HomeMy WebLinkAbout03 Report 00-198 School Councils Survey Report 20004
LM----j
OTTAWA CARLETON
DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
25 October 2000
Report No. 00 -198 to the Chairs' Committee
Re: School Councils Survey Report 2000
ORIGINATOR: James P. Grieve, Director of Education /Secretary of the Board
Janice E. Sargent, Management, Policy & Planning Advisor
PURPOSE:
To provide for information the School Councils Survey conducted in spring 2000.
BACKGROUND:
2. The Director of Education is responsible for reporting to the Board and to the Minister of
Education on the establishment and operation of school councils as outlined in Policy /Program
Memorandum 122. Under OCDSB Policy P.014.SCO: School Councils, each council is required to
report annually to the Director of Education.
Following consultation with and input from OCASC in the fall of 1999, a survey questionnaire
was distributed to the Board's 151 schools /sites in February 2000. The completed surveys serve
as each council's annual report to the Board, and the aggregate results will be included as an
element of the Director's Annual Report for the year 2000.
STATUS:
4. The School Councils Survey Report 2000 is attached as Appendix A. The response rate to this
survey was high (80 %), and school councils were on the whole very satisfied with their efforts
and accomplishments in 1999 -2000.
The Director will include a summary of the results in his annual report to the Ministry on school
council progress. All OCDSB principals and school councils will receive a copy of the survey
results for their information and future planning purposes, so that they may learn from the
experiences of school councils during the past year and build on their successes.
SUBMITTED FOR INFORMATION
James P. P. Grieve
Director of Education /Secretary of the Board
Gi
r
C 2000 Copyright of this work is owned by the Ottawa - Carleton District School Board. No
reproduction of this work, in whole or in part, may be made without the express authorization of
the Ottawa - Carleton District School Board.
PI
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000
Table of Contents
ExecutiveSummary ....................................................................................... ..............................i
Introduction.................................................................................................. ..............................1
SurveyResults ............................................................................................. ............................... 3
Elections /Council Representation .............................................................. ..............................3
School Council Operations / Activities ....................................................... ............................... 8
Support.................................................................................................... .............................16
Satisfaction with/Effectiveness of this Year's Operation ........................... .............................24
Concluding Observations ........................................................................... ............................... 29
Appendix................................................................................................... ............................... 31
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000
Executive Summary
In keeping with the directions outlined in Ontario Ministry of Education and Training
Policy/Program Memorandum 122 issued in April 1995, schools undertook to establish school
councils in 1996 -97. Since then, school councils have operated within Board policy guidelines
in the Carleton Board of Education, Ottawa Board of Education, and, since amalgamation in
January 1998, the Ottawa - Carleton District School Board (OCDSB).
The Ottawa - Carleton Assembly of School Councils ( OCASC) serves as an umbrella organization
for OCDSB school councils. The Assembly was founded in January 1998 as a result of the
initiatives of the two predecessor boards' umbrella groups. Under OCDSB Board policy,
OCASC has official observer status at Board and committee meetings, and participates in many
of the Board's working groups.
The Director of Education is responsible for reporting to the Board and to the Minister of
Education on the establishment and operation of school councils as outlined in Policy/Program
Memorandum 122. Under OCDSB Policy P.014.SCO: School Councils, each council is
required to report annually to the Director of Education.
Board staff worked with OCASC to develop a survey questionnaire based in part on a survey
conducted in one of the predecessor boards. This questionnaire was substantially modified and
expanded to reflect OCASC's input. To facilitate the annual reporting process for school
councils, the survey was distributed to 151 schools /sites in February 2000. The completed
surveys serve as each council's annual report to the Board, and the aggregate results will be
included as an element of the Director's Annual Report for the year 2000.
Through this survey, the Board was interested in learning in some detail about the activities and
priorities /goals of councils as well as the relationships within and among school councils,
OCASC and the Board. The survey included questions in the following areas:
• elections and council representation
• council operations and activities
• training and support
• satisfaction with/effectiveness of school council operation.
To allow sufficient time for discussion with its membership, school councils were asked to
include the survey as an agenda item at a meeting. Each school council was asked to fill in one
response as a group and return the completed survey by 12 May 2000.
