Annual Report - New Frontiers School Board

Transcription

2012-2013
Annual Report
Welcome!
From Chairman David D’Aoust
& Director General Rob Buttars
It gives us great pleasure to present this annual report in which it is apparent that the
New Frontiers School Board is capable of accomplishing as much as many larger
school boards thanks to the many dedicated staff members, supportive parents,
capable students, and yes, school commissioners, who care about education and see
it as an investment. Our school board commissioners, like our staff members work
beyond the call of duty and spend many hours setting policy to ensure equitable
distribution of financial, material and human resources for our schools. They also set
policy to empower staff members to oversee and offer educational and social
services to help our students in schools and centers to be prepared for lifelong
learning and to be productive citizens.
Are schools and centers being successful in carrying out their mandates? People
want straight forward answers about what works in education, what needs to be
improved and how well students perform. Our education community throughout the
territory of this board is no different in this regard. We encourage you to read this
year’s annual report.
To say that our 2012–13 school year was one of growth toward reaching the
objectives of our Partnership Agreement with the MELS would not be an
understatement. Recognition of our staff members and their accomplishments in this
school board and in outside associations or partners continues to increase. New
initiatives to help students stay in school were also on the rise. Our community is
fortunate to witness the academic, artistic and sporting talents of our students. In
fact we have seen, during the 2012–13, school year, magnificent performances in the
arts as well as character development leading to good citizenship. We congratulate
our teachers for going beyond the four walls of the classroom and for providing
extracurricular activities. This, coupled with first hand work by volunteers from our
community, has helped to increase our success rates in many courses required for
graduation, this despite severe budget cuts to school boards.
We believe that partnerships with our communities both through our Community
Learning Centers and our participation in community development helps increase the
likelihood that students will remain in school and graduate.
We are exploring the possibility of sharing services with the Eastern Townships and
Riverside School Boards with a goal of generating new sources of revenues and
increased services to our students. Our students continue to achieve well in French
as a second language as a result of our Bilingual Program. With our “Bilingue…c’est
cool” marketing campaign, we hope to attract those parents who continue to choose
neighbouring French schools instead of our Bilingual program. While this may always
remain a challenge for the New Frontiers School Board, we are proud of the many
bilingual graduates of our system.
New Frontiers School Board
2012-2013 Annual Report
Page 1
To sustain further budget cuts, our Council of Commissioners will have to continue to
work closely with our administrators to study viable options for the use of our
schools and centers. That being said, NFSB administrative costs have been reduced
since the 2009-10 school year by almost 10 %. This has assisted our Board to absorb
some of the impact of budget cuts. We would like to thank our public for their
participation and input at our two public consultations on building our budget.
Questions pertaining to the use of our educational facilities, the possibility of sharing
facilities and services with our neighbouring French school boards, and how to
attract eligible English-speaking students will have to be examined closely. Change
will be inevitable. At this point in time it will be critical for commissioners and staff
members in consultation with all stake holders to determine the right course of
action to be followed for the benefit of students and our community. Status quo for
school organization is not an option.
In closing, we extend our personal thanks to our staff members, parents and our
educational community at large for choosing and supporting our NFSB schools and
centers. As well, we congratulate our students, both youth and adults, for all their
achievements in the arts, sports, academics and professional options. You make our
work worth the effort.
David C. D’Aoust
Chair
Rob Buttars
Director General
October 2013
Page 2
Who
we are
We are the New Frontiers School Board with a history spanning close
to two hundred years and a territory covering rural farmland and
bustling suburbia. We are more than charts and numbers, we are a
community. We are adults returning to school to rewrite our future.
We are kids raising money to send to Africa to help kids there get some
of the opportunities we have. We are dedicated workers giving of our
time to make sure students have everything they need to succeed. We
are families volunteering for fundraisers and sport tournaments. We
are elected officials weighing all the options and making decisions to
ensure New Frontiers School Board stretches its resources to the limit.
We are New Frontiers School Board; a community of lifelong learners,
a community that cares. That’s who we are.
Page 3
Our Territory
The New Frontiers School Board offers quality education to close to
5,000 youth and adults in the Southwest region of Québec. Our
territory stretches from the St. Lawrence River to the North, Autoroute
15 to the East, the American border to the South and the Ontario
border to the West.
The School Board’s name reflects natural borders such as rivers and
borders with the US and Ontario. As well, the name reflects a journey
that will expand the frontiers of education . . . literacy, technology and
lifelong learning. The School Board’s logo symbolizes the path to
reach these new frontiers.
Page 4
Our Vision
The New Frontiers School Board will motivate its students to
become lifelong learners and empower them to become
responsible, contributing members of society, applying their
knowledge in order to adapt to a diverse and changing
world.
Our Mission
To realize our vision, our mission is to:
• Provide experiences that will challenge our students to
learn and to develop respect for themselves, others and
the environment;
• Engage the students, parents, staff, and the community
as educational partners;
• Encourage and support all employees to achieve
excellence thereby enhancing student learning;
• Maintain a safe and healthy learning environment where
everyone feels that they belong and are appreciated.
Page 5
Schools & Centres
The New Frontiers School Board includes three adult education centres, two
high schools, ten elementary schools, and three community learning centres
throughout our vast territory. From suburban Châteauguay to rural Franklin
Centre, our Board offers high quality education to youth and adults.
Educational Services
The Educational Services Department is responsible for providing educational
services to our youth sector students. Guidance counsellors, speech and
language pathologists, and psychologists help students and families with
both short and long-term needs.
The Curriculum Centre, under the umbrella of Educational Services, is a
wealth of resources to our teachers. Library services, including a professional
library of over 2,000 books and multi-media titles, are available to staff to
assist in curriculum, special needs, and educational reform. Subject Advisors
in English Language Arts, Math and Science, French, and Technology ensure
our curriculum is meeting guidelines set out by the Québec Government and
provide assistance to teachers in implementing this curriculum.
Adult & Vocational Training
Academic programs offered in our Centres enable students to improve
literacy skills, obtain their secondary school diploma, or pre-requisites
required for CEGEP or vocational programs. Programs are complemented by
offering a variety of interest courses.
Our Centres also offer professional and vocational education programs,
which lead to a Québec “Diplôme d’études professionnelles”. Welding, auto
mechanics, office administration, interior decorating, and construction and
carpentry are just a sample of the government-subsidized programs available.
Student Services are also available and include guidance services, training
opportunities and government loan and bursary programs.
General Administration
Supporting our schools and centres, are the employees within the Board’s
departments working behind the scenes to ensure the best possible
environments for our staff and students. These include our elected Council of
Commissioners, Director General’s Office, Educational Services, Secretary
General, Human Resources, Adult & Professional Education, Financial
Services, Transportation Services, Material Resources, and Information
Technology.
Page 6
Your Voice…
The Council of Commissioners
The Council of Commissioners of the New Frontiers School Board is
composed of 13 elected commissioners, one for each electoral division of our
territory. In addition, there are two parent commissioners, one representing
the elementary sector and one for the secondary sector.
Your Council…15 members representing your voice.
Kenneth
Crockett
Ward 1
Chateauguay
West/Kahnawake
David Wright
Ward 2
Chateauguay
Heights
Naila
MullahooLeclair
Ward 3
Chateauguay
Terrace
Darren
MacCallum
Chateauguay
Parkview
David
D’Aoust
Chateauguay
Centre
John Ryan
Abdul Pirani
Neil Burdon
Ward 7
Valleyfield
Chateauguay East
Huntingdon
Melocheville/Ste
Clotilde
Ward 6
Ward 8
Ward 5
Ward 4
William
Flynn
Vice-Chair
Tom Dickie
Ward 9
Chair
Ward 10
Elgin/Hinchinbrooke
Barbara
Ednie
Marjorie
Reddick
Franklin/Ormstown
Havelock/Howick/
St. Chrysostome
Ward 11
Ward 12
Linda Smith
Ward 13
Hemmingford
Debi
Germann
Parent
Commissioner
Elementary
Raymond
Ledoux
Parent
Commissioner
Secondary
The Council of Commissioners holds regular meetings on the first Tuesday of
each month at 19:30 hours at Howick Elementary School, 5 Lambton, Howick.
Page 7
Code of Ethics & Professional
Conduct for Commissioners
As per By-Law BCAA, a Review Ethics Committee shall be set to include three
commissioners and two alternates. Members of the Review Ethics Committee
for the 2012-2013 school year included Commissioners Darren MacCallum,
Kenneth Crockett and Parent Commissioner Raymond Ledoux. Alternates were
Commissioners Barbara Ednie and Abdul Pirani.
Report of the Ethics’ Officer
The Ethics’ Officer’s mandate is to examine any expressed complaint directed
towards a Commissioner, and to determine, when applicable, if a
Commissioner has been in contravention of the Code of Ethics & Professional
Conduct for Commissioners. In the case of an identified contravention, by a
Commissioner, if found guilty, the Ethics’ Officer will consider imposing a
sanction.
The Ethics’ Officer received no complaints related to the Code of Ethics &
Professional Conduct for Commissioners in the 2012-2013 school year.
The Ethics’ Officer recommends a yearly information and review session, with
the NFSB Council of Commissioners, related to ethics and to the expected
professional conduct of the Commissioners.
Respectfully submitted,
A. Linda Julien, Lawyer
Ethics’ Officer
Page 8
School Board Office Directorate
Wayne
Goldthorp
Director General
Rob Buttars
Assistant
Director General
Walter
Coriandoli
Director
Material
Resources
Mike Helm
Director
Educational
Services
Craig McAlpine
Director
Administrative
Services
Cuthbert
McIntyre
Secretary
General
Director
Human
Resources
Bonnie Mitchell
Director
Continuing
Education
Page 9
Report from the Student Ombudsman
A. Linda Julien, Lawyer
The Student Ombudsman’s mandate is to examine complaints from students or their
parents/guardian, in conformity with any applicable laws and/or by-laws, such as ‘‘Bylaws on the procedure for the examination of complaints from students or their parents
established by the NFSB, the Education Act, the Regulation respecting the complaint
examination procedure established by a school board, C.I-13.3, r7.1’’.
The Student Ombudsman received three (3) complaints which were discussed and
followed-up with the Secretary General. However, none of these went through full
process, either by choice of parents/students or because of resolution at the school
level or with other consulted entities.
Total Number of Direct Complaints to the Student Ombudsman
LEVEL
Elementary
High School
Adult Education
Vocational Centre
PARENTS
0
3
0
0
STUDENTS
0
0
0
0
3
0
Total
Nature of the Complaints Received
Nature of Complaints
Elementary
High School
Vocational
Centre
0
1
(2 students)
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
3
0
Claimed school discrimination related to
sexual orientation
Claimed inadequate school supervision
contributing to physical injury during
gym use
Claimed inadequate school response and
action towards victim of student bullying
Total
Observations & Recommendations
Nature of the
complaint
Level
Opinion on the
merits of the
complaint
High
School
End of year
celebrations and
process to be
updated
High
School
Supervision of
gym use to be
assessed
Corrective measure (s)
recommended
•
Discrimination
Injury
•
•
Process of supervision of Students
using weight rooms to be addressed.
