Reimagine Lakeshore: A Reflective Analysis of a School Division Change Initiative

Jackie Kirk, Ph.D. (Brandon University)Mike Nantais, Ph.D. (Brandon University)Ayodeji Osiname (M.Ed. Candidate, Brandon UniversityJanet Martell (Superintendent, Lakeshore SD)Leanne Peters (Assistant Superintendent, Lakeshore SD)

43rd Annual CSSE Conference

What is Reimagine Lakeshore?A design-based process used to facilitate system change and teacher transformation.

Vital Outcome Indicators for Community Engagement of Children & Youth

The Context Small, rural school division Located an hour north of Winnipeg

in the Interlake region of Manitoba 7000 km2 – size of Prince Edward

Island Some of the longest bus routes in

the province 10 schools – variety of

configurations 60% Aboriginal students in the two

largest high schools 1160 FTE students 98 FTE teaching staff

REIMAGINE … LEARNING, TEACHING, AND FACILITIES…

Nature-Based Learning and Integrated Curricula

Project-Based Learning

Technology Integration

Common Area for Learning

From Library to Learning Centre

THE STUDY: OVERVIEW

Research Purpose To determine the success of the change initiative and to identify the factors that led to the successes and challenges that were experienced by administrators, principals, and teachers in Lakeshore School Division.

THE STUDY: OVERVIEW

Methodology & Data sources • Mixed methods study.• Lakeshore School Division documents. • An online survey.• Focus groups.• Interviews.

OVERVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

"Systemic change in the school division can happen when new

dispositions, new ways of thinking, and new behaviours are established and supported so that the culture of

the school division is altered…" (Green & Etheridge, 2001, p. 829)

ENGAGEMENT?

• 67% of those responding to the survey indicated medium to high levels of participation

• Only 11% reported no participation

• 4 of 7 divisional trustees attended multiple Re-imagine Lakeshore meetings

• Over 25 action research projects conducted over two years in three pathways: technology, facilities, instructional strategies

CHANGES?

Physical learning spaces

Technology integration

Instructional strategies

Student engagement

Equity

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

91%

84%

86%

78%

65%

Percentage of survey respondents who saw some or significant changes in the following areas.

Percentage of Respondents Seeing Some or Significant Change (N=57)

* Survey taken in May/June of 2014

PARTICIPANT VOICES

“The changes are enhanced engagement. I think there’s a lot of excitement and passion across the division.”

PARTICIPANT VOICES

“Permission to think outside of the box, permission to try new things, to fail forward, to take chances and to take risks . . . I think that’s really powerful.”

PARTICIPANT VOICES

The process “made us focus – is this working or not? And within that process were those opportunities to fail, so you know it’s okay, it’s not working and you’re going to try something different.”

SUCCESS?

• 84% of survey participants believed that Re-imagine Lakeshore was somewhat successful or successful

• Only 3.5% thought it was not successful.

* Survey taken in May/June of 2014

This presentation & research is part of the VOICE Research project – a Community-University Research Alliance Project.

The VOICE Research Project is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and by Vale. It is also supported by Manitoba Hydro. Brandon University and the University College of the North are institutional partners for the VOICE Research Project.

Thank you!