CAIS in Point

Pat Bassett from NAIS tells the story of going to meet with the Secretary of Education in Washington to extol the virtues of independent schools in general and NAIS schools in particular. After speaking with great passion about the wonderful programmes, values, and extra and co-curricular opportunities which characterize all of our schools, he waited for some positive response and recognition of the high quality of independent school graduates. The Secretary responded by thanking Pat for all of the interesting and illuminating anecdotes, and then she concluded by commenting: “In our department we have a saying – ‘In God We Trust. Everyone else brings data.’” You know where I stand on data. Many of you have sat through my presentations on demographic and financial trends as they pertain to school sustainability. Although numbers don’t tell the whole story, they do inform our discussions about where our schools are at present, and the challenges that we all might face in the future. This is prime data-collection season. Most schools have submitted their annual benchmarking data – which we are returning electronically for the first time this year to allow greater flexibility in your use of the results. Last year gave us our five year “report card” which put us in the position to comment on trends and emerging issues and gave Heads and Boards the opportunity to reflect on how their school’s own individual experiences fit into the collective story from across the country. Once all of our schools are in and we have assembled the aggregate data we will be dedicating a section of the website for administrators and Board members to “surf” the numbers nationally as well as by region, type and size and of school. For many Boards, these statistics are a valuable resource in establishing school performance Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and for setting strategic targets for change. The 2006-2007 school year also saw our first bi-annual Head’s compensation survey (next version scheduled for January 2009) which drew responses from over 80% of our schools. This was a significant increase from the participation rates under the old externally contracted process and therefore was able to provide schools with a far clearer picture of current benchmarks in that area. We are following up last year’s survey with one aimed at compensation levels for other senior administrators (Senior School Directors, Business Officers, Advancement professionals, etc.) which will be distributed later this month. In December, we got the first glimpse of the results from the National Tracking Project, a joint effort with CESI that looks at how our graduates fare in the post-secondary programmes. The data is interesting but it is obviously too early to tell what the information will show us over the medium and long-term. Participating schools are being given the national aggregate data to compare with their own internal numbers, but we have collectively agreed that nothing will be made public for at least 3-5 years when we are able to establish the reliability and consistency of the information. For some educational leaders, the collection of data runs counter to their belief that the true measure of a school is something that you feel in your heart, not tally up on a balance sheet. They reject the “purist” concept of reducing things to a number or formula, rather than to an anecdote or “gut feeling”. This, however, is becoming less and less the norm. School leaders and the Boards depend far more now on “informed professional judgement” (Barber, 2001) and on “using data and evidence as tools in routine critical inquiry” (Earl, 2007) to ensure that they are heading in the right direction. As Lorna Earl, retired professor of education at OISE, comments in her book Leading Schools in a Data-Rich World:  Educators are recognizing that they need to use data even though they do not always do it very well. They are aware that we live in a knowledge based society in which having and using knowledge wisely is an essential skill. It makes sense that leaders will make better decisions when they use information to help clarify issues, identify alternative solutions to problems, and target resources more effectively. Does this mean that personal professional judgment based upon observation and instinct is now passé? Hardly! But it does mean that in order to make thoughtful and lasting decisions, even our most talented and gifted leaders will continue to add an insightful review of the available data to their strategy of effective leadership.

CAIS Web Updates

CAIS has a new category in our Programs section of the website that lists programs, courses and workshops of interest to our school professionals and students. Unlike the Summer Programs section, the Miscellaneous category lists events of interest that happen throughout the year.

Take a look! http://www.cais.ca/miscellaneous. If your school has an event to be listed please e-mail the details to support@cais.ca.

TrekEd Summer Program

TrekEd, in association with Holy Trinity School, is pleased to offer a unique Canadian summer program for high school students.  Established in 2005, this educational program has had students enrolled from Ontario schools as well as the United States.  TrekEd takes students from coast to coast visiting seven provinces where students “Learn Through Exploration” while earning either one or two credits:

Grade 12 Canada: History, Identity, and Culture (CHI4U);
Grade 12 Environment and Resource Management (CGR4M);
Grade 12 Environment and Resource Management (CGR4E).

