May 2008: Leading Student Achievement: Our Principal Purpose

May 9, 2008 Symposium

Full Report (PDF)
Executive Summary (PDF)

In May 2008, principals gathered at a symposium to conclude Year 3 of the Leading Student Achievement project. The symposium opened with the Leading Student Achievement Highlights 2005–2008 video. This video presented the history of the project through a series of clips in which previous symposium presenters spoke about important directions of the project and participants in the project commented on their involvement, the benefits, and the progress achieved.

Patricia Manson then spoke about the journey that the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat (LNS) has taken in the last few years towards achieving its goal of improvement in learning and achievement for all students.

Later in the morning, Dr. Kenneth Leithwood presented what we are learning from the LSA evaluations. Dr. Leithwood described the three goals and five priorities for 2007/08 before providing a brief summary of the results of the first round of data collection in the fall of 2007.

Barbara McMorrow wrapped up the morning with a discussion about Year 4 of the LSA project. Participants were asked to consider how the LSA project could provide continued support.

After lunch, the participants had the opportunity to select two carousel sessions to attend from the following list:

  1. The Power of the Teaching Learning Cycle (TLC) within the LSA Project
  2. School Effectiveness Framework and Principal Learning Teams
  3. Hiring for Student Achievement
  4. Les pratiques réussies et les pratiques en voie de réussites!
  5. Le travail en équipe de collaboration pour favoriser la mise en oeuvre du cadre d'efficacité
  6. Sharpening Our Focus: A Collaborative Approach to Instructional Leadership
  7. Principal Learning Teams – Partnerships in Action
  8. Learning by Doing: Sharing our LSA Journey
  9. L'accompagnement régulier auprès des directions et du personnel enseignant
What We Are Learning from the LSA Evaluations

Kenneth Leithwood Dr. Kenneth Leithwood, Professor of Educational Leadership, OISE/UT

Dr. Leithwood mentioned that one major challenge faced by Ontario educators striving to improve student achievement is that our students are, on the whole, doing well. He then described the three goals and five priorities for 2007/08 before summarizing the results of the first round of data collection in the fall of 2007.

Dr. Leithwood concluded by explaining what remains in the current round of evaluation activity: namely, completing the May 2008 principals' and teachers' surveys, analyzing the survey and interview data, examining student achievement data, and preparing a report and recommendations for 2008/09 based on these activities.

View videos with Windows Media Player: get Windows Media Player for free Video Segments:

  1. The Challenges Facing Educators in Ontario (Length: 6.5 minutes)
  2. Goals and Priorities for 2007-2008 (Length: 4.5 minutes)
  3. Results from the Fall Surveys and Winter Interviews
    (Length: 9 minutes)
  4. Refreshing an Understanding of this Year's Priorities
    (Length: 7.5 minutes)
  5. Locating LSA Work in the Context of Everything Else (Length: 6 minutes)
  6. Remaining Tasks in the Current Round of Evaluation Activity (Length: 2 minutes)

Additional Materials:

  1. PowerPoint Presentation PPT