montage horizon 10' x10' #5 - quebec.ca

Secondary school transformed

HORIZON2005

Fostering the success of Québec students

A class at École Hormisdas-Gamelin in Buckingham

English version:Direction de la production en langue anglaiseServices à la communauté anglophoneMinistère de l’Éducation

Published by:Direction des communicationsMinistère de l’Éducation

This document is available at<www.meq.gouv.qc.ca>

We thank the schools and school boards who provided the pictures in this document.

© Gouvernement du Québec

Ministère de l’Éducation, 2003-02-01766ISBN 2-550-40432-7

Legal deposit – Bibliothèque nationale du Québec 2003

Secondary school

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FOSTERING THE SUCCESS OF QUÉBEC STUDENTS 3

The Québec government has adopted an action plan, Horizon 2005, for building a better Québec. In so doing, the government hasmade the transformation of secondary school one of its priorities.

We have one of the best education systems in the world: consider our enrollment rates and our students’ performance on internationalexaminations. We have been working steadfastly to improve the quality of our programs of study and the support provided to Québecstudents.

However, despite results of which we can be proud, too many young people do not finish school. Our goal is the educational successof all students. For this reason, we must now do more for secondary schools, which we are transforming in order to provide studentswith better learning, more support and a school environment that is more stimulating.

When I was appointed Minister of Education, I set three essential conditions for the implementation of the reform at the secondarylevel: that teachers have access to training, that instructional materials be ready to use and that we support a "soft landing" to allowthe whole educational community, especially students and teachers, to properly assimilate the concepts of the reform. Theseconditions have all been met. We will now push forward with the transformation of secondary school, namely by providing training toteachers and promoting the emergence of better student support. Our goal from now until we have completely implemented the reformin secondary school is for each student to receive personal assistance, support and follow-up from a teacher, through a tutoring orhomeroom system approach.

In the past five years, substantial investments have been allocated for complementary services and support for students who areexperiencing difficulties in school. These efforts are already starting to show results and will be pursued. Furthermore, young peoplewill have access to a range of integrated services, thanks to agreements between the Ministère de l’Éducation and the Ministère dela Santé et des Services sociaux. Finally, the What's Up After School program should help to create a more stimulating environmentin which extracurricular activities will allow young people to put the competencies acquired during class into practice.

By transforming secondary school, we will be even better able to guide each student along on the path to success. This is indeed amajor undertaking, but also an exciting project in which I invite you all to participate.

Message from the Minister of State for Education and Employment

Sylvain Simard

Minister of State for Education and Employment

SYLVAIN SIMARD

Secondary school

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A Four-Point Action Plan – A Vision of the future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Investments for the future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Secondary school in transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Improved learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

More support and guidance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

A more stimulating school environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

A community working with its school . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Fostering the success of all students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Table of contents

Secondary school

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A vision of the future1. IMPROVED LEARNINGA transformed secondary school will provide more concreteeducation: students will put their knowledge to work and thusdevelop competencies that will be useful throughout their studiesand everyday lives. This education will be sound and betteradapted to our evolving society thanks to the new QuébecEducation Program, which will be implemented in all Québecsecondary schools as of September 2004. Teachers will work inteams for the benefit of students and take all facets of students’progress into consideration when evaluating them.

2. MORE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCEThe new secondary school will be characterized by the fact thatit will provide better guidance to students. This means followingtheir progress, being centred on their needs, supporting themand providing means that are adapted to their reality so thatthey succeed. It means closely monitoring students who areexperiencing difficulties. It also means giving all students themeans to become more responsible for their education. Supportand guidance is often provided by teams of teachers whocollaborate in order to better monitor their students. It can alsobe facilitated by the presence of stable groups and homeroomteachers who have a closer relationship with each of theirstudents, as well as with their parents.

3. A MORE STIMULATING SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTThe transformation of secondary school is intended to create anenvironment that is more motivating, where students will enjoylearning and strive to become the best they can. Learningmethods will be different, more dynamic and often project-based.Under the What's Up After School program, there will be moreactivities for young people, providing them with the opportunity tointerrelate with their peers and adults, to improve their level offitness, to develop some of their skills and, above all, to draw onthe competencies developed in class.

4. A COMMUNITY WORKING WITH ITS SCHOOLThe secondary school of tomorrow will be open to its environment.It will be supported like never before by its community for whomcombating the dropout problem will be perceived as a collectiveresponsibility. This is what the New Approaches, New Solutionsintervention strategy is all about: supporting secondary schools witha high proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.School administrators and teaching staff will draw on communityresources to enrich learning and support students. Communityorganizations and groups could support the development of extra-curricular activities and work to prevent taxing and drug abuse.

