Annual Report Appendices

Appendix A:
Changes from 2005/06 – 2007/08 Service Plan Update — September 2005 Compared to 2006/07–2008/09 Service Plan

 

Appendix B: Education Partners

BCAFN B.C. Assembly of First Nations — http://www.bcafn.ca/.

The British Columbia Assembly of First Nations works with the Ministry of Education on a variety of issues to advance the quality of education in First Nations communities. It is an active member of the Education Advisory Council.

BCBC Business Council of B.C. — http://www.bcbc.com/.

The Business Council of British Columbia consists of approximately 200 businesses active in British Columbia. The BCBC is involved with the Ministry of Education as a member of the Education Advisory Council. The Business Council is also a board member of the Computers for Schools initiative, and is involved in a myriad of issues related to education, skills development and training.

BCCPAC B.C. Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils — http://www.bccpac.bc.ca/.

The British Columbia Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils brings together District Parent Advisory Councils on a provincial level to ensure a strong voice for parents in the education system. The BCCPAC is an active member of the Education Advisory Council and the Learning Roundtable.

BCCT B.C. College of Teachers — http://www.bcct.ca/default.aspx.

The British Columbia College of Teachers is a statutory body that regulates education. It issues qualifications and conducts reviews of its members under the authority of the Teaching Profession Act of 1987. The BC College of Teachers is an active member of the Education Advisory Council.

BCFL B.C. Federation of Labour — http://www.bcfed.com/bcINDEX.

The B.C. Federation of Labour represents affiliated unions across the province and has more than 470,000 members, including many of those employed in the education sector. The B.C. Federation of Labour is represented on the Education Advisory Council.

BCPSEA B.C. Public School Employers' Association — http://www.bcpsea.bc.ca/public/index.html.

The British Columbia Public School Employers' Association is the bargaining body for school boards, negotiating with teaching and support staff across the province. The BCPSEA has a seat on the Education Advisory Council.

BCPVPA B.C. Principals' & Vice-Principals' Association — http://www.bcpvpa.bc.ca/.

The B.C. Principals' & Vice-Principals' Association gives a collective voice to the administrators of the public school system. The BCPVPA is able to represent its members with the Ministry of Education through venues such as the Education Advisory Council and the Learning Roundtable.

BCSDSTA B.C. School District Secretary Treasurers' Association — http://www.bcsdsta.ca/index.html.

The B.C. School District Secretary Treasurers' Association represents business officials working in school districts. The Association works within education through a variety of committees, such as the Accounting Advisory Committee. The BCSDSTA is also a member of the Education Advisory Council.

BCSSA B.C. School Superintendents' Association — http://www.bcssa.org/.

The B.C. School Superintendents' Association advocates quality public education for all of its members. More than 200 Superintendents and their affiliates from across the province form the BCSSA. The Association is also a member of the Education Advisory Council and the Learning Roundtable.

BCSTA B.C. School Trustees' Association — http://www.bcsta.org/pub/pubindex.htm.

The B.C. School Trustees' Association represents the voice of school trustees across the province. At the provincial level the BCSTA is involved in numerous initiatives, and is active on the Education Advisory Council and the Learning Roundtable.

BCTF B.C. Teachers' Federation — http://www.bctf.bc.ca/.

The B.C. Teachers' Federation represents public school teachers employed in the Province of British Columbia. The federation is active in almost all aspects of the education system and is a member of the Education Advisory Council and the Learning Roundtable.

CUPE Canadian Union of Public Employees — http://www.cupe.bc.ca.

The B.C. Canadian Union of Public Employees is British Columbia's largest labour union. They represent over 110,000 workers across the province. BCCUPE is actively involved in discussions surrounding education in the province, and is a member of the Education Advisory Council.

FEA (CSF) Francophone Education Authority — http://www.csf.bc.ca/.

The Conseil Scolaire Francophone (the Francophone Education Authority) represents francophone schools throughout British Columbia. They are committed to the development of a strong and vibrant French community in BC. The Authority is a member of the Education Advisory Council.

FISA Federation of Independent School Associations — http://www.fisabc.ca/.

The Federation of Independent School Associations represents over 250 schools across the province and is dedicated to promoting the possibilities of plurality within British Columbia's education system. FISA is also a member of the Education Advisory Council.

FNESC First Nations Education Steering Committee — http://www.fnesc.bc.ca/.

