As the 2016/17 school year begins, we encourage parents to get involved in what’s happening at their children’s schools.  Calgary’s kids need your voice and your support.

Recognizing CAPSC’s 2015/16 Outstanding School Volunteers

Respectful | Focused | Energetic | Community-building | Leaders

The words you read above were used to describe our outstanding school volunteers. Parents and community members make an enormous contribution to education, and these five were nominated by their peers for their service in 2015/16.

Danielle Anderson | Royal Oak School
As 2015/16 joint chair for the Royal Oak council, Danielle was at the school almost daily to lend a hand with everything from classroom support to Calgary Reads to committee work. Her nominators describe her as ‘incredible’ and ‘selfless’ – the first to step forward when anyone needs help. Thank you, Danielle!

Katey Fok | Olympics Heights School
Katey is the quiet force and initiative behind many events that power the soul of Olympic Heights School. From food bank drives to staff appreciation lunches and bake sales, she is the first volunteer to arrive and the last one cleaning up at the end of an event.  Her cheer and contagious smile bring fun and warmth to her community. Thank you, Katey!

Nicole Lukach | Nellie McClung School
Nicole completed a second year as Nellie McClung council chair in 2015/16. During her terms, she pulled together passionate parents to complete two significant projects – a learning commons area and school council website. She also organized enrichments including Calgary Reads literacy programs, and social learning programs for students and their parents. Her calm, respectful and focused leadership helped bring the community together.  Thank you, Nicole!

Sara Saunders | W.O. Mitchell School
For several years, Sara has spent her spare time organizing fundraisers, helping in classrooms, at school events and field trips, and otherwise supporting the W.O. Mitchell School community. Children in the school know her well, as she read in kindergarten weekly and acted as room parent. Her nominator says she inspires others to follow in her footsteps, making the school the best that it can be for the kids.  Thank you, Sara!

Stacey Schaub-Szabo | École Sam Livingston School
Stacey stepped up to become Spirit Coordinator for École Sam Livingston school council when her first daughter was in kindergarten. Seven years later she is still going strong, constantly finding new ways to give back, serve the community, and put the focus on the kids. Stacey established and grew many spirit and fundraising events. Her welcoming and inclusive attitude allows the school to continually recruit and maintain and active roster of parent volunteers. Thank you Stacey!

We are delighted to recognize the work of these five dedicated Calgarians.

Parent Tips

This Metro article contains a few reminders and pointers for getting back to school.
http://www.metronews.ca/news/calgary/2016/09/02/5-things-for-calgary-parents-to-remember-for-back-to-school.html

If you are a CBE parent, you may find the following links useful:

Find your 2016-17 yellow bus stop
http://www.cbe.ab.ca/news-centre/Pages/find-your-2016-17-yellow-school-bus-stop.aspx

Questions about the beginning of the school year
http://www.cbe.ab.ca/registration/back-to-school/Pages/back-to-school.aspx

Opting in
To meet anti-spam legislation requirements, parents must now opt in to receive ‘commercial messages’ coming from the school. This includes anything that involves a payment, such as cafeteria menus, field trips including fees, yearbooks, school pictures and council fundraisers. Watch for an e-mail coming home from your school about subscribing to School Messenger. Sign up and stay in the loop!

CAPSC in the year to come

CAPSC executive keep an eye on what’s happening in education, and speak on behalf of parents.  Keep us posted on what is happening with your child’s education, so we can update education stakeholders.

Want to support CAPSC? We can always use help bringing more events and services to Calgary parents. To volunteer, or if you have a question or concern about your school or with education in general, please contact us.

Dear Minister Eggen;

A recent letter from Deputy Minister of Education Curtis Clarke states the department has cut off communication with Dr. Tran-Davies on the issue of math education.

“We consider the matter of how mathematics is taught at individual schools closed at this time and will not be communicating further with you on this topic,” Clarke says.

CAPSC executive is very concerned by this move, as the response seems to downplay the concerns of many Calgary parents who need solutions. Dr. Nhung Tran-Davies has gathered 18,000 signatures on her petition requesting changes to Alberta’s math curriculum.

Respected educators have echoed these concerns. Dr. John Bowman, professor of mathematical and statistical sciences at the University of Alberta, says significant problems are appearing at the post-secondary level in math-centric programs.

