Off-campus M.Ed. course in Peterborough
Additional Qualification Courses in Peterborough

MAP TO TVC 633 Monaghan Rd. South, Rm 245
PO Box 719
Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 7A1
Telephone: 705-742-8827
Fax: 705-742-5104
Centre Staff
Head: John A. Ross
Research Officer: Anne Hogaboam-Gray
Secretary: Carolyn Brioux

The Trent Valley Centre specializes in curriculum processes. Special attention is given to the enhancement of students' ability to learn from peers, professional development programs for teachers and other educators, and the use of evaluation to strengthen programs and improve student achievement.

The main projects of the Centre currently include: student evaluation, secondary school reform, and wise use of computers in the classroom

The projects of the Centre are supported by grants from a variety of funding agencies. The results are published in academic and professional journals.

The Centre offers off-campus graduate studies in Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning in three sites. These programs are designed in collaboration with school districts.

Research in Ontario Secondary Schools is an on-line journal published four times per year. The journal contains brief accounts (typically 1000 words) of research on secondary school reform conducted in Ontario by academics and practitioners.

The Centre also provides an array of contract services to teachers and administrators.

We appreciate the generosity of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (formerly the Peterborough County Board of Education) in providing the Centre with office space from 1969 to the present. As of August 1999 we extend our appreciation to Kenner Collegiate in providing the new offices for the Trent Valley Centre.


Centre Staff

Our small staff of three professionals works closely on all Centre activities. Although we have distinct roles, they overlap considerably, especially as deadlines draw near.

John Ross is head of the Centre and Professor of Curriculum,Teaching, and Learning. His responsibility is to develop projects, link theory and practice in feasible designs, implement action plans, and report findings to academic and practitioner audiences. John is also the coordinator and chief instructor in the Centre's off-campus graduate studies program. He has been with OISE/UT since 1973.

Anne Hogaboam-Gray is the Centre's Research Officer. Anne's main responsibility is to collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data. She searches computerized databases to locate suitable instruments, designs teacher surveys, student achievement tests and measures of student attitudes, and develops administration procedures. Anne creates interview guides, conducts individual and focus group interviews, and observes in classrooms. She monitors returns, applies a wide range of statistical procedures to interpret data, and summarizes findings. Her qualitative analysis responsibilities include the creation of coding schemes, coding transcripts of interviews and field notes, and the development of themes. She also assists students applying to the graduate program. Anne has been with OISE/UT since 1988.

Carolyn Brioux is the office coordinator of the Centre. She is the first contact for Centre visitors, communicating with students, clients, and funding agencies. Carolyn manages much of the Centre's qualitative and quantitative data collections, creating surveys in optical scanning format, printing instruments, scanning survey data, entering qualitative information into electronic files. She also creates the database for our graduate studies program, designs brochures, and manages information on the Centre's web site and electronic journal. Carolyn assists other staff in learning new technology, tracking our accounts, and ensures that the Centre's operations run smoothly. Carolyn has been with OISE/UT since 1989.

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Contract Services

The Centre provides a range of services to teachers and administrators. For example,

Research in Ontario Secondary Schools
A vast amount of research is published each year. Surprisingly little is focused on the secondary schools of Ontario. The purpose of this electronic journal is to provide brief reports of Ontario research available to secondary school teachers who are examining ways of improving teaching and learning. Four issues are published each year. Teachers may download articles and make hard copies at no charge.

School and District Focused Research
The Centre conducts research on a fee for service basis for individual schools, districts, and educational agencies. In these projects Centre staff help clients in a variety of ways such as focusing research questions, designing instruments, collecting information, analyzing data and reporting findings. In some instances the Centre provides advice or technical assistance to enable clients to complete the research project on their own. In other situations, often involving program evaluation, the Centre conducts all phases of the research as an objective, independent third party.

Support for Data Collection
The Centre offers schools and districts access to optical scanning technology for efficient data entry on a cost recovery basis. In these activities the school or district develops the survey and does its own data analysis. The Centre formats the survey, prints copies, and scans the returns, creating an electronic data file.

Literature Searches
The Centre conducts searches of information banks (e.g., "ERIC") to locate studies and articles on topics of current interest, on a cost recovery basis.

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Research and Development Grants

1999-2000 : (J.A. Ross, A. Hogaboam-Gray, & L. Hannay). The impact of secondary school reform on student assessment. Ontario Ministry of Education & Training Transfer Grant.

1999-2000 : (J.A. Ross, D. McDougall, & A Hogaboam-Gray). Elementary school reform and higher order reasoning in mathematics. Ontario Ministry of Education & Training Transfer Grant.

1998 - 2001 : (J. A. Ross & C. Rolheiser). Student evaluation: Teaching strategies and student outcomes. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

1998 - 2001 : (L. Hannay & J. A. Ross). The dynamic process of secondary school change: The interactive roles of school district, the school, federation, teacher, and student. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. 1997 - 1998 : (J. A. Ross & L. Hannay). Enhancing teaching and learning through technology. Hastings County Board of Education.

1997 - 1999 : (L. Hannay & J. A. Ross). An evaluation of the Way Ahead: Enhancing the integration of technology in the Primary Division. Huron-Perth RCSSB.

1997 - 1998 : (J. A. Ross, C. Rolheiser, & A. Hogaboam-Gray). Effects of self-evaluation training on student motivation and achievement of Ontario Curriculum expectations in Math and Language. Ontario Ministry of Education Transfer Grant

1995 - 1996 : (L. Hannay & J. A. Ross). Secondary school reform: Developing new strategies to enhance student learning. Ontario Ministry of Education & Training Transfer Grant

1996 - 1997 : (J. A. Ross & C. Rolheiser). Classroom teacher strategies for teaching self-evaluation. Ontario Ministry of Education & Training Transfer Grant

1995 - 1996 : (K. Leithwood et al). Supporting a culture of inquiry. Common Curriculum Innovation Fund, Ontario Ministry of Education & Training

1995 - 1996 : (L. Hannay. & J. A. Ross). Secondary school reform and alternative organizational structures. Ontario Ministry of Education and Training Transfer Grant.

1995 - 1998 : (J. A. Ross). Student evaluation in cooperative learning environments. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

1995 - 1996 : (J. A. Ross). Curriculum integration: Impacts on students, teachers, and schools. Ontario Ministry of Education and Training Transfer Grant

1994 - 1995 : (J. A. Ross). Assessment of Group Work. Ontario Ministry of Education & Training Transfer Grant

1993 - 1994 : (J. A. Ross). Transition Years In-service: The role of teacher efficacy, Ontario Ministry of Education Transfer Grant

1993 - 1994 : (J. A. Ross). Assessment of Group Work, Ontario Ministry of Education Transfer Grant

1992 - 1995 : (J. A. Ross). Helpfulness in cooperative learning groups, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

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Revised: 02/25/99