Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Results

Overview

Ministry Goals

The Ministry of Education has two main goals:

• Improved student achievement — the Ministry and its partners will focus on improving student achievement.
• A high quality, performance-oriented education system — the Ministry will focus on access to education for all students, the growth of students into productive, fully participating members of society, and increased accountability for the education system.

Together, these goals provide the Ministry with strategic direction and a clear focus on priorities.

Linkage to the Five Great Goals

Continued progress toward the Province’s Five Great Goals depends upon well-educated citizens. Graduates of the K–12 system should be able to demonstrate:

• intellectual capacity/achievement through large scale provincial exams and assessments, such as Provincial Examinations and Foundation Skills Assessment;
• the ability to make healthy life choices; and
• career development skills through the successful transition to either post-secondary education or to the workforce.

Government’s Five Great Goals:

1. Make B.C. the best educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent. Given the increasingly complex nature of daily life and the reduced earning potential of people with inadequate reading, writing, numeracy and computer skills, improving literacy rates is essential for full participation in society. To support the Government’s education goal, the Ministry will focus on improving student achievement, as well as on early learning, improving literacy rates for all ages, and improving access to information through public library initiatives designed to simplify user access to a broader range of information.
2. Lead the way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness. An ongoing focus on healthy living and physical fitness is essential to the long-term health and prosperity of the Province. To support the Government’s health goal, the Ministry will focus on teaching students to live healthy lifestyles and to make responsible life choices. In particular, the Ministry of Education will focus on decreasing tobacco use for youth, increasing physical activity levels for K–12 students, and instilling healthy eating habits. These strategies are linked to the Government’s ActNow BC initiative, which promotes a healthy lifestyle as a way to prevent future chronic diseases. The Ministry will also direct more funding to promote music, art and physical fitness programs.
3. Build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, special needs, children at risk, and seniors. Often, these vulnerable citizens face barriers that prevent them from achieving success, or participating fully in society. The Ministry will focus on improving achievement and literacy rates for children with special needs, in support of Government’s progression towards a more equitable and inclusive society, where the most vulnerable members are given the support they need. Removing barriers that hinder children with special needs and streamlining access to services into one point of contact will allow special needs children to participate more fully in their communities.
4. Lead the world in sustainable environmental management, with the best air and water quality, and the best fisheries management — bar none. The Ministry of Education supports the Government’s environmental goals by educating students — through our provincial K–12 curriculum — about the importance of environmental stewardship and responsible management of our natural resources.
5. Create more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada. As the Government of British Columbia works to achieve its 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 future positions and to meet the demands of a modern economy.¹⁵ Working in partnership with the Ministry of Advanced Education, the Ministry will continue to strive to expand opportunities for apprenticeships and trades training.

15	For a detailed examination of B.C.’s labour market and skills shortage, please visit: the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce website at http://www.bcchamber.org and http://www.bcchamber.org/News/News_Releases/New_Survey_Confirms_BC_Skills_Shortage.asp.

Cross Ministry Initiatives

The Ministry of Education works in partnership with other ministries and government organizations to address the priorities of Government. Ministries with common program areas, clients, services, or goals communicate with each other to reduce areas of overlap or duplication, and areas where there are gaps in service. As the Government moves toward citizen-centred service delivery, the Ministry of Education will continue to collaborate with other social development ministries to identify areas where services from different ministries or agencies can be provided through a single point of service.

The Government has identified key issues or initiatives where cross ministry collaboration and cooperation are critical — for the Ministry of Education, these are:

• ActNow BC
• Children’s Agenda
• Literacy
• Crystal Meth

Literacy

The Ministry of Education will play a key role in improving literacy, both at the provincial and at the national level. In British Columbia, the Ministry has the lead for improving literacy across all segments of society, from young children to seniors. On the national stage, B.C. has shown its commitment to improving literacy rates across the country by assuming a national leadership role through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. To achieve the literacy goals of the Government, the Ministry of Education will work closely with the Ministry of Advanced Education, the Ministry of Children and Family Development (and other social development ministries), as well as community partners. The Ministry also has primary responsibility for liaising with the Premier’s Advisory Council on Literacy. The Ministry’s strategies for improving literacy include:

• To work in partnership with the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the Ministry of Health to improve early learning (through programs such as Ready, Set, Learn, which is designed to improve the school readiness of three-year-olds).
• Provide $1.8 million in new provincial funding to support library services and improve child and adult literacy. This funding is part of the Province’s $12 million investment over three years to implement the Libraries Without Walls strategic plan (this plan outlines the commitment to provide broadband Internet into every library branch, to provide a 24 hour virtual reference desk, and to set up a One Card system to increase access to library information).

