CSC Annual Report 2004-2005 - Curriculum Services Canada

Music Coming Alive in Classrooms (Elvina St. Jacques Memorial Grant)
Barb McIlquham's initiative as a teacher and, more recently, as a resource developer is best summarized with
part of CSC's mission statement: "to respond to the ever changing needs of learners."
As a professional musician and teacher, Barb knows how important it is for children to learn through
music. The emotional response that students have to different styles and sounds can create meaningful
learning experiences. In working to incorporate the Arts into the classroom, however, she has seen the
positive impact they have on children's learning and development underestimated many times.
Now, Barb has something to offer the naysayers. In her interactive CDs, Kindergarten Music (2002) and
Holiday Music (2004), Barb combines vibrant melodies with light-hearted lyrics, providing teachers with
musical resources that encourage children to be both energetic and excited while learning to express their
creativity through songwriting and dance. The resources link Arts and language together, so that students
learn to identify individual sounds and sound patterns and improve literacy skills through recall of
familiar songs - all while learning how to appreciate music performances.
"It's difficult for teachers to do their own marketing and research of resources because of time and creativity constraints," says Barb, who turned to
CSC after learning about The Curriculum Foundation and the funding it provides teachers to develop classroom resources. Barb created a proposal
that offered teachers a musical album, complete with lyrical and instrumental tracks, that was consistent with curriculum and offered appropriate
lesson plans and assessment tools to measure students' successes. CSC's volunteer selection panel saw the potential in Barb's resources and
awarded her two grants, over two years which meant working with one of CSC's knowledgeable and experienced mentors to deliver the project to
a high standard. "The interaction with the mentor was very professional and very exciting," Barb says. "I found mymotivation through the
encouragement offered by the mentor. It pushed me to be a part of CSC's mission in continually striving for excellence."
The success of Barb's resources has been incredible. Teachers like the albums because they contain teaching strategies and music tracks without
lyrics. Children love them because they are able to write their own words then sing along: call it "karaoke for literacy."
Since 2001 more than $150,000 has been dedicated to teacher-developed resources, which are made available for free downloading on the CSC
website: www.curriculum.org. Barb is just one of the many examples of how committed teachers are to improving the quality of education that
children receive in today's classrooms. Curriculum Services Canada commends Barb McIlquham for her dedication to continual
learning and for living up to CSC's standard of excellence.

CSC is the Pan-Canadian standards agency for learning resources. We provide services and training in learning
resource evaluation, development, and implementation. We are a not-for-profit, charitable organization dedicated to
high standards for learning resources. CSC is the parent organization for a family of quality services trusted by
Canadian teachers. Its affiliates are: Ontario Curriculum Centre, The Curriculum Foundation, and pdstore.com.
CSC's Vision for the Future is:
To be firmly established as a world-recognized leader in
Pan-Canadian educational quality assurance.
To provide a broad base of reliable and accessible educational
services that respond to the needs and diversity of educators,
learners, stakeholders, and the public.
To communicate effectively with all of our clients and stakeholders.
To demonstrate our high standards through exemplary
management practices.
CSC's Mission for Today is:
To build national recognition by parents, teachers, students, school
administrators, education stakeholders, and the general public of
the Seal of Quality as the symbol of quality assurance in Canadian
learning products and programs.
To deliver quality educational services related to the evaluation,
development, implementation, and accreditation of learning
products and programs in a responsible, trustworthy, and equitable
manner.
To collaborate in valued and meaningful partnerships to promote
and advance quality standards in learning products and programs.
To respond to the ever-changing needs of learners.
To foster a supportive and collaborative working environment.
page two

