, 1 1 7 0
St. JohnIS
HIGH SCHOOLPROGRAM IN LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA, WITH PRIMARY EMPHASIS ON EXISTING
CURRICULUM AND EVALUATION PRACTICES
by
Foste rMil tonLamsvood, B.A.(Ed.). B.A .
0
AnInte rnship Report Pres ent e dto The Faculty ofGrad ua teStudies Memori al Un i ve rs i ty ofNewfoundlan d
In Partial Fulfillment of theRequirement s for the Degree
Hast er ofEducation in Educat iona l Adminis t ra tion
Aug us t 19 78
Ne.... foundland
FACULTY OF GRADUATESTUDIES
The tmdersigned certify that they havere a d , andre connnen d to the Facu l ty of Grad uate St udies foracceptance. an InternshipReport en titl e d "An Examination of the Grade XII Componen t of theHi gh Schoo l Program in Lethb ridge, Alber ta , wit h PrimaryEmphasis on Existing Cu r r i c ulum and Evaluation Practices," submitted by Foster Milton Lamswood, B.A .(Ed.), B.A. in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education .
Dr. D. L. Tresl an, Supervisor
Dr. P. J. Warren, Internal Ex amin er
Dr. L. R. Brown, External Examin e r
Date
11
The maj or purpose of this researchwas to examine GradeXII curiLcu Ium and evaluation procedures in two Alberta scbooI distric ts: Countyof Lethbridge No. 26 and Lethbridge School District No. 51.
This report includes a rat i on al e for the research, a reviewof relatedliterature. a description of the internshipactivities, a li st of the irtcrvlewque stionsused by the intern. a description of the Le thb r Idge Regional Office, as weLl as the County ofLe t hbr i d ge No. 26 and Lethbridge SchoolDistrict No. 51, anexaminat ion of th e curr iculum and eval ua t i on procedures in th e six high schools visi ted . an analysis of the student and te acherquestionnairesadmin is tered. percep tionsof Newfoundland educators toward GradeXII, an d finally, conclusions, implications and re c ommend at ions for introd ucin g Grade XII in Ne wf ound - land high schools.
Fourhigh schools werevis it e d in the cou n t yan d two larg e high schools in the city of Lethbridge. Eachschoo l was examined ind e p e n- dently re ga rd in g its curr i c ulum and evaluationproc edures. Taped in ter - views withprincipals and guidance counse llors were syn t hes izedand re po r t ed. Re s e a r ch dat a wer-e ga t h e r e d through docum entanalysis, taped inte r v i e ws, obser vat i ons, informal discussions and questionnaires.
Result s of th ere s ear c h indicated that the Grade XII program in Lethb rid g e, Alberta , of f e r e d a diversified. flexible curriculum with a care f u ll y montto red and clea r ly artic u lat e d eval ua t ionaystemfo r its
ii i
para lle led th e st rongfinancial commitment to education. A semester system , indi vidua lized tfmetab Lfng, and a credit system were cent ral componen tsof Grrl.J.eXU In Lethb r Idge . The reten tion ratefor students from Gra de Xto Grade XII vas in excess of 90 percen t. Procedu res for the eva lua tion ofGrade XII students were set forthby School Board accredita- tion po l ici es . Stud en t achievement was assessed inan ongoing pro ce s s th r ougho u t each semest.cr vith .'"inal examinations as sign ed awe i ght ed percen tage of finalmerks, Ih-Ldan ce services for such a Grade XII program we r e of paramount importance. Coordination and consultation betwe en senior high schools and post secondaryinstitu tionswere strong lyemphasized. Grade XII was the culminating year of a th r e e-y e a r senior high school program.
An impor t a n t component of th i s re s e a r c h was to communicate to a sampleof Nevfound Land educators the findings re gard i n g the GradeXII prog ram In Le t hb rid ge, Al be r ta, and to ascertain th e i r views concerning the form of Grade XII NewfoundLm dhi gh s chools should implement and what impli cat i on s theado pt ten of a Grad e XII pro g ram wou l d have for the Newfoundland system of education. The questions posed by the re s earcherand the re a ct i on s of the s e educa tors are includ ed in thi s re s e a rch.
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Asincere appre c i at i on1s extended to Dr . D. Tre slan, interns hip supervi sor, for th e gu i d an ce, encouragemen t and intere st sheen durin g the research, and to the members of the interns h ip committee. Dr. P. J.
Warren, and Dr. L. R. Brown, for the ir sugges t i on s and comment s, Grat itude 1s alsoacknowledged to the two schoo l distri ct s of the County of LethbridgeNo. 26 and Lethb r i d ge SchoolDistri ct No. 5!.
Ute coop erati on, in teres t and guidance providedby Mr. C. E. Burge and Dr . G. H. Bevan contributed LargeIy to the success of th e inte rnship.
Pri ncipals, guidance co un s e l lorsI te a ch e r sI and stude n t s weremost accoramodatfng in th i s re s e a r ch.
Ackn owl e dge ment is made to th e libr ari an s of the Education Library of Me mori a l Universi ty forth e ir friend liness and assis tance in gathering res earch mate ria ls, and totheDep artmentof Edu c a t i onal Administrati onof Memoria l Uni ve r sity for its inte r es t andsuppor t .
The writeris also in de bted to Mrs. Ramona Raske andMaureen Kent for th e ir hel p in ty p in g andprepar i ng themanus crip t.
A special th an ks is given tomy wife, Connie , and sons Scot t , Mark, and Jeffrey whose patience, understandingand encouragement made
this re s e a r ch possible and wo rthvhd Ie ,
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ABSTRACT• • • • • ACKNOIILEDGEMENTS.
LIST OF TABLES.
LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION.
RATIONALE.
PURPOSEOF TIlE STUDY SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY.
DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY LIMIT ATI ONS OF THE STUDY DEFINI TIONOF TERMS. • • II. RELATED LITERATURE AIm RESEARCH
AN AMERICANPERSPECTIVE.
A CANADIAN PERSPECTI VE • THE NEWFOUNDL};m PERSPECTIVE SUMMARY• • •
I I1. THE INTERNSHIP • PLACEMENTA::D DURATION OBJECTIVESOF THE INTERNSHIP PR,:PARATION FOR THE INTERNSHIP
Stage 1: Orien ta tionand Organization Perio d Stage 2: ~' ounty of Lethbridge No. 26
High Schools .
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Page
iii v
12 13 18 25 32 33 33 34 35 35 36
Stage 3~ Lethbridge School District No. 51
High Schools . 37
Stage 4: Assessment Phase. . . . . . . 38 Stage 5: Interviews with Newfoundland Educators. 38
INTERNSHIP REPORT. 39
METHODOLOGY. • • • 40
RESEARCH QUESTIONS 41
IV. A DESCRIPTION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA • • • • • • • • • . • • •
THE LETHBRIDGE REGIONAL OFFICE COUNTY OF LETHBRIDGE NO. 26. • LETHBRIDGE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO.5!.
V. STATEMENT OF FINDINGS • • • • • •
43 43 51 51 53 PHASE I: GRADE XII CURRICULilll AND EVALUATION
POLICIES IN LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA. 53
Provincial Guidelines. . 53
The Credit System. . . . 54
COUNTY OF LETHBRIDGE NO. 26 56
Kate Andrews High School 56
Pictu re ButteH1gh School. 62
Noble Central High School. 67
Coalhurst high school. . . 70
LETHBRIDGE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 51 74
Winston Churchill High School. 76
Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. 85
ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONNAIRES • • • • • • 92 Teacher Perceptions of Grade XII in Lethbridge, Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Student Perceptions of Grade XII in Lethbridge, Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 PHASE II: NEWFOUNDLAND EDUCATORS' PERCEPTIONS
OF GRADE XII . • . • • • • • • • • 99
VI. CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS.
vii
108
CONCLUSIONS •
SOME IMPLICATIONS FOR NEWFOUNDLAND RECOMMENDATIONS
REFERENCES CITED APPENDICES
A. STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE B. TEACHER QUESTIONNAIRE
C. AN O.B.E. SYSTEM (LETHBRIDGE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 51) D. ACCREDITATION AND LOCAL AUTONOHY (LETIIBRIDGE SCHOOL
DISTRICT NO. 51) E. CORRESPD:lDENCE.
viii
lOB 1I2 lIB 122
127 130 133 139 145
Table Page 1. Numbers of and Types of Public and Separate Schools
which Submit te d Form A: 1977- 78, Zone 6 48
2. Hi gh School En ro llment by Various Typesof Grade
Organizations . 1977-78. Zone 6. . • • . 49
3. Credit Offeri ngs Per Gradeby High School Enrollment. Zone 6, 19 77- 78 • • . . • . • • . • • • • • 50 4. Demographic Information on Study Population Re Latfve
to Partici p a t ingSchoo ls . . . • . . • • 93 5.