The Director will include a summary of the results in his required annual report to the Ministry
on school council progress. All OCDSB school councils will receive a summary for their
information and future planning purposes, so that they may learn from the experiences of school
councils during the past year and build on their successes. Briefly, results were as follows:
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 i1
Survey Responses
Of the 151 schools /sites that received surveys, 121 (80 %) responded. Of those responding, 94
(78 %) were elementary councils, 25 (21%) were secondary councils, one (1%) was a special
education program school council, and one (1%) was an alternative program school council.
Five councils (including four alternative schools and the Adult High School) did not have a
school council, so did not return a survey. One school reported that the council had difficulty
meeting so a survey would not be returned. Other schools did not give reasons for not
submitting a survey. One school returned a partially completed survey, noting that "the council
refused to complete the survey."
Elections and Council Representation
Most school councils hold elections annually, either at the end of the school year or in the fall
(September or October).
A substantial majority of school councils (74 %) met the membership requirements. School
councils reported having difficulty recruiting parents to serve on the council, with particular
difficulty in obtaining representation of the school's ethnocultural diversity on the council.
Typical reasons cited for not meeting membership requirements were: small school populations,
difficulty recruiting community representatives, lack of representation from administrative and
support staff, and sporadic attendance. Elementary school councils tended to be more satisfied
with the makeup of their school council than secondary school councils.
School Council Operations /Activities
Most reporting school councils were able to conduct their business primarily using consensus
rather than voting.
The most common goals for the 1999 -2000 school year were: fundraising, program- related
activities, and communication. Consequently, school council activities included giving advice to
principals, the Board, and/or senior staff on program- related issues as well as on policy (for
example, the school code of behaviour). School councils also responded to requests for input on
Board policies and provincial initiatives, particularly Special Education, specific policies such as
field trips, student transfers, volunteers, school closures, and budget. School councils offered a
wide variety of after - school parent programs including school safety, parenting- skills seminars,
and leisure programs. School councils were very resourceful in their fundraising endeavours and
used the funds to support a broad spectrum of school needs (e.g., supplies and equipment or
special events and excursions). School councils were active in the community, particularly with
respect to communicating with parents and advocating school's concerns regarding school
closures, quality of education, and education funding. School councils also reported that they
worked on developing the school community and improving the building and/or grounds.
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 iii
Support
The majority of school councils have a constitution or by -laws and are willing to share these
electronically on BEAM. Almost all responding councils (92 %) felt that their members fulfilled
their obligations /roles very well, despite some difficulty finding sufficient volunteer
commitment. School councils also benefited from belonging to OCASC, with a majority of
councils attending at least half the OCASC meetings last year. About three - quarters of
responding councils made connections with other school councils, usually via zone meetings or
OCASC.
When school councils needed help or advice, they usually consulted the principal or OCASC.
While over half the school councils reported finding the School Council Operations Manual
helpful, some suggested improvements to make its use more practical. School councils were
somewhat likely to make use of BEAM, but using other forms of communication or email were
often reported to be more convenient.
In about half the cases, reporting school councils expressed a need for more support to operate
effectively and serve the school community. Typical kinds of support that school councils
needed were more volunteers and a modest operating budget.
Satisfaction with/Effectiveness of this Year's Operations
School councils were very successful in making progress on and achieving their goals, with 86%
of responding councils accomplishing two or three of their top goals /priorities for 1999 -2000.
Relationships were quite positive within councils as well as between councils and the
people /groups with whom they worked. Overall satisfaction with operations was quite high:
91% of responding councils were very or extremely satisfied with this year's operations.
Concluding Observations
School councils were well pleased with their efforts in 1999 -2000. Many successes were
reported regarding progress made and goals and priorities accomplished. For example, individual
councils commented positively on the support, dedication and energy of council members and
school staff; collaborative work on fast - moving issues; effective and respectful group dynamics;
and a feeling of satisfaction in serving the needs of their school's students, staff and parents.
Areas for improvement included the need to recruit more volunteers to serve as council
members, to find better strategies for increasing ethnocultural diversity on councils, and to
establish new initiatives and expand horizons for the coming year.
