Imagine the Possibilities…
Pathways to Success
Practical and Applied Arts Enhancement Project
21st National Congress on Rural Education March 20‐22, 2016
Shawn Davidson, School Board Trustee
Tony Baldwin, Director of Education
Barbara Compton, Superintendent Tana Rowe, Practical and Applied Arts Coordinator
Karla Silbernagel, Mankota Principal Inform. Involve. Engage. Inform. Involve. Engage. In 2010, the Prairie South Schools Board of Education recognized a need for innovative strategies to align middle years and high school programs with Saskatchewan Labour Market demands and provide career exploration opportunities that exemplify the three “R’s”: rigor, relevance, and relationships.
Inform. Involve. Engage. Phase One 2012: Initial Steps
• The Director of Education assigned a Superintendent to focus on barriers and innovative solutions to narrow the gap of inequity and to support the Continuous Improvement Plan
• Initial work focused on research and data collection • Leadership: A working group consisting of Trustees and senior administration staff recognized inequity in schools regarding access opportunities to get involved in and be exposed to experiences as they related to Practical and Applied Arts
• A metric was established to measure improvement Inform. Involve. Engage. Phase Two 2012‐2014: Rural Opportunities
• Focused on rural K‐12 schools
• Resource allocation: June 2012, the Prairie South Schools Board of Education approved the Equitable Opportunities Committee recommendation to target funding to secure resources over three to five years to develop and enhance Practical and Applied Arts opportunities in Prairie South schools
• Established a budget to support innovative strategies
• Hired a Practical and Applied Arts Coordinator for a two year term
• Monitoring: annual accountability reports and bi‐monthly committee reports
Inform. Involve. Engage. Phase Three 2014‐2016 Expansion and Sustainability
Due to the success of the program, the Board extended the coordinator position for two additional years to expand programs in all Prairie South schools with middle years and high school programs and implement a sustainability strategy. Inform. Involve. Engage. Project Development Inform Involve
Engage
Learning Together Inform…
Student Presentations
Learning Together Inform…
Student Interest Survey Inform. Involve. Engage. Involve…
Involve…
Inform. Involve. Engage. Engagement …
Strategic Plan
Inform. Involve. Engage. Engagement Strategy One
Improve PAA High School Credit Availability for Students
Outcome: By September 2015, all students registered in Grades 10, 11 and 12 in Prairie South schools will have the choice of a minimum of six pure PAA credits through a variety of delivery options regardless of location and size of school as measured by Administrator Course Offering Survey developed by Prairie South.
Inform. Involve. Engage. Actions:
Developed and delivered three online PAA credits: Cow/Calf 30, Energy and Mines 30, Cosmetology 30.
Inform. Involve. Engage. Inform. Involve. Engage. Inform. Involve. Engage. Engagement Strategy Two
Industry Recognized Certification
Outcome: By September 2014, all students registered in Grades 10, 11 and 12 in Prairie South schools will have four options for industry recognized certification to enhance PAA pathways and prepare for direct entry to work or post‐
secondary. Inform. Involve. Engage. Early Safety Training Program
Inform. Involve. Engage. Focus on Information Technology
Inform. Involve. Engage. Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship Inform. Involve. Engage. Service Best Certification
Inform. Involve. Engage. Enhancement Strategy Three
Collaborate with Business and Industry
Outcome: By September 2014, four formal Division‐wide partnerships will be developed with business and industry to enhance PAA exploration opportunities for students. Inform. Involve. Engage. Actions
Hosted two Open‐Space Forums to bring education, industry and business together to investigate innovative ways to connect sectors and develop program opportunities for high school students. Fifty representatives from business, industry, and education representing twenty‐five organizations attended the events. Information shared at the forum guided action plans for the Project.
Inform. Involve. Engage. Inform. Involve. Engage. With industry partners, Prairie South developed three “Think Career” opportunities. The focus of these events is to provide hands‐on, on‐site experiences in a variety of sectors. Inform. Involve. Engage. Think Agriculture Inform. Involve. Engage. Inform. Involve. Engage. Think Construction Inform. Involve. Engage. Inform. Involve. Engage. Think Information Technology Inform. Involve. Engage. Inform. Involve. Engage. Enhancement Strategy Four Meeting the Challenges
Outcome: By September 2015, obstacles to deliver PAA courses will be reduced by 50% based on PAA K‐12 Principal Survey, Sept. 2012. Inform. Involve. Engage. Actions
Innovative Program Delivery Options Magnet Programming Inform. Involve. Engage. Inform. Involve. Engage. Inform. Involve. Engage. Teacher Development 2013 Topics
Business, Home/Hospitality and Communication Clusters
Junior Achievement Service Best
Focus on Information Technology Agriculture, Natural Resources and Trades Clusters
Green Certificate
Virtual School
Career and Work Experience 2014 Topics
Exploring PAA in Your School Discovering Career Pathways Skills Canada Virtual School to Enhance PAA offerings 2015 Topics
PAA Resources offered on Connect
Middle Years Lesson Plans and Kits Essential Skills
Virtual School Course Offerings Inform. Involve. Engage. Learning Together PAA Lending Library PAA Project invested in a variety of equipment to be loaned out on a short term basis to schools.
Inform. Involve. Engage. Stanley DeWalt Tool Grant Award recipient through Skills Canada National Competition. Inform. Involve. Engage. Inform. Involve. Engage. Inform. Involve. Engage. Inform. Involve. Engage.