•
Bullying
High
School
Ongoing need
for
improvement in
response/action
Celebrate and recognize
achievements and
accomplishments of individuals.
Identify factual gender (i.e.
boys/girls)
Avoid stereotyped titles
•
•
Vigilance as to
identifying/receiving complaints
from victims of bullying.
Action program as to immediate
response to
victim/perpetrator/parents
Immediate addressing of
situation
Page 10
Report on Bullying & Violence
While the New Frontiers School Board takes all complaints seriously and acts
with due process, the School Board is obliged to report only on those
incidents which have been recorded in writing to the Secretary General, as
outlined in the following extract from NFSB By-Law JCEA “Examination of
Complaints”:
Lodging of a Complaint
(Article 6.1 of By-Law JCEA)
All complaints must first be made to the following people in the following order:
• To the school principal or center director when the complaint concerns a decision
made by the staff of a school or centre, or to the director of the service from which
the decision initially emanated;
• To the director of the service concerned by the decision, if applicable;
• To the Director General.
If the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaint, he must address a
written complaint to the Secretary General.
Upon reception of the written complaint, the Secretary General shall ensure that:
• Due process as defined in 5.1 has been followed;
• Concerned parties are informed that a complaint has been received.
Reports
In 2012-13 there was one complaint filed in accordance with this process (see
Report from the Student Ombudsman).
As outlined in Law 56, schools are obliged to report incidents of bullying and
violence to the Director General, including the actions taken, and support
provided to both the victim and the perpetrator. During the 2012-13 school
year, the Director General received a total of 14 reports from across the
system.
With the implementation of this new law, New Frontiers continues to work
with its school communities in the development of proactive approaches,
early identification, and appropriate remediation efforts. Many of these
strategies are highlighted in Goals 4 & 7 of this report. We also develop our
strategies with perception data provided by our own students on an annual
basis using a survey entitled “Tell Them From Me” (TTFM).
The TTFM measure of Bullying is based on
the following questions that ask
students: In the past 4 weeks, has the
same person pushed, punched, or scared
you more than once?; called you names,
teased you, threatened you, or made
racial comments about you more than
once?; excluded you, spread rumours
about you, or tried to make you look bad
more than once?; used computer, email
or phone text messages to tease or
threaten you more than once? Source:
TTFM Survey Data 2012, “Students who
are victims of bullying” (%)
Page 11
The Ministry’s Strategic Plan
In the Ministry of Education, Leisure & Sports’ (MELS) Strategic Plan for 20092013, there are eight orientations which outline a number of objectives set
forth by the MELS. Five of these orientations target objectives impacting the
Youth, Adult or Vocational training sectors. The New Frontiers School
Board’s Strategic Plan for 2010-2014 targets a majority of these objectives
within its own plan. The orientations, goals, objectives and strategies
approved by the Council of Commissioners in 2010, uphold the integrity and
mission for the community of learners served by the New Frontiers School
Board and support the Ministry of Education, Leisure & Sports’ Strategic Plan.
Below are a few examples of the synergy between the NFSB and MELS
Strategic Plans.
The first orientation presented by the MELS Strategic Plan includes an
objective (1.2) that targets “the ongoing development and improvement of
school staff competencies.” In the NFSB Strategic Plan, the objective stands
alone as NFSB Goal 8 - “To increase professional capacity and personal
growth opportunities for all employees” and includes a number of supporting
strategies focused on the professional growth opportunities of all employee
groups.
The second orientation of the MELS Strategic Plan, objective 2.1 involves “the
promotion of vocational and technical training as well as adult general
education and lifelong learning.” The NFSB has addressed this objective
through its Continuing Education marketing plan involving a new website,
nfsb.me, as well as the department’s increased use of social media in its
effort to reach their target audience.
In the fourth MELS orientation, objective 4.2 ensures “that students are
accompanied in a structured and ongoing manner in their academic and
career paths”. This objective is addressed in the NFSB’s Strategic Plan by a
number of strategies that are part of the Elementary-Secondary transition
efforts. These include systematic activities and procedures, developed by the
transition team working in collaboration with each high school.
Finally, orientation 5 of the MELS Strategic Plan wishes “to create an
educational environment adapted to the diversified needs of individuals and
schools”. At the NFSB, the Community Learning Centre (CLC) concept
development initiative has been taken to a systemic level, through Goal 6 of
its plan. All 15 schools and centres are working with their communities and
local organizations in partnerships to better serve the needs of the students
and their families. These partnerships involve increased use of our schools
and centres and increased access to community-based services by our
families.
Page 12
Financial Results
NEW FRONTIERS SCHOOL BOARD
Financial Results
For the Year Ended June 30, 2013
Extract from the Audited Financial Statement
Balance Sheet as at June 30, 2013
(Comparative figures as at June 30, 2012)
2013
Financial Assets
Cash
Gov Operating Grants Receivable
Other Gov Grants Receivable
Taxes Receivable
Other Assets & Receivables
Liabilities
Bank Indebtedness
Payables, Accrued Liabilities
Other Liabilites and Trusts
Long Term Debt
Non Financial Assets
Fixed Assets (Net)
Prepaid Expenses
Accumulated Surplus
2012
$524,559
4,148,610
11,769,007
475,461
1,408,300
$18,325,937
$285,108
1,559,686
11,786,779
701,192
2,216,787
$16,549,552
$0
10,748,092
3,974,222
41,614,000
$56,336,314
$0
11,100,524
3,947,919
38,325,000
$53,373,443
$42,221,813
15,655
$42,237,468
$4,227,091
$41,070,271
22,290
$41,092,561
$4,268,670
Assets
MELS grants receivable amount to $4,148,610 for operations and
$11,769,007 for capital investments. Fixed Assets includes acquisition of
buildings & equipment of $3371,161 and amortization was $2,219,619.
Liabilities
Long term debt increased from $38,325,000 to
to $41,614,000. The Board maintains self insurance for
capital assets and employee disability benefits.
Accumulated Surplus
In 2012/2013, the Board recorded an operational deficit
of $ 41,579. This combined with the adjusted 2011/2012
balance forward to produce an accumulated surplus of
$4,227,091 as at June 30, 2013.
Trust Funds held for Anglo Boards
The NFSB acts as a fidiciary, holding funds from the MELS in trust
and disbursing them to fund various Anglo Board Projects. The
balance in these trust funds at year end was $179,499.
Board's Auditors: Ruby, Stein, Wagner, Chartered Accountants
School taxes represented about 9% of the Board's total revenues. Despite the tightening of budgets from the MELS, Council has mandated the
administration to maintain the highest level of services in the areas of:
- Optimizing teacher staffing in classrooms
- Special Ed Technicians & Attendants, Psychological services
- Maximizing operational funding to schools
- Providing adequate student supervision
The funding associated with providing these services had to be offset by reducing administrative and building maintenance budgets.
Other Revenues 4%
Ed Supplies/
Projects, 5%
Revenues
School Taxes 10%
MELS- Youth Education
MELS- Adult/Prof Ed
MELS- Eq,Transp, Suppl Alloc
MELS- Capital/LTD
School Taxation
Rev's: Interboard/ Misc./Trusts
Educational Supplies/Projects
Capital
& Debt
6%
Equalization,
Grants, Transport
23%
2012/2013
Youth Ed 43%
Gross Operating Deficit
Adult/Prof Ed 9%
$22,622,496
4,751,952
11,904,637
3,275,825
5,019,753
1,949,505
3,211,905
$52,736,073
43%
9%
23%
6%
10%
4%
5%
100%
$ (41,579)
Approximately 86% of financing for NFSB's operations was assumed by the Ministry of Education, Leisure & Sports (MELS).
Expenses
2012/2013
Youth Ed & Student Serv's
Ad/Prof Ed & Std Serv's
Transportation & Daycares
Gen.Admin, Council, Prof Devlp
Buildings & Facilities
Capital & LT Debt Service
Inter-Bd, Trusts, Special Projects
$27,523,810
6,327,608
5,075,071
3,463,913
5,825,037
1,428,144
3,134,069
$52,777,652
Gross Operating Deficit
$ (41,579)
Inter-board, Trusts &
Special Projects 5%
Capital & Debt 3%
Buildings &
Facilities 11%
Youth Ed 52%
Gen Admin 7%
Transport and
Daycare 10%
Adult/Prof 12%
Why
we are
Ten elementary schools.
Two high schools.
Three adult education centres.
One school board office.
Buildings filled with dynamic, dedicated and fascinating students and
employees. That’s why.
Page 14
School & Centre Reports
From our Primary Schools…
Centennial Park School
2012-2013 was an exciting and productive year for CPS. Our dedicated teaching and
support staff members were engaged in numerous academic and altruistic initiatives
including successful food drives, various fundraisers which engaged all our students
all year.
Our teachers supported learning and developed early literacy using approaches such
as: Daily 5, Soundprint, Specialized Teaching for the Acquisition of Reading and
Talking (S.T.A.R.T.) and Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI). These approaches
complemented the curriculum in developing early literacy and assisting existing
intervention programs.
With the continued funding of the measure “École 2.0”, CPS is now equipped with an
interactive whiteboard in all classrooms except two. The use of technology in daily
learning is continually growing and the students are becoming more competent with
the various equipment. The impact these tools have had on learning is something we
are all proud of.
Throughout the programing and initiatives achieved this year, the Resource teachers,
including music, art and physical education specialists, and the Special Education
technicians and attendants, all worked tirelessly to support the students who require
further support and academic help. As well, a new model for supporting homework
for students with special needs and all students needing help with homework was
piloted this year and has had great success. Our Daycare service is also providing
daily homework assistance. These practices will continue next year.
We are looking forward to the next academic year and are ready for the challenge of
improving teaching and learning for all at CPS.
Franklin Elementary School
“Small School, Big Difference” continues to be a focal point within the Franklin
community. It is the community support that youngsters receive that makes Franklin
a true Community School. Franklin is very proud to have started an 80% French
Immersion Kindergarten Program which has proven to be very successful and very
well received by the school community. We continue to maintain a high profile
bilingual program.
Literacy continues to be the school’s top priority in each and every classroom. The
S.T.A.R.T program (Specialized Teaching for the Acquisition of Reading and Talking)
supports early literacy acquisition for primary students. After-school math
workshops have been instituted for all grade 4, 5, and 6 students.
The school belief is that teaching the individual youngster is of prime importance,
thus we have had art instruction by a world class artist, as well as interactive
instruction at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, as well as golf lessons for senior
elementary students. Students have visited the Droulers Museum in St. Anicet, the
Eco-Museum in St. Anne-de-Bellevue, and Montreal’s China Town. In addition we
took part in a cultural music exchange with our neighboring French school.
Page 15
A mentoring program was instituted for grade 4, 5, & 6 girls focusing on anti-bullying,
and decision making for proper behavioral choices. Weekly community circle
assemblies have been held for the entire school population where issues of day-today school and community life are discussed by all.
The continued and ongoing mission of Franklin Elementary School is to build its
bilingual program supported by the academic, emotional, and social development of
all students.
