Responsive, Equitable Practices, Supports, and Interventions
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
Culturally responsive pedagogy is teaching that connects a student’s social, cultural, family, or language background to what the student is learning; nurtures that cultural uniqueness; and responds by creating conditions in which the student’s learning is enhanced.
Implement a culturally responsive pedagogy in order to:
develop curriculum and resources so that each student can relate their learning to their life experiences and cultural backgrounds
provide students with instruction and assessment based on a culturally responsive pedagogy
promote common instructional strategies in minority-language pedagogy and support research in the area of minority-language pedagogy and literacy learning and achievement
Community Engagement
A student’s community is much more than a place of residence. It is an embodiment of distinct language, culture, history, character, and its people. When families and communities are respected as resources to further support students, the benefits are reflected in multiple aspects of a student’s school experience including well-being, engagement, attendance, and achievement.
Students and their families are at the centre of all we do. Respectful and trusting relationships with families and communities are vital. We work to create schools that are places of belonging, respect the lived experiences of our students, and work with their families and communities to know them as they are known. Building trust with our families and our communities is the first step in involvement and engagement.
English and French as an Additional Language
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s EAL and FAL strategy takes a proactive approach to address the well-being and achievement needs of additional language learners that incorporates their strengths and challenges.
The strategy recognizes the linguistic and cultural diversity of learners:
• increased immigration, particularly in Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) but also in rural areas
• newcomers of refugee or war-affected origins
• newcomers with interrupted schooling
English as an Additional Language (EAL) & French as an Additional Language (FAL) Strategy Framework
Treaty Education
African Nova Scotian Education Framework and Strategy
The framework embeds concepts outlined in the Expanding From Equity Supports to Leadership and Results: The Minister of Education’s Response to Reality Check (Nova Scotia 2010) and is informed by the experiences of students, parents, educational stakeholders, RCE/CSAP and departmental staff, and the Council on African Canadian Education.
Why is an African Nova Scotian Education Framework necessary?
The purpose of the framework is to move the system forward and address the systemic power structures and inequities that create barriers for ANS/Black students. The framework aligns with Nova Scotia’s Inclusive Education Policy commitment to ensuring a high-quality, culturally and linguistically responsive, and equitable, education to support the well-being and achievement of every student. “Inclusive education is a commitment to ensuring a high-quality, culturally and linguistically responsive and equitable education to support the well-being and achievement of every student.
All staff are called by the Inclusive Education Policy to use their power and privilege to support Black students in feeling safe, accepted, and valued so they can best learn and succeed during their time in school
African Nova Scotian Education Framework_2021-08-17.pptxFor an in-depth exploration of the African Nova Scotian Education Framework, watch these sessions from the 2020 Summer learning academy
High-Leverage Practices for Learning
The intentional use of these research and evidence-based practices have been demonstrated to have an impact on student well-being and achievement.
Looking for a place to start? Here are some resources to consider:
Assistive Technology
