Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Results

Ministry Goals and Their Linkage to the Five Great Goals

In the 2005 Throne Speech, the Premier outlined a five-point plan called Five Great Goals for a Golden Decade. The goals, objectives and strategies outlined below are designed to support the Government's Plan, and in particular, to help achieve the goals related to literacy, health, and the support system for our most vulnerable citizens.

Performance Plan

Outcomes:

• Students complete K – 12.
• Students demonstrate strong academic and life skills capabilities.
• All British Columbians are highly literate.
• Students participate as productive members of society and demonstrate the qualities of good citizenship.

Continued progress toward the Province's Five Great Goals depends upon well-educated citizens. Improved student achievement will result in students being able to demonstrate progress in academic performance in the K – 12 education system, and in students being knowledgeable about health and safety. The purpose of the education system is to develop each student's potential so he or she can acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to participate as a successful and productive members of society.

The Ministry of Education strives to continually improve student achievement in both intellectual development and human and social development. While academic achievement (reading, writing, numeracy, and computer skills) is critical, non-academic skills such as the ability to make responsible choices related to health and safety, and the ability to demonstrate the qualities of good citizenship, are equally important. Students must be given not only the tools to understand the world around them, but must also be given the knowledge, skills and abilities to become responsible citizens. As the Government of British Columbia works to meet its great goal of creating more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada, the Ministry will work to provide graduates with the skills and knowledge they need to fill those positions.

Working in partnership with stakeholders such as school boards, educators, students, and parents, the Ministry of Education will take a leadership role through assessing performance, measuring progress, reporting results and managing overall system performance. Overall system performance in student achievement will be measured by system-wide measures, including completion rates, provincial assessment results, transition rates and national and/or international assessment results.

Making British Columbia the best educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent is one of Government's Five Great Goals. The successful attainment of this goal will benefit individual citizens by assisting each individual to achieve his or her full potential, and society as a whole by creating a well-educated and adaptable workforce able to meet the challenges of a knowledge based economy. As the lead ministry on literacy, the Ministry of Education will support the Government's great goal through key strategies designed to improve literacy across all segments of society in B.C. These strategies are as follows:

Strategies:

• To improve literacy across all segments of society through collaborations and partnerships between public libraries and the education system (schools), post-secondary institutions and all levels of government.
• To take a national leadership role on literacy, through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada.
• To build community capacity in order to address local literacy needs.
• To improve literacy through a comprehensive plan designed to support students who struggle with literacy.
• To improve literacy through facilitating access to information by:

— Building a province-wide virtual reference service; and

— Implementing the One Card system for all B.C. Public Libraries.

• To focus on early childhood learning so children are better prepared for Kindergarten.
• To focus on data-based decision-making through assessing performance, measuring progress, reporting results and managing overall system performance.

Performance Measures:

1. National and/or International Assessment Results:
SAIP (School Achievement Indicators Program)

Students in B.C. take part in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP). The content of these assessments changes from year to year, as does the frequency, depending on the cycle of each. The only new assessment to report on for this reporting period is the SAIP science assessment, 2004. The School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP) is a cyclical program of pan-Canadian assessments of student achievement in mathematics, reading, writing, and science that has been conducted by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada since 1993.The Ministry's target for this performance measure is to continue to be a national leader in academic performance.

The reporting style has changed slightly from last year, to reflect a more meaningful way of displaying the results. As B.C. continues to compete for a share of the global economy, it is important that our education system is able to provide graduates with the skills and knowledge they need to compete at an elite level. Comparing B.C.'s student achievement with that of other national jurisdictions is a way to compare how well our students perform in relation to other jurisdictions.

The assessment cycle for national and international assessments in which B.C. participates are as follows:

• PISA¹¹: every three years.
• SAIP¹²: every three years.