6.
7.
8.
Frequen cy Distrib ution of Te a c h er Questionnaire Resul ts • • • • . . • • • • • • . • . . . . Freq uency Distributionof Te a ch e r Questionnaire Results (col lapsed tables)• . • • • • . . . . . Frequency Distr ib ution of Student Quest ionnaire Results . . • • • . • . • • • • • • • • • • • • Frequency Distributionof Student Questionnaire Resu l ts (collapsed table s ). . . .
ix
94
95
97
98
Figure
1. Agencies. Organizations and Individuals in Zone to whom the Regional Office Provides Service. .
Page
46
INTRODUCTION
Throughout the twentieth centuryf educators have been searching for ways and means of more effectively providing for the ever-widening range of individual differences among high school students. Educational research and studies attest to the many innovations evolved by theorists and implementedby progressive practitioners throughout North America.
In te rms of senior high school curricula, there has been a veritable transformation in the areas of curricula content, structural organization and the teaching strategies employedbydynamic educational leaders.
This report examines the senior high school curriculum in a selected Canadian province, with specific emphasis on the Grade XII program. The data presented should provide information for Newfoundland educators in assessing modifications which will have to be made in implementing a Grade XII program to meet the needs, interests and abilities of Newfoundland senior high school students.
The Hall-Dennis Report of Ontario succinctly defined curriculum as "all those activities in which children engage under the auspices of the s chooL" (1968, p , 75). Similarly, Warren (1973) maintained that curriculum includes all the experiences which pupils have under the direction of the school-student activities, communLty projects. instruc- tional programs. as well as subjects and courses. Warren further suggested that instructional techniques or processes of implementing
be taught or learned.
Alexander, Saylor, and Williams perceived curriculum as the program of learning opportunities provided by the school. They provided an all-encompassing, comprehensive concept of what curriculum should entail, including "direct instructional programs, subjects, classes, courses, independent study, club programs, student organizationsI school athletics, publications, social affairs. educational tours, guidance services, health and a multitude of other activities" (1971, pp , 191-192).
These modern concepts of curriculum emphasize inadequacies of the one-room school, the all-graded school and the autonomous classroom which has characterized the traditional high school. The singular, most
recurring characteristic exemplifying today' s senior high school is flexibility or diversity of curriculum to meet the many differences of senior high school students. Diversity is the central component in courses offered, content prescribed, and instructional strategies employed. Synonymous with the flexibility-diversity concept are the concepts of "comprehensiveness in program offerings" and "individuali- zation of the curriculum." Canadian innovations in senior high school curricula have been, for the most part, adaptations and modifications of American educational developments.
James Conant (1959), in a study of the comprehensive secondary school, concluded that the comprehensive school was a practical, workable institution. Subsequent to his study, the following recommendations were made:
1. Every student should have an individualized program.
Students should not be categorized into streams or tracks.
general education. including English. history, mathematics and science.
3. Ability grouping should be employed in forming classes in specific subjects. but "across the boar-d" ability grouping should be avoided.
4. For the academically talented students, challenging, enriched academic courses should be required, including English, science, mathematics and foreign language.
(pp. 48-76) These four principles have been recorded because they have provided the cornerstones for developments in high school curriculum throughout North America in the last four decades. These recommendations serve to highlight and synthesize the major changes which have taken place in high school curriculum. Moreover, these concepts permeate and reflect the philosophies, goals and objectives in the senior high school curriculum across Canada.
Newfoundland educators have moved rather slowly in initiating change to improve both the quality and equality of education in high schools. It is significant that Newfoundland, for the most part, has not been affected by the educational innovations which have characterized North American education. Taylor (1976) claims that Newfoundland's geographical location has kept i t on the periphery of cultural, techno- logical and educational change as it has occurred throughout North America. Briefs presented to the Royal Commission on Education and Youth (1967) by Memorial University and the Newfoundland Teacher's Association criticized the education system for its emphasis on text- books and collection of facts. The Commission stated:
The narrow academic programme which may have served Newfound- land students reasonably well in the past is woefully inade- quate and unsuitable today. Radical changes must be intro-
within indiv idual schools an d indiv i du al grades. Enriched and re medi al pro g r amme s mus t be pr ovi ded at th e elemen tary andsecon dary school le v e l s. (p, 147)
The current seniorhi gh sch o ol curriculum in Newfoundland provide s limit ed course offe r i ngs . In as s e s s i n g th e quali ty and equ ali t y of second ary educa tion 1n Newfound land , Wa r ren (197 3) maintained :
Nany high schools inNewfoundland are general high schools , offer i n g very limite dprograms . Fu rth e rmo re, even the larg er highschool offerings are but a pale re fl e ct i o n of th o s e else- where in Canada. Harrynew te a ch i n g te ch n i qu e s and organiza- tional patte rns, commonly cal le d th e pedagogical re vo l u t i on, are stil l largely unused in Newfoundland . They haveno t been adopted by large numbers of te ac h ers. (p. 24 1)
Seniorhigh schools acrossCanada ha v e adopted and implement ed educational ch a n ge s such as the'credft; system, in divi dua l ti metabling and GradeXI I as th e ma i n componentsof a diversified program. Thes e educational deve lopmen t s have evolved in an effort to bett er accommo da t e the individual interests, needs, and abilitie s of allsen i o r high schoo l students. Althou gh seve ral areas of Newfoundlandhav e examined and experimented with partIcular aspects of high school curriculumalluded to earlierJ change has been minimal.
Departmentof Educa t i on statistics (l9i7) recordthat the la r ge s t enrolment in Grade XII in Newfoundland was 162 in 19 60 - 61. Yet, the Grad eXII prog ram ha s ne verbe en ado pted on a provinc e-Hide bas i s a-t par t of thesenio r hi gh sch ool cur r Lcukum, It ha s only be en offered in a fe wlarg er areas such as St . John's and Corner Brook . As such, the natur e ofth e GradeXII programhas been un i v e rsi t y- p r e par atory and there b y restr i ct e d. Unfo r tunately , th e Grade XII is suehas had to ccrspete with establ i shededucational sys tems . Cons e qu ently, it has
has al way s ex i s t e d: either Junio r Division , the two-y e ar college. th e regional col lege . and more recently. the community college, or impLe me n- ta t i on of Grade XII. In the Uni tedStates and Canada, Grade XII is not an addi tiona l year of ac ad e mic st udies for uni v ersit y- bo un d studen ts . It is an inte gral pa r t of thewhole sen io r hi gh school cu rric u lum which is available to allst u de n t s --a philo s o phy whichperme at e s educ a tional thinkingacro s s Nor t h Amer ic a .
RATIONALE
An exa mi n at i on of educationaldevelopmentsand innova tions in high school curricu lumacross Canada during the past 15- 20 years re v e a l s th at one of the major changes has beenthe adopt ionof Grade XII as an inte gr al componen t of secondary education . Th e Reviewof Educational Pol i ci e s in Ca n a da. We s t e r n Region (19 75) in d i c at e s changes which have t-aken pla ce in seconda ry scho o ls.