A Four-Point Action PlanFostering the success of all students and countering the dropout problem

École Saint-Cœur-de-Marie inRivière-à-Pierre

Secondary school

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FOSTERING THE SUCCESS OF QUÉBEC STUDENTS6

Meeting basic needsStarting this year, the government of Québec will invest substantial amounts to meet basic needs regarding the transformation ofsecondary school. Students and teachers will especially benefit from the measures that will be implemented.

• Teacher training and implementation of curriculum reform (5 years) $50.0M

• Support and guidance (provision of facilities) $16.5M

• Laboratory facilities and purchase of equipment for Secondary I and II $25.0M

Total: $91.5M

Major investments promisedIn 2002, the government of Québec and the school boards committed themselves to making major investments that will bring tangiblebenefits to Québec secondary schools.

• New Approaches, New Solutions (support to schools in disadvantaged neigbourhoods) $125.0M

• What's Up After School (extracurricular activities) $102.3M*

• Purchase of textbooks (one student, one textbook, one subject) $222.0M

Total: $449.3M

* Funding could also come from the community.

Investments for the future

The government of Québec will invest over $500 M to transform secondary school.

Secondary school

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Schools moving forwardThe transformation of secondary school is already under waysince the school system is preparing to implement the QuébecEducation Program in Secondary Cycle One (Secondary I and II)by September 2004. Fifteen pilot schools and many partners ofthe Ministère de l’Éducation have done an initial validation of theprogram. This examination involved close to 1 200 participants.The pilot schools are also drawing up new organizational modelsto improve the support and guidance provided to students.

As of September 2003, 70 schools will be experimenting in a moreconcrete way with various aspects of the new curriculum.

In September 2004, all Québec secondary schools will implementthe Québec Education Program in their classrooms.

Already showing resultsSigns of the transformation are already visible. In order to addressa series of problems (dropout rate, poverty, violence, etc.), schooladministrators, teachers, professionals and even members ofthe community have searched for and come up with solutions:they have put their schools on the path to change.

These schools have found different ways to support students intheir learning: providing better guidance for their academicprogress, helping them become familiar with information andcommunication technologies, providing them with a stimulatingenvironment where they can continue to learn after classes, andgetting the community more involved.These schools are alreadyworking in the spirit of the curriculum reform, preparing the wayfor the secondary school of tomorrow. This brochure containsseveral examples in a number of communities throughoutthe province of secondary schools that are already beingtransformed.

Secondary school in transformation

A teacher with students from École Saint-Cœur-de-Marie in Rivière-à-Pierre in the region of Portneuf

Secondary school

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Support for teacher trainingIn order to support teachers in the implementation of the QuébecEducation Program, the government of Québec will invest $10Min training needs over the next five years.

New science and technology laboratoriesThanks to an allocation of $20M, a number of science laboratoriesfor Secondary I and II students will be updated to meet therequirements of the new curriculum and allow for science andtechnology experiments. An allocation of $5M will also be madefor the purchase of technological equipment for all secondaryschools.

One student, one textbook, one subjectThe government of Québec together with the school boards isimplementing a $222M investment plan for the purchase oftextbooks for secondary school students. As a result, eachstudent in elementary and secondary school will have a textbookfor each subject that reflects the curriculum reform. The goal is:one student, one textbook, one subject. Eight million books willbe made available to Québec students.

Improved learning

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The new curriculum in secondary school• More time devoted to teaching French – from 450 to 600

hours (Secondary I, II and III)

• More time devoted to teaching history and citizenshipeducation – from 200 to 450 hours

• An integrated science and technology program

• More time devoted to arts education

• An education program whose goals include:

• a sound basic education for all students

• the cooperation of the entire school staff to help students

• the development of general competencies that will beuseful throughout students’ lives: to exercise criticaljudgment, to process information, to work in a team, to useinformation and communication technologies, etc.

• the development of subject-specific competencies thatenable students

• to understand social realities, current events, etc.

• to appreciate dramatic, musical and literary works, etc.

• to solve problems related to mathematics, science,ethics, health, etc.

Improved learning

• to communicate, to express themselves in writingor using other means, in English and French and usingthe artistic languages, etc.

• to create music, dances, texts, pictures, etc.

