CAIS in Point

“Schools set standards, students should meet them”. For how many years was this the mandate for schools in general and independent schools in particular? When was the “tipping point” that moved us from this way of thinking to our new mantra “students have needs, schools should meet them?” For the past two years, CESI has been running focus groups as part of its school review process in order to open up dialogue among independent school educators around differentiated instruction. Last fall, they sponsored a panel at Upper Canada College in Toronto which tackled the issue of “how far should schools go in meeting the needs of learners?” This was followed by a parallel discussion sponsored by Kings-Edgehill School as part of the CAIS Assistant Heads Conference in Halifax, and a third open forum at the beginning of May at Crofton House in Vancouver as part of the CAIS Best Practices Conference. So, now that we have aired this issue from coast to coast, are we any closer to consensus? Our school populations are changing. Demographic shifts and changing attitudes have seen schools open their doors a little wider to students with differing needs and a variety of learning styles. At the same time, the services that we provide have shifted as well. Over the past five years, our day school populations have increased by 30% while our teaching staff has increased by 50%. During the same period, the average student/teacher ratio in our schools across the country has dropped by 14% with no change whatsoever in average class size. Where have all of these new teachers gone? They are in resource centres, counselling offices, and new administrative support positions. They are providing a wider range of services for our students than ever before. So, here is the “chicken and egg” question. Have we proactively changed our philosophy about how to work most effectively with kids, or have we scrambled reactively to respond to the changing face of our student populations? The answer is, probably, yes to both. When educators get together to talk about “differentiated learning” the conversation often quickly descends into a combination of educational jargon, and war stories. Schools speak eloquently about respecting the various learning styles of all students, and about differentiating assessment so that students perform equivalent, rather than identical, tasks. We have seen the establishment of learning centres (a bit of a problematic term, as one parent pointed out to me – “if that is the learning centre, then what is going on in the rest of the building?”). Many schools have established peer tutoring systems, academic buddies, or small learning “communities” of three or four students. All these are great initiatives but, in the final analysis, what we are seeing is not differentiated programming, instruction, or assessment but rather a complex system for accommodating the specific needs and challenges of individual learners. Partially because of Ministry constraints, and partially because of academic inertia, we still haven’t really differentiated or individualized our programmes. What we have done is to introduce supports to help to ensure that the maximum number of our students can be successful in our schools without actually having to change our programmes and their expected outcomes in the least. Much of what is written on differentiation is supported by wonderful anecdotes about student success stories. “Student overcomes all odds to become Rhodes Scholar” type headlines are used as hard evidence that differentiated instruction works. In a real sense, all of the stories are the same. They tell us what we all already knew. Dedicated teachers, giving time and attention to an individual student, can make a world of difference. It doesn’t really matter how you package it up. It is a simple truth. A few of you will remember hearing Ken Dryden speak at the CAIS Heads and Chairs Conference hosted by Rothesay-Netherwood in 1996. Or you might have read his thesis in his book In School published that same year. Dryden noted that the students who occupied the greatest amount of teacher time in the classrooms that he visited were not those with behavioural problems, but rather the really bright, keen ones. He observed that they gave teachers so much positive reinforcement that what they were doing really was interesting, engaging and relevant that faculty members fell into the trap of assuming that the silent majority felt that same way. That assumption still drives much of our thinking about teaching and learning to this day. Those keeners are deemed to be “mission appropriate” and the others are assumed to be there through some glitch in the admissions process. The result is that faculty often look for outside supports or resources to manage this portion of their student population. Schools recommend (and sometimes require) a student time commitment to an “extra help” regimen or even ask parents to invest in expensive outside tutoring. It is as if we are saying to our students – you were good enough to get in to our school, but you are not really good enough to be successful here. Having told parents and kids that this was the right place for them, we then show them that it is not. That is not to say that we should be turning down students with specific challenges. In fact we should try to embrace all comers, within reason. However, once having accepted them, schools then have a moral responsibility to do everything in their power to make it work. No longer should teachers be able to fall back on Neil Postman’s caustic quote – “I taught that topic, the students just didn’t learn it.” Which he equates to a car sales person saying “I sold that car, the customer just didn’t buy it.”  In a restricted admissions environment like we have in the vast majority of our schools, student failure is school failure. Having said all of that, great things are happening out there. In our best schools, we are moving more towards a learning commons approach with an understanding that our resource personnel are better utilized working with teachers in broadening their approaches and understandings of student learning, than in working one on one with individual kids. This is hard work for everyone. But, if we are to deliver on the promise that we make to parents and students to prepare them for post-secondary education and ultimately for life, we have to shift to this paradigm of student support. All students have unique learning needs and preferences. Some will excel within the system no matter what we do, while we perceive that others need to be recognized, valued, and enabled to gain similar successes.  The truth is that they all need the same kinds of support. We have come a long way in the past five years, but we still have miles to go before we sleep. There was a quote at our panel discussion in Vancouver referring to the growing number of students in our schools with specific, identifiable learning needs. The quote was: “we need those students in our schools, they enrich all of us”. This is the crux of our challenge. As long as we continue to identify a certain group of our children and young adults as “those students” we will ultimately fail in our quest to make our schools truly inclusive centres of learning for everyone. Dr. Jim Christopher, Executive Director

