Scheduling for ChangeDoreen Stevens & Karen CoxUnama’ki Training & Education CentreEskasoni First Nation, NS

• Unama’ki Training & Education Center (or “T.E.C.”) houses an alternative high school program for grades 9-12

• The student population consists of students who have been struggling with success in a regular school system for various reasons

School Demographics

Class of 2013

• Students are referred to TEC.• Students typically come to us with:

• underdeveloped work ethics• learning gaps• chronic absenteeism• weak social skills• negative school experiences• undervalued view of education

• TEC is the community resource for those students who have fallen through the cracks.

School Demographics

CYCLE OF SCHOOL FAILURE

Chronic Absenteeism

Excessive Failures

High Drop-out Rate

Learning Gaps

Underdeveloped Work Ethic

Why Change?

• Students seem to be motivated to return to school in September & October

• We wanted to build on this type of “early term motivation”

• The result was a drastic change to course scheduling to condense courses into a shorter time periods

Driving Force for Change

Comparing Schedules

Sept. 2012 Course

Schedule

Sept. 2013 Course

Schedule

• Students concentrate on course content for only two courses rather than four

• Easier for students who struggle

• Topics are introduced and reinforced daily

• Homework time can be scheduled in class

Pros (Student Perspective)

• More courses are available to be taught over the year

• If a student drops out, only two credits are lost

• Readmission time is only about 2½ months

• Enhanced student interest

Pros (Student Perspective)

School Activities

• Non-instruction days are the equivalent to two days missed last year

• Lunch time is shortened for activities

• Some students have the same teacher/same classroom all day

Cons (Student Perspective)

• Only have to prepare for two courses

• Material can be presented & reinforced in the same day

• More time available for project-based learning

• Course schedule is well-suited for student assessment

Pros (Teacher Perspective)

• Lack of preparation time during the day

• Each course requires 135 minutes a day of material

• Hard to change student behaviour

• More of a challenge in supporting high needs students

• Some curriculum is difficult to cover at the accelerated pace

Cons (Teacher Perspective)

• Too short of a time period to prepare a quantitative measurement

• We must rely on qualitative observations from teachers and students

Is it Working?

• Attendance

• Inclement weather

• The bus does not travel on the side roads, so many students choose not to ride the bus.

Problems We Still Face

• Success doesn’t happen overnight

• One step is trying to make a change

• Takes time to change chronic behaviours that impede learning

• Our unique Pre-10 Program is a start…

Considerations

School Activities

• Student Life: ✓ Increased sports opportunities

✓ School activities

• Personal Development:✓ CLM skills (life and resume skills)

✓ Building independence

✓ Mi’kmaw Citizenship Certificate

Future Goals

• Curriculum Development:✓ Aboriginal Fine Arts course

✓ Aboriginal Phys. Ed. Course

✓ Skilled Trades 10

Future Goals

Visual Arts 10 (Mi’kmaq Visual & Applied Arts)

• Objective is to transfer and sustain cultural knowledge of Mi’kmaq arts from community elders to students.

Future Goals

Partners

Questions?

Unama’ki Training & Education Centrewww.unamakitec.ca