“In recent years, the high-school preparation of students enrolled in first-year Engineering Calculus and Honours Calculus courses at the University of Alberta has noticeably deteriorated,” Bowman says.

“Students are not coming in with the same level of skills. Exams that were the norm 20 years ago are too difficult these days. Ten years ago the discussion among the Math 100 and 101 instructors used to be where between 50 and 55 the cutoff for a passing grade should be.  The discussion now is where between 45 and 50 that passing grade should be.”

As a voice for students, parents are the primary stakeholder in education. Parents don’t have the luxury of public financing for advocacy issues that other stakeholders do. Considering this, government should make every effort to ensure meaningful access exists, even when the opinions expressed do not support government’s current direction.

Parents are worried. CAPSC executive has heard from parent members who, in a financially challenging time, feel forced to engage math tutoring outside of school at their own expense. This is not accessible public education. Although CAPSC has requested the results of the Student Learning Assessments (SLAs) that were meant to replace PATs, and the curriculum redesign modules submitted in January, Alberta Education has not yet released them.

Transparency and access are critical to a system of checks and balances. Providing this key information to all stakeholders, including parents, is essential to meaningful consultation.

We believe the Minister cannot delegate responsibility for math performance away from the Department of Education. If a school is underperforming, parents have no effective way to hold a school accountable. If the Minister will not hold school boards accountable, then who will?

In February, CAPSC organized an event to discuss ‘Keys to Math Excellence,’ inviting educators from across the system to participate in a positive discussion about best practices in math. Feedback from that event indicated that although parents are seeing the results of poor math curriculum, school boards have not been responsive enough.

Parents speak on behalf of children, whom the education system exists to serve. Research shows that parent involvement has a positive impact on student achievement. A continuing meaningful conversation between parents, school councils and educators serves to improve our education system.

Our parent members have clearly demonstrated that they consider parent voice, independent of school boards, to be necessary.  We hope that our democratically elected officials will continue to work with all parents to develop the best possible solutions.

We ask the Minister to re-open the discussion with parents, and to release the SLA results and curriculum redesign modules submitted to Alberta Education. We believe this is in the best interest of transparency and engagement with parents.

As the Minister just announced a complete overhaul of curriculum, we also look forward to hearing how CAPSC may assist the Minister in ensuring adequate consultation exists with parents.

Further information

Dr. John C. Bowman, quoted here, is Professor at the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, BS Eng (Alberta), MA (Princeton), PhD (Princeton).

Link to access Dr. Tran-Davies response to Minister Clarke’s letter.  

Let volunteers know the difference they make to education!

Fill in the form to nominate an outstanding school volunteer.

School volunteers do so much for us. Do a little something for them! Each year, CAPSC recognizes the Calgary volunteers who make an enormous difference to the success of our schools and students.

Nominate a master community builder, fundraising champ, financial wizard or amazing event organizer. Tell us how this person’s involvement has improved your school community.

To ensure that your nominee receives a certificate of recognition and a copy of your letter before the end of this school year, fill in the nomination form by June 10, 2016. You will both be invited to our volunteer event in autumn 2016.

Volunteer Recognition

Each year, CAPSC recognizes the Calgary volunteers who make an enormous difference to the success of our schools and students. Do you know a master community builder, fundraising champ, financial wizard or amazing event organizer? Tell us how this person’s involvement has improved your school community. Your nominee will receive a certificate of recognition and a copy of your letter, and you will both be invited to our volunteer event in autumn 2016. If you know a volunteer that deserves city-wide applause, please take a moment to nominate that person.

Welcome to CAPSC’s 2016/17 Executive

CAPSC welcomes our new co-presidents Gerald Bartels and Andrea Brehm, along with our executive team Althea Adams, Sheri Bolitho, Lisa Davis, Kelly Guggisberg, Michael McIntosh and Jillian Millar Drysdale. Thanks to our outgoing executive for their service in 2015/16.

Access the 2016 AGM Minutes.

About the Alberta fires

Parents know that teachers make an enormous difference in the daily lives of our children, but may not stop to think about what happens when crisis hits. As Fort McMurray was evacuated, school staff made sure that children in their care were safe.

CAPSC thanks these educators and all of the first responders, volunteers and community organizations who supported others during the Wood Buffalo wildfire. You can be a wildfire hero too – visit our site for tips on how to help or donate.

