Page 40 - Creating Pathways to Success

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CREATING PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS
6.3
and arts curricula as well as through extracurricular and volunteer opportunities in the school. In a secondary school, it could identify opportunities to explore the four inquiry questions through compulsory courses such as English in Grade 9 and Career Studies and Civics and Citizenship in Grade 10; through more specialized programs such as cooperative education and the Specialist High Skills Major program in Grades 11 and 12; and through the graduation requirement of community involvement hours as well as through various leadership opportunities in the school or community.
The committee is also responsible for:
• planning and communicating to classroom and other educators in the school who will coordinate and conduct the two required annual reviews of student learning based on the “All About Me” portfolio or IPP;
• ensuring that processes are in place in every school to assist students, as they move from Grade 6 to Grade 7, in summarizing and transferring the key learning from their “All About Me” portfolio to their IPP;
• coordinating the implementation and review of the Student Exit Surveys required at the end of Grades 8 and 12 (see section 6.5).
The advisory committee must ensure that cross-panel and family-of-school linkages are established, where possible, in order to support students who are making a transition from one school to another or from one grade to the next.
Engaging Parents in the Program
Parents in Partnership: A Parent Engagement Policy for Ontario Schools, 2010
describes the critical role that parents play in student achievement and success and the need for school boards and schools to develop plans for involving parents in their children’s learning and the life of the school.
Parents play a vital role in education. When parents are engaged and involved, everyone – students, parents and families, teachers, schools, and communities – benefits, and our schools become increasingly rich and positive places to teach, learn, and grow. (p. 5)
Research indicates that the majority of students view their parents as their primary source of support for career planning (King et al., 2009). In view of this, it is particularly important to provide opportunities for parents to engage in an ongoing dialogue with the school and their children about education and career/ life planning. Schools and school boards are encouraged to develop programs
that help parents acquire the competencies they need to effectively support their children in becoming competent and confident career/life planners. In addition to encouraging parents to become involved in activities at the school, these programs should focus on ways to support parents at home.