Program Vision:
Our cohorts' intent was to provide a vehicle to build community, develop life long skills, foster collaboration and explore what it means to be the person we want to be and a member of society.
Cohort History (Goldstream Campus)
2007 to 2013 (6 years)
In a Nutshell:
The cohorts at the Goldstream campus began with the Jump Ahead program, created in 2007 by Dawn and Tanya to provide home schooled students with an opportunity to interact with their community through projects and "jump ahead" in their high school courses as quickly and efficiently as possible. In 2008, a grade 9 cohort was created by Devon to meet the needs of disenfranchised students with significant learning gaps not succeeding in DL. As the 2008 grade 9 cohort moved into grade 10 and then grade 11, Dawn and Tanya adapted their senior program to meet the new clientele's needs of a more personalized education. As we moved through each year we evolved to better meet the needs of all students, resulting in the program we have today.
2007-2008 Jump Ahead 10/11/12 Program Created CREATED: Jump Ahead Program developed by Dawn and Tanya targeted at home schooled students looking to "jump ahead" through their high school courses as quickly and efficiently as possible. A focus on community interaction and healthy living. Gr 10-11 Structure: A semester based program where students were loaded with all core subjects and grades 11 and 12 electives. It was fast paced with the goal of graduating early and contributing via electives to the local community. Two teachers.
2008-2009 Jump Ahead 9 Created CREATED: Grade 9 cohort developed by Devon in response to the low success rate of students in DL courses. Targeted at students not meeting success in the mainstream system with significant learning gaps. Initially called Jump Ahead 9 and then Foundations. A focus on interdisciplinary (or thematic) pedagogy, team building and in depth analysis of human rights. Support Staff: A YFC (Alex) was added half way through the year and worked in close partnership to meet student needs. Gr 9 Structure: Initially five month program mixing grade 9 core subjects with grade 10 electives chosen for their ability to be interwoven and meet student needs. One teacher. Gr 10 & 11 Structure: Year long semester based program where a mix of home schooled students, high anxiety students, and students with learning gaps, disabilities and behavioural challenges - a strategic mix of all types of learners for a balance and continued success - took all core subjects and electives. Blended learning was the focus for the cores while electives were predominantly project and community based.
2009-2010 Support Staff: YFC, IS/LS- FTE 0.6 added mid October (Erin)- worked collaboratively with teachers in both program planning and in supporting the students Gr 9 Structure: Grade 9 program changed from a five month program to a ten month program. Team teacher (Jaswal) added half way through the year to allow teachers to teach in areas they specialized in and to provide an opportunity for students to experience another teaching style. We took in an additional Grade 9 cohort second semester that ran Feb 2010 to Jan 2011, overlapping the existing Grade 9 cohort. LS/IS provided in class support during specific blocks for students who may have traditionally been pulled out of the class for a support block. Gr 10 Structure: Unchanged.Dawn left on Maternity in April 2010 and Andrew Still took over until her return April 2011.
LS/IS provided in class support during specific blocks for students who may have traditionally been pulled out of the class for a support block. Gr 11 Structure:Tanya taught humanities, math and electives so the students had a core teacher for community building and connections. Students were also registered in Sustainable Resources for a Sc 11 credit with Mike Huck at the Annex (healthy living and community based science course). All core courses were blended learning and project based: Web CT, face to face and AVID. LS/IS provided in class support for students during specific blocks who may have traditionally been pulled out of the class for a support block. Support blocks were offered to students with additional learning needs as identified by a formal designation or by referral from the teacher who were enrolled in classes through Web CT.
2010-2011 Jump Ahead 9 changes name to Foundations 9, Jump Ahead 10/11 Support Staff:YFC, IS/LS teacher (0.4 increase granted part way into term 1)-worked collaboratively with teachers in both program planning and in supporting the students, EA (17.5 hours) Gr 9 Structure:Ten month, linear program. Staggered intake. Two specialist teachers. Paul and Devon taught two cohorts of Grade 9 students. Electives and community resources married (collaboration with Lisa Clarabet). LS/IS provided in class support during specific blocks with the option of additional out of class support on an as needed basis. Two students received more individualized instruction for Math 9 and so often chose to work out of the classroom during the math block. Gr 10 Structure: Unchanged.Dawn on Maternity until April of 2011, Andrew Still covering her maternity until her return date. EA (17.5 hours) was added by the end of September to help support the high academic and emotional needs (10 formal designations) within this cohort. *EA would float to the grade 11 or grade 9 cohort as needed
LS/IS provided in class support during specific blocks as well as additional out of class support blocks for two students whom had previously been on a modified program. Gr 11 Structure:Tanya taught humanities, math and electives so the students had a core teacher for community building and connections. Students were also registered in Sustainable Resources for a Sc. 11 credit with Mike Huck at the Annex (healthy living and community based science course). All core courses were blended learning and project based (more emphasis on technology and interactive learning): Web CT, face to face and Avid.
LS/IS provided in class support for students during specific blocks who may have traditionally been pulled out of the class for a support block. Support blocks were offered to students with additional learning needs as identified by a formal designation or by referral from the teacher who were enrolled in classes through Web CT.
