Report on Performance

Selection Rationale

• At the international level, British Columbia participates in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).² 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 the Service Plan the Ministry will focus on only two literacy-related areas — Reading and Mathematics. 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 to be: "... 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 — to create 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 B.C. with that of students in other provinces, the Ministry of Education is able to see how well our education system performs in relation to other Canadian jurisdictions.

• The latest 2003 PISA results show that 75 per cent of B.C. students (15-year-olds) have the reading abilities they need to thrive in a knowledge-based society, while 74 per cent have the necessary mathematics skills.³ 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 US) 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.

• A concern with using PISA as a measure is that it does not assess all skill areas annually. Assessments are administered on a longer cycle that may not accommodate a timely policy response.

Variance Explanation

• As the Ministry of Education met its stated target — to continue to be a national leader in academic performance — there was no variation. British Columbia's high ranking in both Reading and Mathematics indicate that it is, and will continue to be, an academic leader on the national stage. However, within this elite ranking, B.C. will become the most literate jurisdiction on the continent.

Data Sources

• Source: PISA is coordinated by the OECD. In Canada, Statistics Canada and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) oversee administration, data collection, analysis, storage and reporting.

• Year: PISA was administered in 2003, and the results were made available publicly in 2004.

• Please see Appendix C for more information on Data Confidence.

Changes

In the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan, the Ministry has changed the manner in which results are reported.

Notes

The scores represent the average score on Reading and Mathematics.

Selection Rationale

• The Province's Ready, Set, Learn program² 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 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.

Variance Explanation

• The percentage of registered public schools increased by 8.1 percentage points over 2004/05 — indicating that the program was well-received.

• To broaden the scope of the Ready, Set, Learn program, Group 1 and 2 Independent Schools have now been invited to participate.

Data Sources

• Source: Ready, Set, Learn Registration, Ministry of Education.

• Year: The data for 2005/06 were collected during the 2005/06 school year.

• Please see Appendix C for more information on Data Confidence.

Changes

In order to focus on strategic goal-level performance measures, this measure was discontinued in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan. However, the Ministry and its partners will continue to focus on early learning as part of the strategy to improve literacy, and the Ready, Set, Learn initiative will continue to be an important component of this strategy. The Ready, Set, Learn program is reviewed annually and will continue through 2006/07.

Selection Rationale

• This indicator measures the number of community literacy plans completed and in place under Literacy Now. The Ministry of Education is working with Literacy Now and other community agencies, such as Literacy BC, to build community capacity to improve literacy. Literacy Now defines literacy broadly, and uses community development strategies to stimulate new literacy initiatives, alliances, programs and collaborative planning within communities, in recognition of the fact that literacy is not just a government initiative, but rather is a complex issue that will need the involvement of all segments of society for progress to be made. Literacy Now 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. By working closely with community groups across the province Literacy Now aims to build a solid provincial network and leave a legacy of literacy learning.

• 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.

Variance Explanation

• New measure — baseline data only

• In 2004/05 12 community literacy plans were completed, and a further 28 plans were under development. As this is a new measure and only baseline data was available, the Ministry was unable to compare actual results to targeted results.

Data Sources

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

• Literacy Now funding application Forms for Principals are submitted each year to 2010 Legacies Now. The 2004/05 actual figures are from the 2004/05 calendar year.

• Please see Appendix C for more information on Data Confidence.

Changes

In order to focus on strategic goal-level performance measures, this measure was discontinued in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan. However, improving literacy rates is a key Ministry goal, and the Ministry will continue to work with partners to build community capacity to improve literacy. Literacy Now will continue to work to develop new community literacy plans.²

Selection Rationale

• This measure is a count of provincial or federal literacy projects and is intended to measure the success of the Ministry and its partners in focusing national attention on literacy and in aligning the national literacy strategy with provincial priorities.

• There are likely to be fewer projects of this scale than regional projects within provinces — so the count may not change much from year to year.

