About Us

The Purpose

Leading Student Achievement (LSA): Networks for Learning is a project developed by the provincial principals' associations, l'Association des directions et directions adjointes des écoles franco-ontariennes (ADFO), the Catholic Principals' Council of Ontario (CPCO), and the Ontario Principals' Council (OPC), in partnership with Ontario Ministry of Education (EDU), supported by Curriculum Services Canada, and funded by the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat (LNS).

The LNS has a mandate from the Government of Ontario to ensure that "75% of students reach the provincial standard on province-wide testing." This project is designed to help system leaders and principals as they support their teachers to 'raise the bar and narrow the gap' between high and low achieving students. A second purpose is to develop research on effective schools from an Ontario-based context.

The project is based on an innovative tri-level approach to provide support to district and school leaders as they:

  • improve literacy and numeracy achievement for all students;
  • collaborate in principal learning teams to improve instructional leadership for elementary and secondary school participants;
  • build professional learning communities within and across their schools and districts;
  • use evidence-based inquiry to inform instructional practice;
  • share successful strategies that can be implemented across the province;
  • develop teaching-learning networks at local, district and provincial levels;
  • contribute to educational research rooted in the Ontario context.

LSA Framework: Tri-Level Collaborative Leadership

SCHOOL
Professional Learning Communities
Teachers and principals collaborate in teams to improve instructional practice through evidence-based inquiry.
BOARD/DISTRICT
Principal Learning Teams
Principals work in teams to increase their capacity as instructional leaders, impacting on instructional practice that leads to improved student learning.
PROVINCE/SYSTEM
LSA Steering Team
The LSA Steering Team provides system leadership to the project by offering a variety of job-embedded professional learning opportunities to principals and district leaders.
Venn diagram for Leading Student Acheievement

The LSA framework in the figure above represents the capacity building role of principals as they implement professional learning communities in the context of their own schools. Elementary school participants collaborate on principal learning teams, and access the support of their districts, principal associations, Curriculum Services Canada (CSC) and the LNS in order to improve classroom instruction. The three circles overlap, acknowledging the collaborative roles of principals, teachers, district leaders and system leaders at the provincial level as they work to increase their capacity to meet the provincial student achievement target.

Objectives to Guide LSA

The LSA project continues to offer participants support to:

  • Focus the content of the conversations within board principal learning teams (PLT) and school professional learning communities (PLC) on the Teaching-Learning Critical Pathways (TLCP) and key school conditions nested in Dr. Leithwood's Paths which robust evidence tells us have the most powerful direct effects on student(s) or students' learning.
  • Deepen participants' understanding of effective collaborative learning team processes and refine their skills in managing such processes in their own PLCs/PLTs.
  • Develop SO/District lead, principal and teacher capacities for effective literacy and numeracy instruction.
  • Integrate LSA goals and actions with other Ministry initiatives.

LSA Secondary Schools Initiative

The purpose of this project is to improve student achievement by developing teaching-learning networks of principals, teachers and system leaders.

Building on the infrastructure and success of the Leading Student Achievement project (2005-10), the 36 schools in the LSA Secondary School Initiative will adopt LSA project strategies:

  • Tri-level approach to capacity building (school, district, system);
  • Principal Learning Teams focused on instructional leadership; and
  • Teaching-Learning Critical Pathway process for improving instructional practice, adapted to the secondary school context.

Priorities for LSA



School Paths and Conditions with Powerful Direct Effects on Student Learning:

