What is my Child

Learning?

The Ontario Curriculum A parent's’ guide to understanding the Ontario Curriculum

How to access Ministry Curriculum Documents

Click here: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/teachers/curriculum.html or search on your browser for “Ontario Ministry of Education”

Check it out! A useful link for parents:

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/

* for alternate formats contact ServiceOntario at 1-800-668-9938 (TTY: 1-800-268-7095).

What will you find here?

1. Curriculum documents (K-12)a. Ministry documents are organized into two

curriculums:i. Elementary (Kindergarten to 8)ii. Secondary (9-12)

2. Trillium List of approved textbooks3. Policies and Strategies that support the curriculum 4. Achievement Charts (guidelines from which teachers

assess students’ work)

*Each curriculum can be accessed by grade (k-12) or by subject.

How are these documents made and by

who?1. What is the role of the Ministry of Education in curriculum development?

The Ministry of Education is responsible for the development of curriculum. School boards and schools are responsible for the implementation of curriculum. To develop the curriculum, the Ministry of Education established, in 2003, a curriculum review cycle to ensure that the curriculum remains current, relevant, and developmentally-appropriate from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

These answers are directly from the Ministry of Education Website FAQ at the bottom of the page of this link:

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/#role

2. What is the review process?● The review is not a development of a completely new curriculum● The review supports students, teachers, schools and boards by

identifying targeted areas in need of support and allows lead time for development or updating of related support materials as required.

● Research based and evidence informed (3rd party research)● Teams of experts in the subject discipline from across the province

analyze the current curriculum against the desired state for the revised curriculum.

● Experts in the subject discipline review the manuscript to ensure academic accuracy.

● Editing of the proposed draft revisions is done by professional editors.

3. What is the Curriculum Council? In March 2007, a group of knowledgeable and committed

community leaders was brought together to advise the minister of education. They provide high level strategic advice on issues related to elementary and secondary school curriculum. For more information, visit the Curriculum Council website.

Subjects by Curriculum

Elementary:- The Arts- French as a Second Language- Health and Physical Education- The Kindergarten Program- Language- Mathematics- Native Languages- Science and Technology- Social Studies

Secondary- The Arts- Business Studies- Canadian and World Studies- Classical and International Languages- Computer Studies- English- English as a Second Language and

English Literacy Development- French as a Second Language- Guidance and Career Education- Health and Physical Education- Interdisciplinary Studies- Mathematics- Native Languages- Native Studies- Science- Social Sciences and Humanities- Technological Education

StrandsExpectationsLevels of achievement

-Qualifiers-Descriptors Cross-curricular and integrated learningIndividual Education Plan

*see Glossary in specific curriculums for more details.

Some Key Vocabulary Terms

Strands: broad areas of learning

Examples:

Social Studies: 2 strands

1. Heritage and Identity

2. People and Environment

Language: 4 strands

1. Oral communication

2. Reading3. Writing4. Media Literacy

Art: 4 strands

1. Dance2. Drama3. Music4. Visual Arts

* All strands are divided into 2 expectations. →

Expectations1. Overall expectations: general terms of

knowledge and skills that students are expected to demonstrate by the end of each grade.2. Specific expectations: describe overall

expectations in greater detail under each strands’ category.

Overall expectations, fundamental concepts and specific expectations drive lesson design. The diagram to the right explains this in greater detail.

Language and Reading

The Language curriculum for the Grade 2 Reading strand has 4 overall expectations:

In the first overall expectation there are 9 specific expectations:

-variety texts-purpose-comprehension strategies-demonstrating understanding-making inferences/interpreting texts-extending understanding-analyzing texts-responding to evaluating texts-point of view

Example Ms. Kennedy prepares a KWL chart that the children fill in with what they Know and Wonder about the weather and seasons.

Teachers like to integrate learning with other subjects and expectations. Ms. Kennedy could make the children create snowflakes out of art supplies or record the temperature on thermometers to integrate math and art together.

As you can see this activity can touch on more than one specific expectation such as variety of texts and demonstrating understanding.

