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While there is a widespread consensus that students' pathways towards postsecondary education are influenced early in life, there is little research on the elementary school factors that shape them. Identifying educational 'risk factors' directs attention to barriers that may warrant scrutiny or action under human rights legislation. New findings from a unique, longitudinal data set collected and developed by the Toronto District School Board highlights key factors, established in elementary school, as to how many students do not enter into post-secondary studies in Ontario. The "majority" of students suspended at any time, students in self-contained special education programs, and/or students who missed more than 10% of classes in grade 4 do not go on to PSE. These organizational factors are "more" predictive of students' acceptance to PSE than individualized measures of preschool readiness, academic achievement in grade 3, race or parental education. These structural 'risks' are strongly correlated with of race and disability. In light of research that identifies promising, evidence-based practices available to reduce these risks, breaking down these barriers should be a priority from the perspective of improving PSE access and overcoming what may well amount to systemic discrimination.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimated that approximately 9% of current jobs within OECD member states are threatened with automation and digitalization--all significant successes and advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, and computer science. With such global changes and forecasts, in the labor market, there are ever-evolving demands on employees and employers to gain or update new and/or different skill sets and competencies. Further to the threat of automation and digitalization, international organizations are monitoring and estimating labor market trends considering COVID-19 and its impact on the various economies worldwide. A key challenge will be to reduce unemployment by skills development and training, whether through upskilling to remain acquainted with and ensure skills match present labor market needs, or reskilling. An evidence and gap map (EGM) is a decision making and research prioritization tool used to identify areas of evidence as well as gaps in research to inform social policy, program, and research priorities. This EGM is aligned with the priorities of the Future Skills Centre (FSC), a pan-Canadian initiative, and who will be the map's primary user. FSC's mandate is to connect ideas and innovations generated across Canada so that employees and employers may thrive in the labor market, and to ensure that economies at the local, regional, and national levels flourish. FSC will use this rapid and evidence gap map to direct their future research agenda, which is time-sensitive due to the social and economic consequences of COVID-19. The objective of this EGM is to identify primary studies and systematic reviews on the effects of adult skills development and training on outcomes for the jobseeker/employee, employer and labor market systems in high income countries.

Schoolyards represent an important opportunity for physical activity, development and learning. However, there is minimal policy or accountability for their level or distribution. Through community partnership and citizen science, we built a system-wide picture of schoolyard quality across Ontario, using a validated, standardized tool. Quality was low with considerable variation. The top-scoring school scored 61 of a possible 88 points, the minimum was 14 (M = 35.3; SD = 9.9). Affluent schools and communities had slightly better playgrounds than poorer ones. Knowledge mobilization about how schoolyards impact health and shortcomings in existing resources raise possibilities for advocacy and policy work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study investigated equity in teacher education admissions. Through document analysis and structured interviews with ten past or current members of the admissions committee in a large initial teacher education program in Ontario, we developed an understanding of equity in teacher education admissions as encompassing two foci: equity in admissions--that is, equity of access for applicants to the program--and equity through admissions--that is, equity of educational opportunity and outcomes for the children in the schools where the teachers trained by the programs will eventually teach. Our analysis illustrates the importance of recognizing both foci and the tensions between them.

This paper presents findings from a funded case study research project conducted in Ontario, Canada during the 2007-2008 school year. Together with the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO), the researchers undertook a qualitative investigation to identify and describe success stories from a diverse sample of 11 Ontario elementary schools working with students and communities affected by poverty. Through school visits, interviews, and document analysis, researchers identified three major findings: schools made connections with parents and the broader community; schools built a sense of collective endeavor and community within the school; and schools struggled with a persistent dilemma regarding students' social versus academic needs. The project contributes to the Canadian research literature on poverty and schooling and to the practical understanding of how schools can better work with students and communities affected by poverty. (Contains 2 footnotes.)

Thomas R. Berger. (2006, March). Conciliator's Final Report: "The Nunavut Project" In a controversial report, Thomas Berger recommended that the key to improve representation of Inuit in the territorial government [...]