PIRLS 2006 Encyclopedia

curriculum and instruction in social studies, mathematics, science, and language arts,as well as a minimum of 15 weeks of student teaching.Teacher In-service EducationIn Nova Scotia, the provincial Department of Education, the faculties of education of theuniversities, the school boards, and the Nova Scotia Teachers Union all provide in-serviceeducation for teachers. Teachers employed by school boards are required to complete 100hours of professional development every 5 years. Pursuant to Section 10A of the governorin Council Education Act Regulations, teachers are required to complete professionaldevelopment. A review was completed by the Teacher Certification Review Committeein 2004, and the subsequent report confirmed that, on average, a teacher spends 66 hoursper year on professional development activity. 34Examinations and AssessmentsRegional ExaminationsProvincial assessment in grades 3, 6, and 9 are administered as “assessments for learning.”These assessments in language and mathematical literacy are used to identify studentlearning needs and to focus provincial improvement strategies. Assessment results arereturned to each school in a timely manner so that schools can develop support plansfor individual students. Students’ progress is monitored each year until they reach theprovincial assessment at the next grade level. Provincial funding is provided to supportstudents whose results on their assessments are below expectations. Senior high schoolstudents participate in provincial examinations in language arts, mathematics, sciences,and social studies. Examination results count as 30% of the student’s final course marks. 35Standardized TestsThe province does not administer standardized commercial tests. Instead, provinciallydeveloped criterion-referenced tests are administered under standardized conditions.However, individual school boards or schools may use standardized commercial teststo evaluate their students’ learning. These tests may include the Canadian CognitiveAbilities Test, Canadian Test of Basic Skills, Canadian Achievement Test, DevelopmentalReading Assessment, Reading Recovery® , and First Steps.OntarioPIRLS 2006 EncyclopediaLanguage and LiteracyCanada’s two official languages, English and French, are the languages of instructionin Ontario. According to the 2001 census statistics of Ontarians, approximately 71%have English as their mother tongue, 4% have French as their mother tongue, and 24%have a first language other than English or French. 36 Ontario has rich cultural diversitywith a significant immigrant population. In some large urban areas, school boards haveidentified more than 75 different home languages and dialects among the students.CanadaTIMSS & PIRLSInternational Study CenterLynch School of Education, Boston College 75