A8 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, January 10, 1996 How Have We Done?—A Review of Objectives for 1994-1995 Preparing Students for the Future Skills Now Programs The Ministry of Education and Schoo! District 88 recognize that economic, social, and technological changes demand a significant change in how people prepare for their futures. The K-12 Skills Now pro- gram provides funding for programs that help students prepare actively for future careers. The goals of this program are—~ _ * to create relevant career experiences _ for students. * to develop high quality applied educa- tion programs al secondary and post- . secondary institutions throughout B. C. * to encourage and promote the formation of partnerships between school districts, post-secondary institutions, local busi- _ nesses, and community members An objective for 1994-1995 was ta develop a proposal to the Ministry of Education for Skills Now funding and to iniliate programs. A $182,000 grant was received in May 1995. School District 88 has implemented the following programs Preparing for Careers School District 88 provides a range of . programs that contribute to students’ ability to prepare for their future. All district schools work closely with businesses and community agencies to help students gain an understanding of the demands of the workplace and the skills needed to succeed. Career Preparation Courses provide students with the opportunity to fulfill graduation requirements while they learn a specific career field. A total of 90 students from our district take part in the Career Preparation Program, up from 47 students last year. Community businesses make strong and valued contributions as they help stud- ents develop good work habits, learn to meet employer expectations, and learn to work cooperatively with co-workers. v4 Technology and Education Computers are powerful tools for com- municating, solving problems, gaining access to information, taking courses, practicing basic skills, and allowing stud- ents to manage their own learning. School District 88 provides the equipment and software for students and teachers to become competent in the use of computers and technology. Last year 18.6% of Grade 11 and 12 students enrolled in computer courses. In addition, students at all grade levels use computers in their daily work. District schools are linked to other schools in the district and to schools in Graduation from Secondary School People who enter today’s work force must be skilled and able to adapt to change. Many studies have shown that students who graduate and complete fur- ther education are at an advantage when they make career choices. In 1994-1995, 86.6% of the district’s eligible Grade 12 students graduated. This is an increase from last year, when 79.4% of eligible Grade 12 students graduated. ‘Eligible Grade 12 students’ are those who begin Grade 12 in September with the abil- ily to graduate, provided they successfully complete the requirements of the year. Another key indicator is the number of students who graduate as a percentage of Grade & students who were enrolled five years earlier. There is no accurate way to know this number, since students cannot be tracked over such a long period of time. Many may have moved from the district or the province. Some may have left school for a short while and then returned. The Ministry estimates that 58.5% of students who began Grade 8 five years ago graduat- and other initiatives will be implemented in 1995-1996: * Technology has been installed at Stewart Secondary School to allow students to take courses as part of New Directions in Distance Learning. This program is operated in cooperation with the Open Learning Agency, the “North Coast Distance Education ~ School,.and the Ministry of Education. “* Six SOLO individualized learning sys- ~ tems have been established throughout ‘the district. These allow students to work at their own pace through some _. aspects of their learning. * The district has installed a satellite dish at Caledonia Secondary School that allows students and teachers access to information and courses from sites throughout North Amcrica. + School District 88 sponsored a com- puter workshop for over 50 teachers “who were introduced to computer net- _ working and the use of on-line CLN (Community Learning Network). Percentage of Grade 11 and 12 Students Enrolled in Career Preparation 1990-7995 40% «eee §,D, 88 mat Province 30% 20% 10% 0% T_T S0/91 Si/92 G2/99° 93/94 94/05 Students take part in Work Experience, Co- operative Education, job shadowing, and career awareness activities. The PA.C.E.S. program provides flexible options for young parents to complete school while they provide care for their children. Percentage of Grade 1 1 and 12 Students 1990-1995 20% 15% 10% vam §.D. 88 mam = Province 5% T T T ! 