AISI conference highlights Alberta school ingenuity
Edmonton... When it comes to student learning, educators are once again showing made-in-Alberta ideas are second to none.
More than 100 homegrown strategies in areas such as early literacy, professional development, student assessment, career planning and virtual learning will be highlighted at the second annual Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) conference, January 30-31 in Calgary.
Projects from the Heart - Keeping the Dream Alive will give educators from all over Alberta the ability to learn from and incorporate some of the great AISI success stories developed at the local level that are now benefiting tens of thousands of Alberta students.
"It is thrilling for me to see AISI far surpass its intent and become an integral part of Alberta's world-class education system," said Learning Minister Dr. Lyle Oberg, who will be a keynote speaker at the conference. "We have a wonderful opportunity now to share what has been learned in schools right across Alberta and integrate these effective practices into regular programming."
AISI is creating effective techniques that support the way teachers, parents, students, and administrators work together to provide first-rate student learning and achievement. Since 1999, more than 700 AISI projects have been funded through a $68 million annual grant from Alberta Learning.
In addition to 19 showcase sessions and 40 poster presentations that highlight more than 100 initiatives now in Alberta schools, the conference will feature seven separate focus sessions that will emphasize topics that include Supporting First Nations Youth and Integrating AISI Projects.
AISI is an Alberta Learning initiative in partnership with: Alberta Home and School Councils' Association, Alberta School Boards Association, Alberta Teachers' Association, Association of School Business Officials of Alberta, College of Alberta School Superintendents and Alberta Faculties of Education.
The conference begins with Dr. Oberg's keynote speech at 8:30 a.m. at Calgary's Hyatt Regency Hotel, 700 Centre Street. (Please see attached backgrounder for conference details, including a complete list of keynote speakers)
Backgrounder
Event Details
| Event: | AISI Conference - Projects from the Heart - Keeping the Dream Alive |
| Location: | Hyatt Regency Hotel, 700 Centre Street, Calgary, Alberta |
| Date and Times: | January 30, 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. January 31, 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. |
What is AISI
The Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) is a bold approach that is having a powerful impact on improved student learning. Since 1999, education professionals across Alberta have embraced this opportunity and have created more than 700 innovative projects that meet students' needs in local communities. Some of the projects include: early literacy, professional development, student assessment, career planning and virtual learning.
Quick Facts About AISI
- Funding for AISI comes from annual grants of $68 million from Alberta Learning.
- Most of the initiatives are three-year projects.
- The majority of projects operate at the elementary level. The next largest group of projects is at the junior high level.
- Most projects are using two or more teaching strategies. The most widely used strategies are small groups, individual student programming, and teaching to accommodate different learning styles, which includes learning through experience.
- On average, projects used six measures of success to determine the impact of their project during the first year of implementation; 300 used the Provincial Achievement Tests as their primary measure.
Lessons learned:
- The importance of sharing effective practices: using results to assess strategies enables teachers to determine what worked well.
- Projects with heavy emphasis on professional development and innovative instructional techniques proved to be very successful. This is supported by the research in other improvement initiatives. Job-embedded professional development provides opportunities for teachers to learn new skills and knowledge.
- The projects that have shown biggest gains are in the area of early intervention. Another area that has shown promising results is post-secondary mathematics.
AISI Conference Key Note Speakers
Honourable Dr. Lyle Oberg, Minister of Learning
Dr. Lyle Oberg graduated as a Medical Doctor from the University of Alberta's, Faculty of Medicine in 1983. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1993. He served as Minister of Family and Social Services from 1997-1999 and was then appointed as Minister of Learning. Dr. Oberg supports a learning system that is flexible and responsive. He believes strongly in collaboration between government and stakeholders. It was under Dr. Oberg's leadership that the AISI was first launched. As Minister of Family and Social Services, he oversaw the move to community-based delivery of services for children and people with developmental disabilities. Dr. Oberg believes that innovation and collaboration are keys to ensuring that Alberta's learning system continues to be one of the best in the world.
Dr. Roland Barth is a former teacher, principal and assistant to the deans at Harvard and Princeton. Roland was director of study on the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Schools and the founding director of the Principals' Center at Harvard. After receiving his A.B. degree in Psychology from Princeton University and a master's and doctoral degree in Education from Harvard University, he served as a public school teacher and principal for fifteen years in Massachusetts, Connecticut and California. Dr. Barth is the author of many articles and of five books: Cruising Rules (1998); Improving Schools from Within (1990); Run School Run (1980); Open Education and the American School (1972); and Learning by Heart (2000). His particular fields of interest are school leadership, school improvement from within, and the personal and professional development of educators. Central to his thinking are the concepts of the school as a community of learners and as a community of leaders.
Dr. Linda Lambert, Ed.D. is Professor Emeritus at California State University Hayward, and president of Lambert Leadership Development. Dr. Lambert was a teacher, principal, district director, and coordinator of leadership academies. During the past decade, her work in leadership and leadership capacity, have taken her to Egypt, Asia, Australia, Canada and Mexico. Dr. Lambert is the lead author of the 1995 and 2002 texts The Constructivist Leader) 1st and 2nd editions) and Who Will Save Our Schools? (1997); Building Leadership Capacity in Schools (1998); Developing Leadership Capacity for School Improvement, published in London, England, and co-authored by Alma Harris (2003); and Developing Sustainable Leadership Capacity in Schools and Districts (2003). Her major areas of research involve constructivist leadership, leadership capacity, teacher leadership, school and system improvement, and women in leadership.
Dr. Debbie Silver is an award-winning educator with 30 years experience as a classroom teacher, staff development instructor and university professor. Her numerous recognitions include being Louisiana's State Finalist for the Presidential Award of Excellence in Science Teaching and the Louisiana State Teacher of the Year. Dr. Silver has given keynotes for the majority of the National Middle School Association's state affiliates conferences and has keynoted national conferences including the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC). She is a past keynote speaker for the European League of Middle Schools and has worked with middle level educators in 46 states, Canada, and Europe. Debbie's first book, Drumming to the Beat of a Different Marcher, has just been released by Incentive Publications, and she is currently speaking full time.