Leonardo Lives at the CAIS 2008 Assistant Heads Conference

The Briars resort in Sutton, Ontario provided a tranquil locale for a very successful CAIS CIJHSA Conference, from April 16 - April 19. Hosted by Pickering College and Leonardo Da Vinci Academy, the conference theme "Thinking Like Leonardo" expanded on 7 Principles to develop one's potential using Leonardo Da Vinci as a model.  Sal Ritacca, a CIJHSA senior member, along with his colleague Dom Tassielli introduced the 7 Principles in an interactive thought-provoking  presentation that engaged all the senses.  Other presenters that cultivated and expanded on various aspects of the theme included Dianne De Freitas, another senior CIJSHA member and Peter Sturrup, Head of Pickering College.  A highlight of the Conference was the diifferent 'Leonardo's Challenges'  presented to attendees by various  experts. That the 'bar was raised"  for future conferences was a sentiment expressed by a number of those present.  Below are some of the comments from Heads who attended:

"What a fabulous conference! I felt like we walked in the shadow of Leonardo for 3 1/2 days, which was truly inspirational.  I will remember the sense of occasion, the lighting of fire, the fabulous location, the attention to detail...."

"Meaningful and fun, you have given us so much to think about.
Personally, I have been motivated to dust off a book that has been on my shelf for 15 years "The Romance of Leonardo Da Vinci". Professionally I have been touched by your passion for ''Thinking Like Leonardo".

"Everything about it was authentic - from the outstanding Italian feel to the planned sessions....You have piqued my interest in all things Leonardo."

"The setting was beautiful, the workshops very inspirational, the food  delicious, the company amazing and the weather perfect!  How can I forget my lovely and first ever guitar band!  Thank you Maria and Sal for allowing us to learn about Leonardo's principles and for a very memorable conference."

Submitted by Maria Wolscht, Pickering College

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St. George’s School of Montreal: Beyond The Classroom Walls

One of St. George's School of Montreal's founding priciples is the belief that great educational opportunities exist beyond the confines of the classroom walls. In this regard, the school seeks out enrichment activities both locally and internationally to enable students to realize a "real word connection" to the presentation of curriculum. From visits to local archeological sites to a bi-annual community service trip to India, these "beyond the classroom walls" experiences provide exciting and relevant learning opportunities for St. George's students.

One of the most popular field trips is the "Coral Reef Study" expedition in Roatan, Honduras. The summary that follows was submitted by the Science Department Head, Jennifer Hunter and Lab Assistant Angela Goodfellow. The stunning photographs are compliments of Assistant Head Michel Lafrance.

Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences – Coral Reef Study

On January 26th 2007, we left Montreal with 15 grade 10 and 11 students to participate in a coral reef study in Roatan, Honduras. The group stayed at Anthony’s Key Resort located adjacent to the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences.  An absolute paradise had been found.  A typical day at the marine institute consisted of a brief morning lecture on topics such as coral reef ecology, reef fishes, reef invertebrates, mangroves, reef monitoring techniques, sea turtles and dolphins.