On the 36-day trek students are engaged in experiential on-site learning and participate in various recreational activities as they travel across this diverse country.  Some of these activities include: deep sea fishing out of North Rustico, kayaking the scenic Bay of Fundy, white water rafting the Ottawa River, camping in tepees at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, hiking Sulphur Mountain, exploring the Athabascan glacier, and sailing out of Victoria.  For those students who wish to “Live the Canadian Dream,” and require further information, please visit www.treked.ca.  If you have any questions please contact Mr. Csinos at brian@treked.ca.

This information is also available on the CAIS website at: http://www.cais.ca/summer_programs

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Understanding by Design with Jay McTighe

From July 2 – 5, 2008, Havergal College, Toronto, Ontario will be hosting the workshop Understanding by Design with Jay McTighe.

Join noted author and consultant, Jay McTighe, and Seonaid Davis, consultant with Grant Wiggins, for an in-depth, four-day workshop on Understanding by Design.

Work individually or in a team to design or refine an Understanding by Design unit or course syllabus. Engage in peer review and leave with a fully-designed unit or course of study.

Cost is $850 per person, $800 per person if registering a team of three or more participants.

To register, visit www.havergal.on.ca, Havergal Education, Professional Development and click on Understanding By Design Summer Institute 2008. The workshop flyer is attached below.

This information is also available on the CAIS website at: http://www.cais.ca/summer_programs

4763_HAV_UBD_ad_V3.pdf

Innovations in Testing Technology: Leadership and Learning from the Field

On April 11, 2008, in Kelowna B.C., the Technology Assisted Student Assessment Institute (TASA) is holding its Third Annual Research Symposium, Innovations in Testing Technology: Leadership and Learning from the Field.

This conference will provide an opportunity to hear from those on the leading edge of the next educational frontier of computer-based assessment. The goal is to share developments, identify practical issues and challenges, and examine promising examples and innovations for K-12 education.

Presentation themes include: online exam capabilities in BC and the Yukon, online pilot projects in math and language assessments, the process of online pilot field testing, computer adaptive sequential testing, the latest developments in formative writing and reading assessments, and programs for diagnostic and student self-directed learning.

Register early (before January 31, 2008) - space is limited. Please see the program overview and registration form below for further details. Conference information is also available at http://www.tasainstitute.com/symposium/index.html

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Innovations_in_Testing_Technology_Conference_2008.pdf

It’s OK to “Double - Dip”

Help secure your family’s future: As a parent you have to be a terrific juggler. You juggle time to complete all the tasks and chores that fill your day. You juggle the responsibilities to ensure your children have the best possible childhood and prospects for their future. Yet the toughest juggling act of all is managing your finances while raising a family. It can be even more difficult to find the extra dollars needed to invest towards a comfortable financial future, including your retirement and financial plans for your children, and their education.

If you’re the parent of young children, you are probably struggling with a tough decision: Is it better to first save for your retirement through Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs), or to save for your children’s education through Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs)?

Fret no more because there is a way to do both. Make your RRSP contribution before the deadline each year and use the resulting tax refund to make your make a RESP contribution. That’s the ultimate “double dip” because your child’s RESP can also take advantage of “free” cash from the federal government in the form of a Canada Education Savings Grant (CES Grant)*.

Here’s why the ultimate “double dip” works so well:

1) When you make your maximum allowable RRSP  contribution you may enjoy a tax savings that can be applied to establishing or adding to your children’s RESPs.

2) The federal government’s CES Grant program provides a matching grant for each RESP contribution made for an eligible child. The basic CES Grant is worth 20% on the first $2500 of an annual RESP contribution of $500 per year. Even if you are unable to make enough of an RESP contribution to access the full Basic CES Grant money in previous years, you can start to make up for it now and in future years and get the Basic CES Grant money your child would have received in those earlier years.