ActNow BC

In March 2005, B.C. launched the ActNow BC program with the goal of making British Columbia the healthiest jurisdiction ever to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, and the Ministry of Health are working together to promote physical activity, healthy eating, and a reduction of harmful behaviours (such as smoking and substance abuse).

ActNow BC promotes prevention by combining cross government and community-based approaches to address common chronic disease¹⁶ risk factors through programs and initiatives that promote physical activity, healthy eating, living tobacco free and healthy choices during pregnancy. ActNow strives to build community capacity to create healthier, more sustainable and economically viable communities. Key programs that fall under the ActNow initiative include:

• Action Schools! BC — Action Schools! BC is a school-based initiative that integrates healthy living and healthy school environments into the social fabric of schools. The model on which the initiative is based promotes engagement with multiple stakeholders across the education, health and physical activity sectors to advance the development and maintenance of healthy behaviors in children. Action Schools! BC is designed to assist teachers by providing a best practices physical activity model, sample action plans, a step-by-step approach and guidance from the Action Schools! BC Support Team. Schools are encouraged to create an action team and draw on the diversity of resources available within the school and community.

Action Schools! BC was developed in direct response to awareness that children’s health outcomes are related to their level of physical activity and that patterns of healthy behavior are established early in life. The Government has committed to expanding Action Schools! BC into every B.C. Kindergarten through Grade 9 classroom and developing a suitable secondary school model by 2010. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health co-sponsor the Action Schools! BC initiative.

• Healthy Schools (Health-Promoting Schools) — The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health work in partnership to support the Health-Promoting Schools initiative. Promoting health through the school setting is a key strategy for improving the health of British Columbians and is strategically aligned with government-wide goals. Health is directly linked to educational achievement, quality of life and economic productivity. School health programs can simultaneously reduce common health problems, increase the efficiency of the education system and advance public health, education and social and economic development.

The Health-Promoting School ideology embraces the view that promoting children’s health is a responsibility shared by the school with parents, the health sector and the community, and that a school should strive to be a healthy setting for learning and working. The school provides an excellent setting in which to provide comprehensive health promotion and enhancement. Schools are in a unique position to partner with local community, provincial and national health promotion efforts, due to their access to children and youth, their central role in child and youth development, and their responsibility to teach.

16	The long-term goal of ActNow is to prevent serious chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, hypertension, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and some types of cancer.

Children’s Agenda

• Early Learning — To improve early childhood learning outcomes and to better prepare children for school, the Ministry of Education will work closely with the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Both ministries are working collaboratively to give children the best future possible by increasing supports available for child care, and programs for early childhood development and early learning — all of which should increase the proportion of children entering school ready to learn. The ministries also work closely with the Ministry of Health on initiatives for children under the age of six (for example, the Ready, Set, Learn initiative, which prepares three-year-olds for school).
• Special Needs Students — In October 2004, Cabinet approved in principle a model for integrated service delivery for children and youth with special needs. The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Children and Family Development are collaboratively working to develop an integrated approach to planning and service delivery.

Crystal Meth

British Columbia’s crystal meth strategy is coordinated by a new Crystal Meth Secretariat operating within the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. To address the growing threat that crystal meth poses to communities in B.C., the Government has assembled a cross ministry steering committee to:

• seek opportunities to better coordinate existing efforts to achieve a measured decrease in crystal meth use;
• identify and pursue additional actions that may be taken to target crystal meth; and
• identify ways to support local community efforts to respond to crystal meth use and production.

An Education Working Group will also be established, with representatives from three school districts, parents and addictions experts. Funding of $1 million has been provided for a school-based crystal meth awareness campaign, as part of Government’s $7 million comprehensive initiative to fight crystal meth.

Performance Plan

In the performance planning section, the Ministry sets out its goals, objectives, strategies and planned results (or targets) for the next three years.

Outcomes:

• Children are ready for school when they enter Kindergarten
• Students participate as productive members of society and demonstrate the qualities of good citizenship
• Students demonstrate strong academic and life skills capabilities
• Aboriginal students show steady improvement in academic performance
• Students complete K–12
• All British Columbians are highly literate

The Ministry of Education is committed to the goal of improved student achievement, and strives for continuous improvement in all areas of achievement. 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 develop their individual potential and acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to a healthy, democratic and pluralistic society and a prosperous and sustainable economy.

Working in partnership with 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.

Performance Measure:

Please Note: For all performance measures, please refer to Appendix 3 for data confidence information. Also, some performance measures are used as indicators of more than one goal or objective.

