A new partnership and strategy will ensure B.C. teachers have greater latitude, support and encouragement to try new, innovative teaching practices, Education Minister Peter Fassbender announced today at the B.C. Focus on Learning forum at the Wosk Center for Dialogue.

The K-12 Innovation Strategy is designed to help and encourage teachers as they develop successful approaches that move personalized learning from concept to everyday practice. The heart of the strategy is the K-12 Innovation Partnership, which will be a community of practice focussed on bridging the theory and practice of personalized learning. The partnership will be composed of identified schools from throughout the province that are interested in developing new approaches.

Each school in the partnership will be teamed with a post-secondary institution that will provide research support, capture qualitative and quantitative change, and help measure and evaluate results. The partnership will also proactively communicate actions and outcomes to encourage the adoption of successful approaches across the K-12 sector.

The next step is to establish the governance structure, including a working group of representative organizations for superintendents, principals and vice-principals, and teachers. The working group will establish the partnership criteria and work with school districts and post-secondary institutions to identify participating schools between now and April 2015. On an ongoing basis, the working group will manage the supports, provide expert direction, and identify future policy changes.

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Quotes:

Peter Fassbender, Minister of Education -

“In schools across B.C., there are many teachers who’ve already started to move personalized learning from concept to everyday practice.

“I want to thank B.C.’s teachers for their constructive and cooperative approach. They have been phenomenal partners in helping the K-12 sector redesign the curriculum and exploring other improvements in areas like graduation and student assessment.

“We’re now ready for the next step on this journey, which is to support and encourage more teachers and more schools to develop approaches that work better for students.

“On behalf of educators across the system, these innovation schools will help us find out what works and what doesn’t. This will be disciplined innovation. With greater latitude and freedom, comes greater scrutiny and responsibility to communicate how things are going.”

Learn More:

BC's Education Plan: http://www.bcedplan.ca/

A backgrounder follows.

Media Contacts:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963

BACKGROUNDER

B.C. announces K-12 innovation strategy

As part of the BC Education Plan’s movement to more personalized learning, the K-12 Innovation Strategy is comprised of three main components: 1) the K-12 Innovation Partnership, 2) research and information sharing, and 3) policy and regulation.

The K-12 Innovation Partnership will be comprised of schools interested in pursuing new approaches and innovative teaching practices. Identified schools from throughout B.C. will be teamed with post-secondary institutions that will provide research support, capture qualitative and quantitative change, and help measure and evaluate results.

An advisory body comprised of major education and post-secondary partners, business, and community leaders will be established to help guide the K-12 Innovation Strategy. Within that body, educators from the BC Teachers’ Federation, BC Superintendents Association, BC Principals and Vice Principals Association, and independent schools will form the K-12 Innovation Partnership Working Group to lead the day-to-day operations of the partnership, including the identification of participating schools, managing supports, and providing operational advice and direction.

In addition to generating information and evidence on successful approaches, the strategy will require ongoing dialogue - both internally and externally - including the sharing of research with leading international jurisdictions on a similar path. This will encourage a stronger sense of movement and ensure B.C. educators are aware of those innovations that demonstrate the greatest promise as well as those that many not be meeting initial expectations.

The final component of the strategy is policy and regulation. All areas of the Ministry of Education - including areas like audits and inspections - will need to be flexible and supportive of the innovation efforts. Ultimately, what is learned through the innovation partnership will be used to inform and shape future legislation, regulations and ministry policies.

To ensure the innovations are realistic, sustainable, and transferable within the B.C. K-12 context, innovation funding will be focused on activities such as the collection of data and research, co-ordinating participants, and facilitating the exchange of information and networking. The strategy will not provide additional school or classroom funding as the resulting “purchased” innovations rarely transfer to other schools or endure past the specialized funding.

Learn More:

BC's Education Plan: http://www.bcedplan.ca/

Media Contacts:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963