Message from the President and Chair of the Board
It was my pleasure to welcome three new Board Members this year and to say thank-you and
farewell to their predecessors, all of whom made fine contributions to the success of CSC.
Gary Sadler, Halton DSB became the new OPSOA representative
for Bernice Blackman, Toronto DSB
Dr. Michael Fullan
Frank McAuley, RBC Financial became the new corporate member
for Jim Gordon, also of RBC Financial
Lise Routhier Boudreau, Past President, AEFO became the new Francophone
Community member for Guy Matte, former Executive Director, AEFO
Rick Hansen,
C.C., O.B.C.
The Board made the decision to expand, inviting principals' organizations to join us. We welcomed:
Catholic Principals' Council of Ontario, represented by Patrick Murray, President
Ontario Principals' Council, represented by Laura Hodgins, Avon Maitland DSB
This fiscal year, the Board took the initiative to revise
CSC's Vision and Mission statements, focusing on
new services and possibilities always within the goal
of upholding high quality standards. It is our top
priority to ensure that who we are, what we do,
and where we are going as a growing organization
are clearly defined in order to serve the needs of
the education sector.
I extend thanks to all Board members, past and
present, who have willingly volunteered their time
and resources for the continued success of CSC.
Kevin P. O'Connor
Kevin has served on the Board of Directors
for eleven years, six of those as President.
Board Members:
Back Row, from left to right: Angelo Di Ianni, CODE; Lise Routhier Boudreau,
Francophone Community; * Walter Gowing, Volunteer Community;
Louise Ervin, OCSTA; * William Mugford, Corporate
Front Row, from left to right:
Frank McAuley, Corporate; Laura Hodgins, OPC;
* Kevin P. O'Connor, OCSOA, CSC President and Chair; * Beth Cooper,
OPSBA, CSC Vice-President and Vice-Chair; Gary Sadler, OPSOA
Absent from photo: John Bernard, Native Community; Patrick Murray, CPCO
* Executive Committee
Chief Roberta Jamieson,
LL.B, LL.D, C.M.
Dr. J. Fraser Mustard,
C.C., O.Ont.
Honorary
Patrons
The Honourable Rose-Marie
Losier-Cool, Senator
page three

Message from the Executive Director
Kathryn
McFarlane
Celebrating the Arts is the theme of our Annual Report. We believe in its importance in education. Furthermore,
teachers have been asking us for resources in this under-recognized area of study. We hope this focus will bring
the significance of the Arts to the attention of decision-makers in education who will be influenced to support the
Arts through literacy initiatives.
For CSC, it has been a year of breakthroughs. E-learning using web conference and web cast technologies
evolved from a pilot to full implementation under the leadership of Lynne Hyne, Director, Professional Learning
Services, and Byron Patchett, Chief Operating Officer. Through this dynamic and economical
online solution, hundreds of educators were reached.
When the almost three-year wait for Canadian textbook publishers to submit resources to
the Ontario Ministry of Education for evaluation ended this fiscal, Keith Clark took on the
role of Manager of Evaluation Services. He integrated technology into online training for
176 evaluators and for all internal tracking systems, making the process more efficient.
Pauline Beggs, Director of Curriculum Resource Services, enabled CSC and its affiliates
to fulfill mentoring contracts for three major curriculum initiatives, six teacher-developed
resources within our charity, and also found time for consultation to eight organizations
developing supplementary resources. Her curriculum expertise is one of many skills of the
management team that reinforces our slogan "Excellence Is Our Standard".
This year we made the decision to 'humanize' our Annual Report and to show you the
people behind the slogan. Throughout these pages, you will meet the fine and dedicated
individuals who helped CSC and its affiliates make a noticeable difference in education in
Ontario and across Canada. I thank each one of them, including our volunteer Directors
on the Board, every teacher who diligently worked through evaluator or mentorship
training, two university student interns who collaborated with me in working on the
concept and writing of this Annual Report, and each of our clients who demonstrated faith
in what we do to help them make a difference in education this year.
CSC Staff:
Back Row, from left to right:
Keith Clark, Manager, Evaluation Services; Weitong Liu, IT
Manager; Gina Melvin, Operations Officer; Pauline Beggs,
Director, Curriculum Resource Services; Lynne Hyne, Director,
Professional Learning Services; Byron Patchett, Chief
Operations Officer; Sarah Burm, Public Relations Assistant
Middle Row, from left to right:
Karim Nourdin, Administrative Assistant; Jane Wang, Customer
Service Representative; Shannon LaBelle, Coordinator,
Professional Learning Services; Sarah Grant, Coordinator,
Evaluation Services; Joey Cheng, Public Relations Assistant;
Michelle Attard, Coordinator, Professional Learning Services;
Mona Noureddine, Coordinator, Online Services
Front Row, from left to right:
Lewanne Salmon, Administrative Assistant;
Kathryn McFarlane, Executive Director; Lila Patchett,
Manager, pdstore.com
Kathryn McFarlane
Absent from photo:
Debbie Hazlewood, Web Manager; Eric Lee, Database
Manager; Aarthi Vig, Coordinator, Professional Learning Services
page four

