Videos



Leading Student Achievement Project Highlights Video 2005 - 2008
Leading Student Achievement Project Highlights Video 2005 - 2007


The following are videos of presentations from all of the LSA symposia. The videos are listed in alphabetical order based on the speaker's last name.


The Honourable James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario 2002-2007, (January 2007)

  • Closing Address: In this address, the Lieutenant-Governor describes his connection with teaching and teachers, his experiences with racism, and the positive impact of reading on the path his life has taken. Discussing his work as Lieutenant-Governor, he focuses on what he has learned about the plight of Aboriginal people in northern Ontario and talks about the initiatives he has undertaken to address their situation.


Carmel Crévola, International Literary Consultant, Author, and Researcher, (August 2006)

  • Breakthrough: Redesigning Classroom Instruction to Transform Learning: This presentation is based on the material in Breakthrough, the book Carmel Crévola has undertaken with Michael Fullan and Peter Hill. In the presentation, Crévola outlines the guiding principles at the centre of Breakthrough thinking, describes the Breakthrough framework, and stresses the importance of moral purpose in education. She also explains the 'Triple P' Breakthrough components: personalization, precision, and professional learning.


Lorna Earl, Educational Consultant, Author, Director of Aporia Consulting Ltd.; recently retired Associate Professor in the Theory and Policy Studies Department; and Head of the International Centre for Educational Change at OISE/UT (June 2006)

  • Leading Schools in a Data-Rich World: Lorna Earl and Steven Katz introduce the themes explained in their book, Leading Schools in a Data-Rich World: Harnessing Data for School Improvement. They talk about the role of data in constructing knowledge useful in improving schools and resulting in improved outcomes for students.


Michael Fullan, Author, Educator, and Consultant; Special Advisor to the Premier and Minister of Education of Ontario; and Professor Emeritus of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT). (April 2005) (May 2007)

  • What's Worth Fighting for in the Principalship: In the 2005 presentation, Michael Fullan reviews the ten guidelines in the book, What's Worth Fighting For in the Principalship?, outlines six currant fundamental issues in education, and defines 'school capacity'.

  • Turnaround Schools/Turnaround Systems: In the 2007 presentation, Fullan highlights a number of 'newish' concepts that underpin successful educational reform and describes six key insights regarding successful change. He also touches on the topics of tri-level reform and the principalship.


Avis Glaze, Chief Student Achievement Officer 2004-2008, Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, (April 2005) (August 2005) (January 2006) (January 2007) (August 2007)

  • April 2005: Avis Glaze defines the mission of The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat and outlines the key strategies of the Secretariat.
  • August 2005: Glaze describes the focused work that leads to concrete improvements in education.
  • January 2006: Glaze celebrates the gains that have been achieved in the Leading Student Achievement: Our Principal Purpose project and highlights those areas still requiring improvement. She also reviews the skills involved in being an effective principal.
  • January 2007: Glaze outlines the signs of progress and stresses there is still much to be done in terms of improved achievement in literacy and numeracy. She notes that equity of outcome will be a major focus in coming years. She also highlights the steps involved in transforming an organization and reviews the characteristics of a professional learning community.
  • August 2007: Glaze describes six components of instructional leadership and the seven claims about successful school leadership developed by Kenneth Leithwood. She reviews the nine key strategies of The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, presents the signs of progress, and sets the stage for moving forward. She also focuses on professional leaning communities as the means by which schools can maintain a momentum of progress.


Gayle Gregory, Educational Consultant, (August 2007)

  • Teacher Teams That Get Results: This interview with Gayle Gregory is based on her presentation at the August 2007 symposium. The presentation itself was based on the publication, Teacher Teams That Get Results: 61 Strategies for Sustaining and Renewing Professional Learning Communities, developed by G. Gregory and L. Kuzmich.


Victoria Hemming, Chief Assessment Officer, EQAO, (May 2007)


Sue Jackson, Learning Coordinator, Thames Valley District School Board, (August 2005)

  • Literacy Fundamentals: In this presentation, Sue Jackson and Judy Speirs define literacy, discuss effective classroom practices, and highlight the main points in the Literacy for Learning document. They describe the ways in which principals can promote literacy and professional learning communities in their schools.


Steven Katz, Educational Consultant and Author; Director of Aporia Consulting Ltd.; and faculty member in Human Development and Applied Psychology at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (O.I.S.E./UT) (June 2006)

  • Leading Schools in a Data-Rich World: Lorna Earl and Steven Katz introduce the themes explained in their book, Leading Schools in a Data-Rich World: Harnessing Data for School Improvement. They talk about the role of data in constructing knowledge useful in improving schools and resulting in improved outcomes for students.