SAIP Science 2004

Data Confidence

• Source: SAIP is coordinated by CMEC (Council of Ministers of Education, Canada) which oversees administration, data collection, analysis and storage and reporting.
• Collection Method: the tests were administered over a three to four week period in April and May 2004. The data are collected from randomly selected samples of B.C. 13 and 16 year-olds. Approximately 25,000 English and French-speaking Canadian students participated; in B.C., 1,800 students from more than 170 schools participated.
• Reporting Period: SAIP is a cyclical program of pan-Canadian assessments of student achievement in mathematics, reading, writing, and science that has been conducted by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) since 1993. The science assessment was administered for a third time in the spring of 2004. Previous versions of the science assessment were administered in 1996 and 1999. Testing takes place in the spring of every third year (for the same subject, e.g., science) (2000, 2003, 2006, etc.) and the results are reported approximately a year and a half later.
• Data Reliability: Results are reported with confidence intervals that discourage "ranking" and promote an analysis of jurisdictions that perform in a similar range, based on a review of the confidence intervals that determine the statistically significant differences between results of jurisdictions.
• Timeliness: SAIP is administered every three years. Initial results are reported approximately 18 months later, with secondary analysis and additional reports being published throughout the years between administrations.

2. Percentage of public schools taking part in Ready, Set, Learn open house events

The Province's Ready, Set, Learn program is designed to help prepare three year-olds for school. To succeed in this endeavor, families need positive connections with the school system and community agencies that provide early childhood development resources, support, and services. As a way of helping three year-olds get the best possible start in school, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Children and Family Development, and the Ministry of Health have co-sponsored a series of Ready, Set, Learn events in B.C. public schools. Parents, caregivers and three year-olds who attend the Ready, Set, Learn open houses will receive a book, a family kit to support pre-school learning and development, and information from the school about education programs and community resources. This performance measure was chosen because it is an indicator of the degree to which schools are working in collaboration with families and the community to improve early childhood learning, which is the foundation for later success in school.

3. Number of community literacy plans in place through LiteracyNow

The Ministry of Education will work with LiteracyNow and other community agencies, such as Literacy B.C., to build community capacity to improve literacy. LiteracyNow uses a community-based planning process designed to address local literacy needs. LiteracyNow aims to become a catalyst for stimulating new programs, networking, and raising awareness for multiple forms of literacy development throughout the Province. LiteracyNow will help both adults and youth in B.C. communities meet their literacy challenges by increasing local community access to literacy learning and working closely with key stakeholders to build a cohesive provincial network to share best practices and effect change. The initial focus of LiteracyNow is a community development strategy designed to stimulate new literacy initiatives, alliances, programs and collaborative planning within communities.

The number of community literacy plans was chosen as a performance measure because it indicates the success of the Ministry and its partners in building capacity in the community to improve literacy.

4. Number of national literacy research projects aligned with provincial priorities

Working through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), the Ministry of Education has taken a national leadership role in improving literacy rates across all segments of the population. CMEC provides provinces and territories with the opportunity to work collaboratively, learn from each other, and share best practices. The Ministry of Education will report the knowledge and best practices gained from this collaborative effort.

The Ministry is in the process of developing this performance measure, which will assess the success of the Ministry and its partners in focusing national attention on literacy and aligning the national literacy strategy with provincial priorities.

5. Percentage of school districts that have School Community Connections agreements planned or in place.

The Ministry of Education launched School Community Connections to build and strengthen partnerships between schools and the community as a whole. By looking at the percentage of schools that have SCC agreements planned or in place, we will be able to measure the success of the Ministry and its partners in building community capacity to improve literacy.

6. Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey¹³ (ALLS)

The Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALLS) is an international comparative study conducted to provide participating countries with information about the literacy skills of their adult populations. In 2003 the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey tested more than 23,000 Canadians on their proficiency in numeracy and literacy. ALLS measures the literacy and numeracy skills of a nationally representative sample of participants aged from 16 years to 65 years from six participating countries and provides a useful benchmarking tool to help measure the Ministry's success in promoting adult literacy.

The Ministry is in the process of developing a performance measure based on the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey, to assess its success in improving adult literacy rates. This performance measure was chosen because it indicates how British Columbia performs in comparison to other jurisdictions, and allows the Ministry to assess its progress in meeting the Government's great goal of becoming the most literate jurisdiction on the continent.

7. Early Development Index (EDI)

A child's early years are critical in laying the foundation for literacy and lifelong learning. In communities across the Province much has been done to promote early literacy, including efforts to:

• develop family literacy programs and organizations;
• focus attention and reallocate resources; and
• build partnerships between elementary schools, community organizations and parents.