2011-2012 Futures 9 and 10 Gr 9 & 10 Structure: Futures program created by merging the Foundations 9 and Jump Ahead 10 program together. A change in focus to highlight integration of technology such as eBooks and iPads gained through grant writing, hence the name. Ten month linear program with one intake in September. Dawn and Devon began 'looping' the grade 9 and 10s, so students would have the same two teachers for two years. Support Staff: YFC. Full time EA support for academic days: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (18h of EA support added and tied to Futures 9 making it so that both Futures 9 and Futures 10 had an EA attached to their cohort). LS/IS provided additional in class support for students as available. *Devon and Dawn gave up the grade 9s in March 2012 when they took the curriculum position. Lisa Spalding took over the grade 9s, teaching all subjects.
Gr 11 Structure:Tanya taught humanities, while Paul Jaswal taught Math and Andrew Still taught Sustainable Resources, electives became more paper-based giving student more flexibility and opportunity to work (have jobs). Tanya's courses were blended learning, cross curricular and project based (more emphasis on technology and personalized learning). 18h of EA support added and tied to Jump Ahead 11. LS/IS provided in class support for students during specific blocks who may have traditionally been pulled out of the class for a support block. Support blocks were offered to students with additional learning needs as identified by a formal designation or by referral from the teacher. Support Staff: YFC, LS/IS, EAs (two 18hour positions created), School Based Counselor (initially 0.6 but increased to 1.0)
2012-2013 Futures 9/10/11 Futures 9: one 0.9 FTE teacher & one 0.1 teacher (Art added Wednesday afternoons) (Michelle & Anita) Futures 10: two 0.5 FTE teachers (Dawn & Devon) Futures 11: two 0.5 teachers (Tanya & Dermott) Support Staff:YFC, LS/IS (an additional person at 0.6 was added September 2012-based out of the annex), 0. 6 Behaviour Support Teacher added December 2012 , EAs, School Counsellor (0.6)
All Grades: EAs attached to cohorts and move with students through grades.
Grade 9: Michelle Bond took over the new incoming grade 9s, teaching all of the subjects.
Grade 10: Dawn and Devon married 4 electives with common PLOs together into a blended learning interdisciplinary elective called Personal Wellness 10/11. Subjects are team taught Wednesday morning and students work on an independent project in the afternoon (the elective are claimed through JDFL).
Grade 11: Tanya and Dermott teamed up to create the Grade 11 cohort. The senior cohort differed in allowing elective choice on Wednesdays and Fridays whereas electives are determined and interdisciplinary in the junior grades. The senior program is also semester based while both grade 9 and 10 remain linear. Grade 11 is semester based so students who are motivated still have the opportunity to graduate a semester early.
The Cohort Team
One of the biggest factors in cohort success is the modeling of community and collaboration by the overall team (Instructors, YFCs, LS/IS, EAs and administrators)
Youth and Family Counselors (YFCs)
The most crucial support staff member was a Youth and Family counselor who met with each new Grade 9 and 10 student in order to develop a proactive relationship and identify potential needs. Offering counseling services to all youth and families within the cohorts; preventative approach to support student success rather than solely being reactive to students in crisis or high need. A key role for the YFC was also to help facilitate collaboration with parents. Our student population and needs are varied and diverse and so too are the parents of our students. Engaging parents as team members is of pivotal importance for the success of our student population. The YFC participated heavily in team building events and classroom initiatives the first three weeks of any new cohort, establishing a role in the community, removing the stigma of accessing counseling support and reinforcing healthy community norms. Intensive collaboration between teachers and the YFC allowed timely and effective intervention. Inclusion in classroom community absolutely crucial. Things worked best when a YFC was assigned specifically to the Grade 9 and 10 cohorts, providing stability and consistency.
A key role of the YFC was to be the spider at the center of the web; facilitating and engaging in community collaboration with outside agencies. As so many of our students have many stakeholders (parents, social workers, external counselors, police involvement, etc.), the YFCs played a crucial role in communicating with the different parties and facilitating a collaborative and cohesive approach.
The YFCs have also co-planned and created the elective curriculum for students in grade 9 and 10 cohorts; utilizing counseling skills and best practices to help facilitate educating students in a holistic approach. Electives included: Personal Awareness, Leadership, AVID, PE, Planning.
Another role of the YFC throughout the years has been to maintain and strengthen connections with students even when they are no longer part of the cohorts. Engaging in supporting students in transitioning into other programs- such as employment programs or re-entry back into school after time away. Though the YFC role has been traditionally linked with the 9's and 10's within the cohorts we also still maintain, foster and support other students as they move through other programs within the school(s) and community.
Education Assistants (EAs)
Having one EA assigned to all three academic days in each cohort was crucial. Erratic and minimal presence resulted in rejection as a community member. In short, unless the EA was a constant and involved member of the community from start to finish, students did not willingly access EA support and also associated a stigma with accessing support. A cohort EA must be able to work in a group dynamic, appear equally accessible to all but strategically prioritize support. Initiative is key. Also, attaching one EA to one cohort who would then move into the next grade with that cohort helped student retention, bridging the unattached period when students are leaving one established relationship with their prior teacher and developing a new relationship with a new teacher. This is a highly vulnerable time for students.
LS/IS
The largest contribution of the LS/IS was investigation and communication of a students' relevant background information, their learning needs and challenges as well as using the information in collaborating with the overall team on how to best meet student needs. As inclusion (UDL) and community are the overriding philosophies, the IS/LS rarely removed students from class to work with them but would join a class as a community member when time allowed to provide support within the classroom community. The LS/IS teacher would also be heavily involved in all important community events such as team building field trips, year end celebrations, etc.