• 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 has declared literacy to be one of its 3 pan-Canadian priorities in education. 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.

• This measure is important as an indicator of nation-wide collaboration and coordination of literacy efforts.

Variance Explanation

• New measure — baseline data and variance not yet available

Data Sources

• Source: CMEC

• Year: The CMEC Action Plan on Literacy was approved in 2005.

• For more information on Data Confidence please refer to Appendix C.

Changes

• In order to focus on strategic goal-level performance measures, this indicator has been discontinued in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan. However, monitoring literacy research projects nationwide and sharing best practices to improve literacy for citizens of all ages remains a strategy in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan. To this end, B.C. has taken a leadership role in the improvement of literacy and in the provision of library services.

Selection Rationale

This indicator measures the percentage of school districts that have School Community Connections (SCC)² agreements planned or in place. The School Community Connections Program, launched in April 2005, is intended to build and strengthen partnerships between schools and the community. By measuring the percentage of school districts that have SCC agreements planned or in place, the Ministry is able to measure its success in strengthening the connections between schools and communities. These connections can lead to enhanced community capacity to identify and improve community-wide outcomes in locally determined priorities. These priorities may focus on literacy goals — however they are locally determined in partnerships between school districts and local government.

Variance Explanation

New measure — baseline information only

Data Sources

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

• Year: The data collection period was from April 2005 to March 31, 2006.

• For more information on Data Confidence, please refer to Appendix C.

Changes

In order to focus on strategic goal-level performance measures, this measure has been discontinued in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan. However, building community capacity to improve literacy, and making effective use of underutilized school space continue to be important initiatives for the Ministry and its partners.

Notes

The data include school districts that have applied for (and were approved) for funding for the School Community Connections Program as of March 31, 2006.

Phase I — Making the Connection: 19 School Districts have approved funding

Phase II — Developing the Connection: 1 School District has approved funding

Selection Rationale

• The International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS) is an international comparative study conducted to provide participating countries with information about the literacy skills of their adult populations. In 2003, the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey tested more than 23,000 Canadians on their proficiency in numeracy and literacy. IALSS 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.

• This 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.

• 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.

Variance Explanation

New measure — baseline information only

Data Sources

• Source: The Adult Literacy and Skills Survey, Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) Canada, and Statistics Canada.

• Year: The IALSS was administered in 2003, with national and provincial results available in 2005.

• For more information on Data Confidence, please refer to Appendix C.

Changes

• In the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan, the Ministry has set a 10-year target of 75 per cent of adults reading at Level 3 or above by 2015/16

• Since the 2005/06 – 2007/08 Service Plan Update — September 2005 (where this measure was listed as "under development"), this performance measure has been defined as "the percentage of adults who read at Level 3 or above" — based on the IALSS Assessment scale

IALSS Assessment Scale

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. Listed below is a summary of the skills required for each level:

Level 1: Indicates persons with very low skills, where the individual may, for example, be unable to determine the correct amount of medicine to give a child from information printed on the package.

Level 2: Respondents can deal only with material that is simple, clearly laid out, and in which the tasks involved are not too complex. It denotes a weak level of skill, but more than at Level 1. It identifies people who can read, but test poorly. They may have developed coping skills to manage everyday literacy demands, but their low level of proficiency makes it difficult for them to face novel demands, such as learning new job skills.

Level 3: Is considered a suitable minimum for coping with the demands of everyday life and work in a complex, advanced society. It denotes roughly the skill level required for successful secondary school completion and college entry. Like higher levels, it requires the ability to integrate several sources of information and solve more complex problems.

Levels 4 and 5: These levels describe respondents who demonstrate a command of higher-level information processing skills.

Notes

In the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan the baseline data were reported under the year 2003.

Selection Rationale

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

• Focus attention and reallocate resources

• Build partnerships between elementary schools, community organizations and parents

The tool 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,² which is an interdisciplinary research partnership studying new approaches to early childhood learning. Kindergarten teachers in B.C. began to collect data for the EDI in 1999/2000, and as of March 2004, all 60 school districts had collected EDI data.

