The partnership between secondary and post-secondary deemed an innovative learning environment
As the first day of school for Olds High's 2011-2012 year creeps ever closer, OHS is ushering in a new school year with exciting news.
OHS and the Community Learning Campus have been shortlisted as one of 10 schools internationally to be selected as an innovative learning environment by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development).
“It is a big world with seven billion people, and I am honoured that they would take note of what we are doing at OHS,” said OHS Principal Tom Christensen.
Christensen noted the significance that OHS and the CLC (jointly) are the only school chosen from Canada for the study.
In January of 2009, an application was submitted to the OECD's Centre for Educational Research and Innovations (CERI) by Pat Bidart, Olds College associate vice-president academic and Dot Negropontes, Chinook's Edge School Division's former associate superintendent.
“The OECD was in search of innovative learning environments at secondary levels, and Olds High School, as part of the Community Learning Campus project, seemed to be a good example of that,” said Negropontes.
As a result of the submission, OHS was selected to be part of what OECD calls the “Universe,” a selection of 40 to 50 schools from around the world, and from there was further selected to be part of the “Observatory,” along with nine other schools internationally chosen for detailed case study research.
The case study will use a variety of methods, including the review of documents, observations of learning and resources, and interviews and focus groups with teachers, students, administrators and leaders from the district and the school.
The nature and history of innovation at Olds High School will be taken into consideration, as well as the structure and organization of learning and its level of quality there.
“Each of the identified sites have been selected based on innovations relating to the core enterprise of learning and teaching at the ‘micro' level,” said Negropontes.
Observatory research was originally scheduled for completion sometime in 2009, but hadn't begun until this past spring, said Negropontes.
“The Olds High School is distinctive because of its particular approach to pedagogy, curriculum, teaching and assessment at the secondary school level,” she said.
In the weeks before the 2010/2011 school year came to a close, Sharon Friesen of the University of Calgary and a team of researchers were studying the varying aspects of the learning environment that comprise the OHS and the CLC's unique partnership.
Friesen was selected by the OECD to conduct the Canadian portion of the research.
“She spent a day at the Olds High School visiting classrooms and study areas, collecting information through interviews and observation of students and staff,” said Christensen.
“(She was) examining various aspects of the learning environment and how we are trying to improve student engagement with the CLC partnership.”
“It just so happened that she came for the second visit on our year-end barbecue so she saw OHS with its hair down so to speak.”
“It is an amazing honour to be recognized as the only school in Canada in the short list,” said Christensen.
“Sharon asked a lot about the road that has got OHS to this stage,” said Christensen. “It has taken time, and we as a staff have gone down the road together.”
“I don't want to be content with where we are but rather would focus on what we can become as a school. The pressure to always improve is going to be a part of our culture.”
Christensen noted while huge strides have been made through innovation, technology, career pathways, and dual credit through the Olds College, he feels the journey has only begun.
“The future is truly what is exciting.”