Structure
Core and Elective Courses
Although officially cores where offered on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and electives on Wednesdays, it worked best if the electives were interwoven into the cores. Otherwise, absenteeism developed.
Daily Timetable
9-10am Block 1
10-10:15am Break
10:15-11:30am Block 2
11:30-12pm lunch
12-1pm Block 3
1-1:15pm Break
1:15-2:30pm Block 4
2:30-3pm Tutorial
Friday Flex Day
Crucial to the cohort success is the Friday Tutorial Flex day as it decreased student stress and facilitated student ownership over their learning. Due to erratic attendance, students fall behind and become stressed, causing them to skip more which then results in more stress and more avoidance. This can result in dropping out and/or failing. The Friday Flex Day provides a day where students can choose to come in to catch up and/or access extra support. We find that students start to own their own learning and began chose to access the time and support. It is essential that the teacher teaching the cohort be the one running the tutorial.
The Friday flex day also allows some of our more 'at risk' students to have more individualized instruction and one-on one support from YFC's, EA's and Teachers. This time allows for strengthening of relationships which we know is of pivotal importance to student success. What we find is that some of our students that are 'at risk' utilize the Fridays on a regular basis even if they have not missed classes and or work. Strengthening community, relationships and above all increasing the opportunities for students to experience success.
Example of 2011 Grade 9 Schedule
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
9am-10am
English (Devon)
Math
Personal Awareness 10/AVID(Devon)
Math
Tutorial(Devon & Dawn)
10:15am-11:30am
Social Studies
Science
Science
11:30-12pm
LUNCH
12-1pm
Math(Dawn)
English
PE 10/Leadership 10(Dawn)
English
1:15pm-2:30pm
Science
Social Studies
Social Studies
2:30-3pm
Tutorial
Tutorial
Tutorial
Tutorial
Example of 2012 Grade 10 Schedule
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
9am-10am
English(Devon)
Math
Personal Wellness 10/11 Blended Learning Interdisciplinary Elective(includes Personal Awareness 10/Leadership 10/PE11/Planning 10)(Devon & Dawn)
Math
Tutorial(Devon/Dawn)
10:15am-11:30am
Social Studies
Science
Science
11:30-12pm
LUNCH
12-1pm
Math(Dawn)
English
Personal Wellness 11 Independent Project
English
1:15pm-2:30pm
Science
Social Studies
Social Studies
2:30-3pm
Tutorial
Tutorial
Tutorial
Tutorial
Pedagogy
Collaborative Learning
The power of a cohort is found in collaborative learning. A cohort is not simply a group of students registered in the same classes for a set period of time but a community with an ethos that we are stronger together than separately. Collaboration is constant and diverse: whole class, partners, small groups, structured, unstructured, etc. In addition, students are invited to collaborate in designing the learning space, both physical and pedagogical. Students contribute content they find interesting / relevant and discuss, propose and adapt assignments in collaboration with teachers. If students are working at their own pace (e.g. paper based modules), collaborative learning is impossible and it becomes a worksheet pedagogy.
Differentiation
Due to our clienteles diverse learning styles and needs, teachers must be masters of differentiation. All content and skills must be taught in multiple ways using multiple forms of media at all times. All expression of learning must have clear learning intentions and choice of medium. Students must be explicitly taught about learning styles so they can advocate for differentiation and skillfully choose methods of expressing their learning. Without differentiation, the cohorts cannot meet the learning needs of students and will likely regress to a paper based tutorial approach.
Formative and Summative Assessment (use rubrics as report cards)
It is impossible to effectively differentiate if a teacher does not have a firm grasp of authentic assessment. Teachers need to know exactly what their learning objectives, clearly communicate that with students and understand how to access for mastery rather than assignment completion.
Thematic & Interdisciplinary Teaching
Interweaving course content and connecting to overriding themes allows students to learn in context and more easily assimilate new knowledge and skills. Collaboration between different teachers and the support team results in a better product.
Universal Design for Learning
Inclusion, not exclusion is crucial to the community development and students sense of belonging. Assistance and tools are equally available for all students who are guided in identifying how they best learn and what they need and when. Differences are accepted rather than highlighted.
Community
Community is the magic of a cohort. Without it, all you have is a group of people assigned to the same space and course materials.
Teachers must have a clear and common vision/philosophy of what community is;
Teachers must explicitly model their philosophy of community through modeling and explicitly teaching social skills, think alouds while resolving conflict and problem solving, a practice of inclusion not exclusion;
The entire team (teachers, YFCs, EAs, IS, etc.) share common understanding of community and explicitly model it for students;
Teachers must maximizing teachable moments in class to reinforce the share philosphy of community and human rights;
The team must design and stagger team building experiences in order to build the community;
Teachers must be responsive and reflective to what is happening in the classroom, the community and world.
Collaboration
Once community is created, collaboration is the natural by product. However, collaboration requires a strong belief that we are stronger together. This must be explicitly taught, constantly modeled and fully embraced by the cohort team.
Collaborative Team:
The team must model collaborative learning, always reinforcing clear values and sharing a common goal for all students.
Team collaboration also allows a timely and targeted intervention when and where needed.
Team members must be consistently involved in the community.
