Ministers of Education Release Major Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto, October 25, 2004 -- The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) today released Pan-Canadian Results of Minority Francophone Students in the School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP) – Analytic Report. This research report takes an in-depth look at how minority francophone students perform in mathematics, reading and writing, and science in the first and second cycles of the SAIP assessments.

“This research will be extremely helpful to curriculum developers and teachers in francophone schools to identify areas for action to improve the performance of students in French-language schools outside Quebec,” said Ontario Education Minister Gerard Kennedy. Ontario leads the consortium of provinces and territories (which includes all jurisdictions except Quebec and Yukon) that developed the analytic report.

A cross-disciplinary team worked with Université de Moncton researchers Rodrigue Landry and Réal Allard to develop the report for an audience of parents, school officials, teachers and the general public. Highlights:

  • A literature review shows that students' performance is positively impacted by their confidence in their abilities as well as their use of learning strategies.
  • Minority francophone students perform below the national average in reading and writing and in written science assignments.
  • Writing is the weakest area for minority francophone students.
  • Analysis shows that enhanced use of cognitive reading strategies is one of the most effective classroom strategies to improve reading performance.
  • A teaching approach designed to help students write frequently and enjoy writing is one of the most effective classroom strategies to improve writing performance.

 

The report identifies areas for action and possible joint work in teacher training and in developing resources, both in schools, for students and teachers, and in the community, to support parents and to foster partnerships between home, school, and community. The report also suggests promising avenues for research and possible action, including an analysis of the performance gender gap in reading and writing.

The project was funded by participating provinces and territories and the Department of Canadian Heritage.

“CMEC has been working for many years to promote official languages in education,” said Quebec Education Minister and CMEC Chair Pierre Reid. “My colleagues and I are pleased that CMEC is making another significant contribution to French-language education and we intend to continue in this direction.”

CMEC is an intergovernmental body composed of the ministers responsible for elementary-secondary and advanced education from the provinces and territories. Through CMEC, ministers share information and undertake projects in areas of mutual interest and concern.

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Information:
Pierre Paul Sass, CMEC
Tel.: (416) 962-8100, ext. 233
E-mail: PP.SASS
www.cmec.ca