CBE Transportation Update

If you have taken part in the CBE’s transportation consultation, you will be aware that six scenarios have been brought forward for parent review. The current $5 million gap in the transportation budget will be made up either through cuts to service or by increased parent fees.

Without additional funding, service levels will continue to deteriorate. In our commentary, CAPSC executive request that the CBE invest in the technology and training recommended in the independent technical review, and that Alberta Learning provide additional short-term funding to support transportation of special needs students in the CBE system.

A contact form is available on our website for parents who would like to communicate with stakeholders in education about transportation in the 2016/17 school year.

Parents play a role in improving transportation efficiency.  Please let the CBE know whether your child might take the bus next year. While you can choose to cancel the service later, anticipating the correct numbers ensures there is enough room for all the students who want to ride.

Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Learning Talk

Thanks to mathematics educator and research Dr. Gina Cherkowski, who joined our April meeting to discuss STEM learning. A passionate and collaborative educator, Dr. Cherkowski is highly involved in developing successful STEM education strategies. She spoke about how future jobs will depend on proficiency in this area. In addition to volunteering for STEM Alberta, Dr. Cherkowski founded STEM Learning Lab as a way to get meaningful STEM activities to kids so they are aptly positioned to reap the rewards and benefits of our highly technological world.

Changes to Parent Communication

CBE is installing a new website and communication system for parents, and will be updating CBE parent council pages as part of that process. In order to comply with the anti-spam legislation, parents must opt in to receive ‘commercial messages’ from their fundraising associations. Agreeing to receive these messages allows the CBE and your parent association to inform you about any school-related events or activities that involve a financial transaction, such as school fundraisers, parent education sessions that involve a ticket price. Watch for more information coming from the CBE in regard to opting-in.

Clarification on Bill 10 

In the last newsletter, CAPSC included information about parent response to Bill 10.  We agree that individual parents are best positioned to provide input to policymakers, and as such we are not making any representations on behalf of parents on this issue. We realized almost as soon as the update went out that important information with respect to CAPSC not taking a position was missing, and updated the website as follows:

CAPSC executive is hearing from many parents in regard to Bill 10. CAPSC is not taking action on this issue. Our executive voted to make information sent to us available to allow parents to form their own opinions about the legislation and related concerns. If you would like to share a link that outlines an opinion in favour or against this legislation, please contact us.

Thank you for supporting CAPSC’s actions. We look forward to working with you in the upcoming year.

For more frequent updates on what is happening in education, please visit and like CAPSC’s Facebook page.

CAPSC requests that the CBE invest in the technology and training recommended in the independent technical review, and that Alberta Learning provide additional short-term funding to support transportation of special needs students in the CBE system.

Improving public consultation on issues affecting Alberta’s largest public school system is a step in the right direction. Recently, the CBE brought forward six possible scenarios to manage thegap in transportation funding, with cost to parents ranging from the existing $300 up to $750 per student.

All of the scenarios were designed to fit the limitations of budget allotted to transportation. As a result, all compromise service or require higher fees from families, but provide minimal benefit. If one of these models is implemented, we anticipate that even more families will choose to drive, reducing the number of students paying into the system and making it even less viable. Traffic congestion and impact on the environment will continue.

The CBE has an annual $1.3 billion budget, and plans to use $48 million on transportation next year. The provincial funding model earmarks $35 million for this purpose, so $13 million is needed to bridge the difference between the funding model and actual cost. As parents already pay $8 million with existing transportation fees, an additional $5 million will be required to maintain the current standard, which many families do not find adequate. This is more than double the $2.2 million that the CBE estimated to restore congregated stops last September.

In an April survey, parents clearly indicated their two top priorities – reducing walk distances to bus stops for younger students, as well as the amount of time spent on the bus. Yet only one of the new scenarios reduces the walk distance for younger children, but increases potential ride time to 1.5 hours.

It is clear that more funding and new strategies for transportation are required.

First, we encourage the CBE to continue working towards creating better service. The independent technical review identified gaps in appropriate technology and planning tools, which we understand that the CBE is moving to correct. It is unfortunate that the analysis did not outline reasons why some of the CBE’s busing proposals are so much more expensive than other Calgary or Edmonton major school boards. We would expect that the cost of transportation should drop if efficiencies are found and when schools open next year.