3) Families with children born after December 31, 2003 who also receive the National Child Benefit Supplement may also qualify for additional funds through the Canada Learning Bond.*

Start now: Finding the funds to make an annual RRSP contribution may seem difficult – especially, with all the juggling going on in your life. So why not start now? Talk to your Investment Planner about setting up a Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) to make monthly RRSP contributions. Your RRSP will begin to compound on a tax-deferred basis for a potentially fast and stronger growth over the long term. You can even arrange for your long term employer to reduce withholding taxes at the source based on your RRSP contribution schedule, so that you can fund monthly RES contributions instead of waiting for your tax refund in the spring to make an annual RESP contribution. It’s a win-win situation that will allow you to also capitalize on the ultimate “double - dip”.

* The Canada Education Savings Grant and the Canada Learning Bond are sponsored by Human Resources Canada and Social Development Canada. Ask your Consultant about provincial programs in your area.

If you would like to learn more, and feel more confident about your future – plus take full advantage of all the tax savings and income-building opportunities that are available to you, you may contact Bill Boyer, Financial Consultant, Investors Group Financial Services Inc. at bill.boyer@investorsgroup.com or 1-800-567-2276 ext 336.

As a former CAIS colleague and friend for over 25 years, I understand the importance of planning, especially when it comes to retirement, children’s education, or paying off your mortgage early.  As a client of Investors Group myself for over 15 years, I have enjoyed the benefits of sound financial planning and advice. Now I can help my CAIS colleagues and friends by showing them in a personal one-on-one manner how to create their own financial plan.  With the end of the 2007 RRSP year fast approaching, now would be a good time for us to get started.

Submitted by Bill Boyer, Financial Consultant, Investors Group Financial Services Inc.

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Virtual Student Help

It won’t be long before the “virtual” office hours of a university professor will so commonplace that writing about them will be irrelevant. Technology advances keep raising the bar, and we continue to enthusiastically high jump right on over that bar, landing with a comfortable thud on the big cushy mat on the other side. Even the people who carefully climb to the next level usually quickly forget any pre-climb apprehension as they settle in and continue the exploration of convenient communication.

USA Today summarizes a virtual student assistance program being used by a Harvard University Professor of Computer Science, with great success. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2008-01-07-virtual-office-hours_N.htm

To supplement the hours that the Professor is available in his office for after class assistance, students may now connect with each other and the instructor on line. To be fair, computer science students most likely have an aptitude, or thirst for technology advancement or knowledge, but this form of teacher/student communication is growing in many subject areas and schools.

The flexibility of the system means that students often have to travel less to have their questions answered, and can pose their queries at all hours, and log on later for their answers, or possibly get instant help from a fellow student, or an early-bird, or night-owl Professor. It also means that people who are Professor-shy can ask things that they may be too timid to inquire in a regular office meeting or in the classroom. Some students live in fear of asking, what they perceive may be a stupid question, the less direct way of posing their queries gives them the confidence they lack in the “real world”. Depending on the individual’s preferred method of communication students can connect with their Harvard Professor via text or microphone. Video calls via webcams, or conference calls were also noted by other schools as methods of connecting without having to commute to the campus office. Something as simple as text messaging can help students and Professors connect efficiently.

The corporate world uses virtual meetings as a cost cutting measure, especially when travel costs are high and “relationship building” is less important to the cause being discussed. There are companies devoted to facilitating such meetings www.WebEx.com , and some schools are experimenting with this type of technology. The possibilities are endless depending on the school situation. Parent / Teacher meetings, classroom projects, and student brainstorming sessions can all be facilitated on-line with or without actually having to be in the same room, let alone same city or country. Education - based virtual meeting benefits may have originally been more about saving time than money for many students, but as the usage grows, so will the benefits for some students, teachers and parents.

The world we live in promotes accessibility and quick communication. The varied means available of connecting with each other can be very useful for many. It can also feel impersonal to some, or make it difficult to convey your thoughts accurately depending on what is being communicated, and the means of communication, i.e. text versus speech. It would be irresponsible to advocate full-service e-office hours. Face-to-face time can be very valuable, and sometimes necessary, but the opportunities presented by virtual communication are difficult to ignore.

Lindsay Ireland, CAIS

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