The Ministry recognizes and will build on these successes in the years to come. The Ministry is in the process of developing an appropriate performance measure based on the Early Development Index.¹⁴ This measure will reflect the importance of literacy skills in a child's intellectual and social development. The Early Development Index (EDI) is an assessment of the proportion of children who are rated "ready to learn" as they enter Kindergarten.

For children to learn effectively, they need to be healthy and have a safe learning environment. In order to ensure that children are taught in an environment that is conducive to learning, and that they have the capacity to learn, the Ministry has chosen to focus on several key strategies over the next three years. The first strategy supports healthy living for K – 12 students as part of a comprehensive plan to make schools places that promote learning about health, through initiatives such as Action Schools! B.C., a new curriculum that emphasizes health and career planning, a new K – 7 physical education curriculum, and new guidelines for selling healthy foods in schools. The second strategy is to set expectations that school districts and schools address safety in school and district plans. These and other strategies support the efforts of school boards to emphasize safety and encourage healthy habits that will lead to improved student achievement.

Strategies:

• To focus on Health Promoting Schools, by emphasizing the following initiatives:

— Action Schools! B.C.

— New curriculum on Health and Career Planning

— New Physical Education Curriculum K – 7

— Guidelines for selling healthy foods in schools

• To set expectations that school districts and schools address safety in school and district plans.
• To establish a Teachers' Employment Registry.

Performance Measures:

8. Learning to stay healthy:

A. Percentage of parents who report their child is learning how to stay healthy at school

B. Percentage of students who report learning how to stay healthy at school

Health related questions are drawn from the Ministry of Education's annual Satisfaction Survey, and are a key measure of the attitudes of students and parents toward health education in schools. Children who are physically active and who eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet have an advantage when it comes to learning and achieving academic excellence. For students, learning how to incorporate physical activity and healthy eating into their lives while they are in school will pay huge dividends throughout their adult lives, and will reduce incidences of future chronic disease. This measure also assesses B.C.'s progress in achieving the Government's great goal of leading the way in North America in healthy eating and physical fitness.

Data Confidence

• Source: Satisfaction Survey, Ministry of Education.
• Collection Method: All responses are either scanned by Ministry staff, or collected directly into a database from the online instrument. The data is transferred into the Education Data Warehouse, where it undergoes a final check for accuracy.
• Reporting Period: Satisfaction Surveys are administered electronically and physically each year, from January to March and the results are released in late May, on the ministry's website.
• Data Reliability: An annual technical analysis of the survey questions is conducted and those analyses have shown the survey instrument to be valid and reliable.
• Timeliness: The data are available annually.

9. Number of schools participating in the Action Schools! B.C. program

The Province's Action Schools! B.C. initiative has demonstrated progress to date with the program successfully piloted in ten schools. The Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Ministry of Health will continue to build on the successes of the initiative by making the program available province-wide from Kindergarten to Grade 9, and developing a model for secondary schools. Instilling healthy habits, such as physical activity, in students while they are young increases the likelihood that those habits will be retained into adulthood. Students who are physically active are also better equipped to perform well academically.

10. Proportion of healthy foods for sale in schools

Schools in British Columbia will no longer provide unhealthy food for sale by the year 2009. To monitor and report on progress in eliminating unhealthy foods for sale in schools the Ministry is in the process of collecting data and developing a performance measure to report on the percentage of healthy foods sold in B.C. schools. This measure was chosen because it supports the Ministry's objective of promoting health in B.C.'s schools, and indicates, in conjunction with other performance measures, how much progress has been made in meeting the Government's great goal of leading the way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness.

11. Number of school district Accountability Contracts that address safety

For children to achieve their full potential, the environment in which they learn must be respectful and safe. By measuring the number of school districts that address safety in their accountability contracts the Ministry will be able to assess its progress in focusing attention on the issue of safety. This performance measure supports the Government's stated objective of having a zero tolerance policy for bullying in schools, and instilling the qualities of good citizenship in our students.

The Ministry of Education reports achievement information through assessments, measurements, and monitoring the results of overall student achievement and student achievement as part of breakout groups. These crucial measures of performance were chosen to identify key areas of student achievement, such as completion rates and provincial assessments.

Strategies:

• To report achievement information on students through assessment, measurement, monitoring, reporting results and managing overall system performance by reporting achievement levels on:

— Overall Student Population;

— Male;

— Female;

— Aboriginal students;

— ESL students;

— Special education students; and

— French Immersion.