Our Guarantee of Quality
The bright red CSC Seal of
Quality on a learning product or
program says to teachers,
students, and parents "You may
use this material with confidence
because it is safe". That means
that it has been evaluated for how
well it matches curriculum
policies; how relevant and
balanced the content is; how well
methodologies reflect best
practices; whether evaluation and
assessment strategies are included in the resource and how appropriate
they are; whether the format is suitable for the learning goals; and,
finally, that the resource is inclusive and as free from bias as possible.
We want to have the CSC Seal of Quality recognized in every
classroom, by every student and teacher, and in every parent's home
across the nation.
Our goal is to be like the Canadian Standards Association, but for
educational products and programs. In the past fiscal year we came up
with a plan to spread the word about our Seal of Quality across Canada.
We are convinced, and so are many publishers and developers of
learning materials, that this effort will make a difference in teaching and
learning in Canada.
Quality Assurance
"Just like schools, we believe
in continuous improvement"
Quality Assurance is not just
something we do for others,
we 'walk the talk' by being
audited against world
standards. For four years we
have consistently retained ISO
9001:2000 registration for our
management practices. As
well we continue to be
measured for the quality of our
educational services
by the Nipissing University's
Faculty of Education Research
arm – Nipissing
International
ISO 9001:2000
Research
Institute for
Teaching and
Learning.
The hand eye coordination
needed to write can be
developed by learning to
play an instrument.
page five

www.curriculum.org
Graphic novels may require
more complex congnitive skills
than the reading of text alone.
"The CSC website is a team effort, involving educators
in the building of an online community. This online
community shares a common goal, to improve
educational opportunities through quality assured
learning resources and professional development."
Byron Patchett, Chief Operating Officer
and, within our means, we add what our users
and clients want. We received 1,300 hits on our
home page per day or an average of 40,000 per month
this fiscal.
Internally, we made updates and adjustments to navigation
links for smoother browsing capability, and implemented
Oracle server upgrades for better communications.
In working to enhance the utilization and accessibility of
the website for our users, we used the web site this year
to post online learning for Co-operative Education
teachers, announcements of web conferences for Ontario
educators, and information for private school services.
We proudly displayed our 10-year anniversary banner,
updated security, posted forms for an Ontario Ministry of
Education feedback site for curriculum review, posted
ads for overseas teaching positions, and mounted a new
publisher's section. We also managed the Liste Trillium
List of approved textbooks for the Ontario Ministry of
Education, re-developed our online shopping site –
pdstore.com, and initiated online training for textbook
evaluators
"The website is so easy to negotiate; the curriculum units
old and new are so accessible and I certainly will be
letting all of the teachers know about their availability.
The links to other provinces are super and so informative
and the resource list keeps growing and growing. What
an accomplishment and what a service for teachers. It's
wonderful seeing your vision actualized."
June Gravel, teacher-librarian and early literacy teacher
CSC Home Page
Every year we dedicate ourselves to the continuous
improvement of the web site. We respond to feedback
from our users and clients to ensure navigation is easy,
page six

