This assignment asks students to write a short paper analyzing four education indicators from the Saskatchewan Education Indicators Report or the Pan Canadian Education Indicators Report. For each indicator, students must: a) describe the relevant trend in terms of school life, b) identify potential causes of the trend, c) explain implications for their role as a teacher, and d) discuss potential ways to address or adapt to issues. The paper should provide an introduction and conclusion drawing connections among indicators, which do not need to be thematically linked. Questions are provided to guide analysis of trends, causes, consequences, and the ability of educators to influence trends.

1. Assignment C: Indicators Application
University of Regina Educational Administration 310
Due date: March 10, 2010
This assignment’s primary purpose is to help professionals interpret statistical
information, and to apply that information in a relevant context. It asks you to choose
four indicators from the 2009 Saskatchewan Education Indicators Report (Ministry
website) and write a short paper. Alternatively, you could choose the most recent edition
of the Pan Canadian Education Indicators Report published by the Council of Ministers
of Education, Canada.
In general, the paper will have four sections: one that a) describes the relevant trend for
each indicator in terms of day-to-day school life b) identifies potential causes for the
trend c) explains what the implications are for your role as a teacher and d) discusses
potential ways in which you may address or adapt to the issues presented in each
indicator.
The paper will provide a suitable introduction and conclusion which together draw
connections or interrelationships among the indicators. It is not necessary that the
indicators be thematically linked. You might choose to organize them by input/ process/
outcome; or by context /cause/consequence, or elementary/middle years/secondary, or by
some other organizer. (Note: the four indicators must be attached or clearly identified).
Some questions to keep in mind are:
1. What is the trend (at least three data points) or pattern that is evident here?
2. What is not shown in the graph? How might that influence what is in the graph?
3. From the commentary, what can you determine about the causes (or hypotheses
for causes) for the trend or pattern? What are the consequences?
4. Are educators able to bend the line (affect the trend line through their behaviours)
or are they creatures of circumstance (unable to control the direction of the line
through their behaviours? Why or why not?
5. What negative or positive results will stem from the trend line?
6. What unanticipated byproducts will the trend or pattern have for students,
schools or teachers?