Does arts integration contribute to student success for disadvantaged student populations? The introduction to this article compares students' academic performance and arts education in countries outperforming the United States on the recent Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading…

Whether to adopt national standards and tests has long been a subject of lively debate in the United States. With 47 states now participating in the Common Core State Standards Initiative, and a commitment from Education Secretary Arne Duncan to allocate hundreds of millions in stimulus funds to the development of common tests, the country is…

This article highlights the work of Ontario teachers who use research and inquiry in the classrooms as part of self-directed professional learning. It positions action research within the work of the Professional Affairs Department at the Ontario College of Teachers. It begins with a narrative account of the researcher's work as a program officer…

Presents a list of accredited Canadian and U.S. programs that offer professional preparation in the fields of parks, recreation, and leisure, explaining why accreditation is important, what the standards are, what the options are, how programs become accredited, who does the accrediting, and what is new in accreditation. (SM)

This handbook is intended to serve the following purposes: (1) to provide information on the organization and operation of secondary schools in Alberta; (2) to communicate guidelines that have proved useful in organizing and operating secondary schools; and (3) to inform administrators of regulations and requirements specified by the Alberta…

This paper discusses the value of action research in professional learning, presenting political and practical questions from the work of a primary school teacher who conducted action research on literacy with at-risk students and an intermediate school teacher, now a program officer at the Ontario College of Teachers who is helping create…

In March 1991, the College Standards and Accreditation Council (CSAC) Establishment Board, created by Canada's Minister of Education, proposed wide-ranging reforms for college education and training. This paper reviews some of the ways in which Algonquin College (AC), in Ontario, is planning to interface and articulate with CSAC initiatives to…

This paper describes theoretical, political, and practical contexts for developing standards of practice for teaching, creating a framework for career-long professional learning and establishing a set of ethical standards for the profession. It positions the work of the Ontario College of Teachers within the broader context of Ontario education…

In the spring of 2002 the Ontario College of Teachers began a research project in order to foster awareness of the "Standards of Practice" for the 187 000 teachers in the province. Case work, in which 18 teachers representative of the College's membership wrote narratives describing their professional dilemmas, was the methodology…

This report documents a study of charter schools in Alberta, Canada. The purpose of the study was to examine the academic achievement of the 10 charter schools in the province. Data were collected from test scores in language arts, math, science, and social studies of third-, sixth-, and ninth-graders; reviews of various documents; and interviews…

This publication describes the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession, developed by the Ontario College of Teachers, a self-regulatory body for the teaching profession in Ontario. After discussing the development of the Standards, Section 1, "Introduction," focuses on self-regulation and standards of practice, principles of…

This paper provides an introduction to the mandate of the Standards of Practice and Education Unit of the Ontario College of Teachers and describes how the College is proceeding to address several challenging tasks. The tasks include the licensing of teachers trained in Ontario or other jurisdictions, disciplinary procedures, and in the…

This paper describes a validation case study of a new document, "Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession," developed by the Ontario College of Teachers. As part of its mandate as a self-regulatory body, the College is to establish and enforce professional and ethical standards applicable to members of the College. Validation…

Compares two approaches for establishing student achievement standards and expectations for province-wide assessment in Saskatchewan (Canada). The first approach based standards on judges' estimates regarding the percentage of students who should be able to attain desired levels of performance. The second approach required judges to reach a…

Intended for parents as a companion to the Alberta Curriculum Guides, this summary uses an "at a glance" schematic to list the curricular goals for Kindergarten in Alberta. In addition to English language arts and mathematics, the goals cover creative and cultural expression, physical skills and well-being, personal and social…