The First Nations Education Steering Committee is an organization that facilitates communication and discussion surrounding education both within and outside First Nations Communities. The committee also acts as a liaison with government. The Steering Committee is a member of the Education Advisory Council.

PSEC Public Sector Employers' Council — http://www.psec.gov.bc.ca/.

PSEC Public Sector Employers' Council is a fifteen member body made up of Ministers or Deputy Ministers, the Commissioner of the Public Service and representatives from the six public sector employers' associations. The Council coordinates the management of labour relation policy and practices.

Faculties of Education:

Malaspina University-College http://www.mala.ca/calendar/index.asp.

Okanagan College http://web.ubc.ca/okanagan/education/welcome.html.

Simon Fraser University http://www.educ.sfu.ca/.

Trinity Western University http://www.twu.ca/undergraduate/programs/education/.

University of British Columbia http://educ.ubc.ca.

University College of the Fraser Valley http://www.ucfv.ca/ece.htm.

University of Northern British Columbia http://www.unbc.ca/education/.

University of Victoria http://www.educ.uvic.ca/.

Appendix C: Data Table for Performance Measures

1. National and/or International Assessment Results — PISA 2003

Source: The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Collection Method: PISA is based on a sample of 15-year-old students.

Reporting Period: Three cycles of PISA have been planned. Each cycle devotes two-thirds of testing time to a major literacy domain: Reading in 2000, Mathematics in 2003, and Science in 2006.

Data Reliability: Sampling and Measurement error — The PISA results are based on a sampling of 15-year-old B.C. students. Also, the questions assess aspects of the underlying skill or knowledge, but not all of the students' knowledge of the topic. Therefore, there is both sampling and measurement error associated with the score. The average score should be understood as an estimate of a real score that may be higher or lower. This range is expressed as a "confidence interval".

Confidence Interval — If the confidence intervals of two scores overlap, they should not be considered as being significantly different. The British Columbia score for Mathematics is not significantly different from the scores for Alberta, Quebec, Ontario, or Manitoba. The British Columbia score for Reading is not significantly different from the scores for Alberta, Ontario, or Quebec.

Timeliness: Because PISA is not administered annually, it may not be a sufficiently timely indicator for planning purposes.

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

Source: Ready, Set, Learn Evaluation Form for Principals, Ministry of Education.

Collection Method: Submission of the forms by all participating schools is mandatory (linked to financial accountability). All responses are collected directly into a database from the online instrument and are scanned by Ministry staff. The data are transferred into a FileMaker program where they undergo sorting and a final check for accuracy.

Reporting Period: Ready, Set, Learn Evaluation Forms for Principals are administered and submitted electronically each year, due on March 31st of the applicable school year. The results are analyzed and used by the Ministry for planning purposes, and the forms are released to school districts in the summer.

Data Reliability: This indicator is not based on sample measurement. It is a census of all eligible schools, and is therefore valid and reliable.

Timeliness: The data are available annually.

3. Number of community literacy plans in place through Literacy Now

Source: Electronic and physical files associated with the Literacy Now funding application process, collected by 2010 Legacies Now.

Collection Method: Communities apply for Literacy Now funding directly to 2010 Legacies Now. Applications received are recorded, reviewed, and a letter is sent to each community informing them if they have been accepted into the program. All records are stored both electronically and physically. When a community has completed its Literacy Now Plan (detailing what the community plans to do with the funding), it is sent directly to 2010 Legacies Now for review and also filed both electronically and physically.

Reporting Period: Data are monitored frequently as 2010 Legacies Now continues to receive more applications and more Literacy Now Plans. The figure of 28 communities represents the number of communities that have been currently accepted into the Literacy Now program from the time of inception up until December of 2005. As Literacy Now is an ongoing program, the number of communities in the program continues to change each time new communities are accepted into the program.

Data Reliability: N/A

Timeliness: Data are available at almost any time, as they are accessed easily through electronic files. Literacy Now funding application Forms for Principals are submitted each year to 2010 Legacies Now. This year's figures are from the 2005/06 school year.

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

Source: Ministry of Education.

Collection Method: Survey of activities by provincial jurisdictions.

Reporting Period: Annual.

Data Reliability: N/A

Timeliness: Literacy research projects can be surveyed annually, but there are currently no active research projects directly aligned with provincial priorities.

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

Source: The School Community Connections (SCC) program is jointly managed by the B.C. School Trustees' Association (BCSTA) and the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) on behalf of the Ministry of Education.

