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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10 Education 13 December 2011 Minutes REPORT NO. 1, EDUCATION COMMITTEE To: The Board Date: 13 December 2011 133 Greenbank Road, Ottawa, commencing at 7:33 p.m. with Trustee Shirley Seward in the Chair and the following also in attendance: TRUSTEE MEMBERS: Pam FitzGerald, Theresa Kavanagh and Lynn Scott OTHER TRUSTEES: Bronwyn Funiciello (electronic communication) and Jennifer McKenzie STAFF: Pino Buffone, Superintendent of Curriculum Dawn Paxton, Superintendent of Learning Support Services Jill Bennett, Superintendent of Instruction Sue Baker, Board/Committee Coordinator NON-VOTING REPRESENTATIVES: Alan Johnson, Ottawa- (OCSSAN) Robert J Andrew Canham, Ottawa-Carleton Elementary Operations Committee (OCEOC) Chris Ellis, Ottawa-Carleton Assembly of School Councils (OCASC) Roy Sengupta and Juliette Ma, Student Senate 1. Call to Order Trustee FitzGerald assume the Chair until her arrival. The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:33 p.m. 2. Approval of Agenda Moved by Trustee Kavanagh, THAT the agenda be approved. Moved in amendment by Trustee Scott, THAT item 10 be moved to become the first public information item to follow item 11. - Carried, friendly Moved by Trustee Kavanagh, THAT the agenda be approved, as amended. - Carried Education Committee - 1 - 13 December 2011 Report No. 1 3. Public Question a. Judy Kirsh and Michael Wilson, Co-Chairs, Advisory Committee on the Arts Judy Kirsh and Michael Wilson recalled their remarks to the 18 October 2011 meeting of the Education Committee wherein they expressed appreciation for the additional funding provided for instrumental music, and spoke of the need for equitable funding for Visual Arts, Dance and Drama at the elementary and intermediate levels. Ms Kirsh queried the projected budget of the incremental funding that will be required to provide support for consumables, equipment and maintenance in the Visual Arts, Dance and Drama curricula at the elementary and intermediate levels. Superintendent Buffone advised that one time funding in the amount of $700,000 was provided to elementary and intermediate schools this year to offset the impact of the new provincial school fee policy. He noted that schools may use this allocation to support other subjects including Visual Arts, Dance and Drama as they wished. An additional $300,000 was provided to support instrumental music in intermediate grades. He added that staff is collecting data from schools regarding their current and future use of the funding allocations, and funding requirements would be considered in upcoming budget deliberations. Mr. Wilson noted that the Advisory Committee on the Arts (ACA) expressed concern that Dance, Drama and Visual Arts did not receive the same level of support as instrumental music. He also expressed the hope that all arts subjects would be equally available to all students in all schools. Trustee Scott expressed appreciation for the question and noted that the Budget Committee would convene its first meeting on 19 January 2012. 4. Delegations There were no delegations. 5. s Report Superintendent Buffone reported on the following activities: a) Job-embedded Networks At the elementary level, job-embedded professional learning for teachers continues on- site at each school as well as through a series of networks facilitated by instructional coaches in numeracy (teachers of grades 3, 6, 7, and 8), full-day kindergarten (teachers and early childhood educators), English-as-a-Second Language (ESL/ELD overlay staff) and French-as-a-Second Language (teachers in French Immersion centres based on the Common European Framework of Reference); and At the secondary level, job-embedded professional learning for teachers continues on-site in Tier I and Tier II schools facilitated by instructional coaches with a focus on critical literacy across the curriculum, as related to the school improvement planning process. Networks at the secondary level include numeracy (grades 9 and 10), Science (grades 7- 12), ESL (at ESL and/or ELD sites), and FSL (for teachers of French Immersion, Extended French and Core French as related to the Common European Framework of Reference). _____________________________________________________________________________________ Education Committee - 2 - 13 December 2011 Report No. 1 b) Lead Learner Series The Lead Learner Series has been developed for principals and vice-principals to build capacity in instructional leadership. The Series was launched by a presentation by Eleanor Newman of the Student Achievement Division of the Ministry of Education. The presentation addressed evidence-based, high-yield instructional practices and relational trust, motivation, efficacy and hope. The next full-day session will focus on creativity, innovation and critical thinking and problem solving. The session will be facilitated by Garfield Gini-Newman of the Critical Thinking Consortium and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. c) Ministry of Education Mid-Year Visit, 29 November 2011 Officials from the Ministry of Education and the Regional Office of the Ministry of Education (Ottawa) met with senior staff and system principals for a mid-year review of the Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement (BIPSA). The discussion highlighted the alignment of practices across the district in support of the instructional core, the focus on our district goals (W.E.L.L.), and the key strategies outlined in the BIPSA. d) Follow-up from Education Committee Meeting, 15 November 2011 A numeracy committee has been established to provide insights and perspectives with respect to the district-wide action plan for numeracy. The committee will include individuals from a variety of backgrounds and experiences including university, college, apprenticeships and the workforce, and it will represent a balance of internal and external expertise; with the Communications Department. Details will be provided a future meeting of the Education Committee; The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) released highlights on Ontario results from the 2010 Pan-Canadian Assessment Program. Ontario is the only Canadian jurisdiction where students were above the national average in all three subjects tested (reading, mathematics and science); and With regard to the Blue Sky Discussion on improvements to arts education in OCDSB schools, a website survey will be available online from 17 January to 20 February 2012 to collect input from stakeholders. Trustee Kavanagh assumed the chair when Trustee FitzGerald wished to speak. In response to comments and queries from Committee members, the following information was provided: The job-embedded professional learning network for French-as-a-Second Language will commence with teachers in elementary French Immersion centres this year and then be expanded over the next two years to other sites with EFI, MFI and Core French. Trustee Scott requested that staff consider the inclusion of some dual-track schools from each superintendency in the networks for French-as-a-Second Language teachers this year; Critical literacy refers to critical thinking applied to literacy across the curriculum. Trustee Scott requested that staff provide a written explanation to the Education Committee on the With regard to the speaker series on numeracy, Chris Ellis encouraged staff to consider engaging speakers who can relate well to parents, particularly those who are newcomers to Canada; Some Committee members drew attention to events at some schools that were arranged to teach parents games that would assist their children in improving their numeracy skills; _____________________________________________________________________________________ Education Committee - 3 - 13 December 2011 Report No. 1 In response to a request from Trustee McKenzie, Superintendent Buffone agreed to investigate the feasibility of inviting trustees to observe the first meeting of the numeracy committee; In response to a query, Superintendent Buffone advised that staff is working with OCASC on establishing the numeracy committee, and that a parent who addressed the November meeting of the Education Committee would be invited to participate; Trustee FitzGerald noted that a recent article in the media reported a and requested that this item be added to a future meeting of the Education Committee; In response to a concern regarding the complexity of instructional manuals, Superintendent Buffone noted the opportunity to engage all school departments in reviewing and analyzing learning materials and developing key strategies for teaching and learning; There are increasing opportunities to utilize software games and modules for online learning to reinforce numeracy skills; however, some software resources are not yet at a desirable level of instruction; and and software companies for use by teachers, and opportunities for e-learning have increased substantially in the past few years. 6. Receipt of Special Education Advisory Committee Report 10, 23 November 2011 Moved by Trustee Scott, THAT Report No. 10, Special Education Advisory Committee, dated 23 November 2011 be received. (Attached as Appendix A) - Carried 7. Receipt of Special Education Policy Ad Hoc Committee Reports a. Report 12, 17 November 2011 Moved by Trustee McKenzie, THAT Report 12, Special Education Policy Ad Hoc Committee dated 17 November 2011 be received. (Attached as Appendix B) - Carried b. Report 13, 23 November 2011 Moved by Trustee McKenzie, THAT Report 13, Special Education Policy Ad Hoc Committee dated 23 November 2011 be received. (Attached as Appendix C) - Carried 8. Receipt of Trades & Technology Steering Committee Report 2, 20 June 2011 Moved by Trustee Scott, THAT Report 2, Trades & Technology Steering Committee, dated 20 June 2011 be received. (Attached as Appendix D) - Carried _____________________________________________________________________________________ Education Committee - 4 - 13 December 2011 Report No. 1 In response to a query, Superintendent Buffone advised that the Trades & Technology Steering Committee met recently. He noted the he would provide the dates for future meetings. 