Every lecture was followed by a snorkeling excursion where the group was able to experience first hand the concepts taught earlier in the morning. While snorkeling, the group became familiar with the multitude of coral, fish and invertebrate species. By the end of the week, our knowledge of these species allowed us to perform a reef monitoring transect to assess the biodiversity levels of a protected versus non-protected reef. Other activities during the week included an exhilarating dolphin swim and training session, a hike to Carambola Gardens and a thrilling rainforest canopy zip line tour.

In these times where children are glued to the television, computer and video games, their interactions are mainly uni-dimensional and visual with lifeless counterparts. Author of the novel, “Last Child in the Woods,” Richard Louv, claims our youth suffer from what he calls, “nature deficit disorder”. The author believes that many youth today are completely disconnected with nature, a huge change from the recent past when children spent most of their days playing outside and interacting with all aspects of the natural environment through their five senses. Louv explains that “children need nature for the healthy development of their senses, and, therefore, for learning and creativity. This need is revealed in two ways: by an examination of what happens to the senses of the young when they lose connection with nature; and by witnessing the sensory magic that occurs when young people – and those beyond childhood – are exposed to even the smallest direct experience of a natural setting.”

In juxtaposition to this phenomenon, the best way in which to describe the marine ecology trip is pure biological and sensory bliss. Each individual got to experience the beauty of the reef and marine life through all five senses. As teachers on the trip, there was no better feeling than experiencing the squeals of surprise and delight coming out of the snorkel tubes of the students as they discovered something new and awesome.

To view the photos from this trip please follow this link.

Visit http://www.anthonyskey.com/en/rims/rims.html to find out more about the Roatan Institute.

Submitted by: Eva McKinnon and Don Belec, St. George's School of Montreal

International Educators Training Program at QUIC

Each June Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC) holds the International Educators Training Program (IETP) which offers a variety of professional development courses for a wide range of professionals. Some courses are aimed at those who deal directly with incoming international or outbound study abroad students, other courses at those who are indirectly affected by the internationalization of their campuses. Staff from across Canada and around the world come together for a week of practical training and extraordinary networking.
 
The 2008 IETP will offer a course for secondary school professionals at Appleby College in Oakville, Ontario, June 22-25. Registration is open and the course is filling up quickly.

If you are an international educator working with study abroad programs in a secondary school environment, the IETP offers a course that provides the skills and knowledge to help you succeed in the job, as well as a close network of colleagues that will support you for years to come. The attached brochure outlines the course Advising & Programming in International Education:  Study Abroad in a Secondary School Environment.

For more information on the IETP and/or this course, visit www.queensu.ca/quic/ietp or email <ietp@queensu.ca>. This information may also be found on the CAIS website at: http://www.cais.ca/summer_programs

Submitted by: Alison Cummings, International Training Coordinator

Queen's University International Centre (QUIC)
Kingston, ON    K7L 3N6
Phone: 613 533 2604 or 533 6000 x77556
Fax: 613 533 3159
www.queensu.ca/quic/ietp

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Secondary_School_Brochure.pdf

Beyond RESPs - Options to Help What You're Saving Match What You'll Need

You want the best for your child – and for plenty of powerful reasons, a college or university education is one of the best things you can do to give your child a great start in life. There’s the increased earning potential, of course – the average university graduate earns almost twice as much as someone with a high school diploma. Over a 30 year career, that could add up to $1.2 million of additional income. There’s the increased opportunity for employment – seven out of ten jobs now require a post-secondary education and having a degree or diploma is bound to become even more important in the future. And there are the valuable life lessons and relationships that are an essential part of the post-secondary experience.

RESPs are the first choice. But you already know all that – which is why you contribute to a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) for your child. After all, for the vast majority of Canadians, an RESP is the most effective way to create an education fund that grows to offset the future cost of education. However, when was the last time you checked to see how much of the total education bill your RESP will actually cover?