1. Completion Rate

The completion rate is the best indicator of the overall performance of British Columbia’s education system. For this reason, the Ministry will use the completion rate to measure progress on its two overarching goals:

• Improved student achievement
• A high quality, performance-oriented education system

The school completion rate is determined by calculating the percentage 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 enables students to make a successful transition to either post-secondary education or the workplace. In our society, young adults have a far better chance of making a successful transition if they complete the graduation requirements and receive a secondary school graduation diploma. Lack of a diploma, in turn, gives rise to all the costs that result from failure to complete secondary school, such as higher rates of unemployment, incarceration, 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 pose a risk to the Government’s economic and social goals.

This year, the Ministry has identified specific targets for the student completion rate, including targets for specific sub-groups. Improving outcomes for Aboriginal students is a high priority for the Ministry. Although preliminary targets have been set for the Aboriginal completion rate, the Ministry will continue to consult with Aboriginal partners and stakeholders to further refine identified targets, and work in partnership to achieve them.

Target

The ten-year target for the completion rate is for 85 per cent of all students to receive a Dogwood Diploma within six years of entering Grade 8 for the first time.

Table 1 — Completion Rate

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The Provincial Government is committed to helping children and adults obtain the literacy skills necessary to fully participate as productive and successful members of society. To support Government’s commitment to education and literacy, the Ministry of Education will coordinate strategies designed to help Government meet its objectives.

The Ministry of Education has the lead role for improving literacy, both at the provincial level, and through participation in the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada¹⁷ (CMEC), at the national level. At the provincial level, a key strategy is to build community capacity to improve literacy for community members of all ages. By strengthening partnerships and collaborating with other ministries, agencies, and levels of government, community capacity to improve literacy rates will increase. The Ministry is working in partnership with LiteracyNow¹⁸ and other agencies to develop new methods to improve literacy. As well, Public Libraries¹⁹ will play a critical role in the success of literacy initiatives, by improving access to information at the community level, and by helping to improve early childhood learning outcomes.

School-age children who struggle with literacy and achievement will be supported through grants which fund innovative approaches to best support the learning needs of this group. Working in partnership with the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the Ministry of Education will focus on early learning so that children are better prepared for Kindergarten. The focus on early learning will help to identify and address potential problems (that could hinder literacy, for example) at an early stage, and pave the way for a successful academic career.

17	For more information on CMEC, please visit: http://www.cmec.ca.
18	For more information on LiteracyNow, please visit: http://www.2010legaciesnow.com/Content/LiteracyNow/LiteracyNow%20Home.asp?langid=1.
19	To view the Strategic Plan for Public Libraries 2004—2007 (Libraries Without Walls: The World Within Your Reach) please visit: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/pls/#reports.

Strategies:

• To work in partnership with the Ministry of Children and Family Development to focus on early learning so children are better prepared for Kindergarten
• To assist communities in building capacity in order to address local literacy needs for all ages
• To improve literacy by facilitating access to information by:
• Building a province-wide virtual reference service
• Implementing the One Card system for all B.C. public libraries
• To improve literacy through grants to schools districts for projects designed to help students who struggle with literacy
• To take a national leadership role on literacy, through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada

Performance Measures:

2. Adult Literacy

The measure chosen to assess adult literacy is the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS),²⁰ an international comparative study²¹ conducted to provide participating countries with information about the literacy skills of their adult populations. IALSS measures the literacy and numeracy skills of a nationally representative sample of participants, ranging in age from 16 to 65. In 2003, IALSS tested more than 23,000 Canadians on their proficiency in numeracy and literacy. This measure was chosen because it is a useful benchmarking tool for assessing the Ministry’s success in promoting adult literacy.

The challenge to using the survey as a performance measure is that it is conducted sporadically — it was conducted in 1994 and 2003, with the next survey scheduled for 2009. At present, however, there is no other tool that adequately measures adult literacy in a timely manner. For this reason, the Ministry will work with partners and literacy experts to augment this performance measure through development of a satisfactory index of adult literacy over the next two years.

20	The 2003 IALSS measured the literacy and numeracy skills of a nationally representative sample from each participating country. On a pilot basis, IALSS also measured adults’ problem-solving skills and gathered information on their familiarity with information and communication technologies. For more information on the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/all/.
21	The six countries that participated in IALSS were: Bermuda, Canada, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, and the United States.

Table 2 — B.C. Results (Proficiency Scores) from the 2003 IALSS¹
(Prose Literacy and Numeracy)

1	IALSS was administered in 2003. National and provincial results became available in 2005.

Target

The 10-year target is for 75 per cent of the adult population in B.C. to read at Level 3 or above by 2015/16.