• learning based on real-life problems: the environment,consumer rights and responsibilities, health and well-being,life in society, etc.

A lively classroom at École Hormisdas-Gamelin in Buckingham

Secondary school

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A gateway to the labour marketAt École secondaire Bernard-Gariépy (Commission scolairede Sorel-Tracy), the career exploration program Unité de travailmodulaire (UTM) is intended for at-risk students. Besides fosteringtheir success, it provides them with opportunities to enroll invocational and technical education. This program allows allstudents aged 15 or over to do remedial work in core subjects andto be eligible for a program leading to a Diploma of VocationalStudies. If they have successfully acquired Secondary II-levellearnings, students may participate in career exploration activitiesthat will facilitate their vocational education choices. Studentsbenefit from special support and guidance in groups that arenever larger than 20 people.

Improved learning

In its latest annual report,* the Conseil supérieur de l’éducationproposes to "introduce more flexibility into the education system’sstructure by diversifying educational paths." This would providesecondary school students with access to a greater number ofpaths to acquire an education. They might even take vocationaleducation and then continue their studies at the college level.

* La gouverne de l’éducation: priorités pour les prochaines années, 2001-2002annual report of the Conseil supérieur de l’éducation [Free Translation].These two students from École

secondaire Bernard-Gariépy are interested in basic machining

Four students from École secondaire Bernard-Gariépy experiment with new technology(numerical control)

Secondary school

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Students develop more than simple computer skills and areencouraged to explore the whole ICT universe. The Internetalso provides parents and teachers with an excellent means ofcommunication. The various multimedia tools serve the educationalproject, which focuses on interdisciplinarity and the developmentof cooperation among young people. The production in teams ofa brochure, for example, requires that students master editingtechniques, but the conception and creation of the document alsoinvolves preliminary research, good language and communicationskills and a number of skills related to the arts.

Education at work and the guidance-oriented approachAt Polyvalente de Disraeli (Commission scolaire de L’Amiante),the vice-principal, along with a geography teacher, a guidancecounsellor and an academic and vocational counsellor, developeda project to integrate teaching and guidance, to foster theacquisition of good work habits and to mobilize the entireschool staff. In terms of learning, students were better able todescribe the world population, to make connections betweenearned income and diet and to recognize the consequencesof poverty and wealth on living conditions. They were thusintroduced to international cooperation. Such a program is possiblethanks to the collaboration of members of the school staff andto the decompartmentalization of complementary services.

A well-connected schoolAt École Les Compagnons-de-Cartier in Québec City (Commissionscolaire des Découvreurs), the Protic project allows approximately350 students from Secondary I to V to take advantage ofinformation and communication technologies (ICT) in order to learn.

Improved learning

A teacher and students from ÉcolePolyvalente de Disraëli

Students registered in the Protic programme at École

Les Compagnons-de-Cartier in Sainte-Foy uselaptop computers in the classroom

Secondary school

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Improved learning

Connecting remote regions At École Jacques-Rousseau (Commission scolaire de laBaie-James), the notion of "remote region" has taken on newmeaning since this school started participating in the L’écoleéloignée en réseau project implemented by the Ministère del’Éducation, in collaboration with the Centre francophone d’infor-matisation des organisations (CEFRIO). Located in Radisson,in Québec’s far north, the school has 24 secondary schoolstudents, who are grouped in multi-grade classes. In particular,the project will link École Jacques-Rousseau to Écolesecondaire Les Compagnons-de-Cartier in Québec City, locatedmore than 1 600 kilometres away. Thanks to the developmentof the information highway, the staff and students will haveaccess to delayed-time and, more importantly, dynamic real-timeservices. The purpose is to improve the quality of teaching, butalso to diversify instructional services and to facilitate access toa greater number of resources.

An equal-opportunity networkWhen a decline in the population of a rural area entails a drop inthe number of students, this raises the issue of equal opportunitiescompared with young people from more densely populatedareas. The Distance Education Community Network solves thisproblem. For example, it enables a mathematics teacher to givea course to a class of students, some of whom are in the GaspéPeninsula and some of whom are in Témiscamingue. Developedby the Western Québec, Central Québec and Eastern Shoresschool boards, this network allows teaching in real-time andcreates a direct relationship between teacher and student.For the five teachers and their 60 students from ten schools,regardless of the subject area, it’s almost as if the class were full.