The mandate of Professional Learning Services (PLS) is to offer
professional development opportunities that meet the specific
needs and requirements of Canadian teachers, program staff,
superintendents, consultants, administrators, and other
educators. PLS provided customized presentations, workshops,
and online learning for educators in both official languages.
Ontario Ministry of Education Initiatives
PLS oversaw the development of quality sample Personalized
Placement Learning Plans (PPLP) and related Rich Tasks which
model for teachers how to implement co-operative education
policy and curriculum expectations. The PPLP quality samples
were launched province-wide via a series of web conferences.
"We love it! We have taken part in teleconferences
before, but the web-based learning really added to
the learning and the experience. We will all be
putting what we learned into play when working
with clients. It appealed to all learning styles."
Natalie Norman,
OSP Training Web Conference Participant
In addition, PLS offered monthly three-part training
sessions to assist cooperative education teachers
with the development of their PPLPs. Customized
sessions were provided to individual school boards.
Face-to-face training was delivered at the Ontario
Co-operative Education Association conferences.
Ontario Skills Passport (OSP) training sponsored by
the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ministry of
Training, Colleges and Universities commenced. It
was anticipated that at least one educator from 72
school boards and one staff member from 130 Job
Connect Agencies would participate.
CSC Web Conference
More than 1200 people registered for these
capacity-building web conferences. Training and
customer service were offered in both English and
French.
page seven

Private Schools in Ontario and Overseas
In Ontario, PLS offered consultation and mentoring on: establishing
a private school, assisting private schools to prepare pre-inspection
materials and meet inspection requirements, and building effective
programs from quality assessment. PLS continued to assist
overseas private schools in establishing themselves and improving
program standards and offered its first overseas on-site consultation
in Shenzhen, China. Overseas teaching opportunities were made
available for the first time through the CSC website. Senior
Educational Supervisors were recruited and trained to fulfill private
school activities.
PLS was involved in the revision of the Ontario Ministry of
Education's newly released document, Inspection Requirements for
Private Schools Granting Secondary School Credits, via a series of
web-based conferences. CSC also hosted sessions Preparing for
Your Ministry Inspection presented by the Coordinator, Private
Schools and Attendance, Ministry of Education.
On the international spectrum, CSC
provided a keynote speaker at an
international conference hosted by
Taylor's College in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. Nadine Cuccaro, for CSC,
represented the Ontario perspective on
Building Dynamic Schools, and met with
senior Malaysian officials, including the
Minister of Education.
"Professional Learning Services
(PLS) has strived this year to
build recognition that CSC offers
creative and unique solutions to
satisfy training and
communication needs of the
education community. Whether
face-to-face or at a distance, PLS
provides a service which assures
high standards of delivery, timely
access, and cost effectiveness.
Reaching the 'grassroots' in their
workplace - at their school, office,
or even at home, web-based
computer conferencing became
an effective and popular learning
platform. CSC enables educators
to participate in professional
learning using this mode of
delivery and pays particular
attention to making them
comfortable with this form of
training through one-on-one
preparation. From the most
remote parts of the province to
urban areas, this approach has
been accessed by more than
1200 learners."
Lynne Hynne, Director,
Professional Learning Services
Ontario was the first Canadian
province to introduce media
education into the curriculum in 1987.
page eight

OCC is the Ontario service of Curriculum Services Canada. On behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Education, OCC evaluates textbooks
(print and non-print media) for English-language schools and provides many other services for curriculum support.
Evaluation Services
OCC provides independent evaluations of learning resources that have been
submitted for use in the classroom, and makes approval recommendations to the
Ministry of Education (EDU). OCC operates at arm's-length to the government.
Under the leadership of Keith Clark, Manager, Evaluation Services preparations
for the training of 176 evaluators were made. That included new staffing and
space, development of a new online training site, training manual, report writing
guide, and data entry systems such as bar coding to track 187 textbook
submissions. We are pleased to report that all evaluators participated in the
online training, with more than 98% reporting favorably on the experience as
useful and valuable. Of great importance was our relationship with our sister
evaluation agency – le Centre canadien de leadership en évaluation – to ensure
that there was consistency and equity in all processes and procedures for service
to both French-language and English-language school textbook publishers.
"What difference did the Ontario Curriculum Centre make for students and their
teachers this year? Let me count the ways: we created a website to train our evaluators
on-line, created a website for teachers to help them select textbooks appropriate to
their classroom, and recommended 175 textbooks for use in schools. By these actions,
we have played a role in making quality textbooks available for Ontario students from
Kindergarten to Grade 12."
Keith Clark, Manager, Evaluation Services
This ad appeared in the September 2005
issue of Professionally Speaking magazine
page nine