Gault Institute
Gault focuses on English Language Arts education as the majority of our students are
from French-speaking families. “Resilient” would be a good word to describe the
staff and school community in light of the schools reality, being an English school in
the heart of a francophone community, as well as overcoming an issue with mold
during this school year. Despite the challenges, a large amount was accomplished
that was deserving of celebration. A huge success was our fundraising efforts where
the staff decided together to work with “Genie de Loisir” to provide students an
opportunity to participate in healthy physical activities. The funds raised were used
to provide swimming lessons for every student in the school.
The staff was also trained in recreational activities and games by Marc Lacroix, owner
and trainer from “The Huntington Toy Company”, as well as Patrice Gagnon, who is
associated with the CRE and “Quebec en Forme”.
A key element to Gault’s mission is to connect with the local community. One very
important piece to this puzzle is our Community Learning Centre. The CLC provided
activities for our students, parents and the community at large.
The school body has shown academic improvement as well. In working with
essentially a second language client base, academic improvement begins slowly and
progresses nicely throughout the later years of elementary school. Compared to
school board averages, Gault students perform on par with their end-of-cycle results.
What is not lost on the staff and parent community alike is that Gault is producing a
bilingual student population in a unique manner. This will be a key element driving
our school next year.
Harmony Elementary School
Harmony once again focused its efforts on early literacy initiatives and approaches.
Approaches such as Daily 5, S.T.A.R.T (Specialized Teaching for the Acquisition of
Reading and Talking), Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) and opening our library for
students to take books home, all fostered the acquisition of literacy skills throughout
all cycles. Evidence of this can be seen in the school’s results on its reading
evaluations.
2012-2013 was a year of fundraising at Harmony. Once again students raised money
for Free the Children, which amounted to $670. This year some enthusiastic boys
decided to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness; the team sold bows and was
able to raise $300. The entire school got involved in raising money for the ALD
Foundation of Canada in memory of a grade 5 student who lost his fight with this
terrible disease this year. The school raised $6400 in just two weeks.
The Harmony Resource Team did a phenomenal job identifying students with special
needs and providing the best pedagogical assistance to them. The team also was
able to verify all student codes and files to ensure all were updated and that students
received the care they needed.
Page 16
The Harmony parents’ community was very active this year. Our Parent Participatory
Organization ran several fundraisers and our Governing Board ran efficient meetings
throughout the year. Our community was also involved in most fundraisers as well
was active with our breakfast program, our library, and our early literacy program.
We are looking forward to the 2013-2014 school year and continuing on our successes
this past year.
Hemmingford Elementary School
The instructional objectives at Hemmingford Elementary School are driven by the
objectives of our Management & Educational Success Agreement (MESA). All aspects
of school life at Hemmingford Elementary are executed through the philosophies of
bilingual education. Literacy continues to drive all priorities in every classroom in
both languages.
Hemmingford’s bilingual program continues to grow and flourish with respect within
the school and community. All students participate enthusiastically in a vibrant music
and dance program, which most often result in a concert open to community
members. As well students participate in all School Board sponsored activities:
sports, transitions, vocational education visits. Our senior students have prospered
with individual golf lessons in our partnership with the Hemmingford Golf & Country
Club.
We were fortunate to be recipients of the “Breakfast for Learning Grant”, which
permits us to serve breakfast on a daily basis to more than 80% of our student
population.
Many of Hemmingford’s students benefit from lunch-time instruction through the
staff of our Community Learning Centre partnership with the Hemmingford Historical
Archives, which are now housed in the school.
It is our continued mission to forge forward in our ongoing development and
improvement in the academic, social, cultural, emotional, and health education for all
students.
Heritage Elementary School
With a focus on anti-bullying initiatives, the Chateauguay Valley Regional High School
student team, “The Power of One”, presented on how the power of one bystander’s
actions can make a difference; every student signed a “Power of One” pledge.
To promote literacy, the Principal launched “I Read to the Challenge” asking students
to read 10,000 books or chapters. The students responded with a counter challenge:
if they succeeded the Principal was to dress like a hippy and dye his hair purple.
Challenge on! The final results: 36,000 books/chapters were read and the Principal
not only dressed like a hippy but brought the entire student population to Chapters
bookstore.
“Fire Prevention Day” was held with support from four of our surrounding Fire
Departments including a “smoke house” borrowed from our New York State
neighbouring Fire Department which was used to simulate a real fire. In November,
Remembrance Day was celebrated with our veterans, including pipers, and ending
with a dinner prepared by our staff and Parent Action Group (PAG).
Page 17
A cultural grant allowed us to have a professional artist, Jacque Clement, create a
mosaic with all of the students. Another grant was secured for our students with
special needs to purchase Word Q software for writing and reading. Combined with
the money from the Board’s Golf Tournament, the project was expanded to help
every one of our student with special needs. Additional funds raised by PAG were
used to cover the costs of a Geordie Theatre play, “Power of One” presentations,
Christmas dinner, a Graduation cake, engraving of our trophies, Fun Day activities,
and $20 per student for a year-end trip.
We a started a Recess Success Program with support from Dynamix, and we had
teams participating in sports activities. We won the Speed Stacking Competitions
and one of our students made the Canadian Team and went to Florida for the World
Championships, placing 21st! Our new daycare is providing needed services to an
average of 25 students every afternoon. We had a great year and we are proud of
our accomplishments.
Howick Elementary School
What an eventful year! We began with a community corn roast with many former
Howick staff members in attendance. We reinforced partnerships with our
neighbouring French school, completed a playground restoration project, and
participated in the New Frontiers School Board Cross Country Challenge.
From September to November, our staff focused on developing our “Anti-Bullying /
Anti-Violence” Plan. We held an extremely successful Craft Fair and Santa Claus
Parade, sponsored by our school. Students participated in WE DAY activities
including a trip to Montreal. Patrice Gagnon was hired to train all staff in a school
yard leadership program. We promoted safe schools projects and took part in a very
successful “Curling for Kids” fundraiser. The Charity Basketball Tournament,
organized by Howick staff, raised over $2500 for a family whose house burnt down.
The “Culture in Schools” brought in several artists and writers to explain their talents
to our students. A trip to the Chapters bookstore was part of our literacy initiative.
“Star of the Week” awards promoted good citizenship. We attended the “Trades in
Motion” fair to expose students to the different careers available to them. We
participated in the New Frontiers Music Festival, board-wide lockdown drills, and the
Montreal GMAA Halo Road Race. Howick had one student recognized by the
“Festivale Jeunesse Rurale” Gala Committee at their awards evening. It was a busy,
productive, fun, enlightening and fulfilling year at Howick Elementary.
Mary Gardner School
MGS celebrated its 50th Anniversary in education this year with many events,
including a two-day Open House highlighting the past five decades, a concert, and a
cocktail evening for alumni.
We continued with our Healthy Snack policy and a community initiative enabled our
students to plant their own gardens. Four staff members visited schools in
Vancouver to learn about the BC Action Schools Program that highlights healthy
eating and physical education. We received a grant from Nutella enabling us to
provide students with fruit and vegetable tastings.
We continued with our Cycle 2 & 3 Band Program. We held a memorable
Remembrance Day ceremony, a Christmas Concert, participated in the School
Board’s Music Festival, 50th Anniversary Celebrations, and had a Glee Club. Art filled
the hallways too, and our “Culture in Schools” artist worked with all students to
design and produce beautiful mosaics that are proudly displayed in our lobby.
Page 18
Our balanced literacy program, at all levels and in both official languages, unfolded
through the use of the “Daily 5” approach to literacy , peer reading, volunteer
reading, and a wonderful day with author Cynthia Peters, whose books support our
anti-bullying and character education focus.
Our Community Learning Centre initiative continued this year with various courses
offered to our community. We also celebrated with them through many activities
organized by our Parent Participatory Organization, including Fun Day and the St.
Patrick’s Day float. Funds raised by our parents enabled us to purchase new
playground equipment.
We took part in the “Free the Children” initiative, and our Character Education Pillar
Program enjoyed monthly assemblies celebrating good character and the antibullying message, “I will stand up and lend a hand against bullying at MGS!” Our
Playground Leadership Program continued to evolve with support from parents and
staff, and our cycle 2 and 3 students.
We enjoyed having the opportunity to work together for another wonderful year at
MGS!
Ormstown Elementary School
It was a busy year at OES. We started off the year with our community corn roast.
Students took part in all organized Valley School Sports events, starting with the
annual Cross Country Run at Allan’s Corners. We celebrated WE DAY in Montreal and
held a very successful Terry Fox fundraiser. We held a public speaking contest,
participated in the New Frontiers Music Festival, practiced lockdown training, and
attended the “Trades in Motion” fair where students learned about the various
career options available to them.
We developed a comprehensive Anti-Bullying/Anti Violence plan and our staff also
worked on our Management & Educational Success Agreement (MESA). We
welcomed a team of teachers from the Eastern Shores School Board for a week so
they could observe first-hand the workings of a fully bilingual program.
We focussed on literacy by having “I Love to Read Week” and taking students to
Chapters bookstore in Montreal. We also gave every student a bag of books to read
over the summer vacation.
We received a sizeable grant from “Breakfast for Learning Canada” to promote good
nutrition and all our staff worked with Patrice Gagnon from “Quebec en Forme” to
establish safe school yard practices. We took an active part in Student Focus events
and Transition to High School days. We also significantly increased the use of the
VCN for pedagogical events.
With our “Culture in Schools” grant we were able to have several artists present to
our students. We also had several students honoured at the “Festivale Jeunesse
Rurale” Gala in June. As we said, it was another busy year at OES!
St. Willibrord School
A lot of great things happened at St-Willibrord this year! Physically more green space
was added in the school yard and a new sidewalk was installed that leads to the
Daycare area.
Page 19
In terms of results, we also did very well this year… Reading results are more
consistent with our Levelled Literacy Intervention program that identifies and helps
students with reading difficulties. We improved our scores in English and French. The
effect showed up also in our Learning Centers where students continue to progress
at their individual rates. We were blessed this year with the “Trades in Motion”
Career Fair being held literally in our backyard. The entire community had an
opportunity to experience hands-on what career options are available on our
territory. Our community Learning Centre presents activities and opportunities for
our students and staff, improving the quality of the learning of our students. The
Ambassador Program revealed itself to be helpful to our students in working on
social skills. The quality of the food items available to our students improved due to
efforts of our Healthy Eating & Active Living Committee and our cafeteria employees.
The 2012-13 year was great and we are ready for 2013-14!
From our Secondary Schools…
Chateauguay Valley Regional High School
CVR provides a safe and caring environment, enriching programs and engaging
instruction where every student is encouraged to achieve academic potential and to
develop knowledge, skills and values that lead to personal fulfillment and good
citizenship. Our programs are unique and include “Français langue d’enseignement”
in our Universal Program, literacy support in both languages supported by our
Reading Resource Program, a Work Oriented Training Path, and our Learning
Centres.
Our transition efforts supporting the move from elementary to secondary school
have been instrumental in the success of our Secondary I students. There are many
opportunities to support incoming Secondary I students with visits to the elementary
schools, WE Day-Orientation Day, summer Basketball Camp, and the Jump Start
Program. Each initiative has given new students a sense of what life in high school is
all about. Our annual Open House also supports these transition efforts and
welcomes our community to see CVR Spirit in action.