The Ministry has developed a performance measure — the percentage of children who enter Kindergarten "ready to learn" — based on the Early Development Instrument. This measure reflects the importance of literacy skills in a child's intellectual and social development. The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is an assessment of the proportion of children who are rated "ready to learn" as they enter Kindergarten.

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

The most challenging aspect of this performance measure, which is generated by an independent, external research body, is that data for the whole Province are not available on an annual basis.

Variance Explanation

New measure — baseline data only

Data Sources

• Source: The 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).

• Year: The data were collected from 2002 – 2005.

• For more information on Data Confidence, please refer to Appendix C.

Changes

• Since the 2005/06 – 2007/08 Service Plan Update — September 2005 was published (where this performance measure was listed as "under development") this measure has been defined as the percentage of Kindergarten children who are ready for school.

• As well, the targets have been changed from the previous targets (which were under development when the 2005/06 – 2007/08 Service Plan Update — September 2005 was published) to 78 per cent for 2007/08 and 85 per cent for 2015/16.

Notes

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.

Selection Rationale

• This performance measure indicates the extent to which students and parents are satisfied that students in the school environment are learning how to stay healthy.

• 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 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.

• The risk to using this measure is low participation rates among specific groups of respondents — if the participation rate is too low, the results may be inaccurate. Please refer to the Data Confidence section in Appendix C for Satisfaction Survey participation rates.

Variance Explanation

Parents — The percentage of parents of elementary school students who report that their children are learning to stay healthy at school increased by 4 percentage points from 2003/04, while the percentage of parents of secondary school students increased by 7 percentage points. These results are a positive indication that the Ministry's strategies to support Health-Promoting Schools are working. Initiatives under Health-Promoting Schools include Action Schools! BC, which encourages physical activity in students, and Guidelines for Selling Healthy Foods in Schools, which encourage students to make healthy choices when buying food from school vending machines and other sources.

Students — The percentage of elementary school students who report they are learning to stay healthy at school decreased slightly from 51 per cent in 2003/04 to 50 per cent in 2005/06 — as the decrease was minor (1 percentage point), the Ministry will continue with current initiatives and programs to improve satisfaction among elementary students. The percentage of secondary school students, while increasing by 7 percentage points (from 25 per cent to 32 per cent), indicates that while progress is being made (through programs such as the Network of Healthy Schools, Action Schools! BC, the new PE curriculum, and food sale guidelines) there is still room to improve.

Data Sources

• Source: Satisfaction Survey,² Ministry of Education.

• Year: The latest data are from the 2004/05 school year.

• See Appendix C for Data Confidence.

Changes

• In order to focus on strategic goal-level performance measures, this measure has been discontinued in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan. However, as whether students are learning to stay healthy at school is of primary concern to the Ministry, this question remains on the next Annual Satisfaction Survey, and will be reported publicly in Spring/Summer 2007.

Selection Rationale

• This performance measure indicates the number of schools registered in the Action Schools! BC program.

• Action Schools! BC is part of the ActNow² initiative which was launched in 2005, 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 and healthy eating, and to reduce harmful behaviours (such as tobacco use and substance abuse). Action Schools! BC is a school-based initiative that integrates healthy living and healthy school environments into the social fabric of schools.

• 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 behaviour are established early in life.

• This measure was chosen because it indicates the degree to which schools are interested in promoting physical activity, and the level of schools' support for the Government's strategic goals.

• It is important to note that while participation in Action Schools! offers a good indication that the school is promoting and offering opportunities for physical activity, it does not actually tell us about levels of physical activity.

Variance Explanation

• As this measure was newly introduced in the 2005/06 – 2007/08 Service Plan Update — September 2005, the Ministry does not have the multi-year data that would indicate a trend. However, early results show that for the 2005/06 school year, there were 893 schools registered for the Action Schools! program. This is an increase of 276 schools registered for Action Schools! from the previous year.