Mentoring Services
OCC provides mentoring services during the development of
learning resources. We select and train outstanding educators to
advise developers at key stages of their project development. The
mentors' constructive feedback ensures a quality product and an
enriching professional development opportunity. This service is
available to learning resource developers in school districts,
businesses, NGOs, and governments not only in Ontario but
across Canada.
OCC continued to offer a highly-specialized service of mentoring
the development of educational programs as well as other
customized curriculum resource services. Through this process, we
provided expert advice and positive support for resource
developers so that their efforts resulted in materials reflective of
sound pedagogy and supportive of curriculum intent and content.
Benchmarking Ontario Curriculum
As part of the Ontario Ministry of Education's efforts in sustaining
quality curriculum, OCC engaged teachers with strong subject
expertise to make comparisons between the Ontario Curriculum
and that of other jurisdictions across Canada and around the world.
During this fiscal, we examined Kindergarten, English as a Second
Language, and Language/English curriculum and documented the
findings in detailed reports for all grade levels and courses.
Locally Developed Compulsory Courses
As part of the Ministry's focus on "Success for All Students," we
worked on the Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE)
Project Team to address the learning needs of those students who
are not served by the provincial curriculum. OCC contributed to the
"Through our work in Ontario
Ministry of Education initiatives,
we have made a significant
contribution to helping teachers
grow in their understanding of
curriculum and its
implementation."
Pauline Beggs, Director,
Curriculum Resource Services
Dance for children is often considered part
of physical fitness in provincial school curricula.
development of courses for
Grades 9 and 10 English,
Mathematics, and Science, and
Grade 10 Canadian History
along with their related Course
Profiles (sample courses of
study), playing a major role in
the quality assurance process
and in the final publication of the
documents. As part of this
project, OCC took an active role
in the planning, design, and
delivery of seven regional professional development sessions for
over 1200 educators to further build their capacity to support
these learners.
Notable Strategies: Closing the Gap
As part of supporting Mathematical literacy for all students, the
Ontario Ministry of Education produced resource materials for
Grades 7, 8, and 9 Applied Mathematics curriculum to assist
teachers in meeting the needs of learners who had gaps in their
Mathematics understanding and skills. We contributed to the
refinement and publication of these materials and to the
accompanying professional development resources for use in
Board initiated workshops for teachers, parents, and
administrators.
page ten