Table 2.1 — Adult Literacy

1	Participants were scored on a proficiency scale from 1 to 5 (lowest to highest). Level 3 was designated as the desired threshold for coping with the increasing skill demands of a knowledge society.

3. Reading and Numeracy Skills

The Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA)²² is used to measure the percentage of public and independent school students in Grades 4 and 7 who meet or exceed grade level expectations,²³ based on province-wide standards of performance. For this reporting period, the Ministry will focus on the reading and numeracy sections of the Foundation Skills Assessment, in recognition of the emphasis Government has placed on literacy. The FSA alerts educators to shifts in achievement on a broad scale, such as when there is an overall improvement or decline in reading skills. As well, the data gathered from the FSA provides all levels of the education system (for example, School Planning Councils) with an opportunity to plan more effectively, and to focus on key priorities that will help the Ministry and the Government meet their stated goals.

22	For more information on FSA, please visit: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/assessment/fsa/.
23	Standards are set by teachers, in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

Target

The target for this performance measure is for 85 per cent of students to meet or exceed expectations in reading and for 90 per cent of students to meet or exceed expectations in numeracy by 2015/16.

Table 3 — Reading and Numeracy Skills

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4. School Readiness

The performance measure chosen to gauge children’s readiness for school is the Early Development Instrument (EDI). This tool was developed as part of the work undertaken by the Human Early Learning Partnership,²⁴ which is an interdisciplinary research partnership studying new approaches to early childhood learning. Kindergarten teachers in B.C. began to collect data for EDI in 1999/2000, and as of March 2004, all 60 school districts had collected EDI data.

For the EDI, data are collected on the following five key areas of children’s development. The data are then considered cumulatively to suggest the developmental status of populations of children:

• Physical health and well-being
• Social competence
• Emotional maturity
• Language and cognitive development
• Communication skills and general knowledge

24

The Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) is a pioneering, interdisciplinary research partnership that is directing a world-leading contribution to new understandings and approaches to early child development. Directed by Dr. Clyde Hertzman, HELP is a network of faculty, researchers and graduate students from British Columbia’s four major universities. HELP facilitates the creation of new knowledge, and helps apply this knowledge in the community by working directly with government and communities. HELP works in partnership with the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), the Ministry of Education, and in particular, the B.C. Minister of State for Child Care. HELP is partially funded by MCFD and maintains a close liaison with other provincial government ministries. For more information, please visit: http://www.earlylearning.ubc.ca/.

Target

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Children and Family Development link into the three year data collection cycle at the University of British Columbia. The next target, which was jointly set by both ministries, is for 2007/08. The 10 year target is for 85 per cent of children to begin Kindergarten ready to learn.

Table 4 — School Readiness

5. National and International Assessments (SAIP and PISA)²⁵

SAIP (Student Achievement Indicators Program)/Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP)

To measure progress toward the great goal of becoming the best educated and most literate jurisdiction on the continent, British Columbia students participate in a number of national and international assessments. At the national level, B.C. students have participated in the School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP).²⁶ SAIP is a cyclical program of pan-Canadian assessments of student achievement in mathematics, reading, writing, and science that has been coordinated by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada since 1993. The last SAIP assessment was administered in 2004, in the subject area of science.

Since then, CMEC has decided to move to a new assessment program — the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP). The PCAP will begin in 2007, and will assess 13- and 15-year-olds in reading, mathematics and science; however the Ministry will focus on reading and mathematics. The assessments for each subject area will be administered simultaneously every three years. There will be no national assessment results to report in 2006/07. PCAP will be administered in Spring 2007, with the results expected to be released in 2007/08. The target for PCAP will be for B.C. to perform as well or better than other Canadian jurisdictions.

25	For the purpose of this and future Service Plans, results of SAIP and PISA will be attributed to the year the results are released.
26	For more information on SAIP, please visit: http://www.cmec.ca/saip/indexe.stm.

Target

The Ministry’s target for this performance measure is to perform as well as or better than other Canadian jurisdictions.

PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment)

At the international level, British Columbia participates in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).²⁷ Initiated by member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, PISA provides policy-oriented international indicators of the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students. PISA focuses on three subject areas — mathematics, reading, and science — however, in this Service Plan the Ministry will only focus on the two literacy-related areas — mathematics and reading. PISA is a valuable tool, as it assesses students as they near the end of mandatory schooling, to ascertain whether they are able to analyze, reason, and communicate effectively, and whether they can demonstrate the capacity for life-long learning. In other words, PISA assesses how well prepared students are for life after school. For example, the standard that students are expected to meet with respect to reading is: “students are capable of reading tasks of moderate complexity, such as locating multiple pieces of information, making links between different parts of a text and relating it to familiar, everyday knowledge.”