As CAPSC executive outlined in our September 2015 meeting with Education Minister David Eggen, a high proportion of the cost of transportation applies to assisting the 2000 special needs students in the CBE system.

History shows that special needs busing has required more support, with costs increasing from $12.7 million to $16.7 million (32 percent) over three years. During the same period, the cost of regular and alternative program busing was reduced by almost $3 million, from $25 million to $22.3 million.

As CAPSC stated last fall, we can all agree that supporting these vulnerable students is a priority. However, surely we can also agree that all students require age-appropriate walk distances that reflect the reality of our winters. Most of the scenarios now being considered require that kindergarten to Grade 4 students walk 1.6 km to a yellow bus stop – significantly longer than the distance an adult would to catch a Calgary Transit bus and four times further than other metro school boards.

Our current government made an election promise to reduce education fees to parents. Yet  transportation fees seem likely to increase in the CBE system, where parents already pay double the average in school fees.

Providing quality transportation services for Calgary’s children is not optional. All children must reach the classroom safely and efficiently in order to learn.

Currently there is not sufficient capacity in Calgary’s outlying schools. Alternative programs serve the system by helping to fill empty schools in the inner city. According to the FOIP documents prepared for trustees, the average cost for regular and alternative program busing was $875 per rider.

Maintaining these programs allows the CBE to better meet individual learning needs of students, which has been outlined as a priority in education. It would be a shame to see alternative programs become elitist if affordability becomes an issue. Given that most are second-language programs, and the government is now focused on diversification of Alberta’s economy, certainly we can see the value of having our citizens being able to function fluently in more than one language on the global stage. If a child leaves a language program due to limited family funds, it is challenging to return.

We ask the Minister to provide additional funding for the 2000 special needs students in Calgary’s system, even if only in the short term as the CBE researches possible efficiencies. This funding would directly benefit the 26,000 students taking yellow buses. It would also demonstrate a commitment to supporting family budgets, solving traffic problems, reducing impact on the environment, and most importantly – putting students first.

We trust that Alberta Education agrees that continuing to raise fees and decrease service is not reasonable in a publicly funded education system, especially during this financially challenging time. We expect the Minister will remain involved in this situation to ensure Calgary’s public students receive adequate service at a reasonable cost.

Wherever the funding comes from, let’s not leave Calgary’s kids out in the cold.

Parents know that teachers make an enormous difference in the daily lives of our children, but may not stop to think about what happens when crisis hits. As fire devastated Fort McMurray, school staff made sure that children in their care were safe. 

• Principal Lisa Hilsenteger drove a busload of students out as the city was evacuated, and ensured they were all reunited with their parents.
• Staff at the Good Shepherd School drove young students from one school to another in a convoy of vehicles.

Kudos to the schools, community organizations and corporations who have opened their hearts and doors to help the residents of the Wood Buffalo region, as well as the first responders who are on scene. If you would like to share a similar story about school staff or parents who went above and beyond the call of duty, or what your school community is doing to help with the wildfire crisis, please let us know and we will post the information here and on our website.

• Calgary schools rally to help Fort McMurray students

Lend a hand

Many of us are thinking of Alberta residents who have lost everything in a devastating wildfire. You can be a wildfire hero too – volunteer or donate to help.

Volunteer

• Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Volunteer & Donation Portals

Donate:

• Donate to local charities in Fort McMurray
• Donate to the Red Cross – Alberta Fires Appeal – the government will match your funds
• Donate to the Wood Buffalo Food Bank
• Text REDCROSS to 30333 to make a $5 donation
• TELUS is matching $50,000 – text RedCross to 45678 to make a $10 donation

Need Help?

• One-stop help site – YYM Help
• A Fort McMurray Evacuee Open Source Help Page is up on Facebook
• YMCAs in Northern Alberta, Medicine Hat, Calgary and Lethbridge are opening their doors to fire evacuees
• A tool for locating lost pets is available
• In Calgary, shelters and help can be found at Inn from the Cold
• YMCAs across the province are also offering support

Upcoming AGM & STEM Talk 

CAPSC’s Annual General Meeting | Wednesday, April 20
7 PM | Connect Charter School | 5915 Lewis Drive SW

If CAPSC has helped you in past, please consider supporting education by joining our executive. Even a few hours a month make a big difference to the services we are able to offer to Calgary parents. Whether your skills include advocacy, event planning or accounting, we can use you! Join us to vote in CAPSC’s 2016/17 executive and to review bylaws in need of updating.

STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) in Education | Dr. Gina Cherkowski

Dr. Gina Cherkowski is a mathematics educator and researcher, a STEM professor and educational game changer. She earned a double cognate Ph. D. in mathematics education and culture studies. Dr. Cherkowski believes all students can, and should be, mathematically literate in the 21st century. Her Mathematics Education Research uses digital technology to teach math visually by engaging the spatial temporal reasoning system, in partnership with the MIND Research Institute in California. Through her research, Dr. Cherkowski has noted that teaching math in ways that engage the spatial temporal reasoning system leads to increases in engagement, increased performance and conceptual understanding for students that typically struggle with math. In a quest to ensure all students are mathematically literate, Dr. Cherkowski has developed highly engaging math lessons that use robotics, programming, and other digital tools to foster computational literacy, conceptual understanding, mathematical problem solving and other critical mathematics skills. Through her role at STEM Alberta, Dr. Cherkowski advocates to ensure all students are equipped with the necessary skills, abilities and mindsets to be full and productive citizens in a rapidly-changing digital world. This starts with getting all kids engaged in mathematics. Math is the gatekeeper to educational opportunities, to greater career opportunities, to higher paying jobs, and to the STEM fields. Sadly, math is far too often the reason many kids drop out, disengage, or walk away from school altogether. In addition to volunteering for STEM Alberta, Dr. Cherkowski founded STEM Learning Lab as a way to get meaningful STEM activities to kids so they are aptly positioned to reap the rewards and benefits of our highly technological world.

RSVP to let us know you will be there! 

Transportation Update

If you want to take part in the upcoming discussion about transportation, find full details and sign up for one of the group workshops to be held on April 6, 7 and 12 using the link below. Community forums will also be held on April 16th.  The technical study on the CBE’s transportation system is now available.

CBE Public Engagement 

The CBE website now lists current opportunities to give feedback on upcoming decisions. Planning on budget, school openings, and a long term transportation strategy is now underway. Visit cbe.ab.ca/dialogue for full details.

Changes to CAPSC Bylaws

The AGM will include a vote on the following proposed changes:

A. Proposed Change to Membership Bylaw

4.3.1 Membership Year – The membership year is one year from the date payment is received.

4.3.2 Setting Membership Fees – Each school year, executive may review the membership fee, and after consultation with the membership body, schedule new fees to take effect with 30 days notice. 

4.4.5 – Only members who are listed and in good standing seven days prior to the AGM shall be entitled to vote.

For the 2016/17 year, our executive recommends that individual memberships be free. This will allow more parents to have a voice in education in a time when many families are experiencing financial difficulties and CAPSC is actively building membership.

B. Change to Meetings of the Society Bylaw

5.1.1 – The Society holds its Annual General Meeting in Calgary 13 months less a day from the last Annual General Meeting. The Board sets the place, day, and time of the meeting.

Communicating with CAPSC

If you have a question or concern about your school or with education in general, please contact us. For more frequent updates on what is happening in education, please visit and like CAPSC’s Facebook page.

As discussed that evening, CAPSC invited all school boards and types in Calgary to take part and thanks those who participated. Schools were selected on the basis of high achievement, with the major indicator being strong performance on PAT scores. Diversity and parental choice are one of Alberta’s strengths, and we were interested in hearing from a variety of schools who had achieved strong results.

We thank our speakers for sharing information about best practices in mathematics education. A brief summary appears below for the benefit of those who were unable to attend the presentation.

All of our speakers are passionate about math education. Although they have some differences in how they approach teaching math, they agreed on the following:

• learning the mechanics of math is necessary and important
• direct instruction is valuable
• teachers who excel in this area love the material, and are able to improvise in explaining it to allow students deep understanding
• standardized testing, though imperfect, is a necessary part of ensuring student success.

All expressed concern about standardized testing being removed, believing that we will see a significant reduction in achievement levels.