Between 19 50 an d 1970. al l fou r provi nces adopted th e composit e or comp rehens ive high schools' st r uct u re and organ - ization as a practica l option to re pla c e or suppLe ment the exi s ting academic seconda ryschools and specialized technical - voca t iona l high schools. This type of schoo l offered a wide range of courses witha voc ation a l bias aswellas anacademi c prog ram. (p • 42)
At presen t . NewfoundLa nd is the only Canadian province not offeringGrade XII on a province-widebasis. Quebec, tho u gh offering e Leven yearsof schooling, adequately provides for extended. educational opportunity through the CEGEP system of commun Lty colleges. Ten years ago, th e~~rt of the Royal Commission on EducatioJn and Youth in Ne wf oun d l a n d and La b r a dor (19 67) recommended th at:
ible inorder to meet the diverse needs and abilities of students. At present, the curriculum is, by and la r ge , an academic curriculum which is oriented to university matricu- lants and which cannot be satisfactorilyadopted for those who are not of matriculation calibre. (p. 162)
The Review of Educational Policies in Canada, Atlantic Region Report (1975) st ates that"Newf o un d l a n d is the only one of th e four provinces which does not offer a variety of programs as such ;" (p , 24)
A Grade XII program, the equivalent of first year university courses , had been offered in St. John'sand Corne r Brook, but was replacedby th e Junior Division Studies at Memorial University in St.
JohnIS and th e Western College in Corner Brook. This development ignoresth e fact that the other nine provinces of Canada have seen the need to establisha Grade XII pr o g r a m, in addition to the community collegesand un i v e r s i t i e s. The estab lishmen t of CMTS in On tario , CEGEPS in Quebec, and communfty colleges in the other Canadian provinces represent a con tinua tion of, rath er than an opposition to, Grade XII.
Plann i ng , coop erati on an d coor dina t ion ha v e charac te r ized th e tr a nsit i on from the hi gh schools to post -secondary institu tions.
Cu rr en tly, Newfoundland educators have expressed a re n ewe d interes t and an urg e n c y inexamining the GradeXI I prog rams throughou t Canadawith a view to impl emen t i n g a Grade XII pr o g r a m in this pr ov i n c e . This study has received letters of support and endorsement from Super- intendents, Directors of Schools of Nursing, the President of the Colle g e of Trades and Technology, representatives of the DECIS, th e 'Federation of School Boards, Principals of Vocational Schools, the NTA and the Minister of Ed uca tion. Th e s e indiv idualsre gardthi s pro j e ctas prac t ica l , timel y
should prove rele v ant to al l educators involved in assessingand re com- mending the format of Grade XII which might be implemen ted to meet th e needs, abil i ties and inte res tsofNewfoundland students. Da ta gathere d from this research shou l d als obe of value to the Provincial Commit tee of the Departmentof Educ a tion recently estab lished to st udy the Grade XI I issue in this province.
PURPOSE OF THESTUDY
The main pu r pose of this pro j ect was to study and analyse th e Grade XII compon ent of th e hi gh sch o ol pro gram of Lethb r i dge School Dist r ic t #51 and th e Countyof Lethb ridge #26, in the provinceof Alber t a, wi t h pri mary emphas is on exis tingcur riculum and evaluation pra c tices . At ten tionwas also focused on th e following ta n ge n t i a l dimen si on s : organ i zation, gu i d ance , an dins t r uc tion . In Phase II of th e internship, the re s earcher communicat ed the findings gat he red from Let hb r i d ge , Alberta toa sample of Newf ound lan d educators and ascert a ined the i r vi ewpo i n ts reg ardin g the feas ibility of Gra de XI I inNewfo un d lan d .
SIGNI FICANCEOFTHE STUDY
This are a of st u dy was chosen for thre e re a s on s. Fi rs t , after te a chin g for th irt e en years in th e senior high schools of Newfoundland an dLabr ado r , the int ern re al i z e d th e inadequacies and shortcomings of th e cu r ren t seni o r high school cu r ricu lum. This inve sti gat i on provides ins igh ts into the phi l os oph y, organiz a tion andadminist rationof an ope r a t ive Grade XI I program. Obse rvat ions of the day-to -da y activi t i es
i
pertaining thereto were invaluable In as ses sin g the Grade XI I program offered in these sele cted schools. Second, the exami na t ion ofboth larg e and smallseniorhigh sch o o l s in Lethbridge, Alberta prov id e s gui d e l ines for implementin g a Grade XII programin the high schoo ls ofNe wf oun d l an d . Undoubtedly, spe c i f i c adaptations will have to bema de to provide for the particulareduc ationalneeds of this prov ince. Third. the intern has syn t hes i ze d the central components of theGr a deXI I program offered In Lethbridge, Al b e r t a . This has been made possi b le through firsthand expe r i e n ce and can now be communicated toNewfoun dlan d educators. Thus, th e internsh ip Is both practical and aca demi c.
In preparation for this study, all Newfoundland Superintendents, DEC's , Department of Education, School-Bo ard Fed eration, Vocational Schools, th e College of Fisheries , College of Trades andTe ch n o l o gy , School of Nu r s i n g and theNTA were surv eyed. Without exception, the respondents su ppo r t e d a need for Grade XII in seniorhigh school curri- cuLum, This study sh ould have significance for the s e educators.
Finally, there appears to be intere st in the Grade XII issueat the Depa rtmen t of Education le vel. In August , 197 7, th e Newfoundland Provincial Government announced that a committe e wo u l d be established to examineGrade XII in th e re st of Canada and make re comme nd at i on s for this province. If establishment of Grade XII in this province is re commen d e d, it might be expected to be a continuationof high sch o o l or th e equivalen t of firs t year unive rsity . This report sho u l d be par ticu la r ly helpfu l to th i s commit teeand other pr ovin cialeducation al au thori ties in helping to bring th e Newfoundland and Labrador senior high schools int o the mains t reamofNorthAmericancurricu lum deve lopmen ts.
This studywas delimi t ed to selected senior high schools of th e Lethbridge School Dist r ic t #51 andth e County of Lethbridge 126, Leth - bridge, Albe r ta. The in t ernsh i p focused on th e organizationand admin- istr a t ion of Grade XII 1n relation to overa l l school opera tion . Schools chosen provided exp osure to the lar ge urb an as well as the smal le r rural high schools .
LIMITATIONS OFTHE STUDY
Any st ud y ofth i s typ e 1s li mit ed by a numbe r of facto rs . Those fact o rs directly aff e ct ing this st udy were:
1. Depe n denceon a restr i ct i v e sample.
2. Sub jec t iv i tyof th e re s e arc h e r in gath erin g the data.
3. Res t rictions of the 7~week internship time period.
4. Rel i anceupo nper sonal observat io ns and a descrip tive account , as opposedto a detailed st a tis t ical analysis .
5. Dependence on the cooperation of the re spondent s . 6. Re l i a nc e on face va l i di t y of the que st i on n air e.
7. Difficulty in gene raliz i n g th e results .
DEFINITIONOF TERMS
Senio r High Schoo l : A secondary school which includes Grades X, XI, XII an d al lowing for one or more high school teachers per grade.
Jun i o r Hi gh School : A secondary school which includes Grades VI I ,VI I I , and IX.
ComprehensiveHighSchool: A secondary school with a number of departments, e.g . , academic, industrial , business, offering a diversified program to meet the needs of pupils with varying interests and abilities.
Credit System: A systemwhereby students are given weighted credit for successful completion of specific courses offered in the high school.
Core Programme: A selection and arrangement of compulsory courses in general education subjects , in major subject disciplines, and vocational fields to form a systematic patternor plan of study leading to graduationfrom a senio r high s choo L,
Electives or Options: Courses not designated as "required" for the par ticula r programme th e studen t is ta k i n g. These may be chosen for their vocational/avocationa l values and inte rests to an individual pupiL
One Credit: Success f u l comp le tion of at least 25 ho urs of inst r uc tion , exam i na t ions and rel at e d course activities.
Grade XII: Th e sen io r year of a th ree-yearsenior high school education system.
~: Organized subject matter in which instructionis offeredwithin a given period of time, and for which credit toward graduation or certification is usually given. A planned sequence of educational activity, leading to the acquisition of a skill or body of knowledge, usually over a predeterminedperiod of time.
Curriculum : A planned sequence of several educational activi - ties, leading to the acquisition of specified skills or bodies of knowledge. either in a given period or in a given subject or group of subjects.