Teacher Collaboration:
-Annual: Cohort instructors would meet over the summer to touch base about the program, talk about pedagogy and the over plan for the coming school year. More specifically we discuss our personal focus areas, theme, technology, content flow and sharing on any new resources or groups we could participate in to expand and grow as professionals (inquiries to federally funded post secondary inquiry groups). -Semester: While transitioning between semesters we will meet to discuss new ideas for units, share resources, discuss book clubs (clubs) for growth and how to implement or get funding (grants), plan group activities (team building and community - restitution for start-up), discuss class rules and organization, discuss any new assessment. -Bi-weekly: We meet at random intervals to debrief and review our practices and units. We share transition details, assignments and templates so that when the students complete this unit the following year they can review essential terms, videos and games, before moving on to new content and PLO's.
What Does Not Work:
If community is not built, the program will fail. First you will see an increase in absenteeism, then student retention and finally student requirement
Support blocks run by non-community members. Students don't go.
Changing campuses for electives. Students become attached to one home and a routine that when broken, results in absenteeism.
Multiple teachers. Two teachers is the best fit for the grade 9 and 10 cohorts. Too many teachers results in decreased attachment and then absenteeism.
Interweaving electives is more effective than chunking them on one day as it can result is absenteeism a students can consider non-academic courses as less important.
Paper based instruction. Students find this unstimulating and demotivating. As we have paper based and DL options, students can choose that upfront if they wish. If they have chosen the cohort program, it is because they want collaborative learning and community.
Adding students randomly throughout the year. This is very risky as the community has developed and the student can feel like an outsider. If too many new students are added, the initial sense of community can fracture. Additions are best added by the end of the first 2-3 weeks and, if necessary, at semester turn over so the incoming group can be explicitly welcomed to the community.
Students with a pre-exisiting negative relationship dynamic. The intimate nature of the cohort makes this toxic for the community and re-enforces the negative dynamic of the participants.
Students with challenges that are aggravated rather than assisted by large group settings. For example, a student that has only be in groups settings of 2 or 3 will struggle with suddenly being in a cohort.
Students that have behavioural, social-emotional and learning needs beyond that what we can currently accommodate at the school- for example some students may be a better fit for Belmont due to more diverse programming and staff supports that may be available at Belmont due to its larger student population. The strength of the cohort is the community, having students work together through all core subjects. Students often feel isolated and unsuccessful when they are separated from the cohort group; this can also be exacerbated by students feeling unsuccessful in previous educational settings.
Too many new adults in the room. Support staff need to be involved as community members right from the beginning. Even with the best of intentions, additional erratic support added throughout the year can dilute the community and cause confusion.
Ignoring the phantom skills. Many of our students require explicit support and scaffolding around personal and social skills. The community provided by the cohort provides a microcosm to learn these skills. This is why electives need to be well chosen (e.g. Personal Awareness) and designed in collaboration with the YFCs.
What Does Work:
-interweaving complimentary electives.
-access to diverse technology and encouragement of BYOD.
-common prep time for teachers
-a solid start time in the morning and a 30 minute lunch.
-a diverse group. For example, a smattering of learning disabilities, intensive behaviour designations, gifted, high anxiety, at-risk lifestyles, etc. If there are two many of one type, the dysfunctional culture is re-enforced instead of disrupted.
-choice. We encourage students to choose the academic program that is right for them and insist that potential students be fully informed of their options and not coerced by authority figures trying to make the right choice for them.
-Consistency in vision and structure across cohorts
- When there are two educators teaching a cohort - it is best if these teachers share similar teaching pedagogy and classroom management procedures to ensure consistency and to reinforce routine with students.
- Constant team work, collaboration and communication from all partners and staff involved in the cohorts.
Suggestions for the future:
-more cross-grade collaboration and interaction, perhaps through community activities/volunteering.
-team teachers in each cohort grade must collaborate and share a community vision;
-cohort teacher and support staff meetings to ensure a common vision, language, and assessment and value system as well as a scope and sequence for learning needs.
-more engaging electives.
-go back to looping
-continue to develop challenged-based and project-based learning (specifically with electives)
-start asking students at the end of every semester for feedback on the program.
-parent, student & team get together at beginning and end of year to open communication channels and extend the community outward.
-Promoting more parental involvement
-Physical space- Student lounge areas-Quite areas where students can work in small groups of pivotal importance especially for IBI students
-Developing a foods program- perhaps reaching out to the community for funding, and or grant writing and then having students plan,prepare food for student population- this is also dependant on a different facility
-Continue to focus on community building and student engagement- potentially creating Youth Advisory Councils/ Student Councils
-Examining our students in their grade 12 year- what are their needs and challenges within the current structure?
What does success look like?
Growing student population in cohorts and growing interest in registering students in cohorts
Attendance (based on a class size of 22)
An average of 70% daily attendance (e.g. 15 to 16 students attending each day). Some days you end up with 10, some days all 22 but 15 to 16 is the average when all is said and done.
Engagement
Students enjoy school, participate and will verbalize this.
Student Achievement (Statistics based on a class size of 22)
Approximately 80% success rate (18 out of 22 students successfully complete the year). Within the first 3 months, we tend to loose 3 students for a variety of reasons (often about 2 will repeat the following year). 3 of the remaining 18 students will often have program modifications such as dropping electives but they will complete the courses they are in.
Return students- Students choosing to return to Westshore after absences or 'dropping out.' Students that are 'at risk' know that this is a safe community and feel supported in their learning; creating life long learners in our most vulnerable populations. School staff constantly reinforcing to students inclusion and that they do belong regardless of failed attempts at our school or others. Students also returning to Westshore to connect with staff for support even when no longer registered in programs reducing barriers to students accessing services. Staff then assisting students by making referrals to community agencies or assisting students in making a plan to re-enter an educational program.