A student from École Jacques-Rousseauin Radisson (Baie-James) interactswith her teacher via computer

Secondary school

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Financial support

To support homeroom teachers and tutors, $16.5M will be invested inimproving and/or creating offices to facilitate the guidance and follow-up of students, and hold meetings with parents. In all, 400 secondary schoolswill benefit from this measure.

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Giving students a reference point

"What do we mean by more support and guidance?

We are referring to schools centred on students’ needs;schools composed of stable groups, for example.

These are schools where teachers, as a team, can effectivelymonitor the progress of their group of students. Support andguidance also refers to the idea of having a homeroom teacherwho serves as a home base and reference point for students.

Homeroom teachers are people who can ensure that all theirstudents are making good progress, not only in their courses,but also in those given by other teachers. Homeroom teachersfacilitate communication between all the other teachers for thesame group of students. When it comes to the integration ofknowledge, this is an important point to consider. They are alsoreliable people who can reassure parents and suggest activitiesto stimulate their children."

Sylvain Simard, Minister of State for Education and EmploymentJune 12, 2002

More support and guidance

Two teachers and two students at École Saint-Cœur-de-Marie

in Rivière-à-Pierre

Secondary school

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"A deeper understanding of the students with whom we are more oftenin contact, over a longer period of time, makes it easier to observe theirwork and to make adjustments quickly."Sylvie Roussy, teacher at École Louis-Joseph-Papineau in Papineauville (Commission scolaire au Cœur-des-Vallées)

Integrated groups and homeroom teachingAt École Secondaire Sainte-Anne in Daveluyville* (Commissionscolaire des Bois-Francs), the establishment of integratedSecondary I, II and III groups allows students to benefit from akind of homeroom teaching. Two groups of 25 students makeuse of three adjoining classrooms, including a workshop in themiddle with large worktables and computers. Four teachers areresponsible for pedagogical activities and share the supervisionof students. Mornings are devoted to individual learning andafternoons, to project-based learning. Boys particularly appreciatethis work setting because of the constant use of information andcommunication technologies.

* The asterisk indicates that it is one of fifteen pilot schools validating the QuébecEducation Program at the secondary level.


A discussion among a teacher andstudents from École Secondaire

Sainte-Anne in the Bois-Francs region

Secondary school

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Support and guidance in a variety of waysAt École La Source* (Commission scolaire de Rouyn-Noranda),a project involving the integration of subjects is aimed at studentswho are experiencing learning difficulties and who are attendingSecondary Cycle One for a third year. A team of six teachersworks with these students in various subjects. The studentsare better supported, more involved in their learning and find iteasier to develop a learning plan. Moreover, students choosethe tutor who will support them throughout the school year.

École Cavelier-de-LaSalle* (Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys) has created closed groups with tutors forSecondary I students. In September 2002, these groups wereset up in Secondary II. The school has also implementedhomeroom teaching for all Secondary III groups.

A discussion between a teacher and one of her students form École Cavelier-de-LaSalle

Two groups from École La Source in Rouyn-Noranda with their teacher

Secondary school

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Objective: To succeed in the regular sector . . .At École Sacré-Cœur, in Granby* (Commission scolaire du Val-des-Cerfs), three teachers asked the principal if they could work withabout 60 students from the regular sector who had a historyof academic failure. These Secondary II students had lowerself-esteem and motivation as a result of their poor marks. Oneof the keys to success with these students has been bettersupport. For example, all three teachers taught several subjectsin order to spend more time with their students. Consequently,90% of the students completed Secondary II and are nowenrolled in Secondary III in the regular sector.

. . . with parents who are never far awayIn order to give École Sacré-Cœur students better opportunitiesfor success, two French teachers are offering parents a courseto help them provide their children with support in reading andwriting at the secondary level (Soutien au développement descompétences de lecture et d’écriture au secondaire). Given over aperiod of eight evenings, this course is also available to parents ofstudents in Grade 6 who will soon be attending secondary school.Parents learn how to organize a supportive work environment athome for their children and to provide follow-up that is notcontrolling. The goal is to encourage young people to read and write.

A class at École PolyvalenteNicolas-Gatineau in Gatineau

Secondary school

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For better follow-up of studentsAt Centennial Regional High School, in the Montérégie (RiversideSchool Board), teachers have integrated the portfolio (collection ofstudents’ work) into the overall learning process. The classroomhas become a true workshop where students develop theirsubject-specific and cross-curricular competencies. Thanks tothe portfolio, it is possible to evaluate these competencies withthe active participation of students and their teacher. Parents arealso involved since they are asked to react to their child’sprogress. Portfolio use thus allows an entire learning communityto share a common goal: student success.