Work Experience Education:
3 . Wor k Study: Employmentundertakenby a studen t as an int e g r al part of an approved school cou rse und er the coop erativ e supervisionof a teache r -coo r d i na t o r and emplo y er.
b. Wor k Ex per i e n c e : Employmentundertaken by a st ude n t an inte g r al part of a planned school program unde r the cooperative supervisionof a teacher-coo rdinator and employer.
Selec ted Schools: Schools chosen for in v e sti g at i on in th i s study.
Coop er at i n g Personne l: Superintendents. administra to rs . te a cher s, and guidancecounsel lors in th e selec ted schoo lsof Let hbr id g e . Alber ta.
RetentionRat e: Th e number of stude n ts retai n ed in Gra de XII ex p r ess e d as a per c e nt a g e of th o s e studen ts who commence d hi gh schoo l at Grade X, contin u e d thro u gh Grade XI and rea che d Gra de XII.
Albert a Educa tion: The term presen t lyused in Albert a to refer to th e Alberta Department of Education and the Ministry of Education in Alber ta.
CHAPTER II
RELATED LITERATURE A:lD RESEARCH
Although the topi c of this research 1s the Grade XII concept, particularly an examination ofth e curriculum andeval uationpractices in Lethbridge, Alberta, one cannot interna lizethis concept in isolation fromthewhole structureof high sc ho o l edu cationor secon da ry ed u c a t ion. Rat he r , GradeXI I must be viewe d as a component;of the high school educationprocess, a culminating year in secondary education . For th i s reason , referenceis made to curriculum and evaluation philosophies , rationales , trends, organizations and other areas rel a t i n gto secondary education. This se c t ion of the report examines curriculum development in the UnitedStates, Canada and Newfoundland. It is especially note- wor thy that both in the United States and in th e other nine Canadian provincesI GradeXII has been and continues to be recognized as an in teg ra l part of high school education. By contrast, Newfo un d land educators are nov in the pro ce s s of asses sin g this component wi t h a view to dmpIe ment Ing a form of Grade XII in Newfoundland high schoo ls .
Downey(l965) commentedthat th e high school had goneth r ou gh an intense periodofpubli c cr i t ic is min th e de ca d e, 195 5- 65. Suc h an ex pe r- ience result ed in se condary educa tion emba rki ng upon a newera of inno- va t i on and impr ov eme nt. Althoug h there was much ac t iv i ty. Downey admitted that seconda ry ed uca t ionwas charac te ris t ical ly unstru ctu r ed and unsystematic. Thi s perspe c t ive of high scho o l educa t i o nse rve s to
reflect the attitude of many educators both prior to and since 1965.
This chapter presents a cross sectionof th e lite rature describing the changes and tr e n d s in secondary education} alongwith concomitant resul ts . In many instances , th e in n ov a t i on s and improvementsJ all ude d tobyDowne y, hav e met wi t h continuedpublicdissatisfaction. Indee d , much of th e cur rent li t era t ure speaks of the malaise of high school education 1n the 19 70' s . A candid examination of educational develop- ment during th i s per iod should enable Newfoundland educators to proceed with insigh t into high school change, more specifical ly the possible implementa tion of Grade XII.
AN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE
Impo rt ant changes characterizing th e Americanhigh school during the 19 60' s and 19 70' s have, in large measure, evolved from and adhered to th e pri n c i p l e s set forthby COnant (1959). Central to this tr e n d is the"c ocp rehens tve" high schoo l with its flexible program and diverse curriculumofferings. The objective is to"fndf vf due Lf ze the program"
tomee t the ne ed s, ab iliti e s and intere st s of eac hstuden t. It is thi s philosophy which perceates much of the lite rature re l at e d to curriculum ch an ge inAmer icanseco nda ry education. In es s e n ce, th e r e has been a change from th e con tent-cen tred cu rri c ul umto a student -cent red curri- cuLum,
Synonymouswith the attempt to individualizeaecondary education has been an effort to humanize curriculum. tfamilton and Saylor (1969) concluded:
It is fape rat Ivc that the structure of the s chco L not be anti- individual. If th e concept of human development is impor t an t
to our th i nk i n g, 1f it 1s urgent that people not be lost 1n the pro c e s s, then each student's integrity, uniqueness and at least partial self-determination must be recognized in the educational program. Students themselves must be responsible for certain le v e l s of decision 1n their education. (p , 83)
How successful and effective the American high school has been in making provis ion for bothindividual and human concerns in cu r riculumhas been the sub j ec t of much deb a t e and discussion, often involvingconflicting viewpoi nt.s,
Al co rn , et a1. (197 0 ) note d that curricu lumwas no rma lly divided intotwo di ffe r e ntph as e s , th e organ izedclass programand student activities . Furthermore, the class program consisted of two categories, generaleducation and special education. General education provided learningexperiences needed by all students to become effective ci t i ze n s.
Special education was designedto provide for the unique inte res ts , ne eds and abili t ies of each individual student.
Aga i n , the intention was to re a l i ze a "compr eh en s iv e" curri culum to accommoda te each student.
To achieve flexibi li ty and di ve r s i t y in cu r riculumof fe r ings , it is imperati ve that all tho se in v olved in the cur ricu l um-b u i l di ng process be re ce ptiv e to andaware of curren t curri c ula find i n gs and res e arch. Wi les (197 0 ) advocat e dmaintain i ng balan c e in cu r ricu l um.
Heperceiv ed th e class room te acher as th e key to changing cur r iculum.
This required the teacher to be experimental to the extent that he might change his procedures when evidence indicated he was ineffe.ctive . This balance of cu r riculumofferings is further supportedby Bent, Kronenbe rg , and Boardman (1970). These re s e a r c he r s advocated that curriculum should be fle xibl e so that each studen t migh t have an op po r t u ni ty to explo re
various fiel ds of le a rn i n g, and as his in t er es t s change and hi s specific abili tiesare discove r ed , le arning activities can be selected which congruous wit h these changes an d knowledge. They pointed out:
The academic subjec ts are no lon ger adequate to meet all the needs of youth 1nmode rn society or to fulfill the aims of secon da ry educa tion. St u de nts grow and develop also thro u gh othe r activi ties; such as, physical educationand health, in dustr i a l ar ts, cons ume r education, safety education, conser- vat ion of nat u ral re s o urce s. home economics1 family life and sexeducation , drug abuse education , music, art, career educa- tion an dvocat iona l education . Likewise, all extra cur r icula r act ivi ties must be integra ted into the entire curriculum.
(1970, p , 224) Al len (197 0 ) re c omme n d e d th a t at the secondary school level all studen ts sho u ld be aLl.owedto move in and ou t of vocationa l -technical and academ ic cou rses. He oppose d th e ironc lad separation of academ ic and vocational pro gra ms. Al lensugges ted:
The educationa l op po r t uni tywe pr ov i de should be a mainstream wi t h al l its par ts equal ly valuedan d respected from which each can ta k e the pr e pa ra t i on best suited tohi s par t i cu l ar ne eds and abili ties , ca r ry i ng not even a subtle suggestionof inferior i ty for tho s e in a ca ree r educa tionprogram or of supe r io r i ty for thos ewho are not. (p p. 24-2 7)
The priority given to univ ersity prep ar a t ory cou rses an d the negle ct of vo c a t i onalpreparation cours e s has been and con t i n ues to be an ong o i n gprob leminAmer i can hi gh schools. Marland ( 9 71 ) strongly suppo r ts the vi ew th at:
Wemust purgeourse lvesof academicsnobbery. Foreducation 's most serious fa ilin g is i ts self-induced , voluntary fragmen ta- ti on, th e strong tend e n c y of educa tion's several parts to separa te from one anothe r, to divide th e entire ente rprise against itself . The most grievous example . . . is the false dichotomy between things academic and things vocationaL . . . I propose th a t a universa l goal of Americaneducation, starting now, be th i s : th a t every young person completing our school program at Grade XII be ready to enter higher education or to enter useful andre ward i n g emp l oy me nt. (p• 58)
To suggest that innovative pract icesand progressive education have characterized developments in American secondary education during the 1960's and 1970's would be misleadingand inaccurate. The many theoriesput forwardbyeducators have often failed to reach the level of the everyday classroom. McCurdy (1970) cites, as evidence, the work done by Goodl a din 196 8. Goodlad's findingsof the many Americanhi gh schools visite d included :
1. Almost a complete absenceof deliberate goal-setting and eval uation. There was little use of the basic principles of lear ning . The instructional process was still the te a ch er-t a l k- t o- chil dte c hn i q ue .