Performance Measures:

12. Completion Rates

The school completion rate is determined by calculating the per cent of students who graduate with a Dogwood Diploma within six years of starting Grade 8 for the first time in a B.C. public or independent school.

The completion rate was chosen as a key performance measure because it is tangible evidence that students have succeeded in the K-12 education system, and because it acts as a passport to either post-secondary education or the workplace. In our society, young adults have a far better chance of making a successful transition to either post-secondary education or to the workforce if they complete the graduation requirements and receive a secondary school graduation diploma. Lack of a secondary school diploma, in turn, gives rise to all the costs that result from failure to complete secondary school, such as higher unemployment costs, higher rates of incarceration, higher rates of welfare dependence, and a higher incidence of chronic health problems. All of the costs associated with failure to graduate put unnecessary pressure on government resources, and put the government's economic and social goals at risk.

• Source: Ministry of Education — data for Completion Rates are based on the Ministry's 1701 form, student transcripts, and provincial exams.
• Collection Method: This measure quantifies the proportion of Grade 8 students who graduate within six years of entering secondary school for the first time. Schools and school districts provide the ministry with the number of courses leading to graduation and the school marks for both examinable and non-examinable courses. This data is then transferred into the Education Data Warehouse (EDW), where it undergoes a final check.
• Data Reliability: Completion Rate estimates are based on a statistical model that corrects for out-migration. This introduces a small degree of error in the estimates. Results are based on PEN's, and schools providing course data on time. The system is checked bi-annually to ensure there are no instances of more than one student sharing the same PEN (less than .002 per cent).
• Reporting Period: The data are collected from July through October, with the results publicly reported in November of each year.
• Timeliness: The rate is available in February each year.

13. Provincial Assessment Results

A: FSA

The Foundation Skills Assessment¹⁵ is used to measure the percentage of public and independent school students in Grades 4 and 7 who meet or exceed expectations in Reading, Writing and Numeracy. The Foundation Skills Assessment results alert educators when there is a decline in achievement, and allows for a proactive response at the school level, the district level or the provincial level. The FSA is administered to all students in Grades 4 and 7, and specifically focuses on reading, writing and numeracy skills. The assessment provides a snapshot of shifts in achievement on a broad scale, such as an overall improvement or decline in reading skills. FSA is a standardized measure, which was designed by B.C. teachers to reflect the B.C. education system's curriculum. The data gathered from the Foundation Skills Assessment provides all levels of the education system with an opportunity to plan more effectively and to focus on key priorities, in order to meet the goal of trend over time improvement in student achievement.

• Source: Ministry of Education — the FSA tests are written by students in Grades 4 and 7 at school, and administered by school staff.
• Collection Method: Each answer sheet has the student's PEN affixed (Personal Education Number). The tests are collected at the school and sent to the Ministry of Education for marking. Multiple-choice answers are scanned and open-ended responses are marked by specially trained teachers and then scanned. All results are then transferred into the education data warehouse (EDW), where they undergo a final check.
• Data Reliability: Statistical measurement techniques are employed to enable the results to be compared against a common standard, and also to measure improvement over time. The use of a PEN means that the data are highly accurate, with the instance of more than one student sharing the same PEN being less than .002 per cent.
• Reporting Period: FSA testing is done annually, with the tests written in May and the results reported in September on the Ministry of Education website.
• Timeliness: The turnaround for the FSA tests is approximately four months, from the time the tests are written, to when they are reported. This renders the data extremely useful in making timely adjustments to planning activities at the school and district level.

B: Graduation Program Exams¹⁶

Graduation Program Exams are a key measure of how successful the K – 12 system is in achieving its goal. Secondary students are required to write five exams under the Graduation requirements — Language Arts 10, Mathematics 10, Science 10, Social Studies 11 or First Nations Studies 12, and a Language Arts 12 (TPC 12, English 12 or Communications 12).

14. Transition Rates:

The Graduate Transition Survey¹⁷ is meant to create a transition picture of British Columbia secondary school graduates going into post-secondary education or the work force. Survey results offer information about the graduates' main transition activity during the past year and what they predict their main activity will be in the upcoming year. The survey also indicates graduates' level of satisfaction with their secondary school education and how it helped them prepare for either post-secondary studies or employment.