As B.C. continues to compete in the global economy, and strives to meet its great goal of creating more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada, it is important that our education system is able to provide graduates with the skills and knowledge to compete at the highest level, and meet the requirements of the labour market. By comparing the achievement of students in British Columbia with that of students in other OECD countries, the Ministry of Education is able to see how well our education system performs in relation to other countries.

The latest 2003 PISA results show that 75 per cent of B.C. students have the reading abilities they need to thrive in a knowledge based society, while 74 per cent have the mathematics skills. B.C. students also score highly in science. The 2015/16 target is to be the top performing PISA jurisdiction in Canada and improve B.C.’s world ranking. Out of 41 countries including the United States and 10 provinces, B.C. is currently ranked third overall in reading, fifth in mathematics and sixth in science and problem solving. Among the provinces, B.C. is ranked second behind Alberta.

27	For more information on PISA, please visit: http://www.pisa.oecd.org.

Table 5 — PISA 2003

For children to learn effectively, they need to be healthy and have a safe learning environment. To achieve the goal of healthy children and healthy learning environments, the Ministry will focus on several key strategies related to promoting health through the school setting. These strategies support the Government’s second great goal (health), as well as efforts — through ActNow BC — to promote the prevention of chronic health problems through healthy living.

The Ministry of Education has developed a Framework for Health-Promoting Schools to enhance the capacity of education and health professionals to plan and work more effectively together, and the development of new teacher and student resources related to healthy eating is underway. The Health-Promoting Schools initiative will continue to focus on encouraging physical activity and healthy eating through new curriculum and new healthy eating guidelines. The second strategy is to set expectations that school districts and schools address safety in school and district plans. Also, $1 million dollars has been allocated by the Ministry of Education to develop new teacher and student resources to combat the use of Methamphetamine (Crystal Meth). The Ministry is also partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands and the Ministry of Health to implement and expand B.C.’s pilot Fruit and Vegetable Program, which provides students with two servings of fresh B.C. fruits and vegetables per week. These strategies, along with maintaining a zero tolerance for bullying, support the efforts of school boards to enhance safety and encourage healthy habits — both of which will ultimately help to improve 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 school planning councils address safety in school and district plans. In independent schools, school and student safety is addressed by ensuring that schools have student safety policies and practices in place through the external evaluation and mandatory inspection process
• To develop and implement B.C.’s framework for Health-Promoting Schools
• To work in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands and the Ministry of Health to implement and expand B.C.’s Fruit and Vegetable Program (where students will be provided with two servings per week of fresh B.C. fruits and vegetables)
• To develop new teacher, student and parent resources related to healthy eating and physical activity
• To develop new teacher and student resources to combat the use of crystal meth
• Maintain zero tolerance of bullying in BC Schools

Performance Measures:

6. Rate of tobacco use — percentage of 15- to 19-year-olds who smoke

Tobacco use has serious health implications for students, and although the dangers of tobacco use are well documented, rates of use amongst 15- to 19-year-olds remain high. Helping students to make responsible healthy choices is a Ministry priority, and stopping tobacco use is a key element of the Government’s ActNow BC initiative. As an indicator of responsible and healthy decision-making, the Ministry of Education will focus on reducing smoking rates for young people. This measure complements the Ministry of Health’s strategy to reduce smoking rates across all segments of society. Data will be obtained from the BC STATS Community Health, Education and Social Security Survey.²⁸

28	BC STATS CHESS Survey — The BC Community Health, Education and Social Security Survey is administered on a monthly basis, with results released semi-annually.

Target

The target for this performance measure is to reduce the percentage of 15- to 19-year-olds who smoke by .5 per cent per year, over the next three years.

Table 6 — Rate of Tobacco Use

1	This data was obtained from the BC STATS CHESS 12-month average, surveyed monthly from September 2004–September 2005.

7. Rate of physical activity — K–12 students

Physical activity is an important component of healthy living, and is therefore part of Government’s Five Great Goals. The Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land, participates in ActNow BC, a cross ministry, community-based initiative that promotes physical activity and healthy eating as important steps in preventing chronic illnesses, such as heart disease and diabetes. To measure the level of physical activity in K–12 students, the Ministry of Education is developing a new question for the annual Satisfaction Survey, designed to find out how much time students spend engaged in physical activity.

Target

The target for this performance measure is under development.