• The increase in school participation in Action Schools! can be attributed to initiatives to promote the importance of good health, including ActNow, Health-Promoting Schools, and new curriculum.

• The Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Ministry of Health will continue to build on the successes of Action Schools! by making the program available province-wide from Kindergarten to Grade 9, and by developing a model for secondary schools.

Data Sources

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

• Year: the data for 2005/06 were collected in the 2005/06 school year, and are accurate as of May 31, 2006.

For more information on Data Confidence, please see Appendix C.

Changes

This performance measure was discontinued in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan. The Ministry has determined that a better way to measure the physical activity levels of students is to ask them directly (on the Annual Satisfaction Survey) how much time they spend engaged in physical activity. However, Action Schools! remains a key component of the Government's ActNow initiative and the Ministry will continue to support and encourage schools' participation.

Selection Rationale

• By 2009 (or earlier) schools in British Columbia will no longer provide unhealthy food for sale. (The criteria for determining which foods are deemed to be healthy choices are determined by a panel of B.C. nutritionists.) To monitor and report on progress in eliminating unhealthy foods for sale in schools the Ministry will collect data to report on the percentage of healthy foods sold in B.C. schools. This measure is important because children consume approximately one-third of their calories at school and a significant amount of that is purchased on-site. Reducing access to less healthy choices helps reduce preventable chronic diseases among this targeted population.

• 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. As well, it supports the healthy eating component of the Government's ActNow initiative, which is designed to make British Columbia the healthiest jurisdiction to ever host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

• One of the risks in using data on food sold through vending machines to measure healthy eating is that students can still bring their own less than healthy snacks, or purchase them off-site. As well, the data only represent those schools which responded to the survey (71.2 per cent). Finally, the data represent only vending machine products sold in B.C. schools. Food sold in cafeterias, school stores and fund-raising events is not included in this measure at this time (but will be monitored in the future).

Variance Explanation

• New measure — baseline data only

• In order to encourage students to choose the healthy vending machine choices over the less healthy options, the Ministry of Education has introduced the Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in B.C. Schools (Nov. 2005) and is working to support schools as they implement the Guidelines.

• The Ministry intends to conduct a follow-up study on the percentage of healthy foods sold in schools during the 2006/07 school year, and the results will be made available to the public.

Data Sources

• Source: School Food Sales and Policies Provincial Report, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health.

• Year: the data were collected during the 2005/06 school year.

• For more information on Data Confidence, please refer to Appendix C.

Changes

In order to focus on strategic goal-level performance measures, this indicator has been discontinued in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan. However, encouraging healthy eating continues to be a key priority for achieving the Government's strategic goals, and for the Ministry, in continuing its focus on Health-Promoting Schools.

Selection Rationale

• Each of the 60 school districts must complete an Accountability Contract² every year. An Accountability Contract is a school board's public commitment to improve student achievement, and reflects the unique characteristics, priorities and needs of each school district. This indicator measures the percentage of school districts that address safety in their Accountability Contracts. Many school districts do this through efforts to define and promote social responsibility and good citizenship.

• 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. For children to achieve their full potential, the environment in which they learn must be respectful and safe. 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.

• A concern with this measure is that schools could be doing significant work in this area, but may not include that work in their Accountability Contracts. The Ministry is working to help schools ensure that their Accountability Contracts reflect the work that occurs in schools.

Variance Explanation

• The percentage of Accountability Contracts that address safety has increased by 3 percentage points (from 67 per cent to 70 per cent) from 2004/05 to 2005/06. Although the Ministry does not yet have the multi-year data to track trends, the initial results indicate that safety continues to be a key component for the majority of school districts in the Accountability Contracts.

• To increase the percentage of Accountability Contracts that address safety, the Ministry changed the guidelines for contracts so that districts must take safety-related data into consideration for school plans and Accountability Contracts.

