A Flexible Pathway for Revision and Implementation

Preparing for the Implementation Process: Gathering the Necessary Resources

A common question is:

“Why can’t someone just tell us exactly what to do?”

Because implementation is local.

Some cégeps will move quickly to developing plans-cadres. Others will require a full program revision. Some will involve multiple committees. Others will rely on smaller working groups.

Before making decisions, gather the documents that will guide the work.

Ministerial Documents (see “Understand” section)

These include the official devis, exit profiles, and MES communications. They define what students must achieve.

Compétences en anglais langue seconde

The official competencies that structure all teaching and evaluation.

Our Devis : An Unofficial Translation

The unofficial translation of the competencies with a complete glossary of terms.

Course Codes

Necessary to align your courses with the new structure.

Webinar (& PowerPoint)

Provides a clear overview of the reform and supports shared understanding within your department.

Institutional Documents

These documents define how implementation happens locally:

• PIEA (Politique institutionnelle de l’évaluation des apprentissages) – Your CEGEP may have restrictions on what you can and cannot do with your evaluations
• Plan-cadre templates and course outline templates – Your CEGEP will likely want you to follow a specific format for these so that they are consistent between departments
• Local policies (AI use, digital literacy, etc.) – All of these may orient and limit the work you are preparing to do
• If applicable, previous program documents such as exit profiles or competency analyses

Reference Documents

These help you situate your work within broader practices across the network:

This article helps teachers see that implementing a new program like the devis is:

Collaborative → done with colleagues

Gradual → refined over time

Structured → guided by clear steps

Coherent → everything aligned with competencies

Developmental → improves teaching practice

Supporting Resources from the CDC include:

• institutional guides
• program evaluation frameworks
• PIEA examples
• research on competency-based evaluation

Institutional Implementation Guides (if required)

Only necessary if your cégep treats implementation as a program revision.

These may include:

• profil de sortie templates
• ESP models (épreuve synthèse de programme)
• logigrammes
• grilles de cours
• cahiers-programmes

Next: Who needs to be involved in the decision-making?

Understanding the Particularities of Your Local Implementation Process

Implementation is both pedagogical and organizational.

Who Is Involved?

Start by identifying who will be involved and in what capacity:

• Directeur des études
• Directeur adjoint des études
• Pedagogical counsellors
• Department members
• Program or general education committees

Should we work as a department or as a committee?

Working as a whole department promotes shared understanding, collective buy-in, and consistency in implementation. A small committee, however, allows for greater efficiency, focus, and faster progress, especially in the early stages. If you decide to work as a committee, it is best to present the committee with a clear mandate.

Implementation Resources: Revision Committee Checklist

Designed to support departments wishing to assign the implementation of the new devis to an ad hoc committee, this checklist helps:

• clarify the committee’s purpose, roles, and decision-making power
• ensure balanced representation and manageable working conditions
• establish clear processes for planning, collaboration, and reporting

It is intended as a practical starting point that can be adapted to each cégep’s context.

What Needs Approval?

Approval structures vary, but may include:

• Department
• Comité de programme
• Comité de la formation générale
• Comité d’évaluation de programme
• Sous-comités pédagogiques
• Commission des études
• Comité exécutif
• Conseil d’administration

These steps can take time. Planning ahead is essential.

Next: How do we align as a department before building anything?

Building a Shared Vision (Departmental Alignment)

Before writing plans-cadres, departments need alignment.

Establish a Common Language

Guide (Devis, Plan-cadre, Plan de cours)

This guide clarifies the relationship between key documents and helps ensure a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities.

To support this work, revisit:

• key concepts such as interaction , writing process , reinvestment , autonomy , progression , openness
• changes in the new devis
• key terminology through the glossary

If needed, direct colleagues to the Understand section.

Assess Your Capacity for Change

Every department has its own context. Here are some questions to consider:

• Is there administrative support such as release time or funding for professional development?
• Are there motivated leaders within the team?
• Do you have buy-in (support for the new devis) and ownership (sustained, active engagement)?
• What happened during previous reforms or departmental projects?
• Do you have access to training or expertise?
• Are there existing models you can rely on from other cégeps?

Set Realistic, Measurable Goals

Implementation is also an opportunity to rethink practices. In addition to implementing the devis, departments may have to discuss:

• departmental policies (modalités départementales) such as evaluation, participation, late work, or AI use
• placement procedures by combining test results, high school background (enrichi vs anglais de base), and grades
• student support structures such as tutoring centres, drop-in labs, or peer mentoring
• activités favorisant la réussite (e.g., mise à niveau)
• B-block offerings
• disciplinary streams (e.g., sciences in one group and arts, humanities and social sciences in another; pre-U and technical; or other)
• introducing new formats (e.g., a B-block course for tutors)
• attendance policies to leverage the new devis, which emphasize participation, collaboration, and progression and justifies stronger requirements for attendance (similar to policies in physical education courses)
• structured catch-up systems for absent students
• specs grading or other alternative grading approaches
• digital literacy and AI use within courses

Start with what is realistic and build progressively.

Next: What kinds of program-level decisions might be required?

Revision and Implementation

Some CEGEPs will require extensive work and departmental collaboration. Even when this is not required, these questions can still serve as useful guides for the development of plans-cadres and the implementation of the new devis.

Defining Success

Implementation Resources: Exit Profil Template

A local profil de sortie defines what success looks like for your students.

It should:

• describe observable behaviours
• align with the devis
• reflect your institutional context
• remain adaptable over time

Analyzing the Competencies (If Required)

Implementation Resources: Competency Analysis

Some cégeps require a full analysis of each of the specific objectives.

This may include:

• what students can do in real-world contexts once the objective is attained
• key components of the objective (e.g., writing process = planning, interacting and revising)
• required knowledge (savoir), skills (savoir faire), and dispositions (savoir être)
• contexts of use(e.g., authentic situations, collaborative tasks, media texts, etc.)
• indicators of success
• development of the objective (e.g., increasing complexity and quality of language, fluency, interaction, strategy use, etc.)

Evaluation and the Comprehensive Assessment - Épreuve de synthèse de programme(If Required)

A program revision typically requires close attention to the Épreuve synthèse de programme (ESP). However, ESL courses in general education do not constitute a program in themselves; rather, they contribute to multiple programs across the institution.

As a result, when implementation is approached as a program revision, departments may be asked to make explicit the theoretical foundations underlying their evaluation practices. This Evaluation Guide is designed to support that process by helping departments clearly articulate those foundations, if required.

Next: How do we translate this into plans-cadres?