Together with parents, teachers and education leaders, Education and Advanced Learning Minister James Allum unveiled Closing the Achievement Gap: Success for Every Student, an action plan focused on improving academic achievement for all Manitoba students.
“As today’s national assessment results demonstrate, 86 per cent of students in Manitoba are meeting or exceeding expectations. However, clearly some students need additional support,” Minister Allum said. “We need to do better. We have a targeted plan that includes new supports for teachers and more resources for parents to help ensure that all our students excel.”
The minister said Closing the Achievement Gap: Success for Every Student will include:
1) enhancing teacher education:
- working with all deans of education to strengthen teacher training, looking at entrance prerequisites, course composition, practicum supports, teacher certification requirements and new initiatives to encourage more math and science graduates to enter the teaching profession.
“Deans of education are committed to preparing the best teachers for Manitoba,” said David Mandzuk, dean of education, University of Manitoba. “We are committed to continuing our collaboration with stakeholders to identify what is working well, while also looking for ways to strengthen student achievement across the four core subject areas.”
2) providing more support for teachers and students in their early years:
- continuing investments in new classrooms and additional teachers to ensure smaller class sizes and more one-on-one learning for kindergarten to Grade 3 students;
- expanding early childhood development programs to more students facing socio-economic barriers to success, and;
- introducing new resources to help teachers better prepare students for tests.
“Great teaching and learning happens when well-qualified professionals are given the resources and supports we need to address the diverse needs of our students,” said Paul Olson, president, Manitoba Teachers’ Society. “It’s equally important that our students also get the broader support they need from their families and communities. We look forward to working with government and our other partners to pursue the long-term solutions that will ensure high-quality public education for all.”
3) focusing on fundamental skills:
- continuing the implementation of revisions to strengthen the provincial math and language arts curriculum to ensure an appropriate balance between basic skills, conceptual understanding and problem-solving, and;
- prioritizing essential learning outcomes within the curriculum to better help teachers focus on priority areas.
“The Manitoba Association of School Superintendents is supportive of a sharper focus on essential learnings. This will assist in identifying what a student should know, be able to do and believe about the big ideas in an area of study,” said Barb Isaak, president, MASS.
4) providing more supports for parents and students:
- supporting parents and students by putting the curriculum online, introducing new homework supports, expanded after-school tutoring resources and instructional videos for targeted grades to help with tests and challenging concepts in core subjects.
“Manitoba parents are passionate about the quality of education their children receive in school. MAPC is pleased to know that Manitoba Education is taking this matter seriously, and is willing to provide supports to parents and families to engage deeply in supporting their child’s education,” said Naomi Kruse, executive director, Manitoba Association of Parent Councils. “We are looking forward to our continued collaboration with our partners to provide excellent experiences and transformative opportunities for all learners.”
5) ensuring greater accountability:
- ensuring greater accountability by working with school divisions to set goals and track progress in essential math and reading skills. Department staff will be dedicated to work with school divisions to develop plans and analyze data to ensure accountability for academic achievement and progress.
“The Manitoba School Boards Association recognizes that as education partners and as school division leaders, we have a collective obligation to ensure that all of our students can be successful in their learning and achieve at high levels. As a school boards association, the MSBA is prepared to work with provincial and school division leadership to make this happen in Manitoba public schools,” said Floyd Martens, president, Manitoba School Boards Association.
“Parents expect the best for their children. Our government’s priority is to continue to invest and build a strong public education system to ensure opportunities for all students,” said Minister Allum. “Some have called for cuts which would result in fewer teachers, larger classes and fewer supports for students. We will continue to reject cuts that would hurt our students.”