2. Litt le use of differential tech niq ues to accommodate indi- vidu a l differen cesin chil d ren.
3. Books stil l domi n a t e the classroomas the medium of inst ruction. Everything was gradedwith li t t l e team te aching. An d so on . I was shocked. (pp, 398-400) Trump (1970 ) also offereda brief descriptionof the American high school in the 19 50's and 1960's. The school schedu ledstudents tightly soth at the y wen t fromone class or study ha l l to another, six or more periods a day, wit h the same per iods repeated five days a week.
Students spen t at le as t six hours a week on each of five subjects . Trump's visionofschools for th e 1970 'swas as follows:
The schoo l of the futurewil l schedule students in class groups an average of onlyeighteen hours a week, instead of th e pre- sent th i r t y hou rs. Twelveof the eighteenhours will be spent in 'l ar ge group ' instruction (100 or more students) andsix will be spen t in small group discussion (twelve to fifteen students). In addition to these eighteen hours, the average studen t will be scheduledfor about twelve hours a week in independent st udy. (pp, 352-357)
Romine (19 70 ) maintained that one of the fundamental trends in curriculumwas that of moving towa r d abroa der concept of the job which thehi gh school was calledup on to do and a more functional concept of
how this job could be done. This 'broadenedI curriculum would include problem-centred courses, out-of-schoolexperiences, wider range of resou rces , us e of multi books, A.V. mater ial , re s o u r ce personnel, resou r ce centre s, work expe r ience , specialpro jects and independe n t study (pp. 343-346) .
The ne e d to diversity curricu lum offerings at th e high school level was fur the r proclaimedby Alexander, Saylor and Williams (1971 ).
They pointed out:
It seems very clear that the publicb Lgh school mor e than ever is ex pe ct e d to provide equal educational opportun i ty for all of its students and th a t equality raeens diversity rather than unifo r mi t y of curriculum offerings. Thus , each school dist r i c t must make as certain as its re s our c e s permit- -even to the poi ntof combining resources with other districts in coopera- ti ve programs - -that each student may have a program of stud ies , activitiesand services re l e v a n t to his previous educational experience, to his present educataonaf needs, and his plans for th e fu ture. (p, 190 ) .
De spit e th e demands for a more dive rsifiedcu rriculum , chan ge and refo rmha s been slow. Tanner (19 72 ) provi de d a re a s on for thi s relu ctance to change :
The subject-centered curriculum is sofi rmly entrenc hedthat pro po s als for ra d i c al change are vigorously resiste d. It is easie r for teachers to concentrate on th e adoptionof te xtb oo ks within their subject specialties than to engage in redesigning the curriculum. Teachers and administ rato rs , like most people, are pron e to stick with th e status quo. (p, 375) Thus, the crux of th e proble mre sts primarily between those who suggest what should be taught, and how, the theorists , and those who must do the teaching, the practitioners in the class room.
In a simi larmanner, Hiller and Evans (1975) emphasize why th e curriculum often rema i ns inflexible with limited course offerings.
Their suggestion is that:
All too often the courses, act! vi ties, and organization of a particular school are influenced and dictated by what has been previously offered, by what has become scheduling convenience, andby the pre concef ved notions heldby administ rators and staff as to what should be offered and thus learned.
(pp. 131-134) Thus, greater flexibility and diversity of course offerings can only be realized with the restructuring of the existing organization and schedule of course offerings. In this regard, administrators find themselves restrictedby such factors as school transportation needs, staff quali- fications, classroom space, length and number of class periods, student enrollments, allotted instructional budgets, and requirements for high school graduation and entrance into post-secondary institutions.
The claim made by many sectors of society that the curriculum in the American high school caters to and is dictated by the un Lve ra Lty- bound students is supported by Oliva (1972) who stated that "too much of the curriculum reform of the 1960' s has been directed at above- average youngsters and not enough at the average and slow learners"
(p , 582). Similarly, Tanner (1972) pointed out that areas of concen- tration and emphasis still are limited to the academic fields of English, Social Studies, Mathematics. and Science. These are regarded as the essentials. Other studies have been regarded as frills or nonessentials as far as general education is concerned. Again, the problem surfaces.
education for all, or education for the elite (p , 559).
A CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE
Canadian innovations in senior high school curricula have been, for the most part, adaptations and modifications of American educational developments. It is therefore reasonable to expect in Canadian secondary
education some re pe t it i o n of areas which created difficulties in American secondary education. The need for change in the Canadian high schools was emphasized 1n th e Wor th Commission (1971) which stated:
There is still a strong tendency toward uniformity in both public and separate schools. This homogeneity often stifles both the le arn i n g and teaching process. Controlled course offe r i ngs , ste reo typed teaching methods. limited learning re s our ce s, inflex ib le schedu l ing , andconsonantphilosophies- - al l con t r i b u te to th i s sameness . Greate r differentiation with respec t to the s e factors , especial ly at the senior school le vel, wouldbene f i t both st u de n ts and societyat large.
(p, 70) King (19 72 ) iden ti fie dseveral of the problems which innovation andre f orm.brou ghtto Cana dian hi gh schools. Individua l timetabling and cre di t systems te n d to fragmen t the school experience for studen ts. There is le s s pa r ticipa tion in ex t ra-cu rricular activities and less
enthusiasm for school in gene ral in individually timetabled schools.
This situa tion is compoundedby students choosing univerity-bound courses and selec tingothe r cou rses as fillers or safe credits. Many senior st u de n ts who are given spare ti me us e it unwise ly. Furthermore , optio nal cl as s atte nd an ce has not been successfu L. In fact , the r e has been a de creas e in st u den t ach ievemen t as a re sult thereof. Moreover, the natureand qua li tyof academicperformance is beginning to vary widely as te a ch ers begin to inc orp o r at e independent study, projects and group par ticipationinto their evalua tion procedures.
The credi t system was intendedto make better provision for each studen t 's abilities, inte res ts , and future plans. Nolon ge r would students be tre a t e d as if th e y were th e same. Students would not be forced to ta k e subj ects at le ve l s th a t wereclearlybeyond their grasp. Anothe r feature was th at st u den ts would be able to cho os e a more inte r -
est ingand rel ev a nt mix of subjects and stil l earn their graduation diploma . The rationale for implementing th e Credit System1n On tar io vas ou tlinedby Wells (1973) .
Pri n c ip als were asking theDepartment of Education to lo o s e n up on cu rriculumand diploma demands. The feelingwas th a t th e rigid fo rmul a- t yp e specifications which we laid down were often st u l tifying good teachers and having a restricting effect on st uden ts . As a re su lt, we introduced th e Credit System in 19 69 to free-up th e cur ricu lum to the extent that itwou ldgive crea t ive te a ch ers more room to move, and at th e same time to inj e ct some new contemporarysubjects into the high schools that wou ldbe more relevant , inte resting andus e f ul to many st u den ts . (pp, 7- 11)
Seve ra l educational skeptics avoided the innova tion panacea of the 1960's and 19 70' s . Smith (1973) refers to the Ford Foundation Repor t of19 72 which cla i me d that its $30,000 ,000mil lion dollar support of th e ComprehensiveSchool Impr o ve ment Program ha d notbe en justified.
Smithsuggested that the time had come to give in novation a re st and try to betterutilizewhat presen t lywas avai lab le in Canadian hi gh sch oo ls . The "s e cretof succ e s s of these schools li e s not in nov el arr a ng emen ts , but in the spiri t of thos e who ope ra te t.hem" (p, 10). In a sim i l a r man ne r , Jamp ols ky (197 3) st ressed th at:
The Department of Educationmay offer guidelines , theMi n i s t er ofEducationmay prescribe , boards of trustees may demand all the y like, but in the fi n al analysis , the te a ch er must te a ch.