A. Grade to Grade (Grade 8 to Grade 9)

The Grade 8 – 9 transition rate measures the per cent of students in Grade 8 who do not enroll in Grade 9 the following year. The transition from Grade 8 to 9 is a key measure of success because it is the earliest point at which students tend to leave school. This measure, when it decreases, alerts educators to a serious problem that may require immediate attention. The Ministry's target of trend-over-time improvement is intended to keep the transition rate as high as possible; if a student fails to make this critical transition there is less likelihood that he or she will complete high school within the prescribed six year timeframe.

B: To post-secondary education or the work force

The Ministry of Education strives to provide students with a high quality education that is relevant and career orientated. As one of the key tenets of the education system is to prepare students for full and meaningful participation in society, it is important to measure the rate at which students move from graduation to either post-secondary education or the work force. Transition rates are an indicator of both overall student achievement, and of the success of the Ministry in preparing students for life after graduation.

Outcomes:

• Access to quality education for all students.
• Learning choices for students and parents.
• Quality teaching and professional development for teachers.
• Expanded options for industry training.

A high quality performance-oriented education system will result in high levels of student achievement. The key objectives for this goal are access to education for all students, a concentrated focus on teaching and learning, a continued emphasis on accountability, and by building the capacity of School Planning Councils. Success for this goal will be measured by trend-over-time improvement in:

• Completion Rates;
• Provincial Assessment Results;
• National and/or International Assessment Results; and
• Transition Rates.

This goal is aligned with and supports two of Government's Five Great Goals — making B.C. the best educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent, and through improved access for all students, will contribute to the goal of building the best system of support in Canada for persons with special needs. A high quality education system will produce skilled and educated citizens who are able to meet the demands of a modern economy.

To support our goal of a high quality performance-oriented education system, the Ministry of Education recognizes the value of all learning, and realizes that learning is not confined to the classroom. Through strategies such as expanding program choices for students through alternative service delivery methods and expanding program options for industry training, the Ministry seeks to expand choice and improve access in the education system. Increased choice and flexibility will result in improved student achievement by allowing students and parents to choose educational options that best fit their specific interests and goals.

Strategies:

• To expand course and program choices available to students by increasing alternative service delivery methods; and
• To expand options for industry training.

Performance Measures:

15. Percentage of public school students and parents satisfied with education program choices available to them¹⁸

Assessment of the satisfaction of parents and students is key to determining the performance of the education system. In the annual Satisfaction Survey, parents and students are asked about their satisfaction with the education program choices available to them. The Ministry of Education depends on the support of both parents and taxpayers as a whole to achieve its goals. The data for this performance measure is also useful for planning and decision-making at the school and school district level, as it can be incorporated into school performance plans and school district accountability contracts. This measure was chosen because it assesses the degree to which the education system is accessible, flexible and relevant for students.

• Source: Satisfaction Survey, Ministry of Education.
• Collection Method: Paper or electronic surveys. The data is transferred into the Education Data Warehouse, where it undergoes a final check for accuracy.
• Reporting Period: Satisfaction Surveys are administered electronically and physically each year, from January to March and the results are released in late May, on the Ministry's website.
• Data Reliability: An annual technical analysis of the survey questions is conducted and those analyses have shown the survey instrument to be valid and reliable.
• Timeliness: The turnaround time from data collection to publication is brief, rendering the data timely and relevant.

16. Number of students participating in distributed learning programs

Distributed learning is instruction that occurs when the student is primarily at a distance from the teacher and school. Distributed learning is an alternative to classroom based instruction for K – 12 students, and can be delivered using paper based print material, electronic delivery, face to face communication, or combinations thereof. By offering alternative delivery methods, distributed learning provides school districts with greater autonomy and flexibility, and parents and students with greater choice. This measure was chosen because it assesses the degree to which the education programs are accessible, flexible and relevant.

17. Number of choice programs available

There is a range of choices available for today's students — including neighborhood, traditional or alternative schools, Aboriginal education programs, French immersion programs, full day Kindergarten, and programs focusing on fine arts, sports, and trades. School boundaries are now open, and students can attend any school in the Province provided there is space available. Currently, there are 5,149 choice programs available across B.C.¹⁹ More flexibility within the education system results in a greater likelihood that students will stay in school and graduate, because the courses are more relevant to their interests and future careers. This measure assesses progress in making education accessible to all students by offering choice and flexibility.