Collection Method: SCC agreements.

Reporting Period: April 2005 to March 2006.

Data Reliability: The method of collection is reliable. However, to confirm the reliability of this measure as an indicator of strengthened connections between schools and communities, the effectiveness of the SCC programs themselves would have to be evaluated.

Timeliness: SCC agreements can be counted annually.

6. International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS)

Source: The International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS) is a joint project of the Government of Canada, the US National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Collection Method: The IALSS used a cross-sectional multi-stage sample design. The sampling unit was the household. The sampling frame was the 2001 Census of Population (reference date, May 15th). A stratified multi-stage probability sample design was used to select the sample from the census frame. The IALSS tested more than 23,000 Canadians in 2003 on their skills proficiency in four scales: prose, document, numeracy and problem-solving. Skills were rated on the basis of levels one to five, that is, lowest to highest.

Reporting Period: The challenge in using the IALSS as a performance measure is that it is conducted sporadically. It was conducted in 1994 and in 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.

Data Reliability:

Timeliness: Conducted sporadically. May not be timely.

7. Early Development Instrument (EDI)

Source: Human and Early Learning Partnership (University of British Columbia — funded by the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Health).

Collection Method: The EDI questionnaire is administered by teachers in February. Data returned by school districts in May are entered, aggregated, analyzed, and mapped by the following fall.

Reporting Period: 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. Not all districts are covered in any one year.

Data Reliability: The data are based on a 'comprehensive survey' of K-grade students in participating schools — i.e., an attempt is made to survey all K-grade students.

Timeliness: Because the EDI is collected over a span of years, updates are not available annually and they cannot be attributed to a specific year. At this time, there has been one complete cycle of data collection, covering all districts (some districts have participated in more than one year).

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

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 are transferred into the Education Data Warehouse, where they undergo 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 Spring/early Summer, 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! BC program

Source: Action Schools! BC is a partnership between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and is administered through Legacies Now.

Collection Method: Legacies Now records registrations in the Action Schools! BC program.

Reporting Period: Annual.

Data Reliability: The collection method is reliable. However, to confirm the reliability of this measure as an indicator of successful promotion of physical activity, healthy eating, and reduced harmful behaviour, the effectiveness of the Action Schools! BC programs themselves would have to be evaluated.

Timeliness: Counts can be provided annually.

10. Proportion of healthy foods for sale in schools

Source: Ministry of Education.

Collection Method: The data represent only vending machine products sold in B.C. schools. Food sold in cafeterias, school stores and fundraising events is not included in this measure, but will be monitored in the future.

Reporting Period: Annual.

Data Reliability: The method of collection is reliable, but there can be many other sources of food in schools. This measure may miss a significant proportion of food consumed in schools.

Timeliness: The data will be available annually.

11. Number of school district Accountability Contracts that address safety

Source: District Accountability Contracts, Ministry of Education.

Collection Method: Contracts are submitted to the Ministry of Education by school districts. Contract guidelines are available on the Ministry website.

Reporting Period: Each year, the District Contract is submitted on or before October 31.

Data Reliability: This indicator is not based on sample measurement. It is a census of all school districts, and is therefore valid and reliable.

Timeliness: New data are available every year as part of an annual accountability reporting cycle.

12. Completion Rates

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. The data are then transferred into the Education Data Warehouse, 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 biannually 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

Source: Ministry of Education.

Collection Method: The Foundation Skills Assessment is administered annually to all students in Grades 4 and 7, and focuses on Reading, Writing and Numeracy because these skills form the foundation for other learning.

Reporting Period: FSA testing is conducted annually, with the tests administered in May and the results reported in September, on the Ministry's website.

Data Reliability: This indicator is not based on sample measurement. It is intended as a census of all students in the targeted grades, and is therefore valid and reliable. Multiple forms are used for the FSA, which means that to produce a comparable score for each participant, a measurement error and a confidence interval is associated with each adjusted score.

Timeliness: New data are available every year as part of an annual reporting cycle.

14. Transition Rates

A. Grade to Grade (Grade 8 to a Higher Grade)

Source: Student-Level Data Collection, Ministry of Education.

Collection Method: Schools and school districts provide the Ministry with student registration by grade level. The data are then transferred into the Education Data Warehouse, where it undergoes a final check.

Reporting Period: Reported in September and February.

Data Reliability: This is a census of all registered students, and is therefore very reliable.

Timeliness: The data are available annually.