Thereal maker of cu rriculum , th e decision-maker , th e ques tion an s werer, th e one responsible for what ultimately occurs in theedu cat ional process is th e class room te a ch er . (p• 35)
Anumb er of changes in Canadian high schools has placed senior academic courses in jeopardy of being dropped from the cur~iculum. Grave concern has.been expressed by both educators and the public. Yorke (1974) 'li s t e d a number of reasons for this current dilemma:
1. Provincialexams no lon ger exist .
2. Greater rangeof options is allowed forsecon da ry schoo l graudatlon.
3. Community coll e ge s provide an attractive al te rn a t ive . 4. Locally de v elo ped cou rs e s are encouraged by the Depa r tme n t
of Educ ation.
5. Students can choo s e whateve r scho o l th e y wishwi t h in the school di stri ct .
6. Schoolye a r is seme stered.
7. Students pl an the irprograms.
8. Teachers are no longerasse s s ed by an outsi de age n cy . 9. Students workpar t - t ime and earn sub stantialsumsof money .
(pp, 247-4 8) Collectively, these factors seem to be contributin g to thepre- sen t troubled hi gh school inCa nada. Acco un t abi li ty for th e.wh ole edu - ca tio n a l enterprise is dLffLcu Lt:and th e qua l ityof educa tion is ser ious ly questioned. In many in stances, quality educationha s beensacrificed in the name of innovation, reform, and a change-at-all-costattitude.
The Provincial Research Committee of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (1976) developeda set of goals and princi- pIes that provide a basis for constructive, controlled change in secon- dary schools--a change which would be more con sist ent with the needs of Ontario society in the 1970's, and more responsive to the real needs of the entire education community. Future change must be entered into with caution and carefulplanning to avoid the destruct ive ef fe c ts brought ab ou t by the introduction of the Credit Syst em. This report (1976) con c l u de s:
The eve n ts of the pa stei ght years prove conclusively that edu- catio nal inno vat i o n impos e d fromabove hasne g a t i v e rather th an posit i v e effects in the schools . In th e mid 1970's , te a ch ers find that th e educationsystem of Onta rio is in a state of some dis o r der. Because of inadequate directionand prep aration for deal i n g withthe perplexing philosophies imposed upon them, the
schools find th e mse l ve s limited to day-to-daycoping. The kind of coordinated, integrated , comprehensive planning required for attainment of . . . quali tyeducation in the 1970's is not being achieved at the presen t time. (p , 74)
Wells (1977) acknowledged the fact that the Ontario Department of Education had granted to o much autonomy to local school boards and individua l schools in cur ricul umareas.
We are now conv inced that, in our enthusiasm for curriculum flexib ili ty , we may have gone too far 1n decentralizingthe re sp on sib il i t y fo r th e prep ara t i o n of courses of study at the elemen t a ry an dsecon dary lev els. (p, 4)
In addition to the curricu lum aspect of course content and instruc tion a l strategies used in high schools is the issue of evaluation or assessmen t of studentachievement. Pienaar (1975) maintained that tes ts, assignments, contracts, essays, projects and final examinations should be used not only to ascertainhow much students learned from and contributed to a particula r course , but also should enable the teachers to eval u a te th e success of.te a ch i n g methods and strategies and perhaps modify both the techniques and con tent of these courses. Evaluationis viewed as having a dua l function for both stu de nt and te a ch e r.
Are cent tre n d has been to approach student eval uation through objectives or statedgoals . Pade (1974) described such an approach:
Teachers establish learning goals for various subject areas th r ou gh team-work. For example, all teachers of English of a ce r tain grade level hold a staff meeting to determine objec- tives for a certain section of their course. Included are listening skills, as well as English reading, vocabulary work and spelling. Tests are prepared along the lines of these objectives . Separate tests are administered for the compo- nents of the course. Students who reach a certain number of cor rect responses on a test have reached the goal associated with this test. For those who attain th e goals, there is en- ri c hme n t ; for those with deficiencies, concentration on the par t ic ula r weakness and th o s e wit h low stan ding , review classes. (p p. 198- 200 )
An educational system based on objectives has been adoptedby Lethbridge School Dist ric t 1151 , Lethbridge , Alberta. This objectives system be gan in 19 72 an dwas comple te d in 19 78 . By definition , the Ob j e cti v e s-Bas e d EducationSystem (0. B. E.) means an instructional sy s t e m in which th e te a ch ers goals arespelled out in terms of expected student behavior. The purpose of O.B.E. as practiced in Lethbridge public sch o ols is to pr ov i de a cleare r sense of direction for all th os e involved in the educa t io nal pro c e s s, and th ere by maximize student learning. At thesame time different groupsbenefit in different....ays:
1. Students are guaranteedmastery of a minimum core of skil ls .
2. Teachers have a definite targe t for classroom instruction an dschool plann ing .
3. Paren ts an d the general publ icare re a s sured that schools are provi d i n gquali t y education. .
4. Trustees are able to gauge the effectivene ss of a school sy ste m operation and to establish the validity of the dist rict's educational program.
5. Departmentof Education obtains feedback about Le t hb r i dge schools for accreditation purposes. (1977, p, 2)
Desp i te innov a tive an d progre s siv e approaches taken by school dist ric ts suc h as Let hb r idgeSchool Distric t #51 to improve the curri- cu l um and evaluation practices, much dissatisfaction with the secondary sch oo l still persists. Since Grade XII departmental exams we r e dropped in 19 73 in Alber ta and accredi t ationadopted , the following effects have been evidenced:
1. Students ' averages and subject grades hav eall increas ed. 2. Different evaluativecri te riaare being used in the same
school system.
3. Students are not kept aware of theirst a n d i ng . 4. Provi ncialmethodsof student evalua tion are non standard
and incons istent.
5. Public is di s s at i s f i ed with in stru ction 1nbasic ski l ls . 6. Schools hav e failed to challenge studen ts .
7. Slow progress has been made 1n developing new coursesand modify ing prog rams to meet the needs of th e studen ts and local con d i t i o ns. (citedin the l-tACOSH Study , The Mini ster1s Advisory Committeeon Studen t Achievement , October, 19 77)
In Alberta, Grade XII repre s ent s the senior year of high schoo l educat i on. The Grade XII program 1s availabl e to all st u de n ts with provision made for differ ences inab i l i ties and intere sts. It 1s not an additional yearbeyon d the traditional eleve n years of sch o oling.
Rat he r , it 1s an important compon ent of the inte grated high sch o ol cur r i c ul um.
In Quebec seco n daryor high school lev el s a system of compre- hens ive (or "polyvalent") education enab les ea ch pupil to dis c ov er his
talents orma i n interests and offers him an opportunity to pursue fu r t he r academic st u dies or to prepare for a spe ci f i c oc c upa t i on on the labourmarket. Dependingon a student's aptitudes and preferences, he may choose his own courses and prepare his own timetable. Promotion Is basedon a subject by subject basis. Upon completionofseco n da ry 5, Grade XI, students at te n d one of theCEGEPS (junior co l le ges ) . Ash (1978) maintainedthat:
Th e CEGEP can be another chance for the st uden t to determine what he wan ts to do wi th his life, an oppo r t un i ty to sample th e var ious aca demic disciplines and to augment his inte l lectual skillswhile planning for the future . It is also an oppor- tunity in some colleges to acquire te ch n i ca l and technological sk i l lswhich have an immediate value in th e marke tplace . (p, 8)
In ass e s s ing changes insenior high schoo ls of th e At lan tic Region , theReview of Educat iona l PoU cies in Canada: Atlan ticRegion Re po r t (1975) noted:
Sen iorhigh school includes years at grades te n, eleven, and except Newfoundland, twelve. • • . Interests and abilities of st udents are identified and both programs and courses are pro- vide d to accommodate each student. • • • All provinces now off e r ei ther a variety of programs or a wider selection and combination of courses than were offered in the past. New- foundland1s th e only one of these four provinceswhich does not offe r such a variety of programs. • • • Nova Scotiaand Prince Edward Isl an d have incorporated their cou rse offeri ngs 1n a si ng le in t e g r a t e d high school program . • • • New Bruns wi ck offers thre e programs in senior highschool : colle ge prep aratory, genera l education , and occupational ; or the practi c al program . Subje c t pr omo t i on, indivi dual timetabl ing , and great er selec t ion of cou rses provide for impr o v ed diver- si t y and flexi b ili t y in senior highschool cu r ricu lum.
