CoSN today released a new report, Equity at Scale, highlighting key takeaways from its senior leadership’s recent trip to Ontario, Canada (Dec. 2-6, 2019) to learn more about the province’s cutting-edge education system and how they are achieving equity at scale.
 
The Delegation visited classrooms in two very large Ontario school systems (Toronto and York Region), learned from leading Canadian experts and discussed education policy with government officials. Participants gleaned insights on each district’s* commitment to equity, rigor and leadership.
 
“CoSN is committed to learning the lessons around the effective use of technology in K-12 education from the most innovative school systems in the world,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN. “Our Delegation’s trip to Ontario provided unique insights on how mega-sized Canadian school districts are implementing new technologies to ensure equity. Those lessons are particularly timely now, in this COVID-19 moment, when we see the chasm many U.S. students face around equitable access to learning outside of school.”
 
Three central themes that have helped shape Ontario’s academic success emerged during the Delegation’s visit:
 
  • Inclusive Design. A strong commitment to ensuring that all students’ social identities — including one’s ability, language, cultures, ethnicity and socio-economic background — do not preclude them from reaching their full potential and achieving ambitious learning outcomes.
 
  • Deep Learning. A framework comprised of four interconnected layers that provide for a continuous improvement loop of concrete pathways to shift practice for schools, districts and learning systems.
 
  • Courageous Leadership. A leadership approach that involves all educators and students within a context of clearly-stated values and expectations, and supports input from both educators and learners.
 
 
“As schools across the globe accelerate their digital transformation it is critical for HP to collaborate with organizations such as CoSN to provide us with valuable insights into how school systems are addressing equality,” said Charles Radman, HP Global Education Solutions. “HP’s commitment to democratizing access to a quality education remains one of our top priorities.”
 
 
This recent educational exchange continues CoSN’s long-standing commitment to global leadership. Over the past 18 years, CoSN has led delegations to Norway and Finland (2018), New Zealand (2017), Ireland (2016), India (2015), Singapore (2015), Portugal (2013), London and Paris (2011), South America (2011), Scotland and the Netherlands (2009), Scandinavia (2007), Australia (2004), and the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Germany (2002).
 
Learn more about CoSN’s efforts to advance the international dialogue about how technology can enhance education here.
 
 
The CoSN Delegation to Ontario and the post-trip report were made possible through the generous support of lead sponsor HP, with additional support from Microsoft Canada, Desire2Learn and Compugen.
 
*Canadian school districts are referred to as “school boards.”
 
About CoSN
CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking) is the premier professional association for school system technology leaders. CoSN provides thought leadership resources, community best practices and advocacy tools to help leaders succeed in the digital transformation. CoSN represents over 13 million students in school districts nationwide and continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K-12 education. cosn.org
 
About HP
HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) creates technology that makes life better for everyone, everywhere. Through our product and service portfolio of personal systems, printers and 3D printing solutions, we engineer experiences that amaze. More information about HP Inc. is available at www.hp.com