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The Louis Riel School Division (LRSD) is proud to have shared its expertise and innovative practices at two separate venues in Montreal this week. These invitations highlight LRSD’s ongoing commitment to student success and directly support its Multi-Year Strategic Plan (Â鶹ҕƵ) 2023–2027, particularly Strategic Action 2.3, which focuses on implementing universal early screening and monitoring to support proactive teaching and system-wide interventions.

At the Assessment and Instruction in Mathematics (AIM) Summit 2025, Kristyn Artibise and Jared Suderman, members of LRSD’s School and Classroom Support Team (SCST), presented the division’s numeracy professional development plan. Developed by LRSD staff and enhanced through collaboration with researchers from Queen’s University and Carleton University, this initiative aims to strengthen classroom instruction and targeted interventions based on early screening data. The research team has visited Winnipeg several times this year to support professional learning and to study the plan’s effectiveness. This partnership is one of several key research collaborations LRSD has established to ensure that educational practices are evidence-based.

Also at the AIM Summit, Assistant Superintendent Ron Cadez participated in a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Jo-Anne LeFevre, Carleton University’s Chancellor’s Professor of Cognitive Science and Psychology, and Director of the Institute of Cognitive Science. Dr. LeFevre is also a valued research partner in LRSD’s work on numeracy and early screening. The panel discussion emphasized the importance of partnerships between school divisions and researchers in advancing mathematics education.

In a separate event, Ron Cadez and Rob George, a school psychologist and member of the SCST, were invited to speak with school leaders at the Sir Wilfred Laurier School Board. Their presentation focused on LRSD’s efforts to transform literacy practices, highlighting the critical leadership role of principals in driving change. They shared the division’s structured approach to early screening, implementation of evidence-based pedagogy, and strategies for supporting students with learning disabilities.

Ron and Rob were honoured to present alongside Alicia Smith, Executive Director of Dyslexia Canada and President Emerita of IDA Ontario, and Rick Lavoie, a globally recognized advocate for inclusion and special education, best known for his video series “How Difficult Can This Be?: The F.A.T. City Workshop.”

LRSD is proud that the collective efforts of its staff contributing to Strategic Action 2.3 are being recognized across Canada. The division remains steadfast in its commitment to student success through innovation, collaboration, and aligning educational practice with the sound research.