Table 7 — Rate of Physical Activity

1	A new question to measure the rate of physical activity in K–12 students will be included in the 2005/06 Satisfaction Survey.

Achievement is a central and recurring theme for the Ministry and for Government. The Ministry of Education will demonstrate its commitment to achievement and excellence by publicly reporting achievement information through assessing, measuring, and monitoring the results of overall student achievement, as well as the achievement of specific groups of students (such as males, females, students with special needs, ESL students, and Aboriginal students). Reporting on achievement levels will be accomplished through measuring and reporting out on completion rates, national and international assessments, and provincial assessments. Achievement levels also reflect the equity of the education system, and indicate whether the most vulnerable students have access to a quality education. In keeping with the third great goal (supporting the most vulnerable members of society), the Ministry will focus on supporting students with special needs and on helping them to be successful as one way of improving student achievement.

Strategy:

• To make public student achievement information through assessing, measuring, monitoring and publicly reporting results and managing overall system performance by reporting achievement levels on:
• Overall student population
• Male/Female students
• Aboriginal students
• ESL students
• Students with special needs
• French Immersion students

Performance Measures:

* Completion Rate (previously described)

* Reading and Numeracy Skills (previously described)

A central belief of the Government is that citizens should have choice — the K–12 education system reflects this belief by offering students and parents options that reflect their interests, lifestyles, learning styles and career paths. A high quality performance-oriented education system will result in high levels of student achievement — students are more likely to complete school and strive for excellence when the material they are learning is interesting and relevant to their lives. The key objectives for this goal are access to education for all students, a concentrated focus on career development, and a continued emphasis on accountability.

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
• Parents are involved in their child’s education
• Aboriginal communities report satisfaction with the education system

Performance Measure:

* Completion Rate: As mentioned under Goal 1, the completion rate will be used to measure progress on the Ministry’s two overarching goals:

• Improved student achievement
• A high quality, performance-oriented education system

Citizen-centred service — ensuring that clients have convenient access to high quality, seamless services — is a priority for Government. The Government is working to make sure that citizens, businesses and public sector organizations can access the services they need with ease. Identifying, balancing and meeting the diverse needs of the population are key roles of government. The Ministry collaborates and consults with other ministries and organizations on issues and initiatives that are too broad or complex to fall under the responsibility of just one ministry (for example, the Ministry of Education works in close partnership with the Ministry of Health on the ActNow BC initiative, and with the Ministry of Children and Family Development for the Early Learning initiative). A citizen-centred approach will help to ensure that services are designed and delivered to meet the evolving needs of users, in a cost-effective and responsive manner. This work is key to maintaining and improving both the quality of life for citizens and the economic competitiveness of the Province.

The Ministry of Education is firmly committed to the shift to citizen-centred service delivery. Through initiatives like School Community Connections,²⁹ the Ministry will focus on integrating services and activities into the community and school settings. By housing similar services together, it may be possible to provide a single point of service for someone who requires support from many different disciplines, such as a child with special needs.

Although the Ministry does not directly provide programs and services, as these are delivered by school boards, it is still concerned whether clients (parents and students) are satisfied with the services (education) they receive. The Ministry conducts a Satisfaction Survey³⁰ each year to measure the satisfaction levels of students, parents, teachers and staff, with key aspects of the education system.

29	The purpose of the School Community Connections initiative is to increase the number of schools that are centres for community activities and services. As shifting demographics and population patterns have left a number of schools underutilized or vacant, SCC’s will benefit communities by helping school boards and local governments revitalize these schools for community learning and activities, such as daycare and early childhood development.
30	For more information on the Satisfaction Survey, and to view the latest results, please visit: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/sat_survey/.

Strategies:

• To continue to improve collaboration and cooperation with other ministries, agencies and organizations
• To focus on School Community Connections in order to integrate services and build community capacity

Performance Measures:

8. Satisfaction — Percentage of public school parents and students (secondary) satisfied with education program choices available to them

The level of satisfaction of parents and students is a critical measure for assessing the overall performance of the education system. In the annual Satisfaction Survey³¹ parents and students are asked about their satisfaction with the education program choices available to them. 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 reflects the Ministry’s commitment to service, and the new focus on citizen-centred service delivery. As well, this measure assesses the degree to which the education system is accessible, flexible and meets the needs of all students.

31	More information and complete results of the survey can be found at: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/sat_survey/welcome.htm.

Target

The 10-year target for this performance measure is to have 85 per cent of public school parents and students (secondary) satisfied with education program choices available to them.