School life is vibrant with most students participating in extracurricular activities
from sports to performing arts to leadership. Our Performing Arts program
acquaints students with a wide variety of performance styles and experiences
through music, dance, visual arts and drama and students are encouraged to discover
their artistic talents.
CVR is the hub of the community and we have opened up our school by hosting
information sessions for parents as well as supporting students and families through
various activities.
Chateauguay Valley Regional High School… a regional school where collaboration
and respect are at the heart of our community!
Howard S. Billings Regional High School
HSB continues to strive to improve academic success, build effective organizational
structures and support systems for students, improve the physical environment,
increase accessibility and integration of technology, and strengthen partnerships that
contribute to student success. Opportunities for building leadership capacity and
learning for all staff and students were at the heart of our actions. Results in
graduation-required courses have generally improved from last year.
Page 20
Our Staff Success Planning Teams have taken on the challenge of improving student
academic outcomes. Student Services and Special Needs Departments have been
reorganized to provide greater effectiveness, and our staff was engaged in
professional improvement and/or leadership development by contributing to our
extracurricular programs and school governance.
Our International Baccalaureate Program continues to grow and is now offered from
Grades 7 - 11. The number of Honor Roll and Principal’s Honor Roll students has been
maintained, in spite of increased curriculum and evaluation requirements, particularly
in Grades 10 & 11. The school received two significant grants: one to improve literacy
levels in Grade 7 for identified students, and one to improve academic success for
Native students and to strengthen partnerships with the Native community.
Increased parental involvement and responsiveness were evident in the record
number of teacher-parent interviews and participation in the Annual General
Meeting.
We have upgraded the quality and availability of technology throughout the school.
Improvements to the physical environment included new lockers installed in the
West basement, general painting throughout the school, and refurbishing of some
classrooms. Our main gymnasium was repainted and the floors were refinished.
This year our Arts and Physical Education Departments continued to excel by offering
a high quality extracurricular program and by promoting involvement from all
stakeholders in the community. HSB won 9 GMAA Championships and our SWAT
(Students Working Artistically Together) teams offered evening shows to the
community and visited elementary schools of the Board.
We continue to build a school where shared and participative leadership and learning
are paramount.
From our Adult Career Centres…
Chateauguay Valley Career Education Centre
Our commitment to student success continued at CVCEC during the 2012-13 school
year. We graduated a total of 125 students in DEP (Diplome d’éducation
professionnelle) programs and obtained authorizations to offer Health, Assistance &
Nursing, and Construction Business Management programs.
Four teachers and eight students participated in a two-week work study in Ocoa,
Dominican Republic, where they were able to assist impoverished communities with
basic medical needs. Funding came from “Education Internationale” and local
fundraising by the students. This initiative helped with student retention and created
a sense of belonging for the whole class. Plans are underway to continue this type of
learning experience for the 2013-14 school year.
A partnership was created with Eco-Habitation, Habitat for Humanity, the Town of
Ormstown, and the New Frontiers School Board to build a semi-detached home for
two families who meet the Habitat for Humanity criteria. Nanette Workman will be
our celebrity spokesperson for this community-minded project. The Carpentry and
Landscaping teachers have begun their LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) teacher certification. Fundraisers are being planned for the
fall. Our Carpentry team has also been awarded the John Killingbeck
Teacher/Administrator Scholarship which will allow for several staff members to go
to British Columbia in November to visit a university that has participated in several
Habitat for Humanity builds.
Page 21
Our Landscaping program returned to being project-based, whenever possible,
which means we took on several landscaping projects at schools within New
Frontiers. Staff and students enjoyed the overall experience.
Our students also participated in team building activities lead by Dynamix, antismoking campaigns, cultural lunches and healthy living activities. Our students may
not be in our building long but they feel welcome and have a good sense of
belonging.
Huntingdon Adult Education & Community Centre
We had a very successful year at HAECC with almost 200 students passing through
our doors each day.
The Horticulture Program initially started with six students but after calling students
from previous years who had not completed certain modules, we ended up with
eleven students. The greenhouse was full of plants this spring and we held a
community plant sale which was very well attended.
Our Champlain CEGEP groups were very successful this year due to high retention
and pass rates in all courses. The CEGEP students are valuable members of the
HAECC community especially because of their volunteerism and contribution to
community life.
The adult general education program graduated 21 students this year which is more
than double from previous years. We also sent a record number of students who
achieved their qualifications to move on to a vocational training program.
Our successful SFIS class (Sunshine Class) for adults with special needs had 20
students who worked on individualized programs with their educators. These
students ran a Breakfast Club for all students and planted a vegetable garden. This
class runs in partnership with the long-standing community group, Melissa’s Sunshine
Camp, who use office space at HAECC. We recently received a grant to support this
program and our students; our goal is to double the size of the program next year.
We are thrilled with our achievements at HAECC this year and are looking forward to
working on new ways to increase our student population and community
involvement, and create new and innovative programming.
Nova Career Education Centre
Of course, one of the biggest events of the year is our “Trades in Motion” career fair
which was held in April. This event showcases many of our programs, and was a wild
success! NOVA also participated in this year's 'WE" day at le Theatre St-Denis. Our
Interior Decorating and Visual Display department worked hard to help Santa setup
his office for the video-conferences held in December… Travel expenses were quite
high! The Residential & Commercial Drafting department got their hands on a new
Drafting Plotter, with embedded scanner, while the RV Maintenance and Repair
program was promoted during a few weekends at some local campgrounds. On June
4th, three students from the Automobile Mechanics program were honored by “Le
Comité Éducation Travail en Équipement Motorisé du Montréal Métropolitain est
l'organis” (CETEMMM) at their “Meritas Gala”. In our Welding and Fitting
department, the CEN-funded downdraft tables were installed after improvements
were made to the electrical installations. The “hoods” on the tables were designed
and manufactured by our own welding students, and it seems, according to the
Lincoln representative, that we actually improved the usability of these! Ashley
Page 22
Parent, Faith Stuart-Sorgente, Jodi Smith-Wright and Maria Comunale, students from
our Hairdressing program, visited the Rising Sun Childcare Centre, an Aboriginal
childcare centre to offer the mothers of the children attending the daycare a free
new hairstyle. Our Student Advisory group has given $1000 to two local food banks
and is also collecting food at lunch time for the Chateauguay Food Bank. In our
General Education programs, Resource Room 2.0! was built. Using the familiar “If
you build it, they will come” concept, Special Education Technician Marie Lawrence
Gault reorganized the Resource Room to meet the needs of our academic students.
It is a real success! The second installment of the Introduction to Construction Trades
has debuted in October. This project was funded completely by the Kahnawake
Economic Development Commission (Tewatohnhi’saktha).
And in the end…NOVA celebrated the successful completion of studies for 156
vocational and academic students on Friday, June 7th. What a great year!
Page 23
What
we do
Each day 5,000 students and 700 employees fill our schools and
centres. We educate. We celebrate. We learn.
The Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport told us and all other
school boards in the Province, that we had five goals we had to strive
to meet. We added another three. The following pages outline these
eight goals and the many successes we have had in achieving and
maintaining them. That’s what we do.
Page 24
Goal #1
Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport
Increase graduation/qualification rates of
students under the age of 20
Objectives
1. Increase the percentage of students under the age of 20
who graduate or acquire qualification.
2. Increase the percentage of Cycle 1 secondary students
reading at grade level.
3. Increase the success rate in the Grade 10 subjects
required for graduation.
4. Reduce the number of students leaving without a
diploma or certification.
Page 25
Context
The first objective in Goal #1 is to increase the number of students under the age of
20 who graduate or obtain qualification. Students may do so by graduating from
high school, qualifying from a Work-Oriented Training program, completing high
school leaving requirements in the adult education sector or graduating from a
vocational training program. In June 2011, seven years after the 2004-2005 cohort
began their secondary studies, their graduation and qualification rate was 78.0%. This
rate exceeded the provincial average for public sector school boards by 8.7% and the
entire province as a whole (private and public) by 3%. The 2005-2006 cohort showed
a slightly lower result with the 7-year graduation rate recorded at 73.0%, only 2%
higher than the provincial average for public sector school boards. While this result is
of concern, the 6-year graduation/qualification rate for the 2006-2007 cohort already
stands at 72.8%, with a 2-4% increase expected by the end of the 7-year period for this
cohort.
The Ministere d’Education, Loisirs et Sports (MELS) has established the NFSB’s target
graduation and qualification rate for the year 2020 at 86%. The NFSB has set a target
of 80% by June 2014, the end of this Strategic Plan.
Source: MELS, Portrait des statistiques ministérielles, mai 2013
The second objective of Goal #1 is to increase the percentage of Cycle 1 secondary
students reading at grade level. In order to influence this result, it is understood that
most of the intervention needs to occur in the primary grades. Research has
demonstrated a correlation between reading at level in the elementary grades and
graduation rates. It is for this reason that objective #2 supports the goal of increasing
the number of students who graduate or obtain certification.
It is important to acknowledge that 50% of the schools in our School Board are
identified as NANS (New Approaches, New Solutions) schools with socioeconomic
indexes ranging from 8 to 10 (Table 2). The high incidence of students at risk due to
socio-economic disadvantage is a critical factor in the portrait of New Frontiers.
Page 26
Table 2 - Schools by Socio-Economic Index (based on 2006 census data)
SCHOOL
SEQ index
Centennial Park Elementary
Chateauguay Valley Regional High School
Franklin Elementary
Gault Elementary
Harmony Elementary
Hemmingford Elementary
Heritage Elementary
Howard S. Billings Regional High School
Howick Elementary
Mary Gardner Elementary School
Ormstown Elementary
St. Willibrord Elementary
4
9
8
9
7
7
10
4
8
5
9
6
Source: MELS, SPSG, DSID, SIS,
compilation spéciale des
données du recensement
canadien de 2006
(production mars 2013)
Four elementary schools, one secondary school, and one adult/vocational training
centre in Chateauguay, service the First Nations students from the community of
Kahnawake (Table 3). These students may sometimes need particular support in
terms of school retention and adaptations to the curriculum. Our schools and
training centre offer a variety of programs and additional support funded through
Aboriginal Literacy grants.
Table 3 - Enrollment of Aboriginal Students in NFSB Schools
School
# of Aboriginal Students
% of student
population
Centennial Park Elementary
13
4%
Harmony Elementary
25
10%
Howard S. Billings High School
176
18%
Mary Gardner Elementary School
34
10%
NOVA Career Centre
70
25%
St. Willibrord Elementary School
109
35%
Source: NFSB internal data, official September 30th enrolment figures
The third objective of Goal #1 is to increase the success rates of Grade 10 subjects
required for graduation. This includes the following courses: History & Citizenship
Education, Science & Technology and Mathematics. It is important to keep in mind
when interpreting the success rates that the curriculum and the nature of the
evaluations have changed significantly since the benchmark indicators for these
subjects were established. All three subjects now involve a uniform evaluation (an
exam common to all students in the Province) and prior to the implementation of the
Quebec Education Program, involved a curriculum that was objective-based as
opposed to competency-based. It is important to note that the benchmarks (2008)
reflect the previous curriculum and school-based evaluations for each subject, while
the results reported to date and since June 2011, reflect the “new” curriculum and
uniform evaluations.
