Educators say de-streamed classes good for high school students

Algoma District School Board officials received an update on the benefits of de-streaming Grade 9 classes at the ADSB Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday evening.

Prior to 2021, streaming divided Ontario students beginning high school into hands-on applied courses or academic courses that steered them on course for post-secondary studies. 

De-streaming means that students will no longer be separated into applied or academic groups.

“We found that there was an over-representation of particular groups of students in our applied pathway,” said Marcy Bell, ADSB superintendent of education in an address to the board.

“Grade 9 de-streaming in the province and in our system is really to address systemic discrimination and breaking down barriers and those are specific to Indigenous students, Black and racialized students, students from low income households, students with disabilities and special education needs and so that was really imperative in our province and in our board to do this work.”

Critics of streaming also state that Grade 8 is too soon for a student to make a lifelong career choice as they transition to high school programming.

“Grade 8 is a very difficult time to know ‘here’s what I want to be and here’s what I need to do to get there.’ The transition from Grade 8 to Grade 9 is already a significant transition,” Bell said.

Proponents of de-streaming state that the process gives Grade 9 students another year to mature, identify strengths and areas that need improvement and to explore careers that interest them.  

A new de-streamed math course replacing the Grade 9 academic and applied courses was introduced in the province’s high schools in Sept. 2021.

De-streamed science, English, geography and French classes were added for the current 2022-23 school year.

The ADSB also offers courses in Ojibway, Bell added.

“The belief and philosophy behind the de-streamed Grade 9 program is that every student benefits from learning in a classroom where there are various strengths, abilities and interests and where there’s high expectations for all students. Everyone has a different way of thinking and a different way they process and it’s an advantage for everyone to begin that learning together and for us to have a clear understanding and belief that every student can be successful regardless of background, lived experience or other factors.”

Academic supports are available for all students within de-streamed courses, said Brent Vallee, ADSB superintendent of education.