STUART WACHOWICZ | B.Ed, B.Sc, M.Ed
Previously Director of Curriculum, Edmonton Public Schools | Director of the Confucius Institute, Edmonton

Stuart Wachowicz showed how a population with high English Language Learners and low socio-economic status achieved superior results.  He shared results from Youngstown School, in an average Albertan town. Youngstown students achieved a percentage of excellence – almost four times above the provincial standard. Forty-five percent of Grade 6 students achieved excellence compared to 12 percent  of students across the province. The Youngstown Model was used to develop curriculum delivery for the Cogito program in Edmonton Public schools, and was the basis for TLC schools in Calgary. It used a direct instruction rather than a child-centered model. Cogito students were not considered privileged. Thirty-five percent were English Language Learners, and 40 percent in a low socio-economic category. Many were children of immigrant families from Asia and eastern Europe. Again, this program approach delivered exceptional results.

Stuart presented compelling data and is one of several seasoned educators expressing concern about recent curriculum changes that have resulted in reducing math achievement. He reiterated the need for ensuring calculations can be made automatically. As well, he believes in minimizing use of technology for basic computation, using a good printed textbook so that parents can follow and support, and using direct instruction to introduce and explain topics. Stuart expressed concern about removing formal geometry from curriculum. He recommends the JUMP math and Singapore Math Resources, and advises against Math Makes Sense textbooks.

• Wachowicz Math Presentation

ANNA STOKKE | BSc, MSc and PhD (Math)
| Associate Professor at the University of Winnipeg | cofounder of a non-profit math tutoring program and WISE Math

Anna Stokke is Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Winnipeg and co-founder of a non-profit math tutoring program and WISE Math. She says math is relentlessly cumulative, and understanding math is like climbing a ladder. You must do it rung by rung. For example, to master multiplication you must first be fluent with addition. Memorizing times tables and practicing procedures does not interfere with understanding. Understanding is important, but not more than skill. Children can master a math skill or concept if they have the previous knowledge required to learn that skill, they receive clear and straightforward instruction, and they practice the skill. If something in your child’s learning seems off, speak up! Fix the problem before it snowballs.

Dr. Stokke compared results from many countries in assessing successful techniques and had interesting comments about where Alberta is not performing well.   She provided several links to resources in her presentation. Dr. Stokke recommends JUMP Math, Singapore Math, and Saxon Math.  She advises against Math Makes Sense textbooks.  She recommends an 80/20 ratio of direct to indirect instruction, and included some recommended resources. Interested parents or teachers are invited to contact her at [email protected] for more information.

• Stokke Math Presentation

JAY NIVEN | BEd, Masters in Mathematics teaching
NEIL WEBBER | PhD, Mathematics Curriculum
| Webber Academy, Calgary

Mechanics and deep understanding are not conflicting concepts. Jay’s personal preference is to teach mechanical proficiency first, then deeper understanding.  Direct instruction doesn’t have to be boring – Jay may choose to begin the lesson with a story, instead of the specific math concept, in order to generate excitement on the topic. Trust that your teachers are professionals and know what must happen to help your child succeed in math, but also hold them accountable. Many metrics can be used to measure school and student performance, and standardized exams should be one of them. For elementary students, Webber uses Everyday Mathematics and Math to the Max, as well as other resources.

AARON RENERT | M.Sc, LL.B
MOSHE RENERT
| The Renert School and Bright Minds, Calgary

Children must be cognitively ready to learn the material. However, once a child is ready to understand the concept, they can learn fast and go deep. The curriculum is only a benchmark, and quite low. Good performance is not achieved through rote memorization only, but is a combination of approaches. A complete understanding of concepts is necessary to master the curriculum.  Successful teachers all have rigor. The most skillful educators combine deep understanding and rigor with improvising to allow students to understand. There is concern that if PAT and diploma exams disappear, the results will plummet. The school uses Singapore Math, along with other resources.

Become a member today – it’s free! Congratulations to member A. Hausermann, who won two free tickets and an invitation to the VIP reception preceding the event.

Thursday, January 28th | 7 PM
Performing Arts Centre | Webber Academy
1515-93 Street SW

• What are some best practices being used to achieve results in mathematics?
• What specific ideas can parents use to support their child’s learning at home?
• How are the needs of different populations being met? For instance, what strategies have proved more successful for students with English as a second language?
• International Rankings – how does Alberta fit?
• What types of assessments are best? How are Student Learning Assessments (SLAs) used?
• What is happening with curriculum design and changes?
• With all of the discussion taking place about diversifying our economy, how important are math achievement and rankings?

• REGISTER for the Math Excellence Forum on January 28.