Laboratory work at lunchtime at Marymount Academy in Montréal

Students working hard at Centennial Regional High School

in Greenfield Park

Secondary school

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For safe and healthy schools

"Needless to say, violence prevention in school begins with a concern for peace and and tranquility and for the security of people and property, which are conditions, indeedprerequisites, for teaching and educating."

Sylvain Simard,Minister of State for Education and Employment

Schools against bullyingÉcole des Pionniers in Trois-Rivières (Commission scolaire duChemin-du-Roy), took steps to curb taxing and bullying andto try to prevent it in the first place. The school is workingwith the Centre régional de prévention de la criminalité de laMauricie–Centre-du-Québec to implement the S’équiper pour agirprogram, which initiates interventions with bullies and their victims.Both the teaching staff and parents as well as students areinvolved in this process, which starts with the establishmentof an intervention protocol tailored to the needs of the school.Methods and techniques are suggested to teachers and parentsto prepare them to react effectively in a case of taxing. As forstudents, the program allows them to overcome some of their fearsand to make them aware of the effects of taxing. They are alsotaught assertiveness techniques to equip them to face up to bullies.

A teacher from École des Pionniers in Trois-Rivières meets privately with a student

Secondary school

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Through the What's Up After School program, the government ofQuébec aims to double the number of students taking part inextracurricular activities in public secondary schools by 2006.This number will thus increase from 120 000 to close to 240 000.A total investment of $102.3M over three years will make itpossible to carry out various projects proposed by schools. Theprogram will also serve to fund school bus transportation forgreater access to extracurricular activities.

A more stimulating school environment

A student from Académie Les Estacades in Cap-de-la-Madeleine

Académie Les Estacades

Secondary school

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Sports, arts and schoolAt Académie Les Estacades in Cap-de-la-Madeleine (Commissionscolaire du Chemin-du-Roy), a range of programs are offered toyoung people to allow them to develop their skills in areas thatare of interest to them. For example, students who choose thelanguages program can study English or Spanish in a moreintensive manner. In the outdoor education or arts educationprogram, a number of periods are devoted to students’ interests.In some instances (for example, outdoor education), activitiestake place in intensive sessions over several days. Sports-studyand music education programs are also offered to students withparticular talents in these areas. All these programs share acommon objective: the harmonious development of students onan academic and personal level.

A more stimulating school environment

Educating citizens At École Secondaire Saint-Luc (Commission scolaire de Montréal),students represent 107 different nationalities and 85% were bornoutside Québec. French, that is the language of instruction, isthe true link that enables them to get along together. This schoolhas taken citizenship education one step further by encouragingthe emergence of a student government, with a prime ministerand ministers who propose ways to better meet the needs of allstudents. Communication, finances, health and school life are allareas where students experiment with democracy. Two ministersfrom Secondary IV and V represent students on the governingboard. Through their government, students contribute to shapingthe micro-society that is their school and prepare to becomeresponsible citizens.

Drama is among the activities offeredat École L’Escale in Louiseville

Important discussions occurduring student government

meetings at École secondaireSaint-Luc in Montréal

Secondary school

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By investing $125M in the New Approaches, New Solutionsintervention strategy, the government of Québec is providing apowerful instrument for change to secondary schools with alarge number of students from disadvantaged neighbourhoods.New Approaches, New Solutions promotes the involvement of allplayers (school, family, community) who can contribute tocreating an environment that is more conducive to students’success. These problems are often complex and will require awell-thought-out strategy in each case. This is a task for peoplewith new approaches and new solutions.

A community working with its school

Secondary school

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In Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, dozens of organizations andhundreds of stakeholders have mobilized around the Conseilrégional de prévention de l’abandon scolaire (CREPAS) toincrease the educational success of students, particularly at thesecondary level. The school dropout rate is not only a schoolproblem: it is a social problem that all the stakeholders of a regioncan play a part in alleviating. The different actions undertaken bythe partners (including school boards and schools) have showedresults: the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean area has reduced itsdropout rate from 21% in 1996 to 12.6% in 2002 and now ranksfirst in Québec with respect to the percentage of students whohave completed their secondary school education.

