Did you attend Parkland's PD Day on October 29th? Looking for Dr. Parsons' presentation notes? Click on the button to your right. You are welcome to reference or use this presentation -- just please acknowledge its source and let us know that you are using it.

Parkland: AISI Profile
Like many other districts, Parkland School Division moved from multiple site based projects in Cycle One to an “umbrella model” for Cycle Two. In Parkland, this model provides district level support for three projects, with some latitude for implementation specifics at individual school sites. All 22 school sites were asked to design projects that met the unique needs of their school populations, but also fell within the guidelines of the umbrella projects. Therefore there are similarities and differences in each school's implementation.

Parkland's projects include a secondary grades focus on character education, special needs programming, and improved assessment strategies with an eye on improving core subject performance, and high school completion rates. At the K-6 level, Parkland is focusing on literacy and numeracy initiatives. For both umbrella projects, teachers – especially those in rural areas – have been excited by opportunities to come together in professional dialogue with peers.

Parkland's final umbrella project, “Collaborative Inquiry for Student Success,” is also bringing teachers together. Schools were asked to focus their collaborative efforts on one of three areas: 1) achieving PSD standards for quality programming in special education, learning disabilities, students with outstanding capabilities, etc.; 2) student evaluation, assessment, and reporting; 3) using technology to enhance teaching and learning. Assessment strategies – with an emphasis on action research theory presented by the University of Alberta AISI team – were the focus of Parkland's district-wide professional development day, October 29, 04.

Wendy Niro, Parkland District's AISI coordinator travels her district to provide AISI report. AISI time accounts for about 0.4 of her position with the district. Wendy reports that AISI has already helped her district to improve communication about effective practices. “Already,” she says, “Jjust at the beginning of the second year, we've heard of schools that are implementing strategies that they have read about in our reports from other schools. To be able to share these thoughts, ideas, and strategies across a school division that is as wide-spread as PSD is very exciting for our teachers!”

Dr. Jim Parsons and the Univeristy of Alberta AISI Team thanks Parkland for their October 29th invitation to share some work on assessment and action research with about 500 teachers, administrators and support staff. Dr. Parsons' presentation notes are available.

  
 
 
 
 

Welcome Alberta teachers, AISI coordinators and administrators to a new year of AISI! Year Two, Cycle Two is thus far marked by growing maturity and stability of AISI projects, and growing self-confidence in our AISI coordinators. Some of you who have "been around" for a while have developed some truly amazing research and project management skills! New coordinators are enjoying more support than ever before as a result of initiatives of the AISI PD Committee. The committee, consisting of representatives from all AISI stakeholder groups, meets 3-4 times per year to coordinate AISI PD initiatives offered by the School Improvement Branch.

Here at our own office, we are looking forward to serving you over the next several months. A reminder of the ways in which the University of Alberta can help you with your AISI projects...

  • review your district or school AISI plans and give feedback and recommendations
  • review and help to develop assessment tools for your AISI projects
  • direct you to relevant scholarly literature on your topic
  • assist you with evaluation of your data and completion of your AISI reports
  • visit your schools and district and meet your AISI staff
  • share your AISI successes with others
  • provide AISI related inservice on project management, reflective practice, and teacher research skills
  • provide support and resources for new AISI coordinators

Our AISI team is three people strong, and we love to visit schools! Please contact us if we can be of help.
 
 


Did you attend this conference? Looking for Dr. Parsons' presentation notes? Click on the PLC Powerpoint button above. You are welcome to reference or use this presentation -- just please acknowledge its source and let us know that you are using it.

On October 6th, Dr. Jim Parsons offered up a "Professional Learning Community Primer" for teachers, administrators and staff of Fort McMurray's Public & Catholic School Districts. While administrators and select staff in these districts have begun work on PLCs, the 2004/04 Institute provided an opportunity to share some PLC principles with the wider school community.

Jim's presentation stressed that Professional Learning Communities take time, hard work and commitment to develop. Unrealistic expectations can only lead to another chapter in the "history of failed reforms" that Fullan & Hargreaves (1995) claim as a barrier to genuine school improvement.

The development of Professional Learning Communities continues as a major thrust of AISI as we move into Year Two, Cycle Two. While some districts are further along in the process of PLC development than others, we are pleased to witness the province as a whole developing toward more collaborative environments, and more inquiry based professional development.
 
 

Now in its 2nd three-year cycle, the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) has provided funding to Alberta school jurisdictions for “specific local initiatives and research to improve student learning and performance.”

More than just your average-every-day envelope funding for school projects,. AISI is unprecedented...across Canada and even (according to 2004 AISI Conference keynote David Berliner) internationally.

What makes AISI unique? Trust and commitment amongst its stakeholder partners. AISI is an amazing alliance of expertise among provincial organizations and institutions with an interest in public education: Alberta Learning, the Alberta Teachers' Assocation, the College of Alberta School Superintendents, Alberta Regional Consortia, the Alberta School Boards Association, Alberta Home & School Councils' Association, Association of School Business Officials of Alberta and the University AISI Partners group. These groups work together with a common commitment to AISI's success.

History
The Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) emerged in 1999 to provide funding to school jurisdictions in Alberta over and above basic school grants. The goal of AISI is “To improve student learning and performance by fostering initiatives which reflect the unique needs and circumstances within school jurisdictions.”

Now in its fourth year, AISI shows a deepening commitment to Alberta school improvement, along with a growing body of professional knowledge generated by the hard work of Alberta's teachers and educational administrators.

The University of Alberta Involvement
The Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta became involved in February, 2000. Dean Larry Beauchamp named Professor Jim Parsons as the Faculty of Education’s AISI Research Coordinator, with the mandate to work with Alberta School Districts in three ways:

  1. to assist in developing a sound research base;
  2. to provide Alberta school districts with ongoing consultation in project planning, data collection, and other AISI-related school research activities; and
  3. to study and disseminate AISI findings in a systematic, public way as an aid to Albertans.

Dr. Parsons, along with graduate students Laura Servage and Natasja Larson, make up the Faculty of Education's AISI Team.