First Nations, Métis and Inuit student success celebrated on National Aboriginal Day
Promising Practices Reports to be shared across the education systemEdmonton ...The provincial government has released two reports, which identifies promising practices used by several Alberta schools to heighten academic achievement and support high school completion among First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) students.
The release of the reports coincides with a National Aboriginal Day celebration at St. Francis of Assisi School in Edmonton , one of two schools highlighted in Promising Practices in First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education – Case Study of Two Alberta Schools . Le Roi Daniels Elementary School in Calgary is the other school documented in the report.
Some of the areas both schools focused on were improving literacy, meeting the learning needs of individual students and building capacity for teachers by allowing them one half day a week for professional development in FNMI education.
“One of our goals is to ensure student success, and these reports demonstrate how school jurisdictions and Aboriginal communities have worked together to attain this goal,” said Education Minister Ron Liepert. “P rogress is being made across the province through new, locally driven approaches in school environments that encourage Aboriginal student and parent engagement.”
St. Francis of Assisi School and Le Roi Daniels Elementary School were selected from 16 pilot schools (K-12) outlined in a second report, The First Nations, Métis and Inuit School-Community Learning Environment Project – Promising Practices , which includes a wide variety of innovative school-based practices focusing on: Parent and Community Engagement; Cultural and Language Programming; Teachers, Instruction and Curriculum; Professional Development; and Student Support. Alberta Education provided $1.5 million over two years to support school jurisdictions for the research project. Copies of both reports are available on-line at: http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/FNMI.
Alberta Education is committed annually to continuing promising practices reviews of Alberta schools that demonstrate positive outcomes for FNMI students and sharing these approaches with the broader education community.
Fostering FNMI student success is a strategic priority for the department and is directly linked to one of the key actions under Premier Ed Stelmach's plan to build a stronger Alberta . Other priorities for the government are to improve Albertans' quality of life, govern with integrity and transparency, manage growth pressures, and provide safe and secure communities.
Backgrounder
Promising Practices in First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education ReportsAlberta Education has developed two promising practices reports in First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) education to assist school authorities to improve outcomes for FNMI students.
Local, school-based initiatives across Alberta have demonstrated a very tangible, positive effect on addressing the challenges unique to FNMI students. Studying these local initiatives has provided Alberta Education with valuable information in support of FNMI student success.
In March 2003, Alberta Education began preparatory work for the First Nations, Métis and Inuit School-Community Learning Environment Project to address a recognized achievement gap between FNMI and non FNMI learners. Implementation of the project occurred during the 2004-05 school year with the objective of addressing the needs of FNMI learners in 16 pilot schools across Alberta . A collaborative approach among school staffs, Aboriginal parents, Elders, jurisdiction leaders, Alberta Education, and Aboriginal communities resulted in the implementation of a wide variety of innovative practices designed to improve FNMI student outcomes at individual pilot schools. The FNMI School-Community Learning Environment Project – Promising Practices Report (2007) highlights these promising practices in light of current research.
Subsequently, two pilot schools were selected from the 16 project schools for further in-depth study. The Promising Practices in First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education – Case Studies of Two Alberta Schools (2007) report provides an extensive look at promising practices within these two specific school environments.
Please find attached executive summaries of these two reports. The full report can be downloaded from the Alberta Education Web site at http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/FNMI.