Data Sources

• Source: District Accountability Contracts, Ministry of Education.

• Year: Data are from the 2005/06 school year.

• See Data Confidence in Appendix C.

Changes

In order to focus on strategic goal-level performance measures, this indicator was discontinued in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan. However, the Ministry will still encourage and support school districts to focus on safety, and will continue to monitor the Accountability Contracts to review progress in this area.

Selection Rationale

• 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.⁴ 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.

Variance Explanation

• The completion rate for French Immersion has decreased by 2 percentage points since 2000/01 — this is most likely because many French Immersion students switch out of the program in Grades 11 and 12.

• Due to the fact that fulfilling French Immersion program graduation requirements necessitates more credits than a non-French Immersion program, there is a tendency for students in these programs to transfer into regular graduation programs during their senior years, in order to free up credits for other courses required for graduation post-secondary studies. This trend has increased recently due to revisions to requirements for graduation and the development of Grade 10 provincial exams. This transfer out of French Immersion appears as a lower completion rate for this sub-group, but many of these students are completing school in non-French Immersion programs.

• The completion rate for students with Sensory Disabilities has decreased by 4 percentage points from 2000/01 to 2004/05. As there are so few students in the Sensory Disabilities Learning Group, the variance can be significantly affected by the scores of individual students. The Learning Disabilities Group increased by 23 percentage points from 2002/03 to 2004/05, while the Behaviour Disabilities Group increased by 13 percentage points from 2000/01 to 2004/05. These increases can be attributed to an increased focus (through Accountability Contracts, for example) on the achievement of special needs students.

Data Sources

• Source: Data for Completion Rates are based on the Ministry of Education's 1701 form, student transcripts, and provincial exams.

• Year: Data are based on the 2002/03, 2003/04 and 2004/05 school years.

• For more information on Data Confidence, please see Appendix C.

Changes

• In the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan, the targets for this performance measure were changed to numerical targets, from the previous target (in the 2005/06 – 2007/08 Service Plan Update — September 2005) of "trend over time improvement." The shift to numerical targets represents a desire to have clear, unambiguous targets that are understandable to all levels of the education system.

Selection Rationale

Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA)

• The Foundation Skills Assessment³ is used to measure the percentage of public and independent school students in Grades 4 and 7 who meet or exceed grade level expectations in three key areas of student learning — Reading, Writing and Numeracy. The Foundation Skills Assessment is administered to all students in Grades 4 and 7, and focuses on Reading, Writing and Numeracy because these skills form the foundation for other learning. FSA standards, which are set by the Ministry, are based on the recommendations of B.C. teachers.

• The FSA was chosen as a measure because it can alert 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 provide 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 Government meet their goals.

• The risk to using this measure is that as with any large-scale assessment at the provincial, national or international level, the goal is to see incremental improvement — it is expected that there will be slight fluctuations from year to year, due to variations in class composition and ability.

Graduation Program Exams

• This indicator measures the percentage of students who earn a final mark of at least 50 per cent in a Graduation Program Exam.⁴ Students in the British Columbia school system are required to write five Graduation Program Exams (generally in three years) in order to graduate. Their exam marks are blended with their classroom marks to produce a blended final mark. Students must receive a final blended mark of at least 50 per cent in order to pass the course and earn credits needed to graduate. The exams are in courses in four academic areas, and are a key measure of how successful the K – 12 system is in achieving its goals. Exams are required in the following areas:

  • Language Arts 10

  • Mathematics 10 (Essentials, Applications or Principles of Mathematics)

  • Science 10

  • Social Studies 11; Civics Studies 11; or B.C. First Nations Studies 12; and a

  • Language Arts 12 (Technical and Professional Communications 12, English 12 or Communications 12)

• Although the examination results do not indicate the percentage of students who have passed the course after the exam marks are blended with the classroom marks, the percentage of students who have passed the exams does represent a provincial, rather than a local, standard in these important areas of academic achievement.

