Final report presenting the results for the ERES Project - high school participants. (French version).

This report presents the most recent results of the analyses conducted for the ERES Project. The goal here is to compare the written French proficiency of Secondary V students exposed to Education Reform (ER) to that of pre-ER Secondary V students. Results indicate a very high success rate all around on the department’s writing test as a whole, with a comparable success rate between the two groups. Analyses of the success rates for each specific marking criterion show that slightly more ER students than non-ER students received a high score on the vocabulary criterion. However, fewer ER students than non-ER students received a high score on the coherent argumentation criterion. Secondary analyses involving various moderating factors suggest that ER has allowed weaker students and students believing themselves to be less competent to perform better on certain criteria related to quality of language.

This report will present the most recent results of the analyses conducted for the ERES Project. The main goal is to compare the math knowledge of students exposed to Education Reform (ER) to that of pre-ER Secondary V students. The descriptive data from our samples infer that more students are now registered in higher-level math options (Technical and Scientific and Science) than before (Mathematics 536). However, over all, students exposed to ER scored slightly lower on our math test than students who weren’t exposed to ER. The statistical difference is small, but it was greater for students in certain Québec regions and students from schools in underprivileged areas, and depending on the math course the Secondary V student was taking.

According to the preliminary data of the ERES Project, parents of secondary IV students exposed to Education Reform (ER) know little about some of the changes made to the academic path of their youth following the ER. These parents also hold a less positive view of their children’s learning compared to parents of students not exposed to the ER. Moreover, they were more likely to have reported that their child had failed a class during high school and taken a summer course. These were the views to come out of the data collected among parents of secondary IV students in spring 2008 (group not exposed to ER) and 2010 (group exposed to ER).

The initial comparative data to come out of the ERES Project revealed that secondary IV students exposed to Education Reform (ER) feel less well-adapted to high school, are less engaged in school work (Anglophones and Francophones at high risk only), and, in the case of boys, have lower self-esteem. However, there were no significant differences found between students exposed to the ER and those who were not in terms of social adjustment, personal and emotional adjustment and intrinsic motivation. These findings complete the data presented in the previous bulletin (volume 3, number 1), which explored the effects of ER on teaching practices, classroom climate and usefulness of courses.

Based on the first set of comparative data from the ERES Project, students exposed to Education Reform (ER) perceived their French or English classes (language of instruction) as more useful than students who were not exposed to the ER . However, students studying in the post-reform system held a less positive view of certain teaching practices and classroom climate when compared to their pre-reform counterparts.
These were the findings from surveys administered to 2,073 secondary IV students before and after the implementation of ER.

A survey conducted among 360 school administrators as part of the ERES Project found significant variations among schools in terms of their respective commitment to the major principles of Education Reform (ER) and the implementation in Cycle One of the services and programs featured in this Reform.

According to parents and students, schools have been teaching and evaluating cross-curricular competencies. In addition, many school administrators and education consultants agree that cross-curricular competencies play a role in helping students adjust to life in society.

This progress report details students’ perceptions of some of the teaching practices in their Math, English (language of instruction) and History and Citizenship Education classes.

This progress report describes the interest of Secondary Two students in reading, history and science. It also presents the perceived usefulness among students of three courses modified somewhat as part of the Education Reform: English, mathematics and history.

This second progress report features a description of the parents who completed questionnaires along with their viewpoints on the methods used by schools to communicate their children’s academic results.

This first report proposes a brief reminder of the origins of this project and presents the general outline of the progress of data collection conducted among students, their families and school staff.

Final report presenting the results for the ERES Project - college participants. (French version).