Project Overview
- Research topics
- Region: West
- Project Overview
Project status
- In progress :
- October 2022-June 2025
Project manager or
resource person
- Alain Nault
- Coordinator and Development - Provincial Recruitment and Retention Strategy for French-Language Teachers
Partner organization(s)
Manitoba Department of Education and Early Childhood Learning, Bureau de l’éducation française (BEF)
Retention of teachers in rural and northern school divisions
To support the retention of immersion teachers, Manitoba's Bureau de l'éducation française (BEF), in partnership with the Association of Canadian Immersion Professionals (ACPI), has undertaken a pilot project that includes a customized service offering to support rural and northern Manitoba school divisions during the 2022-2023 school year.
The services include 4 components:
1. ACPI A+ membership
- Access to a wide range of educational resources ;
- A guided tour of ACPI's educational zone.
2. Virtual mentoring programme for new immersion teachers
- One-on-one support from an experienced teaching mentor;
- 8 mentoring sessions;
- Participant's kit:
- Guide for new French immersion teachers
- French immersion.
3. Language support programme
The teaching professional will improve his or her language skills while acquiring the tools needed to communicate with confidence in a French immersion context.
What is included :
- A placement test ;
- 8 personalised weekly language coaching sessions;
- An assessment questionnaire.
4. Tailor-made professional development program
Service offered to school divisions to facilitate access to professional development that meets the needs and objectives identified by the division, including :
- Implementation of an action plan ;
- Tailor-made professional development.
The cost of the project is shared equally between the Bureau de l'éducation française and the school divisions.
Targeted Results
Increased confidence in French language skills
Improved professional skills
Increased confidence in their role as a French immersion teacher
Feelings of support and belonging (loyalty) to the immersion program and the school division
Main takeaways (learnings)
- A demonstrated need by rural school divisions for personalized coaching and professional development services
- Great appreciation for support services
- Virtual services have a place among the range of support options available.
- The partial funding (50%) provided by the BEF was important for the school divisions because it enabled them to undertake activities that they would not otherwise have been able to carry out.