Table 8 — Satisfaction

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Objective 2.2:

The Ministry of Education continues to focus on career development so that students will be better prepared for the world of work or for further study upon graduation from secondary school. In their career development, students should achieve knowledge and understanding of their career choices, experience in planning and working toward career and life goals, and the development of skills required to work effectively and safely, both as individuals and as part of a team.

A highly educated workforce is required to improve the overall productivity and competitiveness of B.C.’s economy. There are several factors which make career development and career planning critical to a student’s future successes. The rapid advancement of technology and the likelihood that students may change careers several times during their working lives make the ability to learn and adapt an essential life skill.

The Ministry of Education has several strategies to support students in their transition to post-secondary education. The first is the implementation of the Graduation Portfolio, which helps students develop the skills and attributes that employers have indicated are important for work, and which also prepares students for the start of their lives as adults. Students demonstrate knowledge, skills and competencies in six key areas, including Employability Skills and Education and Career Planning. Another key component of the Graduation Program is the Planning 10 course — this course is mandatory for graduation and is designed to help students explore education and career options, and to develop skills required for life skills. Students learn to research, set goals and make informed decisions on career and life choices.

The second strategy, designed so that schools in B.C. can support students in the middle academic range to realize their full potential, is the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program. The Ministry of Education has partnered with the Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation — at present, 17 pilot schools are using support and intervention strategies to help these students graduate and enrol in post-secondary education. The third strategy is to focus on the Education Planner — a post-secondary planning resource that provides clear, reliable and detailed information about more than 1,500 post-secondary programs available at 27 institutions across B.C. The Education Planner helps secondary students make informed decisions about their education and career options.

The Ministry of Education supports student participation in industry training programs through three strategies. The first is to focus on the Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA) program, which allows students to begin structured workplace training while earning up to 16 credits towards graduation. The second strategy is to focus on the Career Technical Centre (CTC). The CTC program combines secondary and post-secondary courses in a range of applied technical and trades areas, and allows students to earn credits that count towards both secondary school graduation and a post-secondary credential. The third strategy is to focus on the Accelerated Enrollment in Industry Training (ACE IT) program, an industry training program that allows students to take technical training courses that lead to industry certification and count as credits towards graduation.

Strategies

• To continue to focus on the 2004 Graduation Program³² as a means to prepare students for their futures after graduation
• To focus on Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) as a means to help students in the middle academic range realize their full potential
• To focus on the Education Planner as a planning resource that helps secondary students make good decisions regarding their education and career options
• To increase the number of students who participate in:
• Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA)
• Career Technical Centre (CTC)
• Accelerated Enrollment in Industry Training (ACE IT)

32	More information on the Graduation Program 2004 can be found at: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/graduation/grad2004.htm.

Performance Measures:

9. Transition Rate — to post-secondary education

The Ministry of Education strives to provide students with a high quality education that prepares them for successful careers, whether they take further training, attend post-secondary education, or go directly into the world of work. Transition rates are a good indicator of both overall student achievement and of the Ministry’s success in preparing students for life after graduation. However, other factors such as cost of tuition and the employment market can affect transition rates.

The Graduate Transition Survey provides a transition picture of British Columbia secondary school graduates entering into post-secondary education. Conducted annually, the survey describes the percentage of the previous year’s graduates who were enrolled in post secondary education during the last year. Table 9 shows the percentage of Grade 12 graduates who indicated they had taken some kind of post-secondary education or training in the past year.

As mentioned previously, the Ministry of Education focuses on career development so that students are better prepared for the world of work, or for further study upon graduation from secondary school. In their career development, students should achieve knowledge and understanding of their career choices, experience in planning and working toward career and life goals, and the skills required to work effectively and safely, both as individuals and as part of a team.

Target

The 10-year target for this performance measure is to have 85 per cent of students making a successful transition to some form of post-secondary education or training.

Table 9 — Transition Rate — to Post-Secondary Education

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10. Participation in industry training programs

Skilled trades programs provide valuable and rewarding training to students. The number of students participating in the Secondary School Apprenticeship program and in Career Technical Centers or ACE-IT indicates the success of the education system in attracting students to a career in the trades sector. As there is a shortage of skilled trades workers, attracting students to the trades sector and providing them with the opportunity to learn relevant skills is critical in order for Government to meet the requirements of the labour market.

Target

The 10-year target for this performance measure is to have 2000 students participating in secondary school apprenticeship programs, and 8000 students participating in CTC/ACE-IT.

Table 10 — Participation in Industry Training Programs

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Accountability is a core value of Government. In an ongoing effort to make the education system more accountable, the Ministry will make school and district performance data publicly available. The Ministry will engage education partners in examining performance as a means to improve achievement. The Ministry will continue to focus school board activities on the Government’s great goals by continuing to require input from school planning councils to develop annual school plans, annual accountability contracts, district reviews and Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreements.