(pp. 24-2 6)
THE NEWFOUNDLA.'m PERSPECTIVE
TheReportof the Royal Comnission on Education and Youth (19 6 7) recommende d that imme di at e efforts be made to improve and diversi fy th e schoo l curr icu lum . Educato rs'ackn owl e d ge d th a t th e high school cu r r i - culumwas na r rowI inflexib le andhe a vi ly academic. Changes and Lrmov a- ti on s implemen te d at the seni o r high school le vel durin g th e in te rim ele ve n year periodhave been min im a l. This academic empha sis in curri- culumof fe r i n gs is fu r t he r suppo r tedby Parsons et a1. (1976 ) : "75% of the Newf o un d lan d hi gh schoo l popula tion is enrol le d in the IacademicI prog ram an d 25% en ro l led in the Igeneral ' pro grem" (p, 69).
Se veral fa ct ors have been cited for th e inflexib leposition retained wit h re ga r d to the high school struc ture , curriculum offerings and evaluation procedures in Newfoundland high schools. The fact remains th a t Newfoundland isth e only Canadian provincevhd-ch does not offer a Grade XII programof courses nor does it provide flexibility and diversityof curriculumofferings to any significant degree.
The proble mof re stri ct ed cu r ric ul umoffe r i ngsis eve nIOOre
acute 1n smal lerrural high schools. Davis (196 8) examined the program offerings in the larger and smaller regional high schools of Newfound- land. The general conclusion was that larger regional high schools in Newfoundlandoffer a bette r program than do the smaller re g i onal high schools . Me a ney (19 76) alsost udie d th e smal l cent ra l high school in Newfoun d lan dand Labrado r. His findings indicatedth at:
Small central high schools lack e dtheba si c instruct i on al fa c il- ities cons i de r ed essential to the provision of a comprehensive high school prog ram. Fur thermo re , school cu r riculumwas gener - al ly considered narrow , rig i d andirre l e v a nt in terms of studen t ne ed s, andconsul ta tive servi c e s were gr oss ly ina de q ua t e.
(p • 72) The GradeXII prog ram fo rma t which former ly existedin Newfound- landcorre s po nde d to that of a f"irs t year Ar ts program or first year of university . This same struc t u re exists in 19 78. Seemingly, the Grade XII prog ramhas ne ve r be e n adop ted on a province-widebasis as a compo- nen t of sen i o r high school cur ri culum . The nature of the Grade XII program has continued tobe univers ity-pre paratory, academic. and hen c e re strictive.
Kitchen (1971) anno un ce d that the Provi n c ia l Governme n t had app rove d theprinc i ple of offer i ng Grade XII in the prov in c e' s schools . The proposalsugge ste d:
First Ye ar Unive rsity . or Grade XII. be offe re d in a number of loc at i ons thro ugh out th e Province . This will mean that stu- dents in various parts of our Province will be able to obtain the equivalent of First Year University without Le avdng home.
It will mean three years instead of four presently re q u i r e d to obtain an undergraduate university degree. (p, 2)
In essence . the proposed Grade XII programwas to be an extension of the narrow, academic curriculum offered in senior high schools for uni ver sity-b oun d st uden ts. "Yet . in the Uni te dSta tes andotherpar ts
of Cana da , GradeXII is not an additional year of academic studies for university-bound students . It is an integral partof the wholesenior high schoo l cur ricu l umwhich is availab le to all students. In 1972, this prop o s e d Grade XI I implemen tationwas de f erre d indefinite ly .
War ren (197 3), ina st udy on qual ity and equal i tyof secondary education in Newfoundlan d, surveye d th i r t y- t h r e e superintenden ts . Only ten listed the diversification of the curriculum as a major development, and onlyeightmen tio nedsubject promotion. In other words, development 1n thenatu r e and organizationof curriculumreceivedlittle emphasis. On e su pe rin tenden t re sp on de d as follows :
The greatest need is for th e de v elop me nt of new courses to meet th eneeds of studen ts. This re f e r s not only to vocational courses bu t also to the development of different levels of cou rses in th e various subject areas. (p, 69)
An o t h er superintendent expressed th e view th a t :
More options must be made available to student s. Th i s includes academic options and more especially an emphasis on prevoca- tiona l courses fo r thosewho do not have the in t e r e s t in, nor perha p s, th e abi lity to pursue. th e academic areas . (p, 69)
The s e su p eri n ten de n ts mainta ined that''t h e r e was an immediate need to di v ers ify th e cur ricu lumat the senio r high sch oo l level in Ne wf o un dl a n d" (p. 69). Such a varied prog ram would provide opportunity for studen ts to have exposure to areasof different interest. Tilley
(1973) points out th at it is during the high school years that students are fi n d in g th e ir st rengt hs andweaknesses. Studentsare given insight into the possibil i t ies for th e ir fut ures and . through counselling and gui dance , areencouraged to stay in schoo l lon ge r.
The establishment of the Junior Divisionof Studies at Memor i a l University was perceived as a viable alternative to the possible intra-
duct Lon of Grade XII in Newfoundlandhigh schools . Consequently) the Grade XII issue was tempo r a r ily shelve d. In 19 74, the Report of the Commit tee on Junior Studies reveale dthat a sizeable percentage of studen ts found Junior Division courses repeating the conten t cove red ill Grade XI. Acrit i c i s m against the adoption of a Grade XIIprogram had been th at it wou l dmere ly dupli c at e the workof Junior Division- -an example of ci rcu la r lo gic. Moreover , in th i s report a majori ty of Sen i o r Division Faculty, in response to the questionof effectiveness or success of the Junior Division , re p l i e d th at st uden ts ente ring th e Senior Division at Memorial Universi tywere no t considered to be well prep a re d for fu t ure academicwork .
The Juni o r Division Report emphasized the inconsistencies and polar i tyof views hel d by Newfoundlandeducato rs re g a r d i n g the Junior Divis ion an d th e GradeXII issue. Counter to the positiongiven above.
Donne l ly (197 3) offeredthe parochial view that:
Whileother Provinces and States have theproblem of redundancy of contentbetween fi rs t year university an dGrade XII cou rse content . Newfoundland is in the accidentally enviable position of hav i n g no Grade XII which the un i v e r s i t y may duplicate.
(Otherproble ms relating to curricu l umdevelopment , instruc- tion, and ar ticulation between high schools and the univers i ty de v elop ; but recent innovations in curriculum at the Junior Division ofMemorial areindications of hop efulde v eLopme nt s,)
(p. 6) A further prob lemassociated wit h the narrow, academi c curriculum offerings in Newfoundlandsenior high schools is the notion that a high dropoutrate is a direct re s ul t of an inflexib le curriculum. The Report of the Minister'sCommittee on Pupil Retention in Newfoundland's High Schools 19 74- 75 (1975) revealed th a t Grade XI enrollmentwas decreasing andth a t the perennial "drop-out" problem was worsening. The Committee
recommen de d that :
An expan ded hi gh school cu r r iculumbe extended to all high schools to al low al l st uden ts the opportunity to study tech- nt cat, vocationa l , business , environmen tal programs , and that consideration be given to ex tending th e present three year highschool pr o grambyan addi t ionalyear. (p. 18)
Simi l a r ly . Parsons ( 97 6 ) re c ommen de dth a t a greate r effor t must be direc ted to....ar d a more dive rsi f iedhigh school curriculum which would be more re l e va n t to th e re gion al ne e ds of this province . Are c ommen- dation was made to int roduce a Grade XII program into Newfoundlandhigh schools . The Task Force on Educ a t ionand Human Resource Development (1975) enc oura ged high sc hoo l syst ems to be innovative in the matter of cur ricu l um, par ticu lar ly in th e de velop me nt of materialswith local , regional and pro v in cial si gni fi cance . In addition . it urged high schools to ado p t the cre dit systemas a re pl a ce men t for the pr e s entlo c ks t e p grade sys tem. As yet , th e s e rec ommend at i on s ha ve not been implemen te d in Newf o un d l a n d senio r hi gh scho o ls.