TCF is CSC's learning resource charity. TCF helps students by helping teachers. Through our Grants for
Teachers Program, we fund the development of learning resources that fill areas of critical need identified by
teachers and provide enriched learning opportunities for Canadian students.
Teacher Developed Resources
The goal of TCF is to provide critically needed
teacher-developed classroom resources through
private, foundation, and corporate donations and net
revenues of Curriculum Services Canada.
The 2004-2005 grant recipients were paired with a
mentor as they developed their resources. Mentors
with curriculum expertise and a solid knowledge of
the specific subject area worked closely with the
recipients, providing advice and constructive
criticism to help them meet our quality standards for
resources, identified by the red CSC Seal of Quality.
The mentors and the teacher developers gained
immeasurable professional growth in thinking about
how to support curriculum implementation and
learning in the classroom.
Nineteen teacher-developed resources may be
found at www.curriculum.org (click on "Free
Resources"). To date we have invested more than
$150,000 from generous donations and net revenue.
In 2004-2005, our theme was secondary school
students at risk. We funded three resources:
Marg Smits accepted the Janice Thomson Memorial Grant on behalf of
her team for their resource, Alternative Curriculum Experiential (ACE).
This "school within a school" project offers an alternative curriculum
experience for students at risk of not completing their high school
graduation requirements. Development was conducted throughout the
2004-5 school year. This project was funded generously by the Maple
Lodge Farms Foundation and the Thomson family. (See inside back
cover story)
Michael Schultz received funding for his
resource Job Fair Showcase which helps
Co-operative Education teachers and
students plan a successful job fair to
highlight their co-op placements.
This resource, completed in early
spring 2005, was funded through
private donations.
At-Risk Mentorship is a one-on-one
mentorship program in which senior students
in academic courses help students in Grade 10 who are at risk.
Development started in January 2005 with web posting anticipated
for September 2005. This project was funded in part by the George
Lunan Foundation and through other private donations.
Nearly 1 million school children are
given tours in public art galleries yearly.
page eleven

Sneak Preview of 2005/6 Grants
In 2005-6, the focus is Literacy through the Arts. Before we
went to print, five winning proposals on the theme Literacy
through the Arts were chosen:
Janice Thomson Memorial Grant:
Johan Wilkinson, Art History Goes Graphic
General Grants:
Carol A. King and Emily MacGillivary, Using the Arts to
Develop Reading Comprehension in LD Students
Jennifer Zwiers and Christine Harvey, Move over
Shakespeare: Playwriting in the Classroom
Larry Maenpaa and Clarice Kloezeman, Exploring Native
Canadian Art Unit
RBC Foundation Special Grant:
Marlon Coates, Interactive Mathematics: Learning Algebra
Fundamentals
Grants for Teachers: Selection Panel Members
Thank you for your involvement...
James Arsenault, Ontario Student Trustee Association
Pauline Beggs, CSC
Janice Crawford, EDU, Curriculum & Assessment Policy Branch
Kathy Cowan, Toronto District School Board
Sue Durst, EDU, Curriculum & Assessment Policy Branch
Bob Fisher, Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation
Donna Lacavera, Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association
Patricia Preston, York Catholic DSB
Brian Rivait, EDU, Curriculum & Assessment Policy Branch
Deirdre Smith, Ontario College of Teachers
Michael Tudor, OISE/UT
Sean West, Toronto District School Board
The Curriculum Foundation Donors
The Curriculum Foundation gives special thanks to all donors
whose contribution to the quality of education for Canadian
students assures that every project we fund on your behalf meets
the highest standards of quality and reliability - standards that are
the hallmarks of the CSC Seal of Quality.
Introducing Our Donors in 2004-5
Bronze Apple Donation Level
($10,000 to $30,000)
RBC Foundation
Friends Donation Level (under $5,000)
Michelle Attard
Lynda Bell
Bernice Blackman
Lise Routhier Boudreau
Robin & Shirley Conway
Angelo Di Ianni
Walter Gowing
Corporate and Foundations
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP
Crabtree Publishing Company
George Lunan Foundation
Keel Cottrelle LLP
McGraw-Hill Ryerson
The Foundation Gallery
Lynne Hyne
June and Marty Keast
Eric Lee
Trudy Lum
Guy Matte
Kathryn McFarlane
William Mugford
Red Apple Donation Level
($5,000 to $9,999)
Maple Lodge Farms Foundation
Dale Rose
John & Violet Simkins
Hélène St. Jacques
Garry Thomson
Anonymous Donors
Moore Stephens Cooper Molyneux LLP
Ontario College of Teachers
Oxford University Press
The Learning Carpet - TLC Inc
We thank those individuals who supported The Curriculum
Foundation by purchasing artwork donated to CSC. All funds from
artwork purchased are used for our Grants for Teachers Program.
page twelve