Ms. Kennedy then reads a variety of sources about weather and the seasons. This can include weather reports, graphs of temperature, ora picture book on how animals survive in the winter. Ms. Kennedy wants her students to build knowledge of the topic by listening to and seeing as many different sources as possible. After the activity the students fill in the Learn column on the KWL chart.

Levels of Achievement

Levels of achievement are the provincial curriculum expectations for any given grade. There are 4 levels of achievement in the elementary and secondary curriculums.

Level 1: identifies achievement that falls much below the provincial standard

Level 2: identifies achievement that approaches the standard.Level 3: (known as the “provincial standard”) identifies a high level of achievement of the provincial expectations.Level 4: identifies achievement that surpasses the standard.

Assessment and Evaluation

Assessment is the “process of gathering information from a variety of sources (including assignments, day-to-day observations, conversations or conferences, demonstrations, projects, performances, and tests) that accurately reflects how well a student is achieving the curriculum expectations in a subject” (Language, 17).

Evaluation refers to the process of judging the quality of student work on the basis of established criteria, and assigning a value to represent that quality.

*see curriculum chapter on “Assessment and Evaluation of Student Achievement” for each subject for further details.

How is student learning in Ontario assessed and evaluated?

Teachers rely on achievements charts to assess and evaluate student learning.

Achievement Chart

All the curriculum subjects in

elementary and secondary curriculum

are similar to the Language

achievement chart seen here.

Did you know?Grades 1-6 receive a grade level while 7-12 a percentage grade!

Other terms:1. Cross-curricular and integrated learning:

i. when students learn and use related content/skills in two or more subjects ii. Example: social studies students use language skills

(subject specific vocabulary such as economic system, fair trade, flow map).2. Descriptors: “indicate the characteristics of the student’s performance,

with respect to a particular criterion, on which assessment or evaluation is focused” (Social Studies, 31).

Ex. effectiveness used in Thinking, Communication, and Application categories in Social Studies, Language, Arts (etc.)3. Qualifiers: used with descriptors in the achievement chart to describe student performance at each of the four levels of achievement.

i.e. Limited, some, considerable, high degree, thorough.

4. Individual Education Plan (IEP): a written plan describing the special education program and/or services required by a particular student.

Culture and Diversity

The Ontario Curriculum, overall, states that “whatever the specific ways in which the requirements outlined in the expectations are implemented in the classroom, they must, wherever possible, be inclusive and reflect the diversity of the student population and the population of the province” (Social Studies, 19).

Teachers should give students a variety of opportunities to learn about diversity and diverse perspectives as well as implement a standard of anti discriminatory principles that influence all aspects of school life. This includes enabling students to become more sensitive to the diverse cultures and perceptions of others, including Aboriginal peoples.

Example: In the Math curriculum, activities can be designed to relate concepts in geometry or patterning to the arches and tile work often found in Asian architecture or to the patterns used in Aboriginal basketry design.

What does this mean?

Individual LearningCurriculum documents are designed to ensure that teacher instructions meet the needs of every learner.

Arts, 29.

* Useful link to IEP information: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/iep/iep.html

Teachers:● address different student needs and ensure

sound learning opportunities for every student.● endeavour to create a classroom environment

that engages students’ interest and helps them arrive at the understanding of specific subjects.

● use a variety of instructional, assessment, and evaluation strategies.

● motivate students to learn and to become lifelong learners.● exam both the curriculum expectations for the appropriate grade

level and the needs of the individual student to determine which accommodations are needed, if any.

Want to know more?

Becoming familiar with the Ontario Curriculum is only one way to stay involved in your child’s education. Effective ways in which parents can support their children’s learning can include the following: ● attend parent-teacher interviews● participate in parent workshops and school council activities (why not

become a school council member?)● encourage your children to complete their assignments● encourage your children in regular school activities● take an interest in your children’s projects and interests● encourage your children to learn outside of school

Contact your children’s school board for more ways you can actively stay involved in his/her education.

Get involved!

Works CitedOntario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: The Arts. Toronto: Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2009. PDF.Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Language. Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2006. PDF. Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-6: Social Studies.Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2013. PDF. Ontario Ministry of Education." Ontario Ministry of Education. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. <http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/>.