Ontario Reform Strategy and Large-Scale Instructional Improvement

• In Event: Large-Scale Instructional Innovation and the Power of Education Research

Abstract

Ontario is widely recognized (Mourshed et al. 2010) as having made significant progress in education over a sustained period of time. This paper outlines briefly the Ontario strategy based on participant accounts, external evaluations, and documentary sources. It focuses on both the political and educational leadership required for success. Main aspects to be considered (briefly) are: design of the reform, essential conditions for success; implementation strategies and key relationships working with the education sector (Ministry of Education, districts, teachers, leaders, parents). Implications are drawn for other systems seeking to make improvements, including the need for sustained effort, a positive approach, avenues to gather and make use of feedback, effective use of research and data, and a strong focus on building professional capital as well as public support.

The Ontario approach did not constitute a single innovation but was a multi-element strategy. It did not prescribe approaches to teaching but did seek to build common approaches through working with schools. Its expansion and success depended on well designed, research-based strategies and strong collaborative efforts to spread them in schools. Using these vehicles the approach was able to generate a great deal of support, such that there have been changes in virtually every school in the province, and real and lasting improvement in student outcomes. At the same time, the usual problems of uneven implementation and local opposition for various reasons were definitely also to be found.

Research played an important role in all aspects of the work; the development of the Ontario Education Research Strategy (Campbell & McWhorter, 2013) is also briefly described.

Author

• Mary Jean Gallagher, Ontario Ministry of Education