B. To post-secondary education or the workforce

Source: Graduate Transition Survey, Ministry of Education.

Collection Method: Telephone-administered randomly selected survey.

Reporting Period: Fall.

Data Reliability: Based on a randomly selected sample of about 1,000 graduates, these data have a measurement error of about plus or minus 3 per cent.

Timeliness: The data are available annually.

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

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 are 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 Spring/early Summer, 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.

16. Number of students participating in distributed learning programs

Source: Ministry of Education

Collection Method: Facility type data and student count data are submitted to the Ministry by schools electronically, based on 1601 and 1701 forms. The Ministry verifies the accuracy of data received.

Reporting Period: The main reporting occurs at the end of September, with a follow-up in February.

Data Reliability: These data are consistently collected and verified on an annual basis, and they represent a census of the school system. They are therefore considered very reliable.

Timeliness: Data are available on an annual basis.

The latest data are from the September 2005 collection. The facility type is pre-printed on the 1601 form and schools are required to verify its accuracy. The number of students includes all school-aged and adult persons enrolled in a Distributed Learning facility and who are working toward a British Columbia Certificate of Graduation.

17. Number of choice programs available

Source: Achieve BC Website and Ministry of Finance.

Collection Method: The count of choice programs is taken from the Choice Finder website (http://www.achievebc.ca/choices/search_about.aspx), and is accurate as of June 22, 2006.

Reporting Period: The data were collected during the 2005/06 school year.

Data Reliability: The School Choices website exists on the Achieve BC site, with the source database hosted on a Ministry of Finance server. At the time of its inception, all but five districts (SD's 8, 46, 82, 84, 87) were participating — and so the coverage of choice programs is reasonably complete province-wide. However, the Choice Finder deals only with traditional means of educational delivery — " Bricks and Mortar" schools.

Timeliness: The Choice Finder database is updated monthly by the Ministry of Finance.

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

Source: Student Transcripts System, Ministry of Education.

Collection Method: Student transcript information is electronically submitted by schools to the Ministry of Education to determine completion of graduation requirements.

Reporting Period: October

Data Reliability: This indicator is not based on sample measurement. It is a census of all school districts, and is therefore valid and reliable.

Timeliness: The data are available annually.

19. Number of students participating in industry training programs

Source: Ministry of Education, Transcripts data and Industry Training Authority data.

Collection Method: The total number of students participating in industry training programs is compiled from the two independent data sources.

Reporting Period: Updated annually.

Data Reliability: The Ministry used to report only its own data, but the Industry Training Authority provides extensive programs. The combined data are felt to provide a complete measure of industry training in B.C. It is based on registration data from both organizations.

Timeliness: New data are available annually.

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

Source: The British Columbia Principals' and Vice-Principals' Association and the British Columbia School Superintendents' Association, in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

Collection Method: The records of participation in the Supervision for Learning program are compiled by the British Columbia Principals' and Vice-Principals' Association and the British Columbia School Superintendents' Association, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

Reporting Period: 2005/06 school year.

Data Reliability: The records of participation are considered rigorous and reliable. However, to determine how course participation affects quality of leadership, an evaluation of the impacts of the course on participants would be required.

Timeliness: Available annually.

21. A. Number of Integrated Resource Packages (IRPs) reviewed
B. Number of learning outcomes in IRPs that have been streamlined or eliminated

Source: Ministry of Education.

Collection Method: Counts of IRPs reviewed, and counts of learning outcomes in IRPs that have been streamlined are a regular result of an ongoing IRP review process. There has been an acceleration of reviews in the past school year to accommodate for recent and extensive course revisions related to changes such as the new graduation requirements.

Reporting Period: Data are based on the 2005/06 school year.

Data Reliability: This indicator is based on routine tracking of IRP review and revision. As a by-product of managing this process, it is current and reliable.

Timeliness: Available annually.

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

Source: Ministry of Education.

Collection Method: These data are compiled from Accountability Contracts by the Ministry of Education.

Data Reliability: The accuracy of this indicator is dependent upon student achievement activities being recorded in Accountability Contracts. It is considered reliable.

Timeliness: New data are available every year as part of an annual reporting cycle.

23. To provide training opportunities to build capacity in School Planning Councils

24. To focus on the role of School Planning Councils in District Reviews

25. To focus on the role of School Planning Councils in Accountability Contracts

26. To focus on the role of School Planning Councils within the school organization