Responding to the School Effectiveness Framework (From the General Secretary)

During the past year the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat (LNS) released the new School Effectiveness Framework: A Collegial  Process for Continued Growth in the Effectiveness ofOntario Schools.

This framework is a further development of the Ministry’s focus on underperforming schools that began several years ago with the “The Turn- around  Strategy” and  in  2006-2007  morphed into the Ontario Focused Intervention Program, which involved some 800 schools throughout the province. Those programs were intended to help schools and boards identify effective strategies to improve student achievement, which the Ministry now wants all schools to have in place.

The framework is meant to be a tool to allow educators and school boards to  evaluate their own performance and that of their school, identify areas where improvements are needed, and make plans to address areas of need.

The  LNS  has indicated that  the  framework is  meant to  promote focused, consistent, and collaborative planning for  school improvement across the province. The LNS also believes that the framework provides a way for educators to determine if they are consistently using ‘research- based, effective strategies.’ While it is difficult to fault the goals of the LNS, the  implementation at the school and board level is sometimes problematic.

Even though this is meant to be a pilot year, participation is mandatory for all schools and all district school boards. During this pilot year ETFO will monitor implementation, research the impact on members, and then make informed decisions and recommendations to members.

We believe the intent of the LNS is well intentioned, but the process that has been developed is largely untested. There may be a better way both to affirm success and to accomplish the improvements in schools and in teaching that the LNS wishes to achieve. One part of this complex process involves superintendents and their teams visiting classrooms and recording data.  This is bound to have an intimidating effect, whether it’s intended or not. Despite LNS assurances to the contrary, it would not be abnormal for teachers to feel that their routines are being disrupted and their performance is being evaluated.

The amount of extra work for teachers – additional record keeping, more meetings sometimes after school and during lunch breaks – is also a concern. Charged with delivering a rigidly structured curriculum, often in split grades, more meetings and  more bureaucratic ‘assessments’ is not what teachers need. Moreover, implementing the framework can lead to schools and  teachers focusing narrowly on literacy and numeracy and increasing EQAO scores, rather than promoting the development of the whole child and looking at school effectiveness in a holistic way.

How a teacher should respond to the School Effectiveness  Framework

The framework is now available on line. Take the time to read it and familiarize yourself with its intent.

• Speak to your school steward and/or your local president if you have concerns about the way this initiative is being handled in your school. For example, it would be inappropriate if an individual or a group shows up at your classroom door without having given you prior notice and wants to observe your class.
• Contact your federation if you have any concerns that administrators are using this initiative to evaluate performance.
• If the school staff receives feedback about observations and any individual teacher or classroom is identified, you should call your local immediately.
• Email any concerns you have regarding implementation of the School Effectiveness Framework to sef@etfo.org. These emails will not be responded to but will be compiled to provide feedback to the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat and the Minster of Education.