Here are some sobering facts about the dramatically escalating cost of a post-secondary education:

On average,  undergraduate tuition fees have almost tripled since 1990-913. A student attending a full-time college or university program today can expect to pay an average of $4,500 a year in tuition alone.

Add books, supplies, transportation, and other living expenses and university students living at home spend an average of $4,500 on ‘non educational’ items, while students living away from home spend an average of $8,160 on ‘non educational’ items

The cost of mandatory supplies and equipment for college and
trade schools varies widely and can be between $50 and $5,000.

Schools are increasing fees for programs that may offer a larger financial payback upon graduation, such as law, medicine, engineering and dentistry.

Nearly 50 per cent of Canadian college and university graduates leave school owing money for their education – with college graduates owing about $13,000 and university graduates almost $20,000.

It is estimated that by 2025, the total cost of four years of undergraduate education away from home may be between $75,000 and $100,000.

Beyond RESPs – further tax-efficient saving strategies: All this means is you need every advantage you can get when saving to help your children pay for a postsecondary education – to avoid burdening them with huge student loans or the extra stress of a part-time job during the school year. Consider the non-registered investment strategies that can deliver important savings beyond RESPs.

Insurance – Most people think of life insurance as basic financial protection for loved ones but a universal life insurance policy can also help fund your child’s education.

A universal life insurance policy is a blend of life insurance protection and investment accounts. As the owner, you select a face amount of the life insurance, the type of coverage needed, and the name of the insured – your child, in this case. You pay the insurance premiums, which are usually quite low for a minor, and within certain limits you can make additional payments. Those additional dollars are then invested in a variety of investment funds to grow over the life of the policy on a tax-deferred basis – making this accumulation the policy’s primary benefit.

At any point after your child turns 18, you can choose to suspend further premium payments and transfer ownership
of the policy to the child. This is a tax-deferred transfer that gives the child the ability to draw on the policy’s cash values to pay university costs. And, since the policy is now owned by the child, the taxable portion of any cash withdrawals is taxed at the usually lower marginal tax rate of the child.

Tax-advantaged mutual funds – This unique mutual fund structure gives you the freedom to rebalance the investments
in your non-registered portfolio, without triggering capital gains and incurring an immediate tax liability as a result of the switch. You enjoy the substantial benefits of compound, tax-deferred fund growth and the ability to choose a date to utilise the tax efficient withdrawals that can be used to supplement your child’s education budget.

Monthly Income Portfolios – This mutual fund option allows you to
create a stable, tax-efficient, monthly cash flow that can be used to support your child. A portion of the monthly payout is treated as a return of capital and is not taxed in the year that it is paid out. This tax deferral feature can reduce the amount of tax that you would pay compared to withdrawing funds from other types of investment vehicles.

Age 40 trust – If you are planning to put away a large sum of money, a properly structured age 40 trust can be an effective means of accumulating capital for education. It provides income-splitting opportunities so that capital appreciation may be taxed
in the beneficiary’s hands, typically at a lower rate than you would pay. And when funded with a loan, you can retain access to the principal, giving you the flexibility to decide how trust funds should be used, regardless of whether the beneficiary pursues a post secondary education.

When the time comes, you want your children to be able to afford the college or university program of their choice, to follow the career they want and to obtain the earning power they desire. We can help you make the best RESP and beyond RESP investment choices for your life and theirs.

Submitted by Bill Boyer, Consultant, Investors Group Financial Servces Inc., 1-800-567-2276 ext 336

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Teen Substance Abuse

It’s not easy being a teenager. Until eighteen, technically you are still a kid, but are often empowered, and burdened, with many adult responsibilities and privileges. In Canada, you can drive a car before you can legally drink. So, at sixteen “kids” are considered to have enough judgement to get behind the wheel of most sized vehicles, but not enough judgement to vote or have a beer. Often the messages being sent to our youth are confusing.

From the perspective of schools, the parameters regarding alcohol and drugs are usually abundantly clear. There is no room for miscommunication on this issue. They are not tolerated on school grounds and not encouraged outside of school hours. We try to teach our children and young adults that cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol, particularly when abused, are not productive, and can lead to a multitude of problems, health and otherwise.

