The document discusses Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI), a 14-year teacher collaboration initiative in Alberta, Canada. AISI focused on improving student learning outcomes through job-embedded professional development for teachers. It led to higher student achievement on PISA tests and cultivated a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and knowledge-building among teachers. The initiative is described as a unique success story that has made Alberta's education system one of the best in the world.

1. Global and Local Education
Meeting today’s needs and tomorrow’s aspirations
Narrowing the Gap in Alberta Primaries
The AISI Initiative
The impact of 14 years of teacher-to-teacher collaboration in
Alberta, Canada.
“A unique success story that exists nowhere else in the world.”
Professor Andy Hargreaves
Professor Jim Parsons
University of Alberta
@WholeEducation
#globalocal13
Philip McRae
The Alberta Teachers'
Association

2. Global and Local Education
Meeting today’s needs and tomorrow’s aspirations
For more than a decade, Alberta has
been Canada’s highest-performing
province and the highest performing
English- and French- speaking
jurisdiction in the world on the
Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA) tests of student
achievement.
@WholeEducation
#globalocal13

3. Global and Local Education
Meeting today’s needs and tomorrow’s aspirations
+ One of the reasons Alberta has a world-class
learning system is because they have a high quality
curriculum, developed to ensure that it meets the
needs of Alberta students now and in the future.
+ Curriculum changes follow a long period of
consultation with teachers, principals,
administrators, post-secondary institutions and
others.
@WholeEducation
#globalocal13

4. Global and Local Education
Meeting today’s needs and tomorrow’s aspirations
AISI focused on student learning,
but perhaps just as powerful was
the professional growth of
teachers.
@WholeEducation
#globalocal13

5. Global and Local Education
Meeting today’s needs and tomorrow’s aspirations
AISI Impact: Embedding the professional
growth of teachers
Is this the best way to narrow the gap?
+ improved student learning
+ a culture of continuous
improvement
+ a focus on teaching and learning
+ innovation and creativity
+ shared language
+ classroom research
@WholeEducation
#globalocal13
+ knowledge building
+ evidence-based decisions
+ job-embedded professional
development
+ shared and distributed leadership
+ engaged parents.