  • Rational Path
    • Academic Press
      This is the degree to which there is a school-wide focus on student achievement. In schools with academic press, staff set high but achievable academic goals and standards, and believe their students are able to achieve those standards. Students value these goals, respond positively, and work hard to meet the challenge.
    • School Disciplinary Climate
      There is a collective belief on the part of the staff and students about the importance of minimizing indiscipline, violence or other disruptive behaviour. A sense of collective responsibility exists across the school for preventing distractions to the academic priorities of the school.
  • Emotional Path
    • Collective Teacher Efficacy
      Teachers across the school perceive that their efforts, as a whole, will have positive effects on student achievement. Teachers organize and implement whatever educational initiatives are required for students to achieve high standards of achievement.
    • Teacher Trust in Colleagues, Parents and Students
      A belief or expectation on the part of teachers that their colleagues, students and parents support the school's goals for student learning and will work toward achieving those goals.
  • Organizational Path
    • Time for Learning
      School schedules, timetables, structures, administrative behaviours, and instructional practices are all designed to ensure that students are engaged in meaningful learning as much of their time as possible. Distractions from meaningful learning are minimized.
    • PLCs
  • Family Path
    • Expectations
      Academic and occupational aspirations and expectations for children of parents, guardians and other significant members of their immediate community.
    • Reading
      The belief that children's reading improves when parents actively teach their children how to read using a variety of techniques well known to teachers of reading. The school can intervene to support parents by providing opportunities for parents to learn active forms of reading instruction.

Responsibilities of the Participants

SOs/District Leaders:

  • Participate in the provincial symposia, regional symposia and other LSA sessions
  • Work with their principal team leaders to support and facilitate the project
  • Promote LSA within their board

Principal Team Leaders: (Elementary)

  • Participate in the provincial and regional symposia
  • Develop a collaborative annual Learning Plan and submit it on behalf of their principal learning team(s)
  • Collaborate with their principal learning team to share ideas, knowledge and strategies to mobilize and sustain professional learning communities of participating schools
  • Work with the SO and board leaders to promote and spread the knowledge and goals of LSA
  • Cooperate with the research team to gather, analyze and respond to project data
  • Complete and facilitate the completion of the principal surveys
  • Communicate with LSA project partners
  • Complete a collaborative Year-End Review and submit it on behalf of their team

Principal Learning Team Members: (Elementary)

  • Participate in all team meetings
  • Collaborate with their principal learning team to share ideas, knowledge and strategies
  • Work with their school communities to communicate the goals of the project
  • Develop specific goals related to improving student achievement
  • Embed professional learning at the school level
  • Cooperate with the research team to gather, analyze and respond to project data
  • Complete the principal surveys
  • Encourage teachers to complete their (teacher) surveys

Principals: (Secondary)

  • Secondary school principals will work with their facilitators to lead their school team in planning, implementing and supporting Leithwood's learning conditions within the Teaching-Learning Critical Pathway process. School leaders will work with teachers to promote the use of proven strategies for student success (curriculum planning, moderated marking, data collection and analysis, big ideas, etc).
  • Participate in the provincial and regional symposia
  • Develop a collaborative annual Learning Plan and submit it on behalf of their school learning team
  • Work with the SO and board leaders to promote and spread the knowledge and goals of LSA
  • Cooperate with the research team to gather, analyze and respond to project data
  • Complete the principal surveys
  • Encourage department heads and teachers to complete the surveys
  • Communicate with LSA project partners
  • Complete a collaborative Year-End Review and submit it on behalf of their team

Research into Practice

The role of research under the auspices of Dr. Kenneth Leithwood encompasses the following:

  • To assess the effectiveness of the LSA project in meeting its mandate
  • To determine professional learning needs of project participants
  • To acquire data about successful instructional strategies in literacy and numeracy

Surveys of principals and teachers take place in the fall and spring of the school year. Teacher surveys are conducted through Curriculum Services Canada. In addition, Dr. Leithwood's research team conducts telephone interviews of a random sampling of principals.

Surveys are developed with input from:

  • LSA steering team
  • Representatives of the provincial principals' associations
  • Representatives from the provincial teachers' unions
  • Dr. Kenneth Leithwood

Dr. Leithwood's analysis and report on the survey data provide an assessment of the value of the LSA project, not of individual principals, teachers, schools or boards. All responses are anonymous and confidential.