Our rigorous methods and stringent criteria ensure that
every supplementary resource passing a CSC evaluation
has earned the CSC Seal of Quality.
CSC evaluates learning resources for all ages, from early
years to adult, in all formats, from print to multimedia to
distance learning.
CSC evaluates learning resources for classroom use, as
well as for training courses and professional development.
We evaluated a range of Pan-Canadian supplementary
resources to ensure that they met our quality standards.
These resources were developed to support the
teaching/learning processes in a variety of subject areas in
elementary and secondary school classrooms throughout
Canada. Resources ranging from video series (TV Ontario)
to multi-media packages (Classroom Connections) to board
games (Fun Time Educational Inc.) were submitted by
independent developers, government agencies,
not-for-profit organizations, and small publishers.
We signed an agreement with our sister agency le
Centre canadien de leadership en évaluation to offer
these supplementary evaluation services in French.
We are exploring ways to make this service easily
accessible to more not-for-profit developers whose
materials can make a difference in the quality of
teaching and learning in Canada but who may have
difficulty in paying a fee for service.
"CSC has been involved in the evaluation of a range
of supplementary resources in order to meet the
ever-evolving needs of members of the education
community. In working with a wide range of resources
and exploring new ways to make our services more
accessible for our clients, CSC is acknowledging the
importance of quality and consistency, reaffirming
CSC's commitment of "Excellence Is Our Standard".
Pauline Beggs, Director,
Curriculum Resource Services
We wish to acknowledge and thank Dr. Chris
MacDonald, of the Philosophy Department at Saint
Mary's University, who graciously offered suggestions
on how to ensure that our criteria for bias and
inclusion included appropriate ethical standards.
Leonardo da Vinci could write with one
hand and draw with the other simultaneously.
page thirteen

This is the little business that could. pdstore.com was conceived
to respond to the needs teachers had for a catalogue of trusted
resources they could purchase with confidence. Every pdstore
resource listed has been screened to meet CSC standards for
educational products and programs. A special section lists
provincially approved resources across Canada, many bearing
the CSC red Seal of Quality. We offer an arm's length service
that is not-for-profit and responds to what teachers, parents,
and students tell us they need. The entire site has been
re-developed for greater flexibility in customer access.
Pan-Canadian and
International Sales
On the home front, development has
been underway to build domestic market
sales from parents, home-schoolers and tutors,
because sales trends indicate this is a growth
area. On the other hand, for overseas purchases,
the focus has remained on large school orders
rather than on small individual ones.
Best Sellers
These popular products produced strong sales:
SOAR (Some Assembly Required) that helps
teachers and parents cope with the needs of
students with learning disabilities, developed
by LDAO (Learning Disabilities Association of
Ontario); Nelson Thomson's My Ontario Math
Workbook; and MarkBook, a teacher
management program.
"Convenience and quality make the difference for
teachers and parents who shop at pdstore.com
online. pdstore.com helps busy teachers and
parents select pre-screened educational
resources 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. At
pdstore.com teachers can browse and buy
classroom materials and professional
development resources at their own convenience
from quality publishers. Parents often want to help
their children at home to overcome difficulties with
certain course material, to excel at a subject they
enjoy, or to reinforce their daily learning. Parents
can buy the right textbook, exercise book, or
storybook to fit their children's needs."
Lila Patchett, Manager, pdstore.com
pdstore.com home page
Improved Access
A browse-by-subject feature
is directly responsible for
sales in new areas that
customers are just discovering
and the presence of our red
Seal of Quality on new products
encourages customers to buy
more. Resources for the at-risk
student have been a welcome
addition as are language resources
in Italian, German, Spanish, French,
French Immersion, and Chinese.
China Service
An exciting new site called
pdstorechina.com was registered to
offer services to domestic buyers of
Chinese resources, such as
coordinators of international language
programs, and to markets in Asia such
as schools offering English studies
and/or Canadian secondary school
accreditation. Distribution agreements
have been underway with Chinese
publishers for distribution of Chinese
language instruction resources as well.
Promotional information has been
published in the Toronto-based
Chinese newspapers and on
multicultural Omni TV.
page fourteen

