a history of curriculum services canada

Review Services (re-named Curriculum Resource Services to reflect broader scope of evaluation
and mentoring) reported on the status of various activities including Interdisciplinary Course
Profiles (Grade 11 and 12), which will be ongoing through fall with a late winter completion
target; Grade 11/12 Workplace Textbooks; TCF Awards Project (mentoring of four new projects
started in March and on completion will be prepared for web mounting); and a major thrust of
Evaluation Services to increase the evaluator “pool” with more people in other provinces trained
as CSC evaluators.
In the area of Professional Learning Services (PLS), movement includes the following: a
recognition event regarding the Janice Thomson Memorial Award Law Curriculum Project is
scheduled for October; e-learning initiatives have possible opportunities to expand having been
approached by Asylum software to be a provider for an online course; and OCT link, in
cooperation with le CLÉ was established; and school board gap analysis research was completed.
Other projects (June 21 to September 20) include development of funding proposals to corporate
funders, development of a process to complement OCC’s Trillium Process to include le CLÉ,
and the search for new board members and honorary patrons. There were ongoing discussions
with CSA/QMI about the potential for partnership, exploration of joint projects with CODE, and
exploration of whether or not to apply for Standards Council of Canada status, partner with CSA,
or stay with the grassroots approach. A focus of the Trillium Project continues to be careful
monitoring and strengthening of the procedures of the evaluation process. To date a notification
of intent to submit had been received fro three texts (with mid-January intended submission date)
and eighteen resources (under the CFR/FSL call for resources). Three resources had been
submitted and evaluated, the remaining evaluation to occur January through May 2003.
By December the Executive Director was able to report that a search for a Francophone
representative resulted in a meeting the Guy Matte, past president of AEFO. The board
unanimously agreed that he would be an excellent asset to CSC. Also although time constraints
would not permit her to be a board member, Chief Roberta Jamieson accepted the position of
honorary patron.
With Wendy Tilford, President, Quality Management Institute of CSA, very interested in
pursuing the potential for partnership with CSC, discussions were held about the feasibility of a
three-way partnership – CSC with CSA and EDU – to develop standards and an auditing system
similar to ISO but tailored to school systems. Potential for such a partnership will continue to be
explored in 2003.
In terms of the Pan-Canadian initiative, CRS is pursuing possibilities of working in the Atlantic
region through APEF and the Ministry of Education in New Brunswick to provide evaluation,
mentoring, and other services, as well as exploring ways of working with private schools. A
teleconference discussion of Kathryn McFarlane and Pauline Beggs with the Director of
Curriculum Barry Lydon, New Brunswick Department of Education, centred on whether the
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