Caitlin Cleveland: New Curriculum and Assessment Tools
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to provide an update on implementing the draft Northwest Territories’ curriculum for Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 students. As a mother of three school-aged children and one who values innovation and critical and creative thinking, this is an exciting time for our students.
The British Columbia Curriculum is renowned for its high education standards and is uniquely designed to offer students a balanced and innovative approach to learning. It allows youth to learn through multiple pathways to encourage them to find their interests and learn various skills by exploring concepts practically rather than passively. Ultimately, it is designed to connect learning with the real world.
Introducing a new curriculum is no small task, and we have made significant progress. This school year, we started trialling an adapted version of British Columbia’s curriculum in Grades 4, 5, and 6, as well as in some Grade 9 classrooms. The new curriculum provides more opportunities for teachers to promote deeper learning. In this trialing stage, NWT teachers are encouraged to try aspects of the new curriculum, explore new teaching approaches with their students and provide feedback to the department about what works and what could be improved.
We are on track with our five key implementation areas, which include releasing a timeline for trialing and finalizing the curriculum in each grade;
determining Grade 12 graduation requirements; and
providing professional learning for teachers through in-person training workshops and online courses.
Mr. Speaker, we recently launched an online tool and forum for teachers trialling the adapted curriculum. This site allows teachers to discuss, network, submit questions, review materials, and find other helpful resources.
We have also set up working groups of NWT teachers and subject matter experts for each school subject to ensure they fit our territory’s context. We want to ensure Indigenous worldviews, knowledge, and perspectives are reflected in the curriculum. We are also publishing drafts for each subject online as they are ready, which anyone can review and provide feedback on.
Mr. Speaker, this fall, we started changing our student assessment tools and practices to align with the new curriculum. These include an interim report card introducing students and families to a new marking system. This year, students in grades trialling the new curriculum will be assessed using the Proficiency Scale.
Instead of seeing marks like 100% or A-plus on their report cards, students will receive a level on the scale and written comments that clearly explain how they are doing, areas they need to work on, and a plan for moving forward.
When students receive a mark on their report card, like a percentage or a letter grade, there is often an emphasis on the mark itself and comparing it with others instead of focusing on how, or if, students are learning.
Mr. Speaker, focusing on student learning will allow for more meaningful conversations about student progress. The scale views learning as ongoing rather than signaling that learning is done once you receive a certain grade.
The three key elements of this new curriculum design are:
the Content, what students know;
Competencies, what students can do;
and the Big Ideas, what students understand.
Mr. Speaker, this curriculum aspires to prepare students for the future by centring the learner with flexible learning focused on literacy and numeracy while supporting deeper learning through concept-based and competency-driven approaches. Our economic foundation relies on a solid education, and I am happy that students across the territory have the opportunity to benefit from this new, more modern way of learning.