The fourth objective of Goal #1 is to decrease the number of students under 20, who
leave without graduating or obtaining certification (decrease the number of
dropouts). A benchmark of 100 student “leavers” was established by averaging the
number of “leavers” from 2003 through 2007. This number represents not only the
number of dropouts but also includes students who moved out of the province of
Quebec, returned to a school in a Native community or who are deceased. The
Minister of Education has set a provincial target of reducing the number of dropouts
by 5000 students. The NFSB’s share of this goal is to reduce the number of dropouts
by 10 students by the year 2020.
Page 27
Objective
Current Results
Baseline
Target
2014
Board
2011-2012
Board
2012-2013
73%
(2012
7 year
cohort)
54%
(2013)
1.
*
To increase the percentage of
students under the age of 20 who
graduate or acquire qualification.
73%
(2008)
80%
78%
(2011
7 year
cohort)
2.
**
To increase the percentage of
Cycle 1 Secondary students reading
at grade level.
43%
(2010)
48%
51%
(2012)
69%
(average
To increase the success rate of
3a.
69%
77%
of
students in Secondary 4 History
73%
***
(2012)
(2013)
results
and Citizenship Education.
20052008)
66%
3b
(average
70%
69%
students in Secondary 4 Science
70%
***.
2005(2012)
(2013)
and Technology.
2008)
72%
3c.
(average
68%
76%
75%
students in Secondary 4
***
2005(2012)
(2013)
Mathematics.
2008)
100
To reduce the number of students
53
65
(average
4.
leaving without a diploma or
90
(17.4%)
(20.0%)
****
2003certificate.
(2010)
(2011)
2007)
Sources: *MELS, Portrait des statistiques ministérielles, mai 2013; **NFSB internal results, GRADE
assessment tool; ***MELS second publication of results; ****MELS, Portrait des statistiques
ministérielles, oct. 2012, tableau 4
Progress
Objective 1 - Graduation and Qualification Rates
The most up-to-date MELS 7-year cohort result (73.0% in 2011-2012) reflects a 5%
decrease from the previous year’s rate of 78%, with each sector contributing a lower
percentage of graduating or qualifying students (65.4% from the Youth sector, 6.9%
from the Adult sector and 0.8% from Vocational training). It is interesting to note
however that the relative contributions from each sector show a 50% increase from
the Youth sector, a 20% decrease from the Adult sector and a 30% decrease from the
Vocational training sector. A more promising rate in the following year’s cohort
demonstrates a graduation/qualification rate of 72.8 after 6 years. It is anticipated
that this rate will increase by at least 1.5 - 4.5% based on previous year’s results
between the 6-year and 7-year cohort rates.
This variability from year-to-year in our graduation rates requires further analysis
however many of the strategies implemented are demonstrating positive results and
require additional monitoring to gauge their influence on the graduation and
qualification rates.
• Some of the strategies that will continue to influence the graduation and
qualification rates include a number of systemic activities that have been focused
on the elementary to secondary transition. The feedback from students and
teachers from these efforts is encouraging and is certainly influencing the level
of engagement within each Middle School.
Page 28
•
•
The second year of students to qualify for a Work-Oriented Training Certificate (a
total of 12 students) will be included in the certification results for 2013. In
previous years, students completed an in-house work-study program but they
did not benefit from the recognition of certification. These newly acknowledged
“graduates” will continue to have a positive impact on our graduation and
qualification rates.
Increased collaboration between the Youth and Adult/Vocational sectors will
further assist appropriate placement of students, support for adult students with
special needs and the continuation of educational opportunities for all.
Objective 2 - Secondary Cycle 1 Reading Levels
The reading level of all secondary students was determined using the G.R.A.D.E. Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation tool. Since the assessment
was performed in September, reading level was defined as any student reading at
level 6.5 and above at the beginning of Secondary 1 and 7.5 and above at the
beginning of Secondary 2. The benchmark for this indicator was established in
September 2010 with 48% of all students in Secondary 1 reading at grade level and 55%
of all Secondary 2 students reading at grade level. This year’s assessments
(September 2012) demonstrate a significant increase in Secondary 1 with 55% of
students reading at level, while Secondary 2 students demonstrated a slight increase
with 56% of students reading at level.
• Early literacy intervention strategies in Cycle 1 elementary will demonstrate a
positive impact on secondary reading levels in the next few years. Elementary
reading levels are also being tracked and analyzed and significant improvement
from year to year is being noted.
• Both high schools are developing their own reading interventions for struggling
students. This is primarily delivered through the resource model however it is
understood that the goal must be to influence classroom teacher practice in
order to be effective and sustainable.
• Further efforts and professional development in Leveled Literacy Intervention
strategies across the elementary sector will continue to strengthen our
approaches to developing reading comprehension, both in the classroom and
within our resource efforts.
• Each secondary school has implemented a daily-sustained silent reading program
for all students. Our secondary students are provided 1.5 hours a week of
dedicated, self-selected reading opportunities. Research demonstrates that a
daily-sustained silent reading program has the potential to significantly influence
reading results. It is therefore felt that this initiative should be more fully
recognized and supported across the system.
Page 29
Objective 3a - Success Rate in Secondary 4 History and Citizenship Education
Objective 3b - Success Rate in Secondary 4 Science and Technology
Objective 3c - Success Rate in Secondary 4 Mathematics
History & Citizenship Education, Science & Technology and Mathematics subject
areas at the Secondary 4 level were subjected to MELS uniform evaluations in June
2012, which had a significant impact on their respective success rates. Prior to June
2012, each secondary school determined the nature of their final evaluations.
History & Citizenship Education is taught in both English and French. Many of our
students enrolled in the bilingual program complete the course in French. The
success rate of NFSB students enrolled in the History course in French (087-404) is
90% (2013). The provincial average of all students who wrote 087-404 was 12 % below
the NFSB’s rate (78%). Students who wrote the History exam in English had a success
rate of 74%, a 17% difference over last year’s success rate. The combined success rate
for History & Citizenship Education (in English and in French) after the August 2013
supplemental exam period was 77%. This represents a 9% increase over last year’s
combined rate of 68%.
• Our improvement efforts in History & Citizenship Education are also focused on
the needs of our teachers, in understanding the curriculum and developing in
their students the required “Intellectual Operations”.
• Professional development for all teachers, including those who teach the grade 9
History course, has been focused on instructional approaches of the “Intellectual
Operations”.
• Both high schools’ departments are involved in a great deal of collaborative work
primarily focused on the development of common objectives and assessments.
• Each school, with the support of the Educational Services Department, develops
a mid-year evaluation as a mechanism to provide feedback to students and
permit school teams to assess and possibly adjust their instructional approaches
at a mid-year point.
• All Grade 10 History teachers have been involved in an item analysis of the results
of their June 2012 exams. This analysis has provided teachers with a great deal of
feedback on the questions in the June evaluation that their students struggled
with.
Only one path of Science & Technology (General) is offered in each of our high
schools. The success rate of 69%, while 1% lower than last year, is on track for the
target established for 2014 (70%).
• Strategic efforts to improve the success rate in this subject area involve
increasing collaboration between teachers of these subjects with a goal of
developing common assessments, strengthening instructional approaches and
working with an increased understanding of the impact of moderation and
conversion on student overall results.
In Secondary 4 Mathematics, two paths; Cultural, Social and Technical (CST) and
Science (SN) options were offered in 2012-2013. The overall success rate for these
two paths combined was 76%, 8% higher than last year’s combined rate with each
path demonstrating improved results. The overall success rate in SN was 96%, 10%
improvement over last year. The success rate for students completing the CST
program was 68%, 11% higher than last year’s rate. It is important to note that most
students (234 out of 325) were enrolled in the CST option, while the SN option
attracted 91 students.
Page 30
•
Improvement efforts in this area involve the strengthening of instructional
practices, the creation of common assessments and the early identification of
struggling students. All of these efforts will be accomplished through an
evidence-based PLC model, led by department heads and supported through our
board-wide initiatives.
Objective 4 - Students Leaving without a Diploma or Certification
The NFSB had an average from 2003 through 2007 of 100 students defined by the
MELS as students who did not complete their graduation or qualification
requirements. In 2011, this number was decreased to 65 student leavers, well below
the target set for 2014 of 90 students. It is important to note that of the 65 student
“leavers”, twice as many were male (45 students). This would be an important group
to target for further initiatives.
• Transition efforts include a new initiative funded through a MELS grant to
support student involvement in extra-curricular activities. Both secondary
schools are working at ensuring that all Cycle 1 students are involved in at least
one extra-curricular activity and that all students are supported through their
transition with a number of welcoming and engaging activities.
• The Guidance Oriented Approaches to Learning (GOAL) technicians are
implementing a number of initiatives to increase awareness and promotion of
vocational training opportunities within the Youth sector (e.g. Trades in Motion,
Student-for-a-Day, career fairs, guest speakers, and hands-on experiences for
elementary and secondary students).
Page 31
Goal #2
Increased command and quality of
English and French literacy
Objectives
1. Increase student academic results in French Second
Language
2. Increase student academic results in English Language
Arts
Page 32
Context
Programming at the elementary level generally entails a bilingual model of 50%
English / 50% French with Language Arts being taught in English in kindergarten
through grade 6. One exception exists in an elementary school that serves a
predominately French-speaking population (Gault Institute in Valleyfield). The
programming in this school is primarily in English, where an English Second Language
approach is required. At the secondary level, while instruction is based on an English
mother tongue model, enriched programming is provided. This enrichment includes
programming in Enriched French Second Language and French Mother Tongue.
Further enrichment opportunities exist in both high schools with the International
Baccalaureate program at Howard S. Billings in Chateauguay and the locally
developed Universal Program at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School in
Ormstown. These programs are offered in response to the demands of the
community to provide greater academic challenges to our students and to ensure
that students stay within our school board. To promote bilingualism and inter-cultural
collaboration, an “Option Études” program has been instituted as a project in
collaboration with Commission scolaire des Grandes-Seigneuries at the first-cycle
secondary. This programming entails combined groupings, French and English, from
the respective school boards with the students spending half of the school year in a
French-language school setting and half of the school year in an English-language
school. The University of Sherbrooke is monitoring the evaluation and success of this
project.
Progress
French Second Language
The NFSB saw a 9.4% increase in its success rate over the course of the last year.
While slightly below the Provincial success rate (92.8%), the NFSB’s 2013 overall
success rate in French Second Language - Base was significantly higher (91.5%) than in
2012 (82.1%) (Table 1). In June 2010, a new uniform evaluation was introduced,
involving only students enrolled in the French Second Language - Base Program.
Students enrolled in French Second Language - Enriched, are no longer reflected in
the uniform exam results in Table 1 however for the third year in a row, 100% of the
84 students who wrote the MELS complementary exam for FSL - Enriched in June
2013, were successful. The NFSB also has a small cohort of students (18 in 2012 and 13
in 2013) who follow the French mother tongue (language of instruction) program of
study. In 2012, 50.3% of the students were successful, while in 2013, 69.2% of the
students passed the MELS uniform exam written by all francophone school board
students.
