Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA) in partnership with Ontario Principals' Council (OPC) and Catholic Principals' Council | Ontario (CPCO) are offering five online French as a second language (FSL) professional learning modules. The fee for the one-day modules and two-week modules are fully subsidized.* Registration is open nationally for principals and vice-principals in Canada. 

School districts wishing to offer the modules to school leaders should contact learning@principals.ca for more information.

*Registration is limited to only 20 candidates for each module offering

Format 

 2-Week Modules
Two facilitators instruct the modules, each representing OPC and CPCO perspectives. Each module runs for 14 days:

  • the online learning management system used for the module is Canvas

  • participants have 14 days to complete 5 hours of work 

  • within the 14-day period, there will be an opportunity for scheduled synchronous sessions between the facilitators and participants
 1-Day Modules
Two facilitators instruct the modules, each representing OPC and CPCO perspectives. Each module runs for 1 day:

  • the online learning management system used for the module is Canvas

  • participants will complete five hours of required module work in a single day

  • the 1-day module will include synchronous and asynchronous opportunities between the facilitators and participants 

Module Overviews 

Five module offerings:

French Immersion Module 1

Description: Participants will explore leadership strategies and ways to mitigate issues identified in research regarding the development of the French Immersion programs in schools.

Facilitated by practising principals with experience in French Immersion settings, this module focuses on collaborative knowledge building and mobilization to:

  • identify leadership strategies to improve FSL teacher retention

  • determine the factors leading to FSL teacher attrition and

  • introduce support for the professional learning of FSL educators.
Core French Module 

Description: Participants will explore leadership strategies and ways to mitigate issues identified in research regarding the development of the Core French program in schools.

Facilitated by principals with experience in Core French settings, this module focuses on collaborative knowledge building and mobilization to:

  • identify leadership strategies to improve Core French teacher retention 

  • determine effective practices of Core French programs

  • discover resources that help to plan professional development opportunities for Core French teachers,  and 

  • discuss unique leadership challenges and opportunities that affect FSL instruction in schools.

French Immersion Module 2 

Description: A module to support Associates and Members in delving deeper into the strategies for Teacher Retention and the Development of the French Immersion Program. In this second module, participants will focus expressively on practical leadership strategies to support the development of the French Immersion program in schools.

Facilitated by practising principals with experience in French Immersion settings, this module focuses on collaborative knowledge building and mobilization to:

  • determine the effective practices of French Immersion programs

  • identify strategies that support language proficiency of French Immersion teachers

  • discover resources that help to plan professional development opportunities for French Immersion teachers,  and 

  • discuss unique leadership challenges and opportunities that affect French Immersion instruction in schools.  

The CEFR in Canadian Schools - An introduction for school administrators

This module focuses to:

  • assist administrators in becoming familiar with the Common European Frame of Reference (CEFR) and to ascertain the benefits of an action oriented approach to French teaching

  • discover how school administrators can support teachers using best practices related to the CEFR. 

  • make connections concerning what unique leadership challenges and opportunities exist that affect French instruction in schools.
School Administrators Supporting Secondary French Programs

This module focuses to:

  • assist administrators in identifying and implementing strategies to support French programs at the secondary level.

  • strengthen administrator confidence by discussing strategies to assist in the sustainability and continued growth of French in the face of competing leadership challenges

  • create the opportunity for school administrators to discuss what unique leadership challenges and opportunities emerge that affect French instruction in secondary schools.