BCTF Information Services—Research & Reports

First National Survey on Homophobia in Canadian Schools
Egale Canada, May 2008 (backgrounder)

Results from the first phase of this survey on homophobia and transphobia in Canadian schools reveal that over two-thirds of those students who identified as lesbian, gay, bi, trans and Two-Spirit, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) feel unsafe at school.  The first survey of its kind in Canada, it was launched in December of last year and so far has heard from over 1,200 participants from cities, small towns, rural areas, reserves, armed forces bases in every province and territory of the country.

Public Agenda and National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality
Lessons Learned: New Teachers Talk about Their Jobs, Challenges and Long-Range Plans
May 2008 (Issue No. 3); 38 pages

The third in a series of reports on new teachers finds two specific areas in which teacher training may be lacking: preparedness for the diversity of the contemporary American classroom and teaching students with special needs.  First year teachers say that smaller class sizes would ameliorate both challenges.

The 2008 Composite Learning Index: Measuring Canada's Progress in Lifelong Learning
Canadian Council on Learning, 2008; 49 pages

2008 results for the Composite Learning Index (CLI), an annual measure of Canada’s progress in lifelong learning, show a slight improvement from last year. Based on statistical indicators that reflect the many ways Canadians learn, in school, at home, at work or within the community, the CLI provides numeric scores for 4,700 cities and communities across Canada.

Making the Grade: A Review of Alternative Education Programs in BC
Vancouver, BC: The McCreary Centre Society, 2008; 70 pages

This report offers a review of alternative education programs in BC. Three hundred thirty-nine youth attending 34 alternative education programs for "at-risk" and "high risk" youth across the province took part in the study, as did 62 adult stakeholders. The review documents the positive impact of these programs for at-risk youth, especially in communities where there is a high prevalence of youth street involvement and sexual exploitation.

Christensen, Clayton M. and Michael B. Horn
How Do We Transform Our Schools?
Education Next, Summer 2008, pp. 13-19

Computer-based learning is on the cusp of transforming traditional public education, say researchers from Harvard Business School.  Based on their analysis of enrollments, about half of all education courses will be delivered online in just over a decade's time.  The authors offer examples where online education could fill gaps and discuss the concept of "disruptive innovation".

Students on the Move: Ways to Address the Impact of Mobility Among Aboriginal Students
Lessons in Learning, May 15, 2008
Canadian Council on Learning

The effect of mobility on Aboriginal students' high-school completion rates suggests that the educational system is not currently meeting these students' needs.  An outline of best practices developed by the Australian Department of Education to support mobile Aboriginal students is provided.  These practices are deemed likely to be effective in Canadian contexts. 

Canadians Support Unions, But Many Think They Are Too Political
Angus Reid Strategies, May 1, 2008 release

Canadians perceive labour unions as an essential part of our society but think they have become too entangled in political activities, a new Angus Reid Strategies poll has found.  In the online survey of a representative national sample, more than half of all respondents think unions effectively improve the salaries and working conditions of employees but many are not at ease with workers exercising their right to strike.

Declining Enrolment in Ontario Schools (an excerpt from the 2008 Annual Report on Ontario’s Public Schools)
Toronto, ON: People for Education; 2008,  11 pages.

A recent report from People for Education highlights trends in Ontario, and across Canada, towards declining school enrolment and suggests that new strategies are needed to address the issue. The report also lists changes in enrolments for Ontario school boards and identifies districts where school closures are under consideration.

Pepler, Debra and others
Developmental Trajectories of Bullying and Associated Factors
Child Development 79 (2), pp. 325–338, March/April 2008

Researchers from York University in Toronto and Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, interviewed 871 Canadian children each year from ages 10 to 18.  They found that students who bully their classmates also tend to have lots of conflicts with parents, friends, and others.  Dr. Pepler sais that instead of focusing on bullies’ problematic social skills, educators and counselors should broaden their efforts to address all the unhealthy relationships in the lives of young bullies.

Pan-Canadian Assessment Program
PCAP-13 2007: Report on the Assessment of 13-Year Olds in Reading, Mathematics, and Science
Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, 2008; 149 pages

The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) released their first report from the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP) on the evaluation of 13-year-old students across Canada in Reading, Mathematics, and Science. Results gathered in this report indicate that most students across Canada are reading at and above the expected level of performance for their age group.