9. Report 11-214, Request for Additional Program Offering at Bell High School Your Committee had before it Report 11-214, seeking approval for the addition of courses LVLCU (Latin) and AMV20 (Vocal Music) to allow program changes in the delivery structure of programs at Bell High School. Superintendent Bennett advised that Bell High School currently offers Grade 10 and Grade 11 Latin courses and now wishes to add a Grade 12 Latin course to make a course package. The addition of a Grade 9 Vocal Music course will create a Vocal Music course package and provide a prerequisite course that, up until now, has been waived to allow students to take Grade 10 and Grade 11 Vocal Music courses. The school is of the opinion that its increasing enrolment would support the additional courses. Superintendent Bennett advised that the Latin course is targeted at students interested in pursuing a career in medicine as well as being of interest to international students attending OCDSB schools through the Ottawa-Carleton Education Network (OCENET). Superintendent Bennett advised that Bell High School has consulted with, and has the support of its school council, nearby secondary schools, and central departments. She noted that if a student was granted a transfer to take one of these course packages and subsequently dropped out of the course package, the student would be returned to their designated school if they had not completed two years at the receiving school. She also added that staffing is in place at Bell High School for these courses and they would not significantly impact enrolment in other courses or require an additional financial resource allocation. Moved by Trustee Scott, THAT the addition of courses LVLCU (Latin) and AMV20 (Vocal Music) to allow program changes in the delivery structure of programs at Bell High School be approved. Trustee Scott introduced the motion and noted that the Board has been asked to approve the recommendation in structures at secondary schools. She noted that this policy was originally developed to ensure that neighbouring schools are consulted to determine potential impacts on student enrolment, and, in this case, there would be little impact on nearby schools. She noted that Bell High School has offered successful vocal music courses in the past and she was pleased to see that it would be expanded to a course package. She added that, in her opinion, Latin courses would be beneficial to all students, not only those interested in pursuing medicine as a career. Trustee Kavanagh assumed the chair when Trustee FitzGerald wished to speak. During discussion of this item, the following points were noted: It may be appropriate for the Board to review its policy on changes to programs and program delivery structures at secondary schools with respect to the level of decision-making required by the Board in light of appropriate consultation with nearby schools; The current method of tracking student transfer requests could demonstrate a demand for the establishment of a particular course package in a secondary school; Four secondary schools (Lisgar Collegiate Institute, Nepean High School, Bell High School and Glebe Collegiate) currently offer Latin courses; Latin courses may be of interest to students who are interested in languages and linguistics; _____________________________________________________________________________________ Education Committee - 5 - 13 December 2011 Report No. 1 Latin course International Languages Program; Vocal music courses are open to all students and there is no requirement to audition for entry into the program; and Some Committee members expressed concern about the requirement for students who do not complete a course package for which a student transfer was granted being required to return to their designated school. Superintendent Bennett advised that a principal may allow a student to remain at the school for compassionate reasons if the student experienced difficulty in the course despite his or her best efforts. Superintendent Buffone agreed to provide clarification on the frequency of receiving schools requiring students to return to their designated school if they do not complete a course package for which a transfer was provided. In wrap up, Trustee Scott noted that a course package is a sequential group of interrelated courses designated school, including transfer at the Grade 9 level to access a course package that does not commence until Grade 10. Students who have been granted a transfer in Grade 9 for a course package commencing in Grade 10 and opt not to take the course in Grade 10 may be returned to the sending school while those who attempted the course unsuccessfully may be allowed to remain in the receiving school on compassionate grounds. She suggested that the policy on changes to programs and program delivery structures at secondary schools be reviewed as part of the secondary school review, and urged Committee members to support the recommendation. Moved by Trustee Scott, THAT the addition of courses LVLCU (Latin) and AMV20 (Vocal Music) to allow program changes in the delivery structure of programs at Bell High School be approved. - Carried Trustee Seward assumed the chair for the remainder of the meeting. 