• The risk to using the examination pass rates is that they may give an inaccurate sense of how many students are passing the course and on the path to graduation. This is especially true for the Grade 10 and 11 exams, which represent only 20 per cent of students' final blended marks.

Variance Explanation

Foundation Skills Assessment

The target of trend over time improvement has been met for all areas of the Foundation Skills Assessment.

The small incremental improvements in FSA results are to be expected. Results usually do rise to a small extent after the initial year of implementing a new assessment program.

Graduation Program Exams

Addition of Grade 10 exams has just occurred with the recent revision of the Graduation Program, therefore only one year of results are available. There are several years of results available for three Grade 12 courses (Technical & Professional Communications 12, English 12, and Communications 12). These generally indicate a gradual improvement in results. The improvement for Technical & Professional Communications 12 is more pronounced, but this pattern may be due to fluctuations from lower enrolments.

Data Sources

Foundation Skills Assessment

• Source: Foundations Skills Assessment, Ministry of Education.

• Year: the data were collected during the 2004/05 school year.

Graduation Program Exams

• Source: Ministry of Education

• Year: The data were collected during the 2004/05 school year

• For more information on Data Confidence for FSA and Graduation Program Exams, please see Appendix C.

Changes

For the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan, the Graduation Program Exam component has been discontinued in order to focus on Literacy (in particular, on Reading). However, the Graduation Program Exams will continue to be monitored and reported on the Ministry website.

Selection Rationale

Transition from Grade 8 to a higher grade

• The Grade 8 to higher grades transition rate measures the per cent of students in Grade 8 who enroll in Grade 9 or higher in the following year.

• The transition beyond Grade 8 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 time frame.

Transition from Grade 12 to post-secondary education, or to the workforce

• The Graduate Transition Survey² 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.

• The Ministry of Education strives to provide students with a high-quality education that is relevant and career-oriented. 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 workforce. Transition rates are an indicator of both overall student achievement, and of the success of the Ministry in preparing students for life after graduation.

• Transition Rates can be affected by factors such as the cost of tuition and the unemployment rate.

Variance Explanation

Transition from Grade 8 to a higher grade

• The rate of transition from Grade 8 to a higher grade remains high at 95 per cent, with no increase or decrease. As this is the first year that students tend to begin leaving school, the transition rate is very close to 100 per cent — there is little room for variance from year to year. A later grade transition may show more variance, and may therefore be more readily influenced by, and responsive to, policy interventions.

Transition from Grade 12 to post-secondary education

• The transition rate from Grade 12 to post-secondary education increased by 2 percentage points from 2002/03 (from 72 per cent to 74 per cent). To see continuous improvement in this rate, the Ministry will continue to focus on overall student achievement, and to improve understanding of the Graduation Program among students, parents and teachers.

Transition from Grade 12 to the workforce

• The transition rate from Grade 12 to the workforce decreased 2 percentage points from 2002/03 (from 33 per cent to 31 per cent). While the transition rate decreased slightly, this is probably attributable to the increase in the transition rate to post-secondary education. As these two rates total almost 100 per cent — when one rises, the other tends to decrease. Measures to increase this rate include a continued emphasis on industry training programs, such as ACE-IT.

Data Sources

• Grade transition data are from the Ministry of Education student-level data collection.

• Grade transition data are from the 2002/03, 2003/04 and 2004/05 school years.

• Graduate Transition Survey data are from a telephone survey of randomly selected recent graduates.

• Graduate Transition Survey data are based on 2001/02, 2002/03, and 2003/04 graduates.

• Please see Appendix C for Data Confidence.

Changes

• The wording for this measure has been changed slightly for clarification purposes.

• In order to focus on strategic goal-level performance measures, the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan uses only the transition rate to post-secondary education. However, the other transition rates will continue to be monitored and reported annually on the Ministry's website, in the Graduates in Transition Survey.

