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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Literacy is a top priority at schools throughout the Northwest Territories this year, staff say.

Connor Sanguez reads the History of Jean Marie River at Louie Norwegian School after classes in 2011. Literacy is a major focus for school in the NWT this year. - NNSL file photo

“The basic idea is we want to increase the number of students reading and writing at their grade level in our region,” said Terry Jaffray, superintendent of the Deh Cho Divisional Education Council.

Schools across the territory are gearing up programming to reach that goal.

Jaffray said for schools in the Deh Cho, that means implementing a three-year literacy plan and training teachers to think about reading and writing in new ways.

This year, teachers are participating in Stepping Out, a professional development course that teaches educators how to incorporate literacy skills into all subjects.

“It’s not so much how to read or write, but it’s about literacy across the curriculum,” Jaffray said. “For high school math and science teachers, it’s how you make sure you’re students have the literacy skills to do the work at that level.”

Renee Closs, the assistant superintendent of the Sahtu Divisional Education Council, said schools in the Sahtu region are also aiming to improve literacy.

“Each school is being asked to make that a top priority,” she said. “That will be one of our major focuses for this year.”

Closs said schools will continue to use Literacy Place, a program through Scholastics Canada geared toward students in kindergarten to Grade 3.

“We’ve been using it for the last couple of years, but we’re really getting into the nitty gritty of the program,” she said.

The council also hired a Scholastic Canada consultant, who visits schools in the region to work on literacy strategies. The consultant is scheduled to return to schools in October and November.

Literacy a concern in the NWT

According to the territory’s literary strategy, Towards Literacy: A Strategy Framework 2008-2018, students in smaller communities are not demonstrating skills they should have for their grade levels. Only 39 per cent of students in grades 1 to 9 were functioning at their grade level in English/Language Arts. Math skills were also low.

Overall, 48 per cent of all students in the NWT were demonstrating skills below level 3 prose literacy, the international standard for an individual to be considered functionally literate.

New initiatives

A new kindergarten program will be introduced throughout the territory this fall as well, Jaffray said. The curriculum will focus on hands-on learning.

“What’s exciting about that is it’s a play-based curriculum,” she said. “Instead of kids at tables using pencil and paper and a teacher at the front of the classroom, it’s more about work stations.”

Jaffray said teachers trained for the new program in the spring and again over the summer.

“They’re getting a lot of support to make this transition,” she said.

Sahtu region teachers have also been participating in a program called Project CRISS – Creating Independence through Student Owned Strategies, Closs said.

It is “a professional development program designed to help all students read, write, and learn more effectively,” according to its website.

Closs said schools are also looking at ways to improve attendance, such as recognizing students who attend class regularly.

“Here in Norman Wells, they have certificates so at their monthly celebrations they give certificates to students who have top attendance,” she said.

But Jaffray said sometimes reward programs don’t work.

“They’re very limited, they don’t last,” she said. “We’re hoping by making schools student friendly, we’re going to motivate them. We’re hoping that’s what’s going to turn kids on to becoming regular (attendees).”

Curtis Brown, supervisor of the South Slave Divisional Education Council, said he agreed.

“The strategy that seems to bring us the greatest success is programming based on students’ needs and interests,” he said.

Schools in the South Slave region are implementing a career development program, thanks to a partnership between the education council and local career development centres.

“They’ll be developing and instilling in students a desire for choosing careers,” Brown said. “They’ll hopefully be using that as a motivator to be successful in school as well.”

While details haven’t yet been finalized, a career development co-ordinator has been hired and the program will include career fairs and helping students become more familiar with possible career choices.

“That would have an impact on the kinds of courses they take and the effort they put into their schooling,” Brown said.

Schools will also continue with programs to boost literacy, which Brown said have been successful.

“Since 2007 we’ve had a literacy initiative,” he said. “We’ve actually been really pleased with the results we’ve achieved.”

The Phoenix School in Fort Smith, an alternative school, is also helping students graduate.

“It’s individualizing their programs to meet their needs so they can graduate,” he said. “It’s drawing young adults back to school.”

Technology in the classroom

Schools in the Deh Cho region are using technology to enhance lessons and learning experiences for students, Jaffray said.

“We’re really trying to use digital media to motivate our kids,” she said. “Kids use all kind of technology right now and many of us don’t. We want to make sure our teachers know how to use and are using technologies in the classroom.”

Last year, all teachers were equipped with an Ipad and were taught how to use them. Jaffray said the technology can be used for countless educational purposes, including aboriginal language studies.

“One of the neat things is the Dene language application that’s on there,” she said. “It’s a terrific way of motivating our young people to want to learn their language.”

Schools are also offering an Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Program, a credit course that will be available to Grade 11 and 12 students. The Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative, founded by former Prime Minister Paul Martin, sponsors the program.

New school for Inuvik

Students in Inuvik are getting ready to start school in a brand-new building on Sept. 10, said Roy Cole, superintendent of schools for the Beaufort Delta Education Council. The new building will replace both Samuel Hearne Secondary School and Sir Alexander Mackenzie School and will offer classes from kindergarten to Grade 12.

Cole said the new East 3 facility will feature 300 new computers, Smart boards in every classroom and a wireless internet network.

“We are opening a fantastic facility, it’s new, it’s modern,” he said.

The school will also be the hub for a new e-learning program which will provide online courses to schools in other parts of the region. Some new courses will include physics, biology and chemistry, which are often not available in smaller schools. The e-learning program in Inuvik is a partnership between Beaufort Delta Education Council, the department of Education, Culture and Employment and Northwestel.

“The benefit to offering these programs are these are programs that typically the students in the communities would not have an opportunity to do,” Cole said.

“It enables them to do courses that will enable them to get into post secondary institutions,” he said. “That’s one of the biggest positives on it.”

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