Table 1 - French Second Language, Secondary 5, Success Rates
Page 33
It is important to note that the overall success rate is influenced by three distinct
evaluations in oral communication, reading and writing. Students generally perform
well on the oral and writing evaluations but struggle with the reading comprehension
component. This trend is also apparent in our elementary end-of-cycle evaluation
results.
English Language Arts
In Secondary English Language Arts, a clear improvement trend in the global
evaluation has been noted since 2008. The NFSB has demonstrated improvement for
the last 6 years. While the NFSB’s results have been slightly lower than the provincial
success rate, the difference between the two results has been steadily decreasing.
(Table 2).
Table 2 - English Language Arts, Secondary 5, Success Rates
This overall result is comprised of two evaluations: a strategic reading
(comprehension) and a writing component. When this result is broken down into
components, a similar trend with regard to French Second Language evaluations
exists where students perform better in the writing evaluation than the reading
evaluation. These results further emphasize the importance of addressing reading
comprehension strategies across all language and content areas.
Objective
1a.
*
1b.
*
1c.
**
To increase academic results in
elementary French Second
Language – using
Local, End of Cycle Reading
Evaluation
To increase academic results in
elementary French Second
Language – using
Local, End of Cycle Writing
Evaluation
To increase academic results on
MELS Secondary V French
Second Language - Writing
evaluation
Current Results
Baseline
Target
2014
Board
2012
Board
2013
C1 - 72%
C2 - 73%
C3 - 77%
(2008-2009)
C1 - 75%
C2 - 76%
C3 - 80%
C1 - n.a.
C2 - 72%
C3 - 70%
C1 - 63%
C2 - 56%
C3 - 70%
C1 - 63%
C2 - 69%
C3 - 73%
(2008-2009)
C1 - 66%
C2 - 72%
C3 - 76%
C1 - 72%
C2 - 71%
C3 - 68%
78%
(2007-2008)
80%
69%
C1 - 89%
C2 - 65%
C3 - 73%
75%
Page 34
1d. ** To increase academic results on MELS Secondary V French Second Language ‐ Reading evaluation 66% (2007‐2008) 70% 70% 75% 1e. ** To increase the overall success rate in Secondary V French Second Language 76% (2007‐2008) 79% 82% 92% C1 ‐ 73% C2 ‐ 71% C3 ‐ 65% (2008‐2009) C1 ‐ 76% C2 ‐ 75% C3 ‐ 69% C1 ‐ n.a. C2 ‐ 63% C3 ‐ 63% C1 ‐ n.a. C2 ‐ 68% C3 ‐ 64% C1 ‐ 64% C2 ‐ 71% C3 ‐ 68% (2008‐2009) C1 ‐ 68% C2 ‐ 75% C3 ‐ 72% C1 ‐ 66% C2 ‐ 66% C3 ‐ 68% C1 ‐ 67% C2 ‐ 71% C3 ‐ 71% 2a. * 2b. * To increase academic results in elementary English Language Arts – using Local, End of Cycle Reading Evaluation To increase academic results in elementary English Language Arts – using Local, End of Cycle Writing Evaluation 2c. ** To increase overall academic results in Secondary V English Language Arts 69% (2008‐2009) 72% 72% 73% 2d. ** To increase the overall success rates in Secondary V English Language Arts 86% (2008‐2009) 88% 94% 95% Sources: *NFSB internal exam results; **MELS, Portrait des statistiques ministérielles, mai 2013 Objective 1a ‐ Improvement in Elementary French Second Language Reading An end‐of‐cycle reading evaluation was re‐established this year through the collaborative efforts of representatives from all schools and funded by a Professional Development and Innovation Grant (PDIG). While this year’s average result is lower (65%) than in previous years, the professional learning prior to and post evaluation (during ped days) is richer and more strategic. Clear criteria and exemplars are essential components of this process. Common marking centers are used to ensure uniformity in the evaluation process. The compiled data is then reviewed by all teachers during an end of year ped day. Reading comprehension is also assessed twice a year using the GB+ reading assessment. This data provides a timely, accurate picture of the reading abilities of our all students and assists teachers in developing more targeted small group interventions. Objective 1b ‐ Improvement in Elementary French Second Language Writing An improvement in writing competency as measured by the end‐of‐cycle evaluations continues to be evident in Cycles 1 (+17%) and 3 (+ 5%). Cycle 1 teachers have also been involved in a number of professional learning opportunities over the course of the last four years. The average in cycle 2, while lower, most likely represents the results of increased expectations as established by the common marking process. Efforts in reading are usually complemented by writing activities in a balanced literacy approach. Therefore, these initiatives serve to address both objectives. It is expected that the improvement noted in the writing evaluations will also positively influence reading evaluations in the future.  Instructional support, information sessions and common marking centers as supported by the subject consultant and lead teachers have been instrumental in adding validity to these results.  Pedagogical day opportunities after the end of cycle evaluations permit school teams to review their results and strategize their planning approaches for the following school year. New Frontiers School Board 2012‐2013 Annual Report Page 35
•
•
Reading results are recorded systematically and are used extensively across the
system to inform our instructional approaches in the classroom, as well as to
support remedial efforts for struggling readers.
The continued promotion and development of balanced literacy approaches,
along with the professional reading material, classroom support, and
instructional resources required will result in improved practice and student
success.
Objectives 1c, 1d & 1e - Improvement in Secondary V French Second Language
Both the average academic results in Secondary V French Second Language reading
and writing saw a significant increase this year over last year’s results (5% and 6%
respectively). It is also important to note that the overall combined success rates
(enriched and base) have increased an additional 3% over the past year (from 90% to
93%). This reflects the highest combined success rate achieved in the last 6 years. In
June 2013, for the third consecutive year, all 84 students completed the FSL enriched
final evaluation successfully (100% success rate).
• Teachers have been working collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of
the changes to the program of study and evaluation criteria. Teacher turnover at
the upper secondary level has been minimal during the last 4 years.
• Further collaboration amongst teachers is necessary to continue to develop
effective instructional and assessment practices that engage and motivate
adolescent learners.
• There is a continued need to identify a tool that can be used to assess the
reading level of a secondary FSL student. There is also a need to strengthen the
FSL resource model in both schools.
Objective 2a - Improvement in Elementary English Language Arts Reading
A standardized English Language Arts end-of-cycle reading evaluation is no longer
performed in cycle 1. A more reliable reading assessment is performed numerous
times throughout the cycle using the PM Benchmark reading assessment. The result
provides classroom and resource teachers with a measure of a student’s level of
reading fluency and comprehension. The results of the June 2013 cycle 2 and 3 end-ofcycle reading evaluations have demonstrated a slight increase in the overall averages
of 5% and 1% respectively. This is the second year where a positive trend is noticed
with this evaluation.
Objective 2b - Improvement in Elementary English Language Arts Writing
The average result on the end-of-cycle writing evaluation in cycle 1 demonstrated an
improvement of 1% over the result of 66% obtained in June 2012. The cycle 2 and 3
average results also recorded an increase of 5% (from 66% to 71%) and 3% (from 68% to
71%) respectively. These three positive trends are encouraging and reflect a focused
professional learning effort on the writing process within a balanced literacy
approach.
There is a need to continue to support and strengthen the early reading intervention
programs (START and resource) that are in place in each elementary school to
address the needs of our struggling readers.
• Continue to support and strengthen the model “Daily 5” classrooms in our
board. We need to encourage our teachers to self-evaluate their efforts, renew
their commitment to the approach and visit exemplary model classrooms.
• Develop through teacher collaboration, writing exemplars for all elementary
English Language Arts levels.
Page 36
Objectives 2c & 2d - Improvement in Secondary English Language Arts
Two indicators are part of this objective; overall average and success rate on the
MELS uniform evaluation in Secondary 5 English Language Arts. In comparison with
the results obtained in 2012, both indicators have demonstrated slight improvement.
The overall average of students has increased to 73%, the highest it has been in 6
years, while the success rate has increased to 93%, the highest ever recorded at the
NFSB.
• Professional development on the new program of study, participation in the
exam validation process and the continuation of marking centers has provided
guidance and support for a standardized, rigorous evaluation.
• Continued discussion and use of the Progression of Learning in planning,
assessment and evaluation is required at all secondary English Language Arts
grade levels.
• The reestablishment of a department head in English Language Arts, tasked with
the coordination of teaching and evaluation, has provided an invaluable support
to the collaborative efforts of each teaching team.
Page 37
Goal #3
Improve levels of retention in schools and
academic success among certain target
groups, especially handicapped students
or students with learning or adjustment
difficulties.
Objectives
1. Increase the average reading level by cycle of integrated
elementary Cycle 2 and 3 students who are identified at
risk or with learning difficulties (excluding MELS codes)
2. Increase the percentage of EHDAA (élèves handicapés ou
en difficulté d'adaptation ou d'apprentissage) students
who graduate or acquire qualification
Page 38
Context
New Frontiers is an inclusive school board where students with special needs are
integrated into regular classrooms.
Year
2012-2013
2011-2012
2010-2011
2009-2010
2008-2009
2007-2008
Enrollment
3636
3707
3788
3866
3950
4083
Total EHDAA
677
667
685
655
636
625
% of population
19.0%
18.0%
18.0%
17.0%
16.1%
15.3%
Sources: NFSB internal
data base (LUMIX),
and official September
30th enrolment figures
Despite the decrease in our enrollment, the trend between the years 2007 and 2013
saw a continuous increase in the percentage of students identified with special needs
integrated within our schools (see table above).
An important factor that continues to relate to students at risk for learning
difficulties is the high incidence of disadvantaged indexes in 50% of our schools. The
rural sector of the Board has 5 schools with a socio-economic index between 8 and
10. This high rate of student vulnerability is part of the New Frontiers context: close
to 20% of our student population having identified special needs (See Table 2 of Goal #1).
Objective
1.
*
2a
**
2b
**
Increase the average
reading level by cycle of
integrated elementary
Cycle 2 & 3 EHDAA
students
Increase the percentage
of EHDAA students who
graduate (increase of 2%
in graduation rate by
2014)
Increase the percentage
of EHDAA students who
acquire certification
(increase of 5% by 2014)
Current Results
Board
Board
2011-2012
2012-2013
Baseline
2010-2011
Target Year
2014
C2 Y1: 14.4
C2 Y2: 18.2
C3 Y1: 23.4
C3 Y2: 26.3
C2 Y1: 15.4
C2 Y2: 19.2
C3 Y1: 24.4
C3 Y2: 27.3
C2 Y1: 18.0
C2 Y2: 19.7
C3 Y1: 26.36
C3 Y2: 27.14
C2 Y1: 20.3
C2 Y2: 21.5
C3 Y1: 24.6
C3 Y2: 29.0
37%
43%
32%
5%
37%
42%
2007-2008
35 %
2007-2008
nil
Students are identified as “at risk” when they display behavior or characteristics that would
hinder their learning and/or socialization and require preventative measures and early
intervention to support them.