90/91 91/92 92/93 93/94 94/95 distant places through networks. Students regularly use sophisticated programs and equipment to become better informed and to take an active part in their learning, Percentage of Eligible Grade 12 Students Who Graduate 1991-1995 * Provincial Examination Results * Percentage of eligible Grade 12 students who graduate * Percentage of Grade 8 students who enter Grade 12 * Percentage of Grade 12 students eligible for university * Percentage of graduates who go to post-secondary education he district’s objectives for 1994-1995 form the basis of this year’s Annual Report. The following key indicators provide information about important « Career Program enrolments « Computer Science enrolments * Class sizes * Student/Educator ratio + Budgeted cost per student * Budgets : initiatives. Reporting Policy. ‘eports and use of letter grades. tructured written reports - ‘indicate what the student i is able’ to do, irther. attention or development, and “or her learning. Letter grades are to be performance « on expected learning ‘outcomes. Teachers, i ‘in our district have hanges. Career and Personal Planning The Ministry | of | developed a new program, Career and ersonal ~ Planning. The planning, and? “personal” growth. ‘teachers’ use. - Students in, -“guide'them through their last ‘years in ‘endeavors. Several schools “established advisement groups, with "teachers working closely with students ~as: they develop their. plans. The “ integrated into c - KL Education Change Initiatives | Over the past year there have been many education changes initiated by the Ministry of Education. This objective includes preparing for all change “Integrated Resource Packages’ - é “New: Reporting ‘Policy. specifies ood . requirements for structured writter recently must: Integrated Resource Packages (IRPs) reas in: which the student requires. . learning cutcomes, instructional and .. ways of supporting the student in his ‘criterion- -referenced.. This means that ‘and Science IRPs and the ‘use. of ‘they are indicate the student’s level of fearning outcomes. ived in-service: in this area and: cate: beginning: to implement the required i graduation. maintains frequent contact with the. Ministry of Education so that these _ - ean be implemented as smoothly as.- : ‘possible. This year students will begin», “to develop Student Learning Plans and. will” experience. ‘Education 7 I “program . émphasizes career awareness, "personal >Teachers | attended in-service sessions. © “In ‘Spring 1995, a: district’committee. -- “developed a handbook on--Personal’ Planning,for Grade 4-7 ‘teachers and a" Student planner which is available for’. ae oo "process of developing policy about Grades. 9-12 ‘must’ second language instruction in Grades - “develop Personal. Learning Plans to. . school and to plan for post-secondary “Adventures”, a have . learning outcomes from the Career and . - Personal Planning Curriculum: are current programs... of { language « curriculum. o The Ministry of Education has revised many of the’ curriculum areas, and has produced for teachers in B. C. These include assessment suggestions, and lists of learning resources. In August 1995, teachers ‘received in-service in Math criterion-based assessment —_using 7 Graduation Program A number of changes. have taken® ~ place in the requirements for School District 88 take part “in _ Fequired ‘work: © - Language Education “The Ministry of Education i is in A the 5-7. In-service has taken place to introduce Grade 5 teachers to. French second ~ language program. There were a’ number of meetings over the year that focused on development of second language programs and development Percentage of Grade 8 Students Wita Graduate L] S.D. 88 Pravince ag 91/92 92/93 93/94 94/95 ed last year from schools in our district. School District 88 is typical of similar dis- tricts and the province in all key indicators regarding graduation rate. In 1993-1994, 21.0% of the district’s graduates were cligible for university. This is a decrease from the previous year, when 23.5% of graduates were eligible for uni- versity. ‘Graduates eligible for university’ are students who achieve a 2.5 grade point average in Grade 12 English and their 3 Percentage of Public School Graduates Entering Post-Secondary Education in the Fall of the Graduating Year University 20% 15% | 10% 5% 0% . B90 90/81 91/92" 92/93 93/94. College Academic 30% 20% — 10% 0% | OL. rs ee 89/90 ‘90/91 91/92 92/03 93/94 . 1993-1995 100% 100% C] SD. 88 7566 Province 7594 50% 50% 25% 25% 0% 0% 93/94 94/95 other highest-graded Grade 12 courses, This is considered university eligibility. The three graphs labeled ‘University’, ‘College Academic’, and ‘Career Technical’ show the percentage of Grade 38% 12 students who have gone into post- secondary education right after completing 25% secondary school. In 1993-1994, 3.1% of students entered universities, 17.1% 49% entered college academic programs, and 3.9% entered career/technical programs. §.D. 88 mas =Province Career Technical » 50% 0% 10% 5% 0% I { Tee ee r ne 69/90 «90/91 91/82 92/93. 93/94 Percentage of Graduates Eligible for University Se ~ §.D. 88 I ! I 90/91 «91/92 92/93 “mms Province 89/90 93/94 School District 88 is typical of similar _ districts in the percentage of students eli- gible for university and the percentage of students who go to post- secondary educa- tion immediately following graduation. The percentage of these students is low compared to the provincial percentage. This may reflect the fact that the overall educational level of the population in our district is also low compared to the pro- vince, but it typical of similar districts.