18. Number of course challenges in the transcripts and examinations²⁰ (TRAX) system

The Ministry recognizes that students learn in ways other than in the traditional classroom setting. By allowing students to challenge an exam for which they have not taken the official course, the Ministry allows students to demonstrate that they meet the course outcomes through knowledge and skills they have acquired elsewhere. Increasing learning choices for students results in a more flexible system, and ultimately higher rates of achievement for students.

19. Number of students participating in industry training programs

The Ministry of Education recognizes that skilled trades programs provide valuable and rewarding training to students who opt for a career in the trades sector. The number of students participating in the Secondary School Apprenticeships program and in Career Technical Centers is another measure of how much choice and flexibility are present in the education system. Skilled trades workers are essential for the economic prosperity of British Columbia. The Ministry supports the Government's great goal of creating more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada, by helping to supply skilled workers for current and future jobs.

* Transition Rates: Reported previously as Performance Measure 14.

In order to achieve the goal of a high quality performance-oriented education system, the Ministry will emphasize teaching and learning to improve student achievement. To achieve this objective, the Ministry has developed two new strategies: the first is to promote quality teaching through a focus on professional development for educational leaders through the Supervision for Learning project; and the second is to review the Integrated Resource Packages (IRP's) to identify which learning outcomes are essential, and to clarify provincial expectations.

Strategies:

• To promote quality teaching through a focus on professional development for educational leaders through the Supervision for Learning Project; and
• To review IRP's and identify essential learning to clarify provincial expectations.

Performance Measures:

20. Percentage of educational leaders successfully completing the Supervision for Learning program

The British Columbia Principals and Vice-Principals Association and British Columbia Schools Superintendents Association, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, have developed a comprehensive Supervision for Learning program to help educational leaders enhance their core skills. The goal is for superintendents, assistant superintendents, directors, school principals and vice-principals to improve their management skills and to provide greater support for teachers in the classroom. By measuring the leadership capacity of supervisors and their support for teachers in the classroom, the Ministry is assessing the extent to which the system is focused on teaching and learning, and ultimately, on student achievement.

The Ministry of Education is conducting a review of the Integrated Resource Packages (IRP's) in an effort to re-focus student learning outcomes on the fundamental skills that students need to succeed. By streamlining and/or eliminating learning outcomes that do not focus on the fundamentals, the Ministry will help schools and school districts concentrate on essential learning outcomes, while still allowing for choice and flexibility within the system. In the process of focusing on essential learning outcomes, the Ministry, schools, and school districts will be working together to achieve the goal of a high quality performance-oriented education system.

The Ministry will continue to focus school board activities on Government priorities by requiring annual school plans, district reviews, and district accountability contracts. As well, the Ministry will continue to work with school districts to complete Aboriginal Enhancement Agreements²¹ for all districts.

In addition, the Ministry will develop reporting requirements for schools and school districts related to class size, teacher hiring, terminations, disciplinary actions and professional development.

Strategies:

• To continue to require annual school plans, annual district accountability contracts, and annual district reviews²² under the terms of the Accountability Framework. As well, continue to work with school districts to complete Aboriginal Enhancement Agreements in all districts.
• To develop reporting requirements for schools and school districts related to class size, teacher hiring, terminations, disciplinary actions and professional development.

Performance Measures:

22. Percentage of school district Accountability Contracts, District Reviews, and Aboriginal Enhancement Agreements that focus on student achievement

To support and strengthen the contributions of School Planning Councils (SPC's) and to further support the role of School Planning Councils in decision-making at the school level, the Ministry of Education will focus on three key strategies. The Ministry will provide learning opportunities for SPC's through both traditional and web-based training sessions, and will focus on the important role of School Planning Councils in the District Review and Accountability Contract processes. A qualitative and/or quantitative performance measure for each strategy is under development.

Strategies:

• To provide training opportunities to build capacity in School Planning Councils.
• To focus on the role of School Planning Councils in District Reviews.
• To focus on the role of School Planning Councils in Accountability Contracts.

Performance measures:

23. under development

24. under development

25. under development