Mary Lou Kestell, Student Achievement Officer, The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, (January 2007)

  • Learning Mathematics for Teaching: In this presentation, Mary Lou Kestell and Kathy Kubota-Zarivnij review numeracy professional development as it has occurred in Ontario over the last few years. They explore the characteristics of effective professional learning and discuss job-embedded professional learning strategies to improve mathematics instruction and student learning of mathematics.


Kathy Kubota-Zarivnij, Student Achievement Officer, The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, (January 2007)

  • Learning Mathematics for Teaching: In this presentation, Mary Lou Kestell and Kathy Kubota-Zarivnij review numeracy professional development as it has occurred in Ontario over the last few years. They explore the characteristics of effective professional learning and discuss job-embedded professional learning strategies to improve mathematics instruction and student learning of mathematics.


Ben Levin, Deputy Minister of Education, Ontario Ministry of Education, 2004-2007; December 2008 – temporary appointment to Ontario Ministry of Education as Deputy Minister, (April 2005) (January 2006) (June 2006)

  • April 2005: Deputy Minister Levin highlights what has been done by the Ontario Ministry of Education and describes areas that continue to present challenges.
  • January 2006: Levin discusses the successes and challenges experienced by all those involved in education.
  • June 2006: Levin sets the context for what occurred over the past year in Ontario. He gives assurance that current initiatives in education will continue.


Kenneth Leithwood, Professor of Educational Leadership, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (O.I.S.E./UT), (August 2007) (May 2008)

  • Taking the Project to the Next Level (August 2007): Kenneth Leithwood explains the concept of "project", focusing particular attention on the assessment component. He outlines the objectives to guide the LSA initiatives during 2007-2008 and presents the new priorities for the project within this time frame. He provides a synthesis of the core practices of successful leaders.
  • What We Are Learning from the LSA Evaluation (May 2008): Leithwood describes the challenges facing Ontario educators. He reviews the goals and priorities established for the LSA project during 2007-2008 and highlights the key results from the surveys and interviews conducted during the fall and winter. He locates the priorities of LSA work within the context of other initiatives currently underway in Ontario.


Ruth Mattingley, Senior Executive Officer, Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, (June 2006)

  • Keynote Address (June 2006): Ruth Mattingley restates and reaffirms the goal of the initiative, "Leading Student Achievement: Our Principal Purpose". She explains the roles of the 'Professional Learning Ccmmunity' and the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat in working towards the achievement of this goal.


The Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario, (April 2005)

  • April 2005: In this address, Premier McGuinty presents the need for the Ontario government and school leaders to re-gain the trust of Ontario citizens in their public school systems. He shares some of the progress that has been made and the challenges that remain. McGuinty points out that testing is the only concrete way to show growth in the education system and asks that principals work with government officials to achieve the goal that 75% of students reach the provincial standard in literacy and numeracy.


Maureen McKenna, Consultant, (May 2007)

  • Appreciative Inquiry: Maureen McKenna and Nancy Nightingale deliver an overview of the process, 'Appreciative Inquiry' (AI). They explain the three concepts that form the underpinnings of AI, outline the change process of AI, and summarize the six principles of AI. They also provide examples of how AI has been used successfully in an educational setting.


Nancy Nightingale, Principal, AY Jackson Secondary School, Toronto District School Board, (May 2007)

  • Appreciative Inquiry: Maureen McKenna and Nancy Nightingale deliver an overview of the process, 'Appreciative Inquiry' (AI). They explain the three concepts that form the underpinnings of AI, outline the change process of AI, and summarize the six principles of AI. They also provide examples of how AI has been used successfully in an educational setting.


Dan Peter, K-8 Mathematics Consultant, Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, (August 2005)

  • Numeracy Fundamentals: Dan Peter highlights information contained in the Expert Panel Report and the revised Ontario Curriculum. He stresses that problem-solving is the mainstay of mathematical instruction. He also describes the critical elements of the learning environment, assessment in mathematics, and appropriate resources.


The Honourable Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Education, Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006, (August 2006)

  • Keynote Address (August 2006): The Minister outlines the goals on the education agenda of the government and summarizes a number of actions it has taken to improve education in the province.


Richard Sagor, Educational Consultant and Author; Educational Leadership Program Director and Professor, Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, USA; Founder of the Institute for the Study of Inquiry in Education, (January 2006)

  • Conducting Action Research: Richard Sagor's presentation provides a specific and detailed process for implementing an action research project in a school.


Karen Seashore Louis, the Rodney Wallace Professor for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning in the Department of Education Policy and Administration at the University of Minnesota, (February 2008)

  • Linking Professional Community and Real School Improvement: In this presentation, Karen Seashore Louis explains how professional community is created and sustained. She describes the strong impact school leaders have on student learning, advocates sharing instructional leadership with teachers, explains several default cultures teachers may adopt, and provides means of addressing these default cultures.