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Jonathan Teghtmeyer, ATA Executive Staff Officer, Government
Alberta students gathered at the first Speak Out Annual Student Conference strongly supported a recommendation stating that no single test should count for more than 30 per cent of a student’s final grade.
The conference, which drew 200 Grades 9–12 students from across the province, was held in Edmonton on May 4 as part of Alberta Education’s Student Engagement Initiative.
“It is crucial that we speak directly to students so we get a more informed perspective of our education system as a whole,” said Education Minister Dave Hancock in his morning greeting to the delegation. Hancock also announced the formation of the Minister’s Student Advisory Council on Education. This 24-member council, made up of 14- to 19-year-olds, will meet with the minister several times a year to discuss issues and concerns regarding education.
Conference delegates spent the morning talking about a wide range of significant issues in the lives of students, before focusing on key themes and developing recommendations for Alberta Education in the afternoon.
By the end of the day, the students had generated 50 recommendations on eight themes. As the recommendations on each theme were presented, they voted for the one recommendation they deemed most important, using an electronic keypad.
In addition to the recommendation on test weighting, the students also endorsed recommendations related to effective teaching, promotion of a healthy lifestyle, antibullying and relevant curriculum (see sidebar). They emphasized meaningful relationships with their teachers, and supported government funding for professional development and field trips that would promote interaction between students and teachers. On testing and curriculum, students supported lower weighting on individual assessments, relevant curriculum on topics that matter to them, and more alternative assessments and hands-on activities. Attuned to current issues in education, they also called for health classes promoting sexual education and for initiatives on preventing harassment, promoting self-esteem and understanding diversity.
The Alberta Student Engagement Initiative was launched in November 2008 with an interactive public website (www.speakout.alberta.ca) where students can participate in moderated discussions on a wide variety of education topics. At the time of the conference, the forum contained over 4,000 posts. The website also launched a video contest in which students submitted and voted on videos devoted to the theme “What I Want, What I Need: My Vision for Education.” The winning video, Back to the Basics, earned Vermilion student Timothy Robinson a Sony video-editing suite. The top three videos can be viewed on the website.
Prior to the conference, Speak Out forums were held at 37 high schools across the province, reaching more than 1,500 students and gathering 4,600 individual recommendations, which were used to begin discussions at the provincial student conference.
Students make recommendations
Students attending the Speak Out Annual Student Conference generated and then voted on recommendations to put forward to Alberta Education. The following recommendations (as written by the students) garnered the most support.
• No single test should be more than 30 per cent of a student’s grade. (51 per cent)
• Allow students more choices, improve teacher enthusiasm and attitude, and have the school year mimic the university year. (46 per cent)
• Create opportunities for job shadowing, peer mentoring and career counsellors, personality quizzes and resources. Enable students’ discovery of passion and potential. (42 per cent)
• There should be fewer requirements forcing us to take classes we don’t want or need, and more choice and freedom to take what we want and like. (35 per cent)
• Make healthy food available all day by keeping the cafeteria open or having healthy vending machines, so everyone can eat healthily and feel better and be more focused at school. (30 per cent)
• Schools should use harsher punishments against bullies, and teachers should stand up against bullies rather than ignoring the situations. (29 per cent)
• Government funding should be provided for teacher training, field trips, supplies and resources to promote interactions and relationships between students and teachers. (28 per cent)
• Schools should take the initiative not only to prevent harassment but to promote self-esteem and understanding diversity. (28 per cent)
• The schools need to have a health class to promote sexual education, hygiene and overall healthy lifestyle. (25 per cent)
• There should be fewer general subjects and more subjects covered in depth, with more hands-on experiences and activities. (24 per cent)
A student delegate at the first annual Speak Out forum uses an electronic key pad to vote on recommendation generated at the conference. Two-hundred students attended the conference and voted on 50 recommendations.—Photo by Jonathan Teghtmeyer
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