2005 Revenue Analysis
2005 Expenditure Analysis
Evaluation Services (63%)
Publisher Fees (12%)
Product Sales (12%)
Professional Learning Services (11%)
Legacies, Bequests & Gifts (1%)
Other (1%)
Supplementary reviews < 1%
Read pie chart counterclockwise
from largest percentage
Evaluations (31%)
Staff Contracts (28%)
Cost of Product Sales (12%)
Operating Support (9%)
Professional Learning Services (8%)
Other (7%)
Website (5%)
Read pie chart counterclockwise
from largest percentage
The simplified pie charts on this page show Revenue and Expenditure Analyses for 2004-5.
The financial statements of CSC and its affiliates have been fully audited by Moore Stephens
Cooper Molyneux LLP, Chartered Accountants, and are available from CSC upon request.
CSC reports gross revenues of $1,746,835
in 2004-5, up $554,344 from $1,192,491 in
fiscal 2003-4.
We are pleased to report a successful year
due to notable increases in publisher fees
and in Professional Learning Services.
Publisher fees for evaluations contributed
12% of total revenue this fiscal year, up from
1% of total revenue in 2003-4. Professional
Learning Services contributed 12% of total
revenue as well, up from 4% in the last fiscal
year. All other services brought in revenues
similar to our last fiscal year.
As a not-for-profit family of organizations, we
provide services on a cost-recovery basis.
We are committed to investing in the services
of pdstore.com and have made decisions to
expand inventory and the client base through
contracting consulting services that will
self-finance and contribute to pdstore.com
revenues. In fiscal 2003-4 we committed to
developing both pdstore.com and
Professional Learning Services. We have
met half our goal and will work prudently to
meet our expectations of pdstore.com
becoming self-sufficient by 2007-8.
page fifteen

Futures Brighten with Dedicated Classroom Teachers
(Janice Thomson Memorial Grant Winner)
It looks like any classroom: 20 teens laugh and chat as they finish their English
assignment. Reality is, these students aren't just learning – they are turning their lives
around. After class, the members of this tightly bonded group at St. Joseph Secondary
School in Mississauga will head off to their work placements: some to hair salons, some
to auto-body repair shops, others to work in the school office.
The ACE students are a tight-knit group
The teens are students of the Alternative Co-operative Experiential (ACE) program.
They were once 11th graders at high-risk of not being able to graduate. Now, these
former frequent visitors to the office are almost invisible in the school's bad books.
"ACE is a school within a school," explains Marg Smits, the impassioned educator who coordinates the program.
Through an integrated program of curriculum learning and co-op placement experiences, students complete 10 to 12
credits in one year, in comparison to the typical eight credits attained by their peers. A physical education credit, for
example, is attained through the Outward Bound program – a sort of school version of Survivor – that sends students
on a five-day hike. The teens experience first-hand the meaning and importance of patience, coping, teamwork and
willpower. Their teachers – Cori Nay and Pasquale Vasile – become like "Mom and Dad." Robert, a student who once
had doubts about the future, is one of the many success stories. Now a leading member of the soccer team, he is a
respected role model for peers and younger students alike. A strong anti-smoking advocate, Robert encourages fellow
students to quit the habit.
The ACE program, first developed in 2000, has been a remarkable triumph. The Curriculum Foundation (TCF)—the
learning resource charity of Curriculum Services Canada—awarded it a $2,000 grant and provided mentorship. The
ACE resource will be completed by September 2005, and will be available free at www.curriculum.org.
Pasquale Vasile & Cori Nay are
teachers of the ACE program
"It really helped us," says Megan, an ACE student, about the program. "For me, my mother's really glad that I have a
bright future ahead of me. I really hope they do this at other schools."
Note: student names have been changed
Marg Smits smiles as she discusses
the achievements of ACE students

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