Anishinaabe Student Achievement

The Anishinaabe Student Achievement (ASA) Program is supported by Indigenous and Northen Affairs Canada Under the First Nation Student Success Program. Following the same guidelines, the ASA has focused on developing a common literacy, numeracy and student success programming in all six of our First Nation elementary and two high schools. The ASA has also implemented common assessment in these areas. Other areas of support include Anishinaabe language and culture, information technology support, coaching on the use of technology in the classroom and extra-curricular and after-school programs.

Bimose Tribal Council's Anishinaabe Student Achievement (ASA) Program has evolved over the past six years and will continue to evolve. We respond to community needs with the goal of supporting the development of a quality educational program within our communities. Our governance model includes a direct input and advice from our communities Education Directors, school administration and community leadership.

Programs and Services

The ASA Program has been extremely successful in providing professional development opportunities to teachers and administrators in our schools. The use of best practices in teacher education is an essential component of assisting with this professional growth, support and development.

- Focus on literacy instruction and improvement of literacy results in our schools;
- Services provided: a common Literacy program (Nelson Literacy, Keylinks Guided Reading), establish literacy libraries, implement a common writing program (PM Writing and Write Traits), literacy assessments (PM Benchmarks, Fontas and Penell Benchmarks, Ontario Writing Assessment, Oral Language Assessment, Early Years Evaluation and EQAO), develop literacy centres from Grades K-8 and implemented reading intervention programs (High Five, Mondo Reading Intervention, Leveled Literacy Intervention);
- Ensure teachers are using the best practices named above in their daily literacy program, expand programming to the secondary level;
- Assist central and school-based professional learning communities to address specific student needs and support the sharing/developing of best practices;
- Enhance Early Literacy programming in all schools that supports local capacity development;
- Integrate Anishinaabe language and culture in all literacy programming.
Student Success & Retention
- Services provided: implement student success teams, support Co-op, Reach Ahead and Dual Credit programs, develop an After-School Arts program, develop a High Skills Major program, assist to identify the needs of at-risk students, monitor the provincial Student Success Indicators, implement the Tell Them For Me Survey;
- Finalize the implementation of the Follow Your Path program, a Northern Studies High Skills Major program focusing on traditional activities and skill development;
  Develop a transition program to assist students moving from Grades 8 to 9 and at graduation, maintain the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) in all schools;
- Expand a video-conferencing program to provide additional courses in our schools;
- Expand the use of technology in the classroom and schools to support student success and retention programs;
- Support all schools in the development and implementation of extra-curricular and after-school programs;
- Integrate Anishinaabe language and culture in all student success programming.
Numeracy
- Focus on numeracy instruction and improvement of numeracy results in our schools;
  Services provided: Jump Math program, Mathletics, Math centers and numeracy assessments (Bimose Numeracy Assessment, Quick Math and EQAO);
- Ensure teachers are using the best practices named above in their daily numeracy program, expand programming to the secondary level;
- Enhance numeracy assessment models, implement a problem-solving based numeracy instructional model for the elementary grades;
- Assist central and school-based professional learning communities to address specific student needs and support the sharing/developing of best practices;
- Expand the use of technology in the classrooms to support numeracy programming;
- Integrate Anishinaabe language and culture in all numeracy programming;
Anishinaabe Language & Culture
- Support the development and implementation of Anishinaabe language, culture and traditions in our community schools;
- Support Native Language teachers with instructional delivery, accessing resources and professional development needs;
- Support the integration of Anishinaabe language and culture in all programming of the ASA program;
- Assist to support the expansion of a Cultural Support program in each school;
- Implement Anishinaabe language and culture assessment tools; develop local indicators for these tools.
Data Management & I.T. Support
- Implement and support Dadavan in all schools;
- create a central server, update all school servers & enhance all school IT infrastructure;
- install and maintain SmartBoards in all classrooms, provide teachers/students with iPads & purchase and install computer hardware and software to Expand the use of technology in the classroom and schools;
- provide IT training and support in various IT areas through (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), and IT Learning/Coaching school-based staff
- Complete IT upgrades to support student learning, data-sharing and provide support, IT school infrastructure upgrades;
- Maintain learning partnership with Apple Canada and Google;
- Support teachers in their use of data to guide instruction, through professional development and on-site training;
- Enhance school/teacher collaboration through video-conferencing system; maintain common e-mail system and a program website, and Support school administration with various school management software;