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Surve y Report: Re rt 1r
September 2000 1
Introduction
In keeping with the directions outlined in Ontario Ministry of Education and Training
Policy/Program Memorandum 122 issued in April 1995, schools undertook to establish school
councils in 1996 -97. Since then, school councils have operated within Board policy guidelines
in the Carleton Board of Education, Ottawa Board of Education, and, since amalgamation in
January 1998, the Ottawa - Carleton District School Board (OCDSB).
The Ottawa - Carleton Assembly of School Councils ( OCASC) serves as an umbrella organization
for OCDSB school councils. The Assembly was founded in January 1998 as a result of the
initiatives of the two predecessor boards' umbrella groups. Under OCDSB Board policy,
OCASC has official observer status at Board and committee meetings, and participates in many
of the Board's working groups.
The Director of Education is responsible for reporting to the Board and to the Minister of
Education on the establishment and operation of school councils as outlined in Policy/Program
Memorandum. 122. Under OCDSB Policy P.014.SCO: School Councils, each council is
required to report annually to the Director of Education.
Board staff worked with OCASC to develop a survey questionnaire based in part on a survey
conducted in one of the predecessor boards. This questionnaire was substantially modified and
expanded to reflect OCASC's input. To facilitate the annual reporting process for school
councils, the survey was distributed to 151 schools /sites in February 2000. The completed
surveys serve as each council's annual report to the Board, and the aggregate results will be
included as an element of the Director's Annual Report for the year 2000.
Through this survey, the Board was interested in learning in some detail about activities and
priorities /goals of councils as well as the relationships within and among school councils,
OCASC and the Board. The survey included questions in the following areas:
• elections and council representation
• council operations and activities
• training and support
• satisfaction with/effectiveness of school council operation.
To allow sufficient time for discussion with its membership, school councils were asked to
include the survey as an agenda item at a meeting. Each school council was asked to fill in one
response as a group and return the completed survey by 12 May 2000.
The Director will include a summary of the results in his annual report to the Ministry on school
council progress. All OCDSB school councils will receive a summary for their information and
future planning purposes, so that they may learn from the experiences of school councils during
the past year and build on their successes.
Survey Responses
Of the 151 schools /sites that received surveys, 121 (80 %) responded. Of those responding, 94
(78 %) were elementary councils, 25 (21 %) were secondary councils, one (1 %) was a special
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 2
education program school council, and one (1%) was an alternative program school council.
Five councils (including four alternative schools and the Adult High School) did not have a
school council, so did not return a survey. One school reported that the council had difficulty
meeting so a survey would not be returned. Other schools did not give reasons for not
submitting a survey. One school returned a partially completed survey, noting that "the council
refused to complete the survey."
Results will be communicated to the OCDSB community so that future councils may learn from
the experiences of this year's school councils and build on their successes.
In the sections which follow, the survey results for individual questions are displayed and
analysed. Comments illustrating some of the opinions and points of view of the responding
school councils are included where possible. Percentages were rounded to the nearest whole
number.
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 3 Ae
Survey Results
Elections /Council Representation
Of the 118 councils (98 %) responding to this question, most held elections in May or June.
Responses were as follows:
Election Month(s) Number of Councils % of Councils
May /June 1999
77
65
September 1999
24
20
October 1999
9
8
Both May or June and
7
6
October 1999
January 2000
1
1
Most school councils (107 of 119, or 90 %) reported holding elections annually, resulting in a
term of office of one year for council members. Of the remaining school councils, 8% (9 of 119)
reported that elections were staggered, and 3% (3 of 119) reported holding elections biennially.
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Percentage of School Councils Holding
Elections at Various Intervals
Every Year Staggered
Every Two Years
Election Frequency
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 4
A majority of school councils (74 %, or 90 of 115) reported that they meet the minimum
composition requirements that are set out in Board Policy P.014.SCO: School Councils. (The
minimum requirements for elementary schools are nine members, including five parent/guardian
and four staff/other members. Secondary school councils should have at least eleven members,
including six parent/guardian and five staff/other members.)
Ic
Percentage of School Councils Meeting
Minimum Composition Requirements
Yes No
These results compare very favourably to those reported in the CBE School Councils Survey
Report: May -June 1997, where 51 % of responding councils reported they had failed to meet the
minimum membership requirements for the first year that councils were required.