Staff- Consistency within our staff, team members that are committed to shared visions and values. Staff that choose to work with our most vulnerable youth and populations. Staff being able to explore and create new and innovative approaches to support our students.
Warning;
The cohort communities can be so successful at neutralizing behaviours that it is easy to forget them. Often we will have parents, guardians, former teachers and former support staff amazed at the difference they observe in students. Please keep in mind that a great deal of front loading and maintenance goes into fostering this. If the front loading is not there, behaviours and absenteeism will percolate, aligning what you are seeing with what you have read in their files. This is also relevant when students are leaving us to go to another school. For example, if a student came to us with an Intensive Behaviour designation but after the first 3 months, his or her behaviours were rarely seen, it does not mean the IEP can be discarded. Although that student has likely made inroads, if triggered, those personal challenges are still there to be navigated by that student.
Our cohorts' intent was to provide a vehicle to build community, develop life long skills, foster collaboration and explore what it means to be the person we want to be and a member of society.
Cohort History (Goldstream Campus)
2007 to 2013 (6 years)In a Nutshell:
The cohorts at the Goldstream campus began with the Jump Ahead program, created in 2007 by Dawn and Tanya to provide home schooled students with an opportunity to interact with their community through projects and "jump ahead" in their high school courses as quickly and efficiently as possible. In 2008, a grade 9 cohort was created by Devon to meet the needs of disenfranchised students with significant learning gaps not succeeding in DL. As the 2008 grade 9 cohort moved into grade 10 and then grade 11, Dawn and Tanya adapted their senior program to meet the new clientele's needs of a more personalized education. As we moved through each year we evolved to better meet the needs of all students, resulting in the program we have today.2007-2008 Jump Ahead 10/11/12 Program Created
CREATED: Jump Ahead Program developed by Dawn and Tanya targeted at home schooled students looking to "jump ahead" through their high school courses as quickly and efficiently as possible. A focus on community interaction and healthy living.
Gr 10-11 Structure: A semester based program where students were loaded with all core subjects and grades 11 and 12 electives. It was fast paced with the goal of graduating early and contributing via electives to the local community. Two teachers.
2008-2009 Jump Ahead 9 Created
CREATED: Grade 9 cohort developed by Devon in response to the low success rate of students in DL courses. Targeted at students not meeting success in the mainstream system with significant learning gaps. Initially called Jump Ahead 9 and then Foundations. A focus on interdisciplinary (or thematic) pedagogy, team building and in depth analysis of human rights.
Support Staff: A YFC (Alex) was added half way through the year and worked in close partnership to meet student needs.
Gr 9 Structure: Initially five month program mixing grade 9 core subjects with grade 10 electives chosen for their ability to be interwoven and meet student needs. One teacher.
Gr 10 & 11 Structure: Year long semester based program where a mix of home schooled students, high anxiety students, and students with learning gaps, disabilities and behavioural challenges - a strategic mix of all types of learners for a balance and continued success - took all core subjects and electives. Blended learning was the focus for the cores while electives were predominantly project and community based.
2009-2010
Support Staff: YFC, IS/LS- FTE 0.6 added mid October (Erin)- worked collaboratively with teachers in both program planning and in supporting the students
Gr 9 Structure: Grade 9 program changed from a five month program to a ten month program. Team teacher (Jaswal) added half way through the year to allow teachers to teach in areas they specialized in and to provide an opportunity for students to experience another teaching style. We took in an additional Grade 9 cohort second semester that ran Feb 2010 to Jan 2011, overlapping the existing Grade 9 cohort. LS/IS provided in class support during specific blocks for students who may have traditionally been pulled out of the class for a support block.
Gr 10 Structure: Unchanged. Dawn left on Maternity in April 2010 and Andrew Still took over until her return April 2011.
LS/IS provided in class support during specific blocks for students who may have traditionally been pulled out of the class for a support block.
Gr 11 Structure:Tanya taught humanities, math and electives so the students had a core teacher for community building and connections. Students were also registered in Sustainable Resources for a Sc 11 credit with Mike Huck at the Annex (healthy living and community based science course). All core courses were blended learning and project based: Web CT, face to face and AVID. LS/IS provided in class support for students during specific blocks who may have traditionally been pulled out of the class for a support block. Support blocks were offered to students with additional learning needs as identified by a formal designation or by referral from the teacher who were enrolled in classes through Web CT.
2010-2011 Jump Ahead 9 changes name to Foundations 9, Jump Ahead 10/11
Support Staff:YFC, IS/LS teacher (0.4 increase granted part way into term 1)-worked collaboratively with teachers in both program planning and in supporting the students, EA (17.5 hours)
Gr 9 Structure:Ten month, linear program. Staggered intake. Two specialist teachers. Paul and Devon taught two cohorts of Grade 9 students. Electives and community resources married (collaboration with Lisa Clarabet). LS/IS provided in class support during specific blocks with the option of additional out of class support on an as needed basis. Two students received more individualized instruction for Math 9 and so often chose to work out of the classroom during the math block.
Gr 10 Structure: Unchanged. Dawn on Maternity until April of 2011, Andrew Still covering her maternity until her return date. EA (17.5 hours) was added by the end of September to help support the high academic and emotional needs (10 formal designations) within this cohort. *EA would float to the grade 11 or grade 9 cohort as needed
LS/IS provided in class support during specific blocks as well as additional out of class support blocks for two students whom had previously been on a modified program.
