Ministry of Education
New Transition Plan To Help Struggling Students Prepare For High School
McGuinty Government On The Side Of Ontario Families Who Want The Best
Public Education For Their Children
TORONTO, May 30 - The McGuinty government is implementing a
strategic high school transition plan for struggling Grade 8 and 9 students
that includes more teachers, intensive professional development and improved
tracking of students and their progress, Education Minister Sandra Pupatello
said today.
"Our government is on the side of Ontario families who want the best
public education for their children," said Pupatello, announcing the plan at
Lord Dufferin Junior and Senior Public School. "That's why we're helping the
20,000 Grade 8 students entering high schools in September who are already at
a high risk of dropping out before graduation. Our transition plan will give
teachers the tools and resources they need to welcome these students into a
caring high school environment that can meet their individual challenges."
Nearly 27 per cent of last year's Grade 9 students did not earn all of
their compulsory first year credits and are already facing an uphill battle
towards graduation.
The Grade 8-9 transition plan is part of the McGuinty government's
$1.3-billion, multi-year Student Success Strategy, which will allow all
students to customize their education based on their individual goals, skills
and interests.
Over the coming months, the government will work with every school board
to make sure programs are in place to help students who have been identified
as at risk of dropping out. These include:
- A process for sharing student information between elementary and
secondary schools
- Defined transition plans that include orientation activities,
strategies and interventions
- Designated caring adults to act as advocates
- A first semester timetable that reflects students' interests and
strengths
- A monitoring program with an intensive focus on the first two months
of school.
Contact Info
In addition, regional professional development sessions about successful
high school transitions have been delivered by the Ontario government to
superintendents and student success leaders from all Ontario district school
boards. Funded through a $1.2-million investment, board-directed training
sessions are providing intensive instruction on best practices and
instructional strategies targeted to 12,000 student success teachers,
principals and other Grade 8 and 9 educators.
This school year, the government provided $89 million for an additional
1,300 high school teachers, including at least 800 new or designated Student
Success teachers dedicated to helping struggling students. That investment has
been boosted to $110 million in 2006-07 to add 300 more high school teachers.
"I'm very pleased that the government recognizes that the transition from
elementary to secondary school is a critical time for students, " said Scott
Corden, student success leader for the Upper Canada District School Board.
"The new training sessions and partnerships will provide valuable support for
struggling students as they make the transition."
The Grade 8-9 transition plan will help Ontario graduate 85 per cent of
its students by 2010, up from just 68 per cent when the McGuinty government
took office and 71 per cent in 2004-05. The first phase of the Student Success
Strategy, launched when the government took office in 2003, helped graduate an
additional 6,000 students last year alone.
The Grade 8-9 transition plan is just one way the McGuinty government is
improving publicly funded education in Ontario. Other initiatives include:
- Delivering peace and stability through four-year agreements
- Introducing a bullying prevention strategy and school safety audits
- Introducing legislation to keep students learning until at least age
18.
"By bringing Grade 8 teachers, high school student success leaders,
teachers and principals together to work on a coordinated transition plan, we
will help more struggling students embrace learning and achieve greater
outcomes," added Pupatello.
Student achievement early in high school is essential for long-term
success. Research shows that students who fail just one credit early in their
high school careers are at a significantly greater risk of dropping out.
As it stands, however, thousands of students entering high school each
year are already struggling and are at a high risk of dropping out before
graduation.
The Grade 8-9 transition plan brings together more teachers, intensive
professional development and improved student tracking to support struggling
students as they move up to high school.
Starting with a process for sharing information between elementary and
secondary schools, the plan also includes student orientation activities and a
customized first-semester timetable that seeks to capitalize on their
strengths and interests. Students are further supported by designated adults
who act as their advocates, and their progress is monitored during the
critical first two months of school.
Student Success Strategy
The Grade 8-9 transition plan is one more step in the McGuinty
government's $1.3-billion, multi-year Student Success Strategy, which will
transform high schools in Ontario to allow students to customize their
education based on their individual goals, skills and interests. The
comprehensive plan includes:
- Expanded co-op - Students can now apply up to two cooperative credits
and one career education or learning strategies credit earned after
September 2005 towards their 18 compulsory credits
- Credit recovery - Special classes help students who were unsuccessful
in earning a credit work on the expectations they missed, without
having to repeat the entire course
- Lighthouse projects - Innovative approaches to helping students
accumulate credits and earn a diploma
- Smaller class sizes in key courses and more resource teachers, such
as librarians and guidance counsellors, that benefit all high school
students.
The student success strategy will help Ontario reach its target of
graduating 85 per cent of its students by 2010, up from just 68 per cent when
the McGuinty government took office, and 71 per cent in 2004-05.
The first phase of the student success strategy was introduced in 2003 to
provide immediate and remedial assistance, and included:
- Revisions to the Grade 9 and 10 applied math curriculum
- An investment of $45 million to support the improved delivery of
technological education through new and upgraded facilities
- An investment of $51 million to fund a student success leader in
every school board and resources for principals and teachers to
deliver local action plans to meet the specific needs of students in
communities across the province
- Six new locally developed compulsory credit courses to provide
greater choice for struggling students in Grades 9 and 10
- $18 million investment for 105 lighthouse (Learning to 18) projects
aimed at increasing credit accumulation, reducing dropout rates,
linking more programs with colleges and encouraging students who left
school to return and complete their diploma requirements.
In May 2005, the McGuinty government launched phase two of the strategy,
expanding on the success of phase one and further intensifying the effort to
re-engage students and improve the graduation rates through resource and
program development:
- $18 million to expand 99 existing projects and add 26 new lighthouse
projects
- $89 million for 1,300 high school teachers this school year,
including 800 new or designated Student Success teachers, dedicated
to helping struggling students. These teachers work with students to
track their progress, help students catch up on missing credits and
support the development of better programs and services
- Class size limits for some key courses.
The current, third phase of student success, introduces an ambitious
program to improve the achievement of all Ontario high school students through
greater coordination and legislation. This phase includes:
- Adding the new Specialist High-Skills Major to the Ontario Secondary
School Diploma (OSSD)
- Introducing legislation that would, if passed, require students to
keep learning in a classroom or workplace training program including
apprenticeship until age 18 or until they graduate
- Expanding co-operative education programs through increased
partnerships with business and community organizations
- Introducing a new coordinated effort and formal links between high
schools and postsecondary destinations to help students reach higher.
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www.edu.gov.on.ca
www.resultsontario.gov.on.ca
For further information: Michelle Despault, Minister's Office, (416)
212-3747; Tanya Blazina, Communications Branch, (416) 325-2746; Public
Inquiries: (416) 325-2929 or 1-800-387-5514, TTY: 1-800-263-2892