Pars ons (1978) advocated that the hi gh une mp l oy ment rate in Newf o un d l a n d wa s directly attributable to the lowle vel s of educa t i on att a i ne d by the potential wor k i n g force. Fu r t hermore , the hi gh drop out rates in ou r seni o r hi gh schools and th e fai l u re of larg enumb ers to purs ue further educa tionon ly serve d to perp etua t e a high ra t e of un e m- ploymen t in this prov i n ce. Parsons sugges te d that:
If th e educationa l systemin th i s Province is to be effective in preparing st uden ts for l iving and for active participation in th e la b ou r for ce. itmust improve its retention rates through developmentof sui tab l e and relevant programmes . By developing relevan t programmes during th e ne x t two or three years at least 1200 students in each of th e tenth and eleventh gr a de s couldbe ret ain e d. There is a need in this Province to prov ide more ade quate p rogranm e s in chemistry , biology . physics,
art, music, handicraftsI household science andin dus t r i a l ar tsI
French, co ur s e s re l a t e d to fish prcduct Ion and processing, economics, etc. (pp. 32-33)
He concl udedwith "The North American norm 1s for twelve years of formal schooling fo r all. Why does th i s Province ins i st on eleven?" (pp. 32-33).
Prior to 19 71, the eval uation pr o c e du r e s andpo l i c i e s us ed for Grades IX, X, and XI Newfoundlan dhigh school stu den tswere established , not by individualschool intern al examinat ionsI but by unifo rmexterna l examina ti ons ofthe Depa r tme n t of Education . Shaw (19 78) po i nts out that forthe school year 197 0-71 publi c exams for Grades IX andX were abol ished , and re p l a ce d totally by individualschool internal tests. In 1971-72, selected (accredi ted) schools werepermit ted to cont ribute fifty percen t to the final grade for th e ir students. The Department of Educa t i onGradeXl publi cexaminations cont ributed the re mai n i n g fifty per cen t. This system , commonly known as"s h are d evaluat ion , "has gained rapidacceptance in the province.
The ne xt phase,su ppos e d ly, would be full accreditation of the senior high school in the final evalua tionof its students . In 197 4- 75, Labrador Ci t y Col legia tewas grante dapp r oval to estab lishapilot stu dy in accredita tion . In 1976, pilot studies of accreditationwe r e begun in Bishop 0'Rie l lyHigh Schoo l in Port au Port; Grant Collegia te in Spri ngdale; Bishop's College in St. John's; and Bro the r Rice in St. John's . The adva n tages and d Ls a dva nt agea of implemen t i ng ac cr ed itati on have been stronglyespoused by thoseon eteberside of the issue.
Bul l , Colbourne , Crocker, and Spain (1977) studied the"s h are d evaLuatIon" proces s an d found serious dfs crepancdca in the evaluations being carriedout in each high school andfurther LnconaLstenc Les between
school eval uations and Departmenta l evalua tions. Measures were taken by the Depar tme n t of Educa tion to rectify these di s c r e p a n c i e s in school grades . Thi s st u dy cautione deducato rs against theimp l i c a t i on s and reperc ussions of procee ding int o prov in ce-wi de full accreditation.
In teres tingly , "only 15%-20% of the teachers surveyed would like to see pub lic exams abo lis he d comple tely " (p. 57) .
A survey ofth e St . John' s Branch of the N.T .A. (19 77) records that on ly 13% of th e teachers respo ndingopted for full accreditation.
No fewer th a n 87%of the teache rs di s a p p r ove d fullaccreditation, pre- fer ring ins teada con t i nua tio nof th e present sharedevaluation.
Fin a l ly , th e assessment of th e pi lo t pr o j ects in the five high schools on ac cre d i t at i on has no t res u lt e d in a po s i t i v e reaction. Consequen tly , theDe p ar t men t of Education has te n t a t i v e l y delayed proceeding with fu r ther developmen tswith regard to accreditation. To date, the form of evaluation which appears most desirable, reliab le and strongly suppo r te d is that of share deval uation .
Referencewas made earlier in this section to the fact tha t changes and innovations have been minimal in the seniorhi gh schools of Newfoundland, especially du ring th e past decade. This statement is substan tiatedby a recent examination of two large senior high schools 1n St . John 's . The researche r was commissioned by Dr. L. Harris, MemorialUniversity , to study the curricula changes which had taken place over the ten-yearperiod. This particu larsub-study concentrated on the four core areas of English , mathematics, social studies, and science. Brief ly, the conclusions reached were:
1. Course changes in these four areas have involvedmodifica- ti on s , re v i s i on s and new te x t b ook s for previously ex is ting
courses. Total ly newco urs e s are min ima l.
2. Instructi on al ti me in th e s e fo u r areas has not al te re d from 196 8 to 1978 .
3. In cas e s where anothe r science or social studies course was added 1n grade X or XI , studentswerest i l l limite d as to the co u r s e s th ey coul dstu dy. Thehori z ont al cha nge was not ac c ompanie dby a ver tica l change of an ext rayear, Grade XII. The two-year senio r hi gh school limit s th e the courses wh i ch can be off ered an d ta kenby studen ts . 4. The cu r r i cu l umat bothsch ools is heavilyacademic.
5. Provision for vocational, te chnical, busines s education and fine arts doesnot exist to any degree.
6. All students have a full ti met abl e wi t h no time provided for pursuitof ac t iv i tieswhichre fl e cttheir individual interests and abi l i t i es.
7. Cours e offerings are dicta t ed by the en t r ance re quire ments to post- s e conda ry instit ution s.
8. Emph asis is place don the fo ur core are a s ofEng l ish , mathemati c s, soci a l st udies andscience .
9. Studentswith an in te res t inmusic , ar t , and home econom- ics oftenha ve no provision in their timetable to study these are a s. (197 8, pp. 6- 7)
SUMMARY
In thi s section of the report, an attempt has been made to rela t e developments and innovations which have taken place in the senior high schools during the 1960's and, more particularly, the 1970's. An American, Canadian andNewf oundl a n d overviewhas been provided for core- parative an alys is. These de velo pments have been ext reme ly successful in cert ain edu ca tiona l a reas; in others, th ere hasbeen much dissa t is - fa cti on wit h th e changes wh i ch have take n place. It behooves Newfoun d- land educ a to rs to care ful l y st udy what has happene d in the s 'e areas and synth e si z e the innova t ions wh i ch ha ve been su ccessf ul insenio r hi gh schoo ls eLs ewhere, Such an examinationwou ld be par ticu larly significant in determining the format of Grade XII to be implement ed in Newfoundland.
CHAPTER III
TIlE INTERNSHI P
Threemaj or ty p e s of internship have been identified as meeting the requirement s for the Maste r's degre e in Educa tiona l Adminis t ra tion at Memorial University. Fi r s t. th e diversified internship emphasizes a composite of experiences to give the intern a broad overview ofth e field of educational administration; second, the specific internship emphasizesmore focused experiencesle a di n g to in- depth tr a i n i n g in a more specif ic area; and th i r d, the integrated internship is a combination of both th e di ve rs i f i e d and th e specific.
The subject matter of this internshipwas particularly adapted to the integrated approach. Special emphasis was given to th e Gra d e XII pr og ram in relat i on to th e syst em of cr edi ts. co re pro gram, ele c t ives , course offer i ngs , ti met ab l in g , instructionalmethods , and eval ua t ion pro cess.
PLACEMENT AND DURATION
This interns hip took placeinselectedschools ofLethbri dge School DistrictU51and the County of Lethbridge 826, Lethbridge, Alberta. Four weeks were spent in Lethbridge visiting six-dfffe rent;
high schools. A further three and one-half weeks were spent meeting with a sample of Newfound.l and educators to communicate the data gathered
in Lethbrid ge, Alberta and to ascer tain thei r views re ga rd in g the form