Gr 11 Structure:Tanya taught humanities, math and electives so the students had a core teacher for community building and connections. Students were also registered in Sustainable Resources for a Sc. 11 credit with Mike Huck at the Annex (healthy living and community based science course). All core courses were blended learning and project based (more emphasis on technology and interactive learning): Web CT, face to face and Avid.
LS/IS provided in class support for students during specific blocks who may have traditionally been pulled out of the class for a support block. Support blocks were offered to students with additional learning needs as identified by a formal designation or by referral from the teacher who were enrolled in classes through Web CT.
2011-2012 Futures 9 and 10
Gr 9 & 10 Structure: Futures program created by merging the Foundations 9 and Jump Ahead 10 program together. A change in focus to highlight integration of technology such as eBooks and iPads gained through grant writing, hence the name. Ten month linear program with one intake in September. Dawn and Devon began 'looping' the grade 9 and 10s, so students would have the same two teachers for two years.
Support Staff: YFC. Full time EA support for academic days: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (18h of EA support added and tied to Futures 9 making it so that both Futures 9 and Futures 10 had an EA attached to their cohort). LS/IS provided additional in class support for students as available.
*Devon and Dawn gave up the grade 9s in March 2012 when they took the curriculum position. Lisa Spalding took over the grade 9s, teaching all subjects.
Gr 11 Structure:Tanya taught humanities, while Paul Jaswal taught Math and Andrew Still taught Sustainable Resources, electives became more paper-based giving student more flexibility and opportunity to work (have jobs). Tanya's courses were blended learning, cross curricular and project based (more emphasis on technology and personalized learning). 18h of EA support added and tied to Jump Ahead 11. LS/IS provided in class support for students during specific blocks who may have traditionally been pulled out of the class for a support block. Support blocks were offered to students with additional learning needs as identified by a formal designation or by referral from the teacher.
Support Staff: YFC, LS/IS, EAs (two 18hour positions created), School Based Counselor (initially 0.6 but increased to 1.0)
2012-2013 Futures 9/10/11
Futures 9: one 0.9 FTE teacher & one 0.1 teacher (Art added Wednesday afternoons) (Michelle & Anita)
Futures 10: two 0.5 FTE teachers (Dawn & Devon)
Futures 11: two 0.5 teachers (Tanya & Dermott)
Support Staff:YFC, LS/IS (an additional person at 0.6 was added September 2012-based out of the annex), 0. 6 Behaviour Support Teacher added December 2012 , EAs, School Counsellor (0.6)
All Grades: EAs attached to cohorts and move with students through grades.
Grade 9: Michelle Bond took over the new incoming grade 9s, teaching all of the subjects.
Grade 10: Dawn and Devon married 4 electives with common PLOs together into a blended learning interdisciplinary elective called Personal Wellness 10/11. Subjects are team taught Wednesday morning and students work on an independent project in the afternoon (the elective are claimed through JDFL).
Grade 11: Tanya and Dermott teamed up to create the Grade 11 cohort. The senior cohort differed in allowing elective choice on Wednesdays and Fridays whereas electives are determined and interdisciplinary in the junior grades. The senior program is also semester based while both grade 9 and 10 remain linear. Grade 11 is semester based so students who are motivated still have the opportunity to graduate a semester early.
The Cohort Team
One of the biggest factors in cohort success is the modeling of community and collaboration by the overall team (Instructors, YFCs, LS/IS, EAs and administrators)Youth and Family Counselors (YFCs)
The most crucial support staff member was a Youth and Family counselor who met with each new Grade 9 and 10 student in order to develop a proactive relationship and identify potential needs. Offering counseling services to all youth and families within the cohorts; preventative approach to support student success rather than solely being reactive to students in crisis or high need. A key role for the YFC was also to help facilitate collaboration with parents. Our student population and needs are varied and diverse and so too are the parents of our students. Engaging parents as team members is of pivotal importance for the success of our student population. The YFC participated heavily in team building events and classroom initiatives the first three weeks of any new cohort, establishing a role in the community, removing the stigma of accessing counseling support and reinforcing healthy community norms. Intensive collaboration between teachers and the YFC allowed timely and effective intervention. Inclusion in classroom community absolutely crucial. Things worked best when a YFC was assigned specifically to the Grade 9 and 10 cohorts, providing stability and consistency.
A key role of the YFC was to be the spider at the center of the web; facilitating and engaging in community collaboration with outside agencies. As so many of our students have many stakeholders (parents, social workers, external counselors, police involvement, etc.), the YFCs played a crucial role in communicating with the different parties and facilitating a collaborative and cohesive approach.
The YFCs have also co-planned and created the elective curriculum for students in grade 9 and 10 cohorts; utilizing counseling skills and best practices to help facilitate educating students in a holistic approach. Electives included: Personal Awareness, Leadership, AVID, PE, Planning.
Another role of the YFC throughout the years has been to maintain and strengthen connections with students even when they are no longer part of the cohorts. Engaging in supporting students in transitioning into other programs- such as employment programs or re-entry back into school after time away. Though the YFC role has been traditionally linked with the 9's and 10's within the cohorts we also still maintain, foster and support other students as they move through other programs within the school(s) and community.