Tickets $7 | CAPSC is a non-profit, volunteer fuelled organization which exists to encourage discussion about and excellence in education. If the charge for this event is a barrier to attending, please select the deferred payment option as you register and pay what you can at the door.

Great math education is a major topic of interest for Calgary parents. There is much discussion in the media, on the playground, and in homes about what is happening in math, and how to ensure every child is set up for success.

Parents are curious about how schools are achieving strong results in math. CAPSC is pleased to present our Math Excellence Night on behalf of Calgary parents.  Through this event, education stakeholders can get a glimpse of some best practices, and hopefully continue the dialogue in their own community afterward.

To hear CAPSC president Lisa Davis discuss details of the Math Excellence event, please access the January 24 Global news clip.

JOIN US TO HEAR WHAT THESE OUTSTANDING EDUCATORS HAVE TO SHARE ABOUT MATH LEARNING:

STUART WACHOWICZ | Confucius Institute, Edmonton 

Stuart Wachowicz, B.Ed, B.Sc, M.Ed, is an educator with 44 years of experience.  He taught for 25 years in Alberta, where he primarily taught mathematics and served as a school administrator. In 1997 he became Director of Curriculum for Edmonton Public Schools. He is one of the key architects of the education system that shot Alberta to the top of the world education rankings in the early 2000s. Upon retirement in 2009, Mr. Wachowicz became Director of the Confucius Institute in Edmonton, of which he is presently Chairman of the Board of Directors and Advisory Board.  Mr. Wachowicz will be including a discussion on how strong math results were achieved in schools with a high English as a Second Language population.

ANNA STOKKE | University of Winnipeg

Anna Stokke is Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Winnipeg. She received a Ph.D in mathematics from the University of Alberta in 2003, an M.Sc (Math) from the University of Manitoba and a B.Sc (Math) from Brandon University. She is the President of Archimedes Math Schools, which is a non-profit organization that was founded by math professors in Winnipeg who recognize the need for a low cost after-school math program for elementary school children. Anna is a math education advocate and a cofounder of the Western Initiative for Strengthening Education in Math (WISE Math). She received a 2015-2016 YWCA/YMCA Women of Distinction Award in the Community Activism and Social Enterprise category for her work in math education. She also received the University of Winnipeg’s Clarence Atchison Award for Excellence in Community Service in October, 2015.

NEIL WEBBER & JAY NIVEN | Webber Academy, Calgary

Neil Webber, President/Head of School at Webber Academy, has a PhD in Mathematics Curriculum.  Jay Niven, Senior High School Mathematics Instructor, holds a B.Ed and Masters degree in Mathematics teaching.  Webber Academy is a non-denominational, co-educational, university preparatory private school offering Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. There is an environment of high expectations for student achievement and behaviour. After 18 years of operation, Webber Academy has become an international school with students from many different backgrounds, cultures and religions.

AARON RENERT | The Renert School, Calgary

Aaron Renert, M.Sc, LL.B, is a mathematics educator and the founder of Renert Education, a Calgary-based company that has been offering academic services to over 80,000 students since 1992. The company is known for its unwavering commitment to excellence in teaching. In its 26-year history, Renert has been an educational innovator and the first to offer diploma examination review courses, on-demand tutoring centres. Aaron is the curriculum lead and developer of Bright Minds – a revolutionary mathematics enrichment program that groomed dozens of math competition winners. Aaron’s techniques and methods have helped thousands of students to overcome their fear of math and to thrive in the field.  Renert’s latest project is The Renert School at Royal Vista, a K-12 private school which opened in September 2013. The school offers a new model of education dedicated to nurturing.

We look forward to seeing you at this event focused on best practices in mathematics education. 

Congratulations to member A. Hausermann, who won two free tickets and an invitation to the VIP reception preceding the event. Become a member today – it’s free! 

Minutes from our November meeting are now available.

AGENDA | Public Engagement – Transportation – Math Learning – Budget

Thanks to the parents who joined us at our November meeting to discuss transportation, public engagement, math learning and school budgets. We were pleased to meet with you in person to talk about current events in education.

