The real methodology for system change begins and ends with ongoing conversations about important questions.
Tony Wagner
District and School Planning is the collaborative process whereby we identify our strengths as a schooling enterprise and highlight areas for further development. The planning process is intended to enhance and support meaningful learning and development at the classroom, school and district levels. The planning process is built around four key house posts including: 1) Vision to Goal Setting; 2) Planning and Implementation; 3) Monitor, Evaluate, and Adapt; and 4) Communicating Progress.
The term ‘House Post’ is significant in Indigenous Culture. As the foundation of a stable home for people to live in, strong house posts represent a solid structure that withstands the forces against it.
Education is a complex field that is changing in fundamental ways as globalization, information technology, and cultural pluralism shape what it means to be an “Educated Citizen”. The enhancement of student engagement and learning can only happen through quality teaching and learning experiences. As educators, our direct influence on student development and outcomes is through the quality of our curriculum design, instructional techniques, assessment practices, and creating a safe and caring environment where students are valued and belong. Essentially, it is the enhancement of the ‘Pillars of Educational Practice’ that leads to greater student engagement and learning.
The North Vancouver School District’s Framework to Enhance Student Learning is focused on developing educators (professional and para-professional) and enriching the learning environment through modern pedagogy. We align our thinking with the research in the field of education, that it is ‘only’ through the development of the “Pillars of Educational Practice” consistent with ‘best practices’ that student learning will be enhanced. The attention to meaningful educator development and practice leads to deeper learning, enhanced graduation rates, grade to grade transitions, and student dispositions attuned to the Attributes of an Educated Citizen.