Support for LSA Participants

SOs/District Leads, SAOs, Board level support staff, Principals, and their school teams

  • Professional learning based on the "research-led practice and practice into research" model
  • Provincial Symposia for elementary and secondary principal team leaders and superintendents/board coordinators
  • Facilitators to support and guide the secondary schools
  • Face-to-face workshops (for principals)
  • Web conferences on the alignment of Ontario Ministry of Education initiatives, the paths and key school conditions with direct effects on student learning, and the Networks for Learning with a focus on the Teaching-Learning Critical Pathway (TLCP)
  • Communication of successful practices: website, LSA Web Network, brochures, research reports, symposia reports, videos and facilitator's guides
  • Opportunities for involvement in regional elementary and secondary sessions for principals, SOs, board leaders and SAOs within LSA: Networks for Learning

LSA Steering Team:

The role of the steering team is to work in collaboration with the various project partners to plan, implement and support the goals of the LSA project.

  • ADFO
    • Nadine Goulet
    • Gisèle Neil
  • CPCO
    • Mary Barchiesi
    • Mary Cordeiro
  • OPC
    • Bev Miller
    • Bob Jackson
    • Joanne Robinson
    • Linda Massey (Chair)
  • LNS, Ontario Ministry of Education (EDU)
    • Christiane Gamache
    • Elaine Hine
    • Judi Kokis
    • Denis Maika
    • Judy Speirs
  • Leadership Development Branch, EDU
    • Julie Reid
  • Student Success Branch, EDU
    • Helen Beck
    • Anne Clifton
    • Karen Greenham
    • Demetra Saldaris
  • Research, Evaluation and Data Management Branch, EDU
    • Lucie McCartney
  • CSC
    • Colleen Adl
    • Jennifer Coens
    • Kathryn Robayo-Sheridan
    • Susan Howell

Participants

ADFO: 8 Districts

  • Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est
  • Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario
  • Conseil scolaire catholique de district des Grandes Rivières
  • Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord
  • Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l'Est Ontarien
  • Conseil scolaire de district des écoles catholiques du Sud-Ouest
  • Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l'Ontario
  • Le Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud

CPCO: 24 Districts

  • Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board
  • Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board
  • Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario
  • Dufferin- Peel Catholic District School Board
  • Durham Catholic District School Board
  • Halton Catholic District School Board
  • Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board
  • Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board
  • Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board
  • Kenora Catholic District School Board
  • London District Catholic School Board
  • Niagara Catholic District School Board
  • Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board
  • The Northwest Catholic District School Board
  • Ottawa Catholic School Board
  • Peterborough Victoria Northumberland & Clarington Catholic District School Board
  • Simcoe-Muskoka Catholic District School Board
  • St. Clair Catholic District School Board
  • Sudbury Catholic District School Board
  • Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
  • Toronto Catholic District School Board
  • Waterloo Catholic District School Board
  • Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board
  • York Catholic District School Board

OPC: 21 Districts

  • Bluewater District School Board
  • District School Board of Niagara
  • Durham District School Board
  • Grand Erie District School Board
  • Greater Essex District School Board
  • Halton District School Board
  • Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board
  • Hastings & Prince Edward District School Board
  • Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
  • Keewatin-Patricia District School Board
  • Lakehead District School Board
  • Limestone District School Board
  • Near North District School Board
  • Ottawa District School Board
  • Peel District School Board
  • Rainbow District School Board
  • Renfrew County District School Board
  • Thames Valley District School Board
  • Toronto District School Board
  • Upper Grand District School Board
  • Waterloo District School Board


Secondary School Strand

CPCO: 8 Districts (20 Secondary Schools)

  • Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board
  • Halton Catholic District School Board
  • Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board
  • Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board
  • Niagara Catholic District School Board
  • Peterborough Victoria Northumberland & Clarington Catholic District School Board
  • Sudbury Catholic District School Board
  • Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
  • Toronto Catholic District School Board

OPC: 6 Districts (25 Secondary Schools)

  • Bluewater District School Board
  • Hastings & Prince Edward District School Board
  • Limestone District School Board
  • Toronto District School Board
  • Upper Grand District School Board
  • Waterloo Region District School Board

ADFO: 5 Districts (11 Secondary Schools)

  • Conseil des école catholique du Centre-Est
  • Conseil des écoles publique de l'Est de l'Ontario
  • Conseil scolaire catholic de district des Grandes Rivières
  • Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud
  • Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l'Ontario