Of the 31 councils which gave reasons for not meeting membership requirements, three school
councils (one intermediate and two elementary) attributed their low membership to a small
school population. Of.these 31 councils, 26% (six elementary and two secondary) reported that
they were without a community representative. Eight schools (five elementary and three
secondary) also reported that their councils lacked at least one teaching staff member. Twelve
school councils (39 %, nine elementary and three secondary) reported that administrative and
support staff were not represented on their councils. Only 19% of councils (five elementary and
one secondary) reported insufficient parent or guardian representation. Ten councils (32 %,
seven elementary and three secondary) reported encountering problems with poor attendance.
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
/0�_
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 5
Parents
The number of parent/guardian council members ranged from 2 to 60 for the 120 school councils
responding to this question. Of these councils, 11% (7 of 120) did not meet the minimum
requirement for five parent or guardian members. Most school councils (85 %, or 102 of 120) had
between 5 and 15 parent/guardian members.
For the 93 elementary councils that completed this question, the number of parents on the
council ranged from 2 to 60. Elementary school councils met the minimum requirements for
number of parents in 88% of cases.
Of the 25 secondary school councils that returned completed surveys, 92% met minimum
requirements for membership, and the number of parents on their school councils ranged from 4
to 22.
Academic Staff
Among the 118 responding councils, the number of academic staff on the council ranged from 0
(W to 10. Of this total, 37 (31 %) had one academic staff member on the council; 38 (32 %) had two
academic staff on the council; and 35 (30 %) had three or four academic staff members. Among
responding councils, elementary schools (38 %) were slightly more likely than secondary schools
(29 %) to have more than two academic staff on the council.
Administrative and Support Staff
Of the 106 councils responding to this question, 51 % reported having one administrative and
support staff member on the council. A further 37% reported having two or three administrative
and support staff on the council. Thirteen councils (12 %) reported not having any administrative
and support staff on the council. Elementary and secondary schools had similar proportions of
administrative and support staff members on school councils.
Students
Of the 94 responding councils (67 elementary and 25 secondary), 69% reported not having any
students on the student council. Among elementary schools, where student representation is
optional, 93% reported having no student representation. Among secondary schools, where it is
required that a student be elected to the council by students, 92% reported having one, two, or
three students on the council. Over half (52 %) of school councils had a single student member.
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
13. OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 6
Community Representatives
Eighty elementary schools responded to this question; of these, 58% reported having at least one
community representative on the council. Community representation ranged from nil to sixteen
members on school councils, but most councils (46 %) had a single representative.
Of the 23 secondary schools that responded, community representation was similar, but ranged
from nil to three members. Most secondary councils (48 %) also had one community
representative.
Total Membership
Elementary school councils ranged in size from 5 to 68 members. Of these councils, 3% were
below the minimum total of nine members, while 91% of councils had between 9 and 25
members in total. Secondary councils ranged in size from 8 to 31 members; 88% had between
11 and 24 members.
5. How difficult is it to recruit the following members for school councils?
School councils tended to find it very or extremely difficult to recruit parents and community
representatives (see table below). One likely reason for elementary councils finding it more
difficult than secondary councils to recruit parents is the smaller pool of parents from which to IJ
draw in schools with fairly small enrolments. As reported by a number of councils, recruitment
of community members may require special outreach to the community.
Type of Member Difficulty Rating Elementary Secondary
Schools % Schools
Very 52 38
Parent Members Extremely 13 25
Very + Extremely 65 58
Very 23 33
Community Members Extremely 54 46
Very + Extremely 77 79
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 7
Despite the difficulties in recruiting members reported in Question 5, school councils generally
reported satisfaction with the membership profile (see table below). This result indicates that
although many councils found it hard to meet membership requirements, most were ultimately
successful (see results of Question 5) and many were satisfied with the composition of their
councils. Elementary councils reported being satisfied with their membership profiles more
frequently than did secondary school councils.