Selection Rationale

• In order to provide the best service and support possible, the Ministry annually collects opinions from students, parents and school staff on achievement, human and social development and safety. The level of satisfaction of parents and students serves as a critical measure for assessing the overall 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 data for this performance measure are useful for planning and decision-making at the school and school district level, as they 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 because it assesses the degree to which the education system is accessible, flexible and meets the needs of all students.

• The concern with using the Satisfaction Survey data is that its accuracy may be impacted if participation rates are low. To encourage participation, the Ministry has made available online versions of the survey.

Variance Explanation

• The Ministry met its target of trend over time improvement for each area. However, there is still room for improvement in the satisfaction levels of secondary school students, which the Ministry is working to improve through increased choice and flexibility.

• In the Government's 2006/07 – 2008/09 Strategic Plan, a key priority is citizen-centered service delivery. The Ministry will demonstrate its commitment to this initiative, and to improving service delivery, through the continued measurement of client and stakeholder satisfaction with the education system.

Data Sources

• Source: Annual Satisfaction Survey, Ministry of Education, found at: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/reporting/surveys/sat-bas.php.

• Year: the data were collected during the 2005/06 school year.

• Please see Appendix C for Data Confidence.

Selection Rationale

• This indicator measures the number of students in both public and independent schools who participate 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 materials, 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 assesses the degree to which education programs are accessible, flexible, and relevant.

Variance Explanation

• The trend over time results show that in 2005/06 8,334 students participated in distributed learning programs, which is an increase of 3,701 students since 2002/03.

• The Ministry has worked successfully to use new technologies to reach rural students, and to offer students choice and flexibility. As new technologies become available, the Ministry will continue to be at the forefront.

Data Sources

• Source: Ministry of Education:

– data for facility type are based on the Ministry's 1601 form (School Data Collection).

– data for student count are based on the Ministry's 1701 form (Student Data Collection).

• The student data include all school-aged and adult persons enrolled in a Distributed Learning facility and who are working toward a British Columbia Certificate of Graduation.

• For more information on Data Confidence, please refer to Appendix C.

Changes

In order to focus on strategic goal-level performance measures, this measure was discontinued in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan.

Notes

The data are based on the September 20, 2005 student count. Some Distributed Learning students may choose to register in a later month, and are not included in the count.

Selection Rationale

There are a range of choices available for today's student — including neighborhood, traditional or alterative 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 5,251 choice programs available across B.C. 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.

Variance Explanation

The results for 2005/06 indicate that there were 102 more choice programs available over the previous year.

Data Sources

• Source: The Ministry of Education

• Year: The data were collected during the 2005/06 school year

• See Appendix C for Data Confidence.

Changes

In order to focus on strategic goal-level performance measures, this indicator was discontinued in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan. However, the Ministry remains committed to encouraging and supporting school districts to be flexible and accessible through increased choice.

Selection Rationale

• This indicator measures the number of students who participate in the Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA) program, the Career Technical Center partnerships, and ACE-IT programs (Accelerated Credit Enrolment in Industry Training). Skilled trades programs provide valuable and rewarding training to students. The number of students participating in the SSA program and in CTC partnerships and ACE-IT programs indicates the success of the education system in attracting students to a career in the trades sector.

• As there are challenges in recruiting 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.

Variance Explanation

• The Ministry met its target of trend over time improvement — Secondary School Apprenticeship programs increased by 540 students, and Career Technical Center partnerships and ACE IT programs increased by 1,450 students.

• Although the final data on completion rates for the program for the 2005/06 school year were not available at the time of publication, the results as of March 31, 2006 indicate that the Ministry has been successful in expanding industry training options and in attracting students to participate. The Ministry will continue to promote skills training through a variety of ways — for example, the Province is providing funding for a mobile trades unit to improve access to skills training for students in the Kamloops/Thompson school district. The mobile unit will offer hands-on skills training for students in a variety of trades, to be determined by a steering committee that will include the school district, the CTC, Thompson Rivers University and industry partners.

