Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education trustees received an update on curriculum changes this week, with teachers requesting more resources for the rollout. Trustees are seen at the MHCBE office in this 2022 file photo.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
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Trustees of the Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education on Wednesday received a presentation regarding the framework of its current curriculum and upcoming changes to physical education, mathematics and social studies that will be piloted by Alberta Education next school year.
The division will be piloting a new draft curriculum during the 2025-26 school year for Grade 7-9 mathematics and social studies, and Grade 7-10 physical education and wellness.
These changes are part of an ongoing curriculum renewal that began in the 2023-24 school year with changes to English language arts and literature, as well as mathematics curricula for kindergarten to Grade 6 students.
Further changes were introduced this school year, including changes to science, French first language and French immersion language arts and literature courses for Grade 4-6, as well as a social studies curriculum pilot for kindergarten to Grade 6.
Tuesday’s presentation provided board trustees a clear understanding on the impacts these changes have had on staff and educators, and highlighted the lack of resources provided to teachers as the province rolls out its curriculum renewal.
In his presentation, Colin Desnoyers, director of curriculum, says as the division implemented the pilot changes into Medicine Hat junior and high schools, teachers required more resources.
“As we’re continuing on, we’re going to see new curriculum coming forward for the next few years,” says Desnoyers.
Last year, Desnoyers met with school administrators and established identifiers for the division in implementing and supporting the new curriculum, and detailed a plan to support teachers and staff to understand those changes.
“We really wanted our teachers across the division to have conversations, for them to reflect on their assessment practices,” said Desnoyers. “That has been eye opening for the teachers and it’s been very, very positive.”
The presentation highlights five key strategic priorities, such as understanding and providing a framework on the curriculum changes and assessing and evaluating the impacts in the classroom.
Desnoyers says these conversations on changes to the curriculum have allowed MHCBE to focus on assessing best practices around teaching, and numerous conversations are happening during focused team meetings at all local schools.
One change the division introduced included an update to report cards for elementary students to reflect the new curriculum. Additionally the division worked with teachers to update its proficiency scale.
MHCBE created an online video to provide parents clarification on changes made to report cards.
At this time, MHCBE has not been able to fully implement all curriculum changes, including changes to the K-6 curriculum as well as the K-3 social studies, however the division expects to introduce those changes this fall.
Moving forward the division plans to focus on preparing K-3 teachers for new implementations as well as finalize details about the Grade 7-10 pilot curriculum to be introduced this fall.
MHCBE expects changes will be made to middle-school report cards next school year as well.
