OECD study on enhancing learning through formative assessment and the expansion of teacher repertoires: Canadian report October 2005

The focus of this OECD study is an in-depth understanding of the way that teaching and learning takes place and student progress is assessed as a formative process, using a small number of exemplary innovations. When the OECD Ministers of Education met in April 2001, a significant part of their discussion was devoted to the promotion of innovative teaching and learning strategies: this study aims to deepen the understanding of what is possible. The importance of tailoring instruction more closely to student learning needs and to individual progress, rather than to suit the administrative convenience of education systems, is a long running theme of the lifelong learning agenda. This study addresses this issue with students in lower secondary schools. In Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador led a team of five provinces, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, which all provided descriptions of their policy and program context, as well as data on their particular case studies, based on an OECD questionnaire (Appendix A). Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec and Saskatchewan also participated in the in-depth analysis by identifying a case study (based on criteria established by OECD and country experts) and by hosting a study visit from an OECD expert in April 2003. The [Council of Ministers of Education, Canada] CMEC coordinated the activity in Canada.

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