work together with families to
  support learning, children tend to succeed not
  just in school but throughout life.

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Recognize and Address Barriers

• Past experiences
• Time
• Transportation
• Location
• Translation

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Benefits of Parent Involvement

• The Triple As
• Student Achievement
• Student Attendance
• Student Attachment

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Parent and Community Engagement

• Satisfaction Survey
• Establishment of a Parent Academy
• Full-Service Schools
• Establishment of a Community Advisory Committee
  on Environmental Sustainability

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Financial Stability - Essential Question?

• How will the expenditure of our resources (people
  and money) impact student achievement over a
  sustained and measurable period of time?

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Financial Stability

• International Students new initiatives to
  increase the number of students and to encourage
  schools to receive more students.

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Financial Stability

• Generate Capital Through Redevelopment
• Launch five significant redevelopment projects
• The projected revenue from the five
  redevelopment projects will be used to clear the
  capital deficit and fund new school construction
  as required

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Director of Marketing

• Student enrolment is vital to our funding.
• Enrolment Promotion and Awareness Campaign.

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GO GreenClimate Change Action Plan

• An ambitious undertaking
• Approve policy and develop a School Energy Plan
  to align TDSB with Federal Green House (GHG)
  Emission targets of 20 by 2020 80 by 2050.
• Nurture and grow our Eco Schools family.

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Go Green

• Design and install solar photovoltaic (PV)
  systems on up to 20 schools per year.
• Apply for Ministry funding for renewable energy
  projects by applying to install a broad range of
  technologies including solar PV solar thermal for
  schools with pools and geothermal retrofits.

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Go Green
Work collaboratively with the City of Toronto to
develop a Community Energy Plan that links the
Mayors Tower Renewal Initiative with local
schools Develop School grounds as the host sites
for community energy hubs and gardens
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Go Green

• Require all schools to switch to once-a-week
  garbage pick up
• Use Operations savings to plant trees and set
  up a school based environmental fund

• Publish an Annual TDSB Goes Green Report - Be
  environmentally accountable

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A culture of success includes

• belief in the possibility
• commitment to priorities results
• awareness of urgency
• visibility of the focus
• culture of collaboration
• Accountability

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Sustaining Improvement

• Creating together
• Learning together
• Embedding growth and risk takingin the culture
• Being flexible, patient, and persistent

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