Independent schools provide accountability through the inspection process. The bi-annual monitoring inspections and external evaluations are the accountability vehicle for independent schools. The inspections confirm compliance with the Independent School Act, ensure schools have policies in place reflecting student safety issues, and review the school’s educational program to verify that Ministry learning outcomes are being met and student achievement is measured. The inspection confirms that all teachers have B.C. certification, that the authority is in good standing with the Registrar of Companies, and that facilities meet municipal requirements. Areas that are deemed to be deficient during the inspection are followed up on by the Office of the Inspector of Independent Schools within the school year.

Strategies:

• To require annual school plans, annual accountability contracts and district reviews, and make them publicly available
• To complete Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreements for all districts and make them publicly available
• To develop reporting requirements for schools and school districts related to class size, teacher hiring, terminations, disciplinary actions and professional development
• To continue to focus on data-based decision-making through assessing performance, measuring progress, reporting results and managing overall system performance
• To establish a Teachers’ Employment Registry
• To enhance parental involvement in school planning councils by designing a data literacy training model which will train parents in the use of data to make effective recommendations in school plans, providing regional support through webcasts, and by monitoring and assessment processes

Performance Measures:

11. Parental Involvement — meeting expectations in District Reviews

Parental involvement in a child’s education is a key component of student achievement and success. This performance measure indicates whether or not a school district meets expectations³³ in actively involving parents in setting goals and working collaboratively with schools and the district to improve the achievement of all students. This measure is taken from the District Review,³⁴ which is used to improve student achievement through a focused review of district results and by sharing effective practices throughout the Province. District Reviews are part of the Ministry’s Accountability Framework and are designed to provide feedback and recommendations to the district, the Ministry and the public regarding the school district’s work in improving student achievement.

The District Reviews focus on ten key areas related to school and district improvement, with 20 districts reviewed annually. In each district, the District Review Team is chaired by a superintendent and composed of educators, parents and ministry staff.

An assessment on whether a school district meets expectations with respect to parental involvement is based on the following inquiries:

• At the school and district levels, how are parents encouraged to support their child’s achievement?
• At the school and district levels, how are parents and parent groups, including the Parent Advisory Committees and District Parent Advisory Committees, involved in efforts to improve student achievement?
• How are School Planning Councils reaching out to engage all parents, including parents of specific groups such as Aboriginal, Special Needs and ESL students, to support achievement for all students?
• What strategies are you finding most useful in engaging parents?

33	For 2005, school districts are/will be assessed on a four-point scale: i. Not Yet Meeting Expectations; ii. Approaching Expectations; iii. Meeting Expectations; and iv. Sustaining Improvement
34	The purpose of a District Review is to provide feedback and recommendations to school boards, the Minister and the public regarding a district’s efforts to improve student achievement. Of a total of sixty school districts, twenty undergo a District Review each year, on a rotating basis. Each District Review focuses on ten key areas — called “Points of Inquiry” — related to school and district improvement. These ten areas are: goals; rationale; data; strategies; structures; results; communication; teamwork; parent involvement; and, leadership. For more information on District Reviews, please go to: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/review/.

Target

The target for this performance measure is to have 100 per cent of school districts meeting expectations by 2008/09.

Table 11 — Parental Involvement

1	The target and results for this measure are based on the 20 (out of a total of 60) school districts that are reviewed each year that meet expectations on the point of inquiry related to parent involvement. For more information on the district review process, please visit: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/review/.

12. Achieving results — meeting expectations in the District Review

This performance measure is also taken from the District Review’s ten key areas, or “Points of Inquiry,” and indicates to what extent the district and schools monitor results and make adjustments to improve student achievement, and whether there is evidence of improving results. Assessment of this measure is based on the following inquiries:

• What are your expected results/performance targets?
• How are you monitoring the progress of all students?
• What results are you finding so far?
• Based on your results, what adjustments are you making?
• Have there been surprises or unexpected outcomes?
• Have you identified any new challenges?
• What evidence can you present to demonstrate that every school in your district is improving?
• What evidence can you present to demonstrate that every classroom in your school is improving?

Target

The target for this performance measure is to have 100 per cent of school districts meeting expectations by 2008/09.

Table 12 — Achieving Results

1	The target and results for this measure are based on the 20 (out of a total of 60) school districts that are reviewed each year that meet expectations on the point of inquiry related to parent involvement.

Ministry Performance Plan Summary