Data Sources

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

Year: The 2005/06 results were collected during the 2005/06 school year, and are accurate as of March 31, 2006.

See Appendix C for Data Confidence.

Changes to Measures

• The targets for this performance measure have been changed to numerical targets in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan, from the previous target of "trend over time improvement." The shift to numerical targets represents a desire to have clear, unambiguous targets that are understandable to all levels of the education system.

• The Ministry and its partners will continue to expand industry training options, in order to meet the demands of B.C.'s labour market.

Notes

The 2005/06 results are accurate as of March 31, 2006. The participation rate is based on enrollment — as students are enrolled for 2 years, the Ministry is able to confirm enrollment, but not completion.

Selection Rationale

• The British Columbia Principals' and Vice-Principals' Association and British Columbia School Superintendents' Association, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, have developed a comprehensive Supervision for Learning program to help education 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.

• This measure was chosen because it indicates the extent to which education leaders possess the skills to support and mentor teachers in the classroom, and to create a learning environment where excellence is expected.

• As the BCTF does not support a supervisory relationship between principals and teachers, this measure may create tension.

Variance Explanation

The variance will not be available until 2007/08, as the target is to have 100 per cent of educational leaders complete the program by 2007/08. However, the results for 2005/06 show that 75 per cent of vice-principals, principals, directors, assistant superintendents and superintendents have attended Supervision for Learning workshops and are putting their knowledge and skills to good use in their schools and districts. As well, an additional 10 per cent of school and district staff are attending or have attended large group in-service sessions during the past year.

The Ministry fully expects to meet its target by 2007/08.

Data Sources

• Source: the Ministry of Education keeps data on all districts visited.

• Year: the data are for the 2005/06 school year.

• See Appendix C for Data Confidence.

Changes

In order to focus on strategic goal-level performance measures, this indicator has been discontinued in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan. However, the Ministry and its partners remain committed to the continued development of leadership capacity in education leaders. The Supervision for Learning program will continue in 2006/07.

Selection Rationale

• Integrated Resource Packages consist of provincially required curriculum, suggested ideas for assessment, and a list of recommended learning resources.

• The Ministry of Education conducted a review of the Integrated Resource Packages (IRPs) in an effort to re-focus student learning outcomes on the fundamental skills that students need to succeed. This indicator assesses the number of IRPs reviewed and the number of learning outcomes that were streamlined or eliminated.

• By streamlining and/or eliminating learning outcomes that do not focus on the fundamentals, the Ministry helped schools and school districts to concentrate on essential learning outcomes, while still allowing for choice and flexibility within the system. In focusing on essential learning outcomes, the Ministry, schools, and school districts worked together to achieve the goal of a high quality performance-oriented education system.

Variance Explanation

New measure — baseline data only

Data Sources

• Source: the Ministry of Education

• Year: the data were collected during the 2005/06 school year.

• See Appendix C for Data Confidence.

Changes

In order to focus on strategic goal-level performance measures, this measure has been discontinued in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan.

Selection Rationale

• This performance measure indicates the extent to which the key documents under the Accountability Framework focus on student achievement. It reflects whether the Ministry has been successful in encouraging key stakeholders to focus on an overarching goal, and to work toward its achievement. High student achievement levels are the foundation for successful economic and social life in the Province.

Variance Explanation

• The Ministry met its target of focusing 100 per cent of the District Reviews, Accountability Contracts and Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreements on student achievement. The Ministry's success in this area indicates that while these accountability documents will continue to be monitored, the Ministry will now be able to focus on other areas that require attention.

Data Sources

• Source: the Ministry of Education

• Year: the data were collected during the 2005/06 school year.

• See Appendix C for Data Confidence.

Changes

In order to focus on strategic goal-level performance measures, this measure has been discontinued in the 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan. However, the Ministry will continue to monitor these documents for a focus on student achievement.

Target

Achieved