Education Assistants (EAs)
Having one EA assigned to all three academic days in each cohort was crucial. Erratic and minimal presence resulted in rejection as a community member. In short, unless the EA was a constant and involved member of the community from start to finish, students did not willingly access EA support and also associated a stigma with accessing support. A cohort EA must be able to work in a group dynamic, appear equally accessible to all but strategically prioritize support. Initiative is key. Also, attaching one EA to one cohort who would then move into the next grade with that cohort helped student retention, bridging the unattached period when students are leaving one established relationship with their prior teacher and developing a new relationship with a new teacher. This is a highly vulnerable time for students.
LS/IS
The largest contribution of the LS/IS was investigation and communication of a students' relevant background information, their learning needs and challenges as well as using the information in collaborating with the overall team on how to best meet student needs. As inclusion (UDL) and community are the overriding philosophies, the IS/LS rarely removed students from class to work with them but would join a class as a community member when time allowed to provide support within the classroom community. The LS/IS teacher would also be heavily involved in all important community events such as team building field trips, year end celebrations, etc.
Structure
Core and Elective CoursesAlthough officially cores where offered on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and electives on Wednesdays, it worked best if the electives were interwoven into the cores. Otherwise, absenteeism developed.
Daily Timetable
9-10am Block 1
10-10:15am Break
10:15-11:30am Block 2
11:30-12pm lunch
12-1pm Block 3
1-1:15pm Break
1:15-2:30pm Block 4
2:30-3pm Tutorial
Friday Flex Day
Crucial to the cohort success is the Friday Tutorial Flex day as it decreased student stress and facilitated student ownership over their learning. Due to erratic attendance, students fall behind and become stressed, causing them to skip more which then results in more stress and more avoidance. This can result in dropping out and/or failing. The Friday Flex Day provides a day where students can choose to come in to catch up and/or access extra support. We find that students start to own their own learning and began chose to access the time and support. It is essential that the teacher teaching the cohort be the one running the tutorial.
The Friday flex day also allows some of our more 'at risk' students to have more individualized instruction and one-on one support from YFC's, EA's and Teachers. This time allows for strengthening of relationships which we know is of pivotal importance to student success. What we find is that some of our students that are 'at risk' utilize the Fridays on a regular basis even if they have not missed classes and or work. Strengthening community, relationships and above all increasing the opportunities for students to experience success.
Example of 2011 Grade 9 Schedule
Example of 2012 Grade 10 Schedule
Pedagogy
Collaborative LearningThe power of a cohort is found in collaborative learning. A cohort is not simply a group of students registered in the same classes for a set period of time but a community with an ethos that we are stronger together than separately. Collaboration is constant and diverse: whole class, partners, small groups, structured, unstructured, etc. In addition, students are invited to collaborate in designing the learning space, both physical and pedagogical. Students contribute content they find interesting / relevant and discuss, propose and adapt assignments in collaboration with teachers. If students are working at their own pace (e.g. paper based modules), collaborative learning is impossible and it becomes a worksheet pedagogy.
Differentiation
Due to our clienteles diverse learning styles and needs, teachers must be masters of differentiation. All content and skills must be taught in multiple ways using multiple forms of media at all times. All expression of learning must have clear learning intentions and choice of medium. Students must be explicitly taught about learning styles so they can advocate for differentiation and skillfully choose methods of expressing their learning. Without differentiation, the cohorts cannot meet the learning needs of students and will likely regress to a paper based tutorial approach.
Formative and Summative Assessment (use rubrics as report cards)
It is impossible to effectively differentiate if a teacher does not have a firm grasp of authentic assessment. Teachers need to know exactly what their learning objectives, clearly communicate that with students and understand how to access for mastery rather than assignment completion.
Thematic & Interdisciplinary Teaching
Interweaving course content and connecting to overriding themes allows students to learn in context and more easily assimilate new knowledge and skills. Collaboration between different teachers and the support team results in a better product.
Universal Design for Learning
Inclusion, not exclusion is crucial to the community development and students sense of belonging. Assistance and tools are equally available for all students who are guided in identifying how they best learn and what they need and when. Differences are accepted rather than highlighted.
Community
Community is the magic of a cohort. Without it, all you have is a group of people assigned to the same space and course materials.
Collaboration
Once community is created, collaboration is the natural by product. However, collaboration requires a strong belief that we are stronger together. This must be explicitly taught, constantly modeled and fully embraced by the cohort team.
Collaborative Team:
Teacher Collaboration:
-Annual: Cohort instructors would meet over the summer to touch base about the program, talk about pedagogy and the over plan for the coming school year. More specifically we discuss our personal focus areas, theme, technology, content flow and sharing on any new resources or groups we could participate in to expand and grow as professionals (inquiries to federally funded post secondary inquiry groups).-Semester: While transitioning between semesters we will meet to discuss new ideas for units, share resources, discuss book clubs (clubs) for growth and how to implement or get funding (grants), plan group activities (team building and community - restitution for start-up), discuss class rules and organization, discuss any new assessment.
-Bi-weekly: We meet at random intervals to debrief and review our practices and units. We share transition details, assignments and templates so that when the students complete this unit the following year they can review essential terms, videos and games, before moving on to new content and PLO's.
What Does Not Work:
If community is not built, the program will fail. First you will see an increase in absenteeism, then student retention and finally student requirementSupport blocks run by non-community members. Students don't go.
Changing campuses for electives. Students become attached to one home and a routine that when broken, results in absenteeism.
Multiple teachers. Two teachers is the best fit for the grade 9 and 10 cohorts. Too many teachers results in decreased attachment and then absenteeism.