Transportation
We discussed transportation challenges such as a shortage of school space, the development of alternative programs which encourage moving children to inner city schools with more room, budget shortfalls, and how transportation dollars are currently being used. Strategies used to help the transportation budget go further include:

• double busing (buses drive two routes, one immediately after the other)
• longer walk distances, up to 1.6 for elementary school students, and 1.8 km for middle/junior high school students
• a combination of double busing, longer walk distances and longer routes for alternative program students
• the possibility of moving junior high school students to public transit, which is complicated by the CBE’s Grade 5 – 9 middle school grouping.

As student learning is affected when families struggle with reductions to transportation service, this issue needs to be addressed. We touched briefly on our opinion editorial published in the Calgary Herald, detailing concerns about the safety of children, transparency around decision making, and managing of cost. We understand that the CBE plans to begin consulting families about transportation in January.

Public Engagement
We appreciate that the CBE chose public engagement as their focus item for the November 5 CoSC meeting. Our members discussed the same questions presented in that forum. Concerns mentioned were similar to those defined at the CoSC meeting, and include:

• gathering input/ideas from parents at the beginning of the process, rather than tweaking a plan that has already been made
• providing details before meetings so parents have time to review information before the discussion happens
• allowing sufficient time for consultation – such as bringing forward ideas in January for changes that will happen in September
• developing metrics – such as a five year timeline on how the CBE will meet goals for standardized testing.

We encourage you to get involved in the CBE’s process for improving public engagement.The survey and discussion guide contributions closed in December. Although submissions for the report are now closed, you can continue to use the council discussion guide to make suggestions on improving communication with parents. Look for the first draft of a new system-wide approach to be released this spring.

Math Learning
Members at this meeting had considerable concern about math education. PAT results, while an imperfect tool, are the best measure of how children are performing. We asked if parents were aware of the curriculum update for math learning that the Deputy Minister of Education provided to school boards. Consistent with the last meeting, no school councils represented were aware of any changes. Please ask your principal to advise your school council how these changes are being implemented in your school.

Some excerpts from the update include:

1. The updates clarified the expectation that students are able to recall addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts, as well as multiplication tables, and that they investigate a variety of strategies and become proficient in at least one appropriate and efficient strategy (strategies may include traditional algorithms, such as long division and vertical addition).
2. Some new and updated supports: The Alberta K–9 Mathematics Achievement Indicators (2015) resource. This resource has been updated to include standard/traditional algorithm achievement indicators in the Grades 2 to 5 number strand.  Achievement indicators provide suggested samples of how students may demonstrate their achievement of the learner outcomes in the mathematics program. The Summary of Updates highlights all revisions for easy reference and comparison.
   Sample Standard/Traditional Algorithms is the newest fact sheet in our series aimed at supporting teachers in the implementation of the K-9 Mathematics Program of Studies. The fact sheet provides samples of standard/traditional algorithms for all four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division).
   

Results from the spring 2015 PATs show that roughly 30 percent of Grade 9 students did not have an ‘acceptable’ score in math exam results. ‘Acceptable’ begins at 42 per cent for grade 9. CBE trustees voted last fall that grade 9 math scores were unacceptable, and there was a tie vote on grade 6 math scores. We note this year’s math scores were worse.

Parents discussed that part of the issue seems to be that ‘Inspiring Education’ ideology has not yet translated into successful and consistent classroom strategies. CAPSC representatives attended a meeting this summer with the Assistant Deputy Minister of Education to express parental concerns about math in Calgary. At this meeting, a University of Alberta math engineering professor stated that the October midterms now have to be simplified for first-year students emerging from high school as they are unable to do the work.

Parents want help in supporting their kids with this learning. Suggestions included:

• asking schools for a two-page document giving examples of what children should be able to do when they finish the grade level
• accessing the Jump math program, which is newly recommended by Alberta Ed and also by a teacher in the room
• increasing math awareness in other ways – one council did a math quiz night as a fundraiser.

CAPSC is planning a Math Learning presentation in January or February, which will focus on best practices from schools with excellent results in this area. Details will be posted on the website soon.

School Budget
CAPSC executive are encouraging more clarity and transparency about how funding is used at the administrative level.

Meeting Focus Items
We asked members what they would like to have covered in upcoming meetings. Suggestions included:

• Nutrition – for instance, how packing a healthy lunch can support learning
• Science and math
• Appropriate amounts of technology in the classroom and at home; best practices for computer use
• Supports from police, including social network safety
• Encouraging more interest in school council.

Thanks to all who joined us on November 16th. We look forward to seeing you at our January event on math learning.