Some listen. Some don’t.

As educators and parents we have the increasingly difficult job of guiding our children through the pitfalls of alcohol and drug abuse, and the limits of experimentation. We can’t bubble wrap our youth but we can try and lead by example and be available to listen and provide, or arrange counselling. We can watch for warning signs and heed them. We can intervene when it is clearly necessary, and also, maybe when it’s not so obvious.

The temptations of alcohol, cigarettes and drugs are very real in our society, and teens succumb for a number of reasons. Peer pressure can have a huge impact on some youth, while for some stress seems to push them to experiment, and cross adult-controlled boundaries. The stress can be school related, or home-based, but it’s enough to make them crave something that they perceive as a relaxant and peer unifier. For some, the notion of being a “drinker or smoker” is also related to reaching an adult status. They want to feel grown up in a way that is easily accessible. Posturing with a cigarette or a drink holds an allure of sophistication for kids that can be tied back to many influences, including; movies, television, books, the internet, and the adults in their life.

The BC Heath Guide http://www.bchealthguide.org/kbase/topic/special/tp17749/sec4.htm reports that in 2001 approximately 23% of 15-19 year olds smoked cigarettes, and almost half of all grade 10 students had smoked at least one cigarette. Of those kids, 33% became daily smokers. The guide also reports that 90% of grade 10 students have tried alcohol. Of course “trying” can mean different things; having one drink, or regularly drinking. We know that the leading cause of death in teens is motor vehicle accidents, and many of these involve the use of alcohol, so no matter how the statistic arrives at 90%, it is not to be ignored.

Part of the problem with teen drug and alcohol usage is that parents don’t necessarily know that it is happening. An article on the CBC website http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2006/09/24/teen-drugs.html reports that approximately 50% of parents are unaware of their teen’s alcohol usage; this number is higher for the parents of 13-14 year olds and lower for 17-18 year olds.  The study that revealed this statistic did so as an offshoot of a research report regarding the genetics of substance abuse. After reviewing the data from 600 teens and parents, it became apparent that almost half of the parents were completely unaware of what their “kids” smoked and drank. Or at least, only 50% were willing to admit on paper that they knew what was going on. It’s difficult to know how much of this parental “ignorance” is based on denial, or if our youth are just really good at appearing innocent and naïve when it comes to smoking, drinking and drugs. Also, some kids drink to try relieving the pressure and pain caused by an anxiety disorder, or depression. These conditions can be very difficult for adults to diagnose if the symptoms are relatively “quiet” and the youth appears “normal”.

One of the many unfortunate aspects about pulling the proverbial rug over the parent’s peepers is that if kids can be intercepted early there is a much greater likelihood of avoiding potentially abusive behaviour later. Teens, according to Adolescent Focus Services, http://www.focusas.com/SubstanceAbuse-Drugs.html that smoke are 3 times more likely to use alcohol, and 8 times more likely to use marijuana. Also, the kids who are willing to risk the long term adverse affects of smoking, statistically are more likely to be truant, engage in unprotected sex, and try “hard” drugs.

The above information is hardly surprising, but it is still alarming. How can adults be so cocooned from what is going on with our children? Educators have the responsibility to act on some level if they catch a student practicing behaviour outside of the school rules. Parents have the unfortunate luxury or turning a blind eye if they don’t want to deal with the trouble in their own home. But maybe it’s not just denial that is the problem. Just as our youth are receiving mixed messages concerning their status and power, so are the adults in their lives. How strict is too strict? Are we “squashing” their spirit? If we “over protect” our kids are setting them up future failure when they are left to their own devices at university, or move out on their own?

Sometimes the “tough love” approach is as hard on the parents as it is on the youth. If half of parents don’t know what their kids are doing, the half that do, and act on it, can appear very puritanical and authoritarian. No one has a crystal ball, but adults are supposed to have enough experience to understand limits, rally against parental peer pressure, and ultimately try to be aware of what is happening in the life of their child and protect them from the many pitfalls of teen substance abuse. Often this is easier said than done.

Lindsay Ireland, CAIS

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