Sources: *NFSB internal evaluations; **MELS, Portrait des statistiques ministérielles, mai 2013
Progress
A need to address literacy in a systemic way emerged as an important factor in
addressing our students with EHDAA and their success in increasing their reading
levels. Strategic efforts focused on implementing an evidence-based early leveled
literacy intervention program (Fountas and Pinnell LLI), and the use of a system-wide
assessment tool (PM Benchmarks) as an indicator to establish benchmarks, set
targets and measure success in literacy learning. This key intervention strategy was
supported by a broader range of strategic literacy efforts to:
• develop our capacity to gather and use data more effectively through new
technology tools;
• provide ongoing professional development for teachers in effective literacy
instruction ;
Page 39
•
•
•
establish a culture of shared responsibility for literacy instruction across the
content areas;
strengthen and expand our existing START (Specialized Teaching for the
Acquisition of Reading and Talk) Cycle One literacy intervention initiative across
all our elementary schools; and
adjust our interventions in instructional strategies to better meet the needs of
our learners.
Objective 1: Literacy Levels
Objective 1 has been achieved. However, we will continue to use the PM Benchmark
assessment tool, and G.R.A.D.E., (a common assessment tool used in both our
elementary, Cycle 3 Year 2 and secondary) to track the literacy levels of our EHDAA
students. Lumix (a data extraction tool) will continue to aid us in extracting the data
and in establishing our benchmarks for the targeted students in Cycles 2 and 3.
Our strategic literacy interventions have positively influenced our literacy levels, as
seen in the data. START, our early literacy program, along with our Leveled Literacy
Intervention program (LLI), an evidence-based intervention approach, has been used
within all of our elementary schools through small remedial work groups of students,
many of whom have special needs, by our resource teachers. As well, classroom
teachers are implementing this literacy intervention within their Balanced Literacy
approaches. As one can see, implementing both these assessment tools and the
systematic literacy interventions has clearly impacted our results.
Objectives 2 & 3: Graduation & Qualification Rates
Each high school, Howard S. Billings (HSB) and Chateauguay Valley Regional (CVR)
have established Work Oriented Training Path programs (WOTP) both in pre-work (3year) and semi-skilled (1-year) programs. There has been an increase in the number
of students participating in these programs. As well, a more comprehensive
transition plan, from elementary to high school, to support our “at risk” students was
enhanced to improve the success rates of our students with special needs within the
high schools.
The percentage of EHDAA students who graduated in 2012-2013 was 32%. This is
slightly lower than the targeted number of 37%. This is due in part to the fact that
there were a higher number of secondary 5 students with an IEP (Individualized
Education Plan) than in previous years. This number excludes those students who
are in a Learning Center (small special education class) or who are in a WOTP
program.
We have achieved 42% percentage of EHDAA students who received certification in
2012-2013. Continuous effort will be made to identify students who qualify and would
benefit from the WOTP program. Professional development has been provided to
the staff, therefore promoting a greater understanding of the WOTP program and
actively improving pedagogical practices within the WOTP structure. Parent
information sessions are held yearly to explain the program in detail and additional
efforts will be made in the coming year to introduce WOTP programs to the
elementary schools through presentations
.
Page 40
Goal #4
Growth of a healthy and safe
environment in schools and centres
Objectives
1. Increase violence prevention measures in our schools and
centres
2. Increase conformity to the Ministry of Education’s
framework for Healthy Eating & Active Living
3. Increase active living opportunities and activities
Page 41
Context
Our student population has a high prevalence of risk factors. Seven of our fifteen
school and centre sites are located in socio-economically disadvantaged
communities. In addition to the typical behavioural concerns these communities
have some additional high risk factors.
We have had a number of long standing best practices within our board ranging from
pro-social programs, generalized promotion of healthy habits, along with our most
recent practice of implementing anti-bullying and anti-violence action plans in each of
our schools. The following goals and strategies for safe and healthy schools are
evidenced across the system, and are equally applicable in our small rural schools as
well as our large polyvalent high schools:
Violence Prevention
• More systematic data collection to inform our selection of intervention
strategies:
o Use of the Tell Them From Me Student Perception Survey
o System-wide training in a memos management tracking system
• Implementing evidence-based intervention strategies in all schools and centres:
o Second Step, Character Education, Student Leadership programs, peer
mediation, are but a few of the strategies being implemented within our
schools and centres.
o Provide ongoing professional development opportunities on best practices in
behaviour interventions.
• Implementing anti-bullying and violence prevention action plans with each
elementary, high school, and centre
Healthy Eating & Active Living
• Build a stronger knowledge base through the H.E.A.L. (Healthy Eating and Active
Living) Committee as a first step in the exploration and implementation of the
MELS framework policy objectives.
o Use the MELS framework as the focus to conduct a “Healthy Eating & Active
Living” Policy
o Analysis of the TTFM data (sweet and fatty foods)
o Determine gaps in the schools’ approach in promoting healthy eating and
active living practices
• With foundational understanding of MELS Frameworks and Guidelines and the
support of the H.E.A.L. Committee, all schools will increase active living
opportunities.
Objective
Increase violence prevention measures in
1 our schools and centres (% of schools with
violence prevention programs in place)
Increase conformity to the MELS
2 framework for Healthy Eating & Active
Living (% of schools conforming)
3
Increase active living opportunities and
activities (% of schools offering activities)
Current Results
Baseline
2010
Target
2014
Board
2011-2012
Board
2012-2013
92%
100%
100%
100%
41%
100%
100%
100%
42%
100%
100%
100%
Source: Internal NFSB data
Page 42
Progress
Objective 1: Violence Prevention
• The Tell Them From Me (TTFM) survey tool, one of our key strategies to
influence intervention decisions, was effectively utilized across the system to
gather information on students’ perceptions on safety, sense of belonging and
bullying.
• 100% of our elementary and secondary schools succeeded in implementing a
range of evidence-based violence prevention initiatives. These included
Character Education (see Goal 7), peer mediation, student leadership training,
anti-homophobia and anti-bullying initiatives, Peaceful Schools, Free the
Children, and a local professional development program for five school teams:
Therapeutic Interventions in Educational Settings (T.I.E.S.). With the exception
of T.I.E.S, all other initiatives will continue to be implemented.
• Each school and centre developed and implemented an anti-bullying/violence
prevention action plan for the 2012-2013 school year.
Objectives 2 & 3: Healthy Eating & Active Living
• All schools and centres are continuously increasing their conformity to the MELS
framework policy on Healthy Eating and Active Living. This was evident in the
increased organization of active living opportunities and an increased awareness
of healthy food. Fundraising efforts of all schools and centres targeted healthier
food choices. Workshops and information sharing were implemented in 20122013 school year.
• The third objective of increasing active living opportunities was maintained in all
schools and centres. The objective next year will be to increase the active living
opportunities offered in partnership with community organizations such as
Quebec en forme and Genie en loisirs.
Page 43
Goal #5
Increase in the number of students under
the age of 20 enrolled in vocational
training.
Objective
Increase in the number of students under the age of 20
enrolled in vocational training
Page 44
Context
The adult and vocational training centres provide services to adults in the southwest
region of Quebec. Its territory borders from the St. Lawrence River to the north,
Autoroute 15 to the east, the American border to the south and the Ontario border to
the west. The territory also includes three Native communities—Kahnawake,
Akwesasne, and Kanesatake.
To provide services to this large territory, we have three Vocational Training centres:
Nova in Chateauguay; the Chateauguay Valley Career Education Centre in Ormstown
(CVCEC); and the Huntingdon Adult Education Community Centre in Huntingdon
(HAECC). We also offer a general education programming at Nova and HAECC,
where students may take the Common Core Program (pre-secondary, secondary I
and II) or the Diversified Program (secondary III, IV and V). Also this year, a program
for adults with special needs was started at HAECC with an initial enrolment of 22
students.
New Frontiers offers 17 Vocational Training programs, including two new
authorizations for Health, Assistance & Nursing, and Construction Business
Management. We also have programming off-territory via agreements with other
school boards.
Besides the programming that is available, the following services are provided:
• SARCA (Service d’acceuil et reference, conseils, et accompagnement), a
reception, referral, counseling, support service for all community members;
• RAC (Recognition of Acquired Competencies) which could assist potential clients
in the recognition of prior experience to accelerate their path to a diploma;
• SAE (services to business and industry);
• Distance Education which allows students to work on their high school leaving at
home;
• High School Equivalency and General Development testing;
• Support to students who qualify for loans and bursaries; and
• Student-for-a-Day where students can participate in a trade of their choice.
To increase a sense of involvement, all centres have added various student activities.
Research indicates that student involvement has a positive impact on student
retention.
There is strong collaboration between the youth and adult sector in order to develop
and implement strategies that will support the goal of increasing the number of
students under 20 in vocational training. We currently have two committees
addressing the common needs of the youth and adult sectors (one in Chateauguay
and one in the Chateauguay Valley) that are proactive in developing projects that will
help students who are identified as at risk. There is also a youth/adult counselor
committee where various strategies are discussed to help students transition from
high school to the adult or Vocational Training sectors. These collaborative efforts
have helped raise awareness of Vocational Training as a viable option.
Progress
In 2007, the number of students under the age of 20 enrolled in vocational training
was 102—68 male and 34 female. The 2014 target set by the Board was to increase
the number of students under the age of 20 in vocational training from 102 to 114 (12
students). In 2012, the number of students under the age of 20 enrolled in vocational
training was 99—72 male and 27 female.
Page 45
The total number of registrations for students under the age of 20 enrolled in
vocational training and the breakdown of these numbers by age and by year is shown
in the following charts:
Sources: MELS, Portrait des statistiques ministérielles, tableau 4, mai 2013
Between the 2010-2011 school year and the 2011-2012 school year, while there is a
decrease in the total number of students under the age of 20 registered, there is an
increase in the number of male students registered.
Objective
Increase in the number of students
under the age of 20 enrolled in
vocational training
Baseline
2006-2007
Target
2014
102
114
Current Results
Board
Province
2012
2012
99
13,304
Sources: MELS, Portrait des statistiques ministérielles, tableau 4, mai 2013
After reviewing the strategies, there has been positive work done by the teams at
the centres, in the youth sector, and at the board office. The Youth/Adult Counselor
Committee met five times during the 2012-2013 school year and attended a National
Career Development Conference in January. The development of a youth to adult
“Transition Referral Process” permitted a clearer tracking and follow-up process for
students leaving the youth sector.
The first strategy, promotion of vocational training to the community using various
marketing campaigns, has evolved over the last few years. This year, a marketing
analysis was done to help direct efforts of moving into social media in order to reach
a greater number of our clientele. In June 2013, a new website, Facebook page,
Twitter, and Instagram were launched. It is expected that the social media efforts
will impact on the number of young adults registering for programming. This new
marketing process has been structured in order to monitor the impact of these
efforts. Based on results from a student survey, word-of-mouth and community
visibility remain important factors in our marketing efforts.