10. Motion, Trustee Kavanagh re Pilot Program for Students in Grades 6, 7 and 8 to Encourage Physical Activity Outside of School Hours Notice of motion having been given, Trustee Kavanagh moved as follows: WHEREAS, children need at least one hour of physical fitness per day to maintain their health; WHEREAS, low fitness levels contribute to health problems such as childhood obesity and long term illnesses such as type two diabetes and heart disease later in life; WHEREAS, most students do not get enough physical activity with the current school curriculum and are not compensating this lack of physical activity outside school hours and there is no motivation to do so particularly for students not involved in organized sports; and WHEREAS, it has been proven that regular physical activity improves academic performance; _____________________________________________________________________________________ Education Committee - 6 - 13 December 2011 Report No. 1 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED A. THAT the OCDSB investigate the possibility of a pilot program for students in grades 6, 7 and 8 to encourage regular physical activity outside of school hours. This includes investigating the possibility of creating a system of giving non-academic credit for students who consistently do regular or daily physical activity outside of school hours. Participants can track the physical activity outside of school hours through a journal or blog and have it signed off by a supervising adult including a parent with a goal of one hour per day. Participants will be encouraged to take part in physical activities that do not require fees or special equipment including active transportation such as walking or riding a bike to school; and B. THAT staff report back to the Education Committee on the progress of this program by June 2012. Trustee Kavanagh expressed the opinion that there is a great need for students to increase their physical activity levels to improve their well-being and school performance. In addition to literacy and encouraged to do physical activity outside of school hours. Trustee Kavanagh noted that she is suggesting that non-academic credits be granted to students in recognition of their efforts, and that the system of tracking volunteer hours for community involvement at the secondary level could serve as an inspiration for this program. She submitted that Grades 6, 7 and 8 are targeted for this pilot project physical activity on a daily basis would help to inform parents of the importance of exercise and a pilot project would provide a method of exploring ideas and obtaining buy-in from teachers, parents and students. Moved in amendment by Trustee Scott, sentence and listing the followi investigate the possibility of a pilot program for students in grades 6, 7 and 8 to encourage regular physical activity outside of school hours, for example: the possibility of creating a system of giving non-academic credit for students who consistently do regular or daily physical activity outside of school hours; the possibility of participants tracking the physical activity outside of school hours through a journal or blog and have it signed off by a supervising adult including a parent with a goal of one hour per day; and the possibility of encouraging participants to take part in physical activities that do not require fees or special equipment including active transportation such as walking or riding a bike to school; and - Carried, friendly - During discussion of this item, the following points were noted: The motion calls for a report by June 2012 on the feasibility of establishing a pilot program, and not the implementation of a pilot program by that date; Physical activity, in addition to organized sports and recreation activities, could also include walking to school or a friend, painting a house, practicing the piano, raking leaves; Some concerns were expressed about equity of opportunities for physical activity, for example, students who spend long periods of time on the school bus may not have the same amount of time available for physical activities as other students; and some families may provide more encouragement and support than others; _____________________________________________________________________________________ Education Committee - 7 - 13 December 2011 Report No. 1 The motion is specific in terms of physical activities that do not require fees or special equipment and links could be made to resources that are currently available in the community; Committee members expressed their support for the motion and noted that it could encourage creative ways for students to increase their physical activity; Students in Kindergarten to Grade 8 receive twenty minutes of physical activity per day through a variety of settings, for example, in the classroom, gym, and outdoor activities; Encouraging students to record their physical activity helps to reinforce the reasons for doing it, builds lifelong habits, and promotes the sharing of activities that are successful; ools that pairs physical activity with learning has demonstrated that quantifiable increases have occurred in student test scores in fitness and literacy skills; and Trustee FitzGerald inquired about the feasibility of introducing a research component into the pilot program that would compare physical activity levels of students in the program against those who do not take part to determine if the program is achieving its goals. Superintendent Buffone advised that he would like to consult with the Quality Assurance Department to determine what might be feasible with respect to measuring attitudes, frequency and physical activity levels before, during or after commencing a pilot program. Moved by Trustee Scott, THAT the following motion, as amended, be deferred to the next meeting of the Education Committee on 17 January 2011: Moved by Trustee