Interweaving electives is more effective than chunking them on one day as it can result is absenteeism a students can consider non-academic courses as less important.
Paper based instruction. Students find this unstimulating and demotivating. As we have paper based and DL options, students can choose that upfront if they wish. If they have chosen the cohort program, it is because they want collaborative learning and community.
Adding students randomly throughout the year. This is very risky as the community has developed and the student can feel like an outsider. If too many new students are added, the initial sense of community can fracture. Additions are best added by the end of the first 2-3 weeks and, if necessary, at semester turn over so the incoming group can be explicitly welcomed to the community.
Students with a pre-exisiting negative relationship dynamic. The intimate nature of the cohort makes this toxic for the community and re-enforces the negative dynamic of the participants.
Students with challenges that are aggravated rather than assisted by large group settings. For example, a student that has only be in groups settings of 2 or 3 will struggle with suddenly being in a cohort.
Students that have behavioural, social-emotional and learning needs beyond that what we can currently accommodate at the school- for example some students may be a better fit for Belmont due to more diverse programming and staff supports that may be available at Belmont due to its larger student population. The strength of the cohort is the community, having students work together through all core subjects. Students often feel isolated and unsuccessful when they are separated from the cohort group; this can also be exacerbated by students feeling unsuccessful in previous educational settings.
Too many new adults in the room. Support staff need to be involved as community members right from the beginning. Even with the best of intentions, additional erratic support added throughout the year can dilute the community and cause confusion.
Ignoring the phantom skills. Many of our students require explicit support and scaffolding around personal and social skills. The community provided by the cohort provides a microcosm to learn these skills. This is why electives need to be well chosen (e.g. Personal Awareness) and designed in collaboration with the YFCs.
What Does Work:
-interweaving complimentary electives.-access to diverse technology and encouragement of BYOD.
-common prep time for teachers
-a solid start time in the morning and a 30 minute lunch.
-a diverse group. For example, a smattering of learning disabilities, intensive behaviour designations, gifted, high anxiety, at-risk lifestyles, etc. If there are two many of one type, the dysfunctional culture is re-enforced instead of disrupted.
-choice. We encourage students to choose the academic program that is right for them and insist that potential students be fully informed of their options and not coerced by authority figures trying to make the right choice for them.
-Consistency in vision and structure across cohorts
- When there are two educators teaching a cohort - it is best if these teachers share similar teaching pedagogy and classroom management procedures to ensure consistency and to reinforce routine with students.
- Constant team work, collaboration and communication from all partners and staff involved in the cohorts.
Suggestions for the future:
-more cross-grade collaboration and interaction, perhaps through community activities/volunteering.-team teachers in each cohort grade must collaborate and share a community vision;
-cohort teacher and support staff meetings to ensure a common vision, language, and assessment and value system as well as a scope and sequence for learning needs.
-more engaging electives.
-go back to looping
-continue to develop challenged-based and project-based learning (specifically with electives)
-start asking students at the end of every semester for feedback on the program.
-parent, student & team get together at beginning and end of year to open communication channels and extend the community outward.
-Promoting more parental involvement
-Physical space- Student lounge areas-Quite areas where students can work in small groups of pivotal importance especially for IBI students
-Developing a foods program- perhaps reaching out to the community for funding, and or grant writing and then having students plan,prepare food for student population- this is also dependant on a different facility
-Continue to focus on community building and student engagement- potentially creating Youth Advisory Councils/ Student Councils
-Examining our students in their grade 12 year- what are their needs and challenges within the current structure?
What does success look like?
Growing student population in cohorts and growing interest in registering students in cohorts
Attendance (based on a class size of 22)
An average of 70% daily attendance (e.g. 15 to 16 students attending each day). Some days you end up with 10, some days all 22 but 15 to 16 is the average when all is said and done.
Engagement
Students enjoy school, participate and will verbalize this.
Student Achievement (Statistics based on a class size of 22)
Approximately 80% success rate (18 out of 22 students successfully complete the year). Within the first 3 months, we tend to loose 3 students for a variety of reasons (often about 2 will repeat the following year). 3 of the remaining 18 students will often have program modifications such as dropping electives but they will complete the courses they are in.
Return students- Students choosing to return to Westshore after absences or 'dropping out.' Students that are 'at risk' know that this is a safe community and feel supported in their learning; creating life long learners in our most vulnerable populations. School staff constantly reinforcing to students inclusion and that they do belong regardless of failed attempts at our school or others. Students also returning to Westshore to connect with staff for support even when no longer registered in programs reducing barriers to students accessing services. Staff then assisting students by making referrals to community agencies or assisting students in making a plan to re-enter an educational program.
Staff- Consistency within our staff, team members that are committed to shared visions and values. Staff that choose to work with our most vulnerable youth and populations. Staff being able to explore and create new and innovative approaches to support our students.
Warning;
The cohort communities can be so successful at neutralizing behaviours that it is easy to forget them. Often we will have parents, guardians, former teachers and former support staff amazed at the difference they observe in students. Please keep in mind that a great deal of front loading and maintenance goes into fostering this. If the front loading is not there, behaviours and absenteeism will percolate, aligning what you are seeing with what you have read in their files. This is also relevant when students are leaving us to go to another school. For example, if a student came to us with an Intensive Behaviour designation but after the first 3 months, his or her behaviours were rarely seen, it does not mean the IEP can be discarded. Although that student has likely made inroads, if triggered, those personal challenges are still there to be navigated by that student.