A second strategy is to provide all students and their parents with an opportunity to
experience vocational training options through career fairs, open houses, and our
website and Facebook pages. Every student who registers for General Education has
a Learning Profile established and vocational options are discussed. In the youth
sector, students from the Work Oriented Training Path visited our three centres; two
students from the same program did a two-week work study in the Hairdressing
program at NOVA. Also at NOVA, seven tours were given to students and young
Page 46
adults from the community—approximately 75 individuals under the age of 20
participated in these tours.
During Adult Learners’ Week, we hosted our second annual “Trades in Motion” fair in
partnership with the Commission scolaire des Grandes-Seigneuries. This event took
place over three days and involved students from grades 5 to 8 and the general
education students from the adult centres. In a hands-on exhibition style set-up, 22
trades were on display with activities for students and parents to participate in. There
were over 3000 students who visited during the three days where they were able to
have hands-on experiences with the different trades. Approximately 300 community
members also attended an evening session. This initiative has helped to make the
community more aware of the vocational training programs being offered in their
region.
The promotion of POP (Personal Orientation Project), EXPLO (Exploration of
Vocational Training), entrepreneurship courses, and the GOAL (Guidance Oriented
Approach to Learning) in the youth sector is ongoing and an important component in
the development of the awareness of Vocational Training options. Two GOAL
technicians have been involved in creating an awareness of Vocational Training with
the elementary and high school students. These technicians are also involved with
entrepreneurial projects.
The strategy of encouraging prospective students to take part in a “Student-for-aDay” program has also been effective, with 37 participants during the year. In the
Chateauguay Valley, 5 of 18 students who participated in Student-for-a-Day registered
for a Vocational Training program. In Chateauguay, 5 of 15 students who participated
in Student-for-a-Day were under the age of 20; one registered for a Vocational
program.
The strategy of increasing access to career guidance through SARCA (Service
d’acceuil et reference, conseils, et accompagnement) is a focus. Our three
counselors meet with current and potential students, refer them as needed, and
provide follow up. The process of referral and follow-up needs to be formalized for
statistical purposes and continues to be addressed.
The partnerships at our two 16-24 youth/adult committees play an important role.
The objective of these committees is to engage community partners in the discussion
of common challenges, including the motivation of students who are at risk of not
attaining graduation or qualification. Both tables have met five times throughout the
year.
An “Introduction to Construction Trades” project was developed with the
Kahnawake Economic Development Commission for Aboriginal students from
Kahnawake. The students attended General Education courses in order to complete
secondary courses and to acquire prerequisites necessary for this Vocational Training.
In addition, the students were introduced to the following four trades: Carpentry,
Welding, Plumbing and Electricity.
Page 47
Goal #6
Increase community learning centre
concepts across the School Board
Objective
Identify and develop Community Learning Centre concepts
aligned to support the five goals of the NFSB Strategic Plan.
Page 48
Context
The Community Learning Centre (CLC) movement began with two pilot projects in
the Phase I initiative; one located in an urban setting in an elementary school and the
other in a rural setting in an adult centre. These projects have thrived over the eight
years. Consultation and modification of the programming continues in order to best
serve the needs of our school communities.
In 2009 the CLC movement saw two more projects added with these newer projects
serving a regional initiative in the Chateauguay Valley and an elementary school in a
francophone community in a semi urban setting. CLC concepts are now being
explored and developed in all of our schools and centres.
With a small population of Anglophones in the highly Francophone community of
Valleyfield, our strategy is to strengthen the ties to our English school in order to
permit access to services, and opportunities to collaborate with partners, students,
families, and community members. The Gault CLC is a Phase III CLC project within the
Canada-Quebec Funding Agreement.
In the Chateauguay Valley, we have one high school with just under 700 students,
two Adult Education and Vocational Training centres with close to 500 students, and
five elementary schools, located in rural communities. Phase III funding also
provided for support in the Valley with the hiring of a Development Agent. This
initiative tied into a network of support for our schools to better serve the English
speaking minority of the Chateauguay Valley.
Our third and most densely populated area is the greater Chateauguay area. We have
one high school, an Adult Education and Vocational Training centre, and four
elementary schools. The CLC initiative is evident in all of our schools and centres in
Chateauguay, with St. Willibrord Elementary School and Community Learning Centre
as the hub of service. All families from all schools receive regular communication
about the programs and activities offered in our Chateauguay area schools, and our
CLC Technician supports all of our schools and centres. The centralized Development
Officer oversees the implementation of strategies and supports the technicians in the
field.
Objective
To identify and develop community learning
concepts aligned to supporting the five goals of
the NFSB Strategic Plan
Baseline
2011-12
Goal1: 12
Goal 2: 9
Goal 3:5
Goal 4: 27
Goal 5:9
Actual
2012-13
Goal 1:21
Goal 2:10
Goal 3:10
Goal 4:49
Goal 5:10
Current Results
Board Province
2011
2011
n/a
n/a
Progress
Our level of accomplishment for the objective has been substantial for 2012-2013. This
is the second year we have attempted to quantify the results of our CLC efforts in
relation to Goals 1 to 5 of the NFSB Strategic Plan.
• Support to schools and centres through the CLC team: The team worked at the
school and centre level and was supported by regular meetings, dialogue, and
coaching in large part due to the efforts of the Development Officer. Regular
team meetings provided dialogue and support that allowed the team to increase
their abilities to invest and organize more programming for our students and
their families.
Page 49
Finding out the needs and goals of each school and centre community has allowed us
to use the CLC provincial network to develop programs and activities that suit those
needs.
For example, in the high school in Ormstown, a need to improve the strength of
leadership roles of female students led to the “GLAM Girls” initiative, which
addressed women’s issues and helped build positive relationships through local
leadership opportunities. This project improved the level of school commitment on
the part of the participants and may have resulted in increased success in their school
subjects. The CLC Development Agent worked with the GOAL Representative to
seek funding from community partners to secure grant applications that brought
money to the project.
Another example was the Community Wednesdays project in partnership with the
CSSS and Grandes Seigneuries School Board. This monthly initiative brings
community organizations together in a trade show format provides our families with
access to a variety of community services. In 2012-13, Community Wednesdays was
hosted for the first time outside of NFSB.
The partnerships which have been forged need to be supported and cultivated in
order to be able to evolve with the changing times and needs of our communities.
One thing is certain, the CLC movement continues to offer services and activities to
families. Most importantly, the CLCs support the students of the Anglophone
population within the territory.
Page 50
Goal #7
Increase programming that supports the
development of student character,
citizenship, and “service learning”.
Objectives
1. Increase character education based initiatives and/or
programs in our schools and centres
2. Increase the promotion and the recognition of student
citizenship in our schools and centres
3. Increase the development of citizenship, character
education and service learning concepts within the
curriculum in our schools and centres.
Page 51
Context
While a “culture of respect and values in our schools and centres” was identified as a
priority within the NFSB Strategic Plan, addressing the three components of:
Character Education, Citizenship, and Service Learning, further supports the Ministry
of Education, Recreation & Sports’ priority to reduce bullying, violence and anti-social
behavior within schools and centres.
The New Frontiers School Board, in its attempt to develop the whole student,
believes that the development of social competence is integral to student success.
Objectif
1.
2.
Increase character
education based initiatives
and/or programs in our
schools and centres
Increase the promotion
and the recognition of
student citizenship in our
schools and centres
Increase the development
of citizenship, character
education and service
3.
learning concepts within
the curriculum in our
schools and centres.
Current Results
Baseline Year
2009-10
Target Year
2013-14
Board
2012-13
Province
2012-13
7 of 15
46.6%
100% of schools
and centres.
15 of 15
100%
N/A
7 Initiatives
8/15
53%
5 Initiatives
15/15
100%
Min. of 1
student per
school/centre
100%
N/A
29 Students in
5 of 15
33.3%
9
Initiatives
15/15
100%
39
Students
in 15 of 15
100%
(2010-2011)
27%
4 schools
0 centres
100%
12 schools
3 centres
73%:
10 schools
1 centre
N/A
Progress
The level of attainment in the priorities identified and through the strategies
implemented has surpassed expectations in the 2012-2013 school year. All
elementary schools were involved in some form of Character Education and Service
Learning initiative.
Our partnership signed with the “Free The Children”, organization and supported by
a part-time professional within the budgetary envelope for “Spiritual Animation &
Community Development” met with success in the implementation of “Servicelearning” in the schools and centres.
Upon analysis, addressing the New Frontiers School Board’s priorities within the
“Strategic Plan” has been successful and the intended result of developing the whole
student, academically and socially, is on-track to meet the established targets by
2013-2014.
• 2010 - 46 students were recognized as outstanding citizens
• 2013- 39 students were recognized as outstanding citizens
Page 52
All 10 elementary schools are involved in some form of “ Character Education” and
“Service Learning”
• 100% are participating in “Service Learning” through our “Free The Children”
partnership
• 50% of our schools are using the program “Second Step” at the Cycle 1 level.
• 100% of our schools are using the “Six Pillars of Character” program to teach
values and good character
• 80% of the schools are involved in “Bucket Filling”, a social competence
development program for young children.
Character Education and citizenship education and the teaching of pro-social
behaviours are very import for the New Frontiers School Board. We are very
motivated to continue to improve these competencies and to look at promoting
positive digital citizenship with our students, staff and community.
Page 53
Goal #8
Increase professional capacity and
personal growth opportunities for all
employees
Objective
Increase professional capacity and personal growth
opportunities for all employees
Page 54
Context
In the creation of the strategic plan in 2010, the New Frontiers School Board
created a goal to increase the number of professional learning and growth
opportunities promoted by the school board. We wish to maintain and
increase our health and wellness efforts, to establish professional
development budget priorities in all departments, and to promote selfdirected learning and ongoing professional development to all NFSB staff
members.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
In 2012-13, we continued to support teachers and school centre teams
in advancing their MESAs with workshops focused on the core goals
in our Partnership Agreement and Strategic Plan.
The maintenance and caretaking staff was given training to support
our infrastructure needs which included air quality management and
handling of hazardous materials.
The Continuing Education team was trained on the use of social
media marketing and the management and support of the new
www.nfsb.me website.
The administrators and school teams continued to receive training on
working with data and managing their MESAs. In addition they
received initial training on Digital Citizenship which will be a boardwide focus in 2013-2014.
Continued support using in-house expertise and facilitated visits to
model classrooms. Other teachers visited these classrooms as an
effective professional development strategy.
The Board Office staff participated in a full-day Prelude workshop
which teaches about different work and learning styles.
The Board Office staff also had a motivational presentation from two
successful graduates who work with humanitarian organizations;
teaching about empathy, volunteerism, giving back and the positive
results of being a people-first organization.
All employees of NFSB are given access to professional development
opportunities and funding for their choices for formal and informal
adult learning opportunities.
To teach our staffs more about emergency preparedness, we had a
lockdown training session for all of our employees in collaboration
with the local police.
Through various venues the NFSB staff, Council and Governing
Boards received training on Law 19 (Anti-Bullying Law).
Media Training & Crisis Management was offered to some members
of the administrative team
An annual Board-wide professional development day for all
employees
Professional development is important for all employees of the School Board,
and while we have illustrated some of the professional development and
training that has been happening in our system, other examples are included
in the MESAs of the schools and centres.
Page 55

Annual Report - New Frontiers School Board

Transcription

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