Kavanagh, A. THAT the OCDSB investigate the possibility of a pilot program for students in grades 6, 7 and 8 to encourage regular physical activity outside of school hours, for example: the possibility of creating a system of giving non-academic credit for students who consistently do regular or daily physical activity outside of school hours; the possibility of participants tracking the physical activity outside of school hours through a journal or blog and have it signed off by a supervising adult including a parent with a goal of one hour per day; and the possibility of encouraging participants to take part in physical activities that do not require fees or special equipment including active transportation such as walking or riding a bike to school; and B. THAT staff report back to the Education Committee on the progress of this program by June 2012. Trustee Scott suggested that the motion be deferred to provide time for staff to gather additional information with regard to the feasibility of adding a research component to the pilot project that would compare physical activity levels of students in the pilot project against those who do not take part. Trustee McKenzie advised that the Committee could either motion to defer motion to the next meeting of the Education Committee, or approve the recommendation this evening and rather than vote on it at the December Board meeting, move to defer Board approval to the following Board meeting in January. would prefer to receive additional information from staff before debating the motion at Board. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Education Committee - 8 - 13 December 2011 Report No. 1 Trustee Kavanagh noted that she did not support deferral of her motion to 17 January because she wanted the community to know that the Board was in support of her motion and beginning to work on it. Trustee Scott submitted that a motion information at hand before voting on the motion. She noted that Committee members have indicated that they are in support of the motion and a delay of one month would not signal otherwise. Moved by Trustee Scott, THAT the following motion, as amended, be deferred to the next meeting of the Education Committee on 17 January 2011: Moved by Trustee Kavanagh, C. THAT the OCDSB investigate the possibility of a pilot program for students in grades 6, 7 and 8 to encourage regular physical activity outside of school hours, for example: the possibility of creating a system of giving non-academic credit for students who consistently do regular or daily physical activity outside of school hours; the possibility of participants tracking the physical activity outside of school hours through a journal or blog and have it signed off by a supervising adult including a parent with a goal of one hour per day; and the possibility of encouraging participants to take part in physical activities that do not require fees or special equipment including active transportation such as walking or riding a bike to school; and D. THAT staff report back to the Education Committee on the progress of this program by June 2012. - Carried 11. Report 11-201, Consultation on Special Education Classes, Programs & Services for 2012-2013 Your Committee had before it Report 11-201, providing information regarding the consultation plan with stakeholders for proposed changes in the type and location of specialized classes, programs and services for the 2012-2013 school year. Superintendent Paxton advised that staff consults with stakeholders annually on the recommended changes in the type or location of special education system classes and programs for the following year. For 2012-2013, staff is reviewing the following proposed changes: Open one elementary autism program class at Sir Winston Churchill Public School or South March Public School based on need and waitlist; Close one intermediate English gifted program class at Henry Munro Middle School based on lack of need and no waitlist and place students at Glashan Public School, or Hawthorne Public School or remain at Henry Munro Middle School in regular class with support; Open one primary special needs program class at Trillium Elementary School based on need and waitlist; and Close one secondary physical support program class at Ottawa Technical Secondary School based on lack of need and no waitlist. In response to a request from Chris Ellis (speaking on behalf of the Special Education Advisory Committee), Superintendent Paxton agreed to provide flip charts to record comments presented at the stakeholder consultation meetings scheduled for 19 January 2012. Superintendent Paxton advised that _____________________________________________________________________________________ Education Committee - 9 - 13 December 2011 Report No. 1 staff is not trained nor equipped to record verbatim minutes; however, staff would attend and take meeting notes at the consultation sessions. In response to a query, Superintendent Paxton advised that principals of affected schools would be notified of the proposed changes, receive a copy of the staff report and be asked to share the information with their school councils. Parents of students potentially affected would be notified by mail. Stakeholders, including school councils, Special Education Advisory Committee, and Ottawa-Carleton Assembly of School Councils, would be informed of the community consultation sessions on 19 January 2012. Trustee Scott expressed appreciation for the staff report. Trustee McKenzie noted her satisfaction with the recent consultation on the special education policy and noted that the concepts employed at that consultation had been incorporated in the consultation on special education classes, programs and services for 2012-2013. 