Background: Outdoor learning offers clear physical, cognitive, social-emotional and academic benefits for children and yet, it is considered a grassroots approach to teaching and learning in elementary schools. Purpose: We examined teachers' perspectives on barriers and supports for outdoor learning in public elementary schools. Methods:…

Gatekeepers' language ideologies and beliefs about language learning determine how learners experience French as a second language programs, in particular, their access to, and success and inclusion in, the French immersion (FI) program. In this article, we explore how FI principals understand language learning and the inclusion of English…

The 2007 Bondar Report, "Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future," generated a vision for environmental curricula in Ontario. It has been the basis for the mandated framework introduced in 2009 by the Ministry of Education for environmental education (EE) in all Ontario schools. Based on our research and personal reflections, this paper…

This study uses an adapted public history methodology of a local case study to analyze interviews conducted with a former Ontario teacher and principal. It draws on literature and historical documents regarding teaching between the 1950s-1980s to examine the typical experience of public school professionals in that time and discuss structural…

The mandate for school boards to develop self-identification policies for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students is part of the 2007 Ministry of Education's "Ontario First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education Policy Framework." In this paper, we share findings from a larger study on the Framework that examines Métis student…

The purpose of this mixed-method research study was to determine the extent that servant leadership was correlated with perceptions of school climate to identify whether there was a relationship between principals' and teachers' perceived practice of servant leadership and of school climate. The study employed a mixed-method approach by first…

Among rising rates of overweight and obesity, schools have become essential settings to promote health behaviors, such as physical activity (PA). As schools exist within a broader environment, the social ecological model (SEM) provided a framework to consider how different levels interact and influence PA. The purpose of this study was to provide…

This publication consists of two papers that examine different topics related to collective bargaining for school personnel and alternative methods of determining teachers' and principals' salaries. The papers were originally prepared to serve as a basis for discussion at a 1976 meeting sponsored by the Canadian School Trustees' Association for…

In analyzing the managerial decisions at the central office of the Dufferin (Ontario) county board of education, this project sought to obtain the data needed to design an integrated management information system. A major component of the study was identifying users and their information needs and relating information to three different levels of…

Interviews with central office superintendents in the academic and business divisions, identification of user needs, and analysis of major management levels provided the data for designing an integrated information system for the Peel Board of Education in Ontario. A synthesis of the data into an overall framework representing the information…

This article describes the political realities of the principalship in Ontario. It describes trends in the political position of Ontario school principals with reference to three major arenas: the provincial legislature boards of education, and the schools themselves. It has relevance for school administrators in the U. S. (Editor)

Reduction in the size of classes from Kindergarten to Grade 3 was a major Liberal Party campaign promise in Ontario's 2003 provincial election. It was intended to demonstrate a new government's commitment to improving public education. By the 2008-09 school year, the provincial government's goals had been achieved: over 90% of all primary classes…

Results of Ontario study to: determine if formal evaluation of principals occurs; assess the type of evaluation by examining process, presage and product (outcome) approaches; and outline extent of usage for each approach. Few school systems have defined the principal's function and obtained evidence of how well it is fulfilled. (NEC)

Based on qualitative research, this article aims to clarify the process of creating school-community partnerships. Two secondary schools with numerous partnerships were selected within a southern Ontario school board characterized by economic and cultural diversity. Drawing on the within- and cross-case analyses of documents, observations, and 25…

This booklet prgides a broad outline of some major aspects of a school community relations program. The report attempts to stimulate greater awareness among school officials, trustees, and others of the potential scope of such programs; and to encourage more school boards to initiate activities designed to bring the schools into closer rapport…