During the Grand rendez-vous de la réussite, held last August,the Commission scolaire des Laurentides brought together closeto 700 individuals from the community who supported its effortsto promote educational success. The goal is to reduce the numberof dropouts, but also to provide better access to vocationaleducation. At the meeting, 20 or so socioeconomic partnerssigned a pledge to work together toward the educational successof students. Because the development of the region depends onit, the school board believes in the creation of an educationalcommunity in the Laurentides.

A community working with its schoolCommunities are mobilizing to counter the dropout problem

In the Côte-Nord region, socioeconomic partners are workingwith with the school community to counter the dropout problem.A conference on this theme held last September provided anopportunity for serious discussion conducted by the RAP (réussite,accomplissement and persévérance) committee. The committeereviewed the current situation, drawing on a regional study onthe dropout issue. Students’ family situations, their motivation tolearn when it is possible to get a job without a diploma, and thechallenge of achieving student success in small communities aresome aspects of the problem that were documented. Theobjective of the RAP committee is to reduce the school dropoutrate in Côte-Nord by half within the next five years.

Members of the executive committeeof CREPAS

Official signing of the pledge of honour during the

Grand rendez-vous de la réussite

Secondary school

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Serving its cityAt Polyvalente La Pocatière (Commission scolaire deKamouraska–Rivière-du-Loup), students in the individualizedpath are taking part in an original community service experimentin the form of very practical projects. The projects, which includemaking compost from household scraps and recycling or safelydisposing computer equipment, provide young people with anopportunity to play an active part in protecting the environmentof their city. Moreover, they are becoming aware of their role ascitizens and of democratic life by exploring their municipality’sdifferent departments and participating in a meeting of the citycouncil. Cooperation, solidarity and life in society are some of thethings that these young people are experiencing in their school.

Special support for teenage mothersAt École Secondaire Armand-Corbeil (Commission scolaire desAffluents), the Accès-Cible program offers different personalizedteaching services, including support adapted to the needs ofteenage mothers. Indeed, young mothers who have a child athome may need a daycare or transportation service or may beexperiencing academic difficulties. Assistance is provided to helpthem pursue their studies and earn a diploma while they develop

A community working with its school

their parenting skills. In this respect, the school has a daycarecentre that accepts both babies and young children. The schoolboard’s transportation service also allows young mothers and theirchildren to use school bus services. The school has also joinedforces with different community organizations: youth employmentcentres, CLSCs, Travail Québec centres, etc.

Students and their teacher participate in the safe salvage and elimination of computerequipment program at École Polyvalente La Pocatière

Secondary school

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More than ever before, secondary schools will be exciting,stimulating places. Students will develop in class, after schooland even during community activities where school learning willbe put to use.

In the classroom, learning will be differentiated, more dynamicand often project-based, which will allow students to play anactive role. Education will have a solid basis and be betteradapted to young people’s needs. Above all, it will be morestimulating.

A major aspect of the new secondary school will be improvedsupport and guidance. Thus, all students will benefit fromindividualized support and guidance throughout their time insecondary school. Priority will be given to homeroom teachingand tutoring.

Moreover, learning paths will be more diversified: young peoplewill thus progress according to their interests and aptitudes.At last, success will be within everyone’s reach.

After class, access to a greater number of activities will provideopportunities to form relationships with other young people andadults in the school, to become more physically fit, and to developsome of their aptitudes, but also to draw on the competenciesdeveloped in class. In this respect, the time spent in class andthat devoted to extracurricular activities are part of the samelearning process.

In the new secondary school, teachers, school administratorsand the school staff will continue to support young people, but inan environment that is better organized and more open to thecommunity. Parents will play an even greater role and studentswill have a sense that everywhere around them—in school, athome, in their neighbourhood or village—people are mobilizingon their behalf. The school’s educational project and successplan and the school board’s strategic plan will reflect thisconcerted effort.

In all regions of Québec, positive initiatives illustrate what thesecondary school of tomorrow will resemble as well as the localcharacter it might have. They reflect the energy and spirit ofcollaboration that characterize the architects of the changes weare proposing.

Through the transformation of secondary school, we are aimingfor the success of all students so that they can develop to theirfull potential. This is an ambitious goal, but as a society we willgive ourselves the means to achieve it. It is important for thefuture of our children and essential for the future of Québec.

Fostering the success of all students

Christmas card exchange program at École Polyvalente de Cabano, the proceeds of which went toOpération Enfant Soleil

Secondary school transformedSecondary school transformed

Students in the music program at École secondaire Saint-Luc in Montréal

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005-

A

montage horizon 10' x10' #5 - quebec.ca

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