12. Report 11-219, Follow-up-Up Regarding Instrumental Music at the Intermediate Level in Elementary Schools Your Committee had before it Report 11-219, providing an update on the delivery of instrumental music at the intermediate level in elementary schools across the district. Superintendent Buffone advised that schools with intermediate divisions, and their communities and feeder schools, that currently do not offer instrumental music in band format, were surveyed to determine the extent of the interest in offering music programming at the intermediate level through a band format. Most schools had low to moderate return rates; however, for those who responded, most were in favour of an instrumental music through a band format. He reported that Fisher Park Public School/Summit Alternative and its feeder schools had a significant number of responses from parents in support of instrumental music provided through band format. Based on the results of the survey, Curriculum Services will follow up with Fisher Park Public School/Summit Alternative with respect to the options to address their interest for instrumental music through band format. If the decision is made to support the implementation, funds will be provided to the school for the purchase of instruments and equipment and learning materials. The cost would be approximately $12,000 through existing budget. During discussion of this item, the following points were noted: Trustee McKenzie submitted that band is a big part of school spirit and expressed concern that five intermediate schools will continue to be without instrumental music in band format. their interest in adopting a band format, Superintendent Buffone advised that staff would continue to monitor and inquire about interest in implementing a band format. He added that staff worked with the school principals and school councils to raise awareness in the community and there did not appear to be an overwhelming desire for change at these five schools; Superintendent Scott advised that Huntley Centennial Public School is happy with their percussion-based instrumental music program. She expressed concern that all funds seem to have been targeted for band format and asked whether there is any opportunity for non-band schools to obtain additional resources on the same basis as schools with band format. Superintendent Buffone advised that while some one-time funding was provided for the purchase of band instruments, the bulk of the funding was available for schools to use regardless of the delivery format of the instrumental music program; _____________________________________________________________________________________ Education Committee - 10 - 13 December 2011 Report No. 1 charge student fees for the purchase of band instruments or require parents to rent band instruments. Staff will continue to monitor the impact of the school fee policy until it stabilizes; Schools may continue to purchase band instruments with the proceeds of fundraising activities; and Some school communities have a limited capacity to raise funds that may be used for the purchase of band instruments. Chair Seward expressed appreciation to Trustee McKenzie for raising the issue of the delivery of instrumental music programs in intermediate schools. 13. Education Committee Long Range Agenda The Education Committee reviewed the long range agenda and the following points were noted: The organizational changes at Ottawa Technical Secondary School and Sir Guy Carleton Secondary School pertain to a proposed partial move to a semester system for the delivery of some courses at these schools; and encourage physical activity outside of school hours will be added to the agenda for 17 January 2012 meeting of the Education Committee. 14. New Business a. Emergency Plans for Students with Special Needs Trustee Scott drew attention to an article in the December 2011 issue of the American School Board Journal regarding school emergency plans for students with developmental disabilities. She advised that the article addresses the importance of having clear instructions in ensure the that this information is provided for all OCDSB students with special needs. b. Article re Kevin Bush, Principal, Sir Guy Carleton Secondary School Trustee FitzGerald drew attention to a recent Speaking magazine from the Ontario College of Teachers, about Kevin Bush, Principal of Sir Guy Carleton Secondary School. She noted that the article reflected well on the OCDSB and Sir Guy Carleton Secondary School. c. Trustee FitzGerald reported that Sylvia Smith, a teacher at Elizabeth Wynn Wood Award for Excellence in Teaching. Ms Smith won the award for her project on aboriginal issues. 15. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 10:31 p.m. Shirley Seward, Chair, Education Committee _____________________________________________________________________________________ Education Committee - 11 - 13 December 2011 Report No. 1