Innovative Learning Design Team Invitation to Collaborate Whats the problem?

A significant number of GP kids enter grade 10 with a lack of basic competencies in literacy, numeracy and critical thinking. Most of these kids are disengaged from school, particularly in their academic subjects. Many of them will struggle for the rest of high school and beyond. The ILD team is investigating changes to our grade 8 and 9 program that will better serve these students and their classmates. We in no way mean to suggest that those currently teaching the junior grades are somehow to blame. We know that GPs staff goes above and beyond to serve all of our students. Given the enormous challenges faced by many of our students, the overall level of success among our students is a remarkable testament to the dedication of everyone in the building. So, what can we do? Our research over the past year and a half has us thinking one of the main obstacles preventing all our students from succeeding is structural. Weve identified a number of goals were trying to incorporate into a grade 8 and 9 pilot project that might involve 50-100 students in its first year. They include the following: Closer relationships with kids fewer kids per teacher per year Extra time for kids with low skills within the program and beyond it (ie. 1.5-2.5 year program) Integration/ interdisciplinary teaching Team teaching End of grade 9 assessment that shows mastery of core competencies (reading, writing, numeracy, critical thinking, metacognition) Teacher sanity (sustainable) Teacher collaboration time Maintain or enhance our Junior elective programs

Can you help us? Our admin team is on board and encouraging outside the box thinking. We want to hear from all staff: What do you think of the above list? What would you add, get rid of? What concerns do you have? What questions do you have? Do you have any ideas of how we could make the above possible? Anything else you want to tell us? Sometime in the next two weeks, an ILD member will visit you to clarify what were trying to do and to listen to your ideas.