Reported Satisfaction Elementary Schools Secondary Schools
(% saying "yes") (n =91) (n =25)
Satisfied with structure 70 48
(diversity of membership)
Satisfied with size (number of 71 56
members)
If school councils responded that they were not satisfied- with the structure or size, they were
asked to indicate the reason.
Typical explanations from secondary councils included:
• not enough parent members or involvement
insufficient ethnocultural diversity
sporadic attendance
commitment problems.
Elementary school councils also often indicated that they would like increased parent and
community representation.
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
1 -
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 8
School Council Operations /Activities
The number of school council meetings held during 1999 -2000 ranged from 6 to 16. Most
school councils anticipated having met 10 times (monthly) by school year -end.
Number of Meetings Held During 1999 -2000 School Year
Elementary School Councils Secondary School Councils
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 16
Number of meetings held
F
F
a
a
2
1
6 7 8 9 10 11
Number of meetinas held
For the 117 school councils responding to this question (97 %), most (44 %) reported that the
council chair set the agenda for council meetings. The next most frequently reported answer
(17 %) was council chair and school principal together, followed by 14% of councils reporting
that the council chair, council as a whole, or principal set the agenda. Fifteen councils (13 %)
also said that others were responsible for, or helped to set, the agenda. Examples of others
involved were: the vice - principal, student council representatives, parents, speakers.
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board
Management, Policy & Planning
16.
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 9
Board policy encourages consensus as the preferred model for school council decision -
making (P.014.SCO, Attachment 2,1.22).
The proportion of council decisions made by consensus among responding councils
ranged from nil to 100 %. Most councils made all or nearly all their decisions by
consensus, with only 4% reporting making less than 20% of their decisions by this
method.
50
40
0
U
0
30
U
20
m
E 10
i�
0
50
40
0
v
0 30
0
z
U
0 20
N
10
Proportion of School Council Decisions
Made by Consensus
0 15 25 40 60 75 90 98 100
10 20 30 50 70 80 95 99
Reported proportion
Proportion of School Council Decisions
Made by Voting
0 2 10 20 30 50 70 80 90
1 5 15 25 40 60 75 85 100
Reported proportion
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
11 1 OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 10
Of 118 councils responding to this survey question (98 %), 93 elementary and 25 secondary
school councils listed their top three priorities /goals for the 1999 -2000 school year. The most
frequently identified priorities are listed below with the percentage of times that school councils
indicated them.
Top priorities /goals for Percentage of times indicated
Elementary School Councils
Fundraising 25%
Program 14%
Communication with parents 10%
Student safety 9%
Volunteers /recruitment 7%
Community events /raise school profile 7%
Other important goals /priorities /issues
Building and grounds 5%
Monitor and respond to Board, Ministry 4%
Top priorities/ goals for
Percentage of times indicated
Secondary School Councils
Program
18%
Communication with parents
14%
Secondary School Reform
13%
Fundraising
10%
Community events /Raise school profile
8%
Other important goals /priorities /issues
School closures 6%
Finding ways to increase school population 6%
Issues 6%
It is apparent that while elementary and secondary school councils had common goals and
priorities (for example fundraising, program, and communication with parents), there were some
clear differences in interests and emphasis.
In particular, secondary councils tended to identify goals and priorities that were specific to
individual school needs (for example, improving the school's reputation, maintaining basic
education, opposing school closures, or increasing school enrolments).
Elementary councils tended to be more homogeneous in their responses; for example, 25% of
councils indicated that fundraising was a top priority. Vj
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: P R ort: Se tember 2000 11
A. School Council Advice/Input
The percentage of school councils reporting advice on topics included in Board policy is found
in the table below. All 121 school councils responded to this question.
Of School Councils Giving Advice On Various Matters To Principals
And Senior Staff
Advice on: To:
Principal
Board/
Senior
Staff
Both
Neither
Local school year calendar
23
13
7
56
School code of student behaviour
62
2
6
31
Curriculum and program goals /priorities
37
3
12
48
Responses of the school board to
achievement in provincial /Board
assessments
23
2
7
69
Preparation of school profile
64
2
13
22
Principal profile
36
11
19
34
School budget priorities
39
4
11
46
School- community communication
strategies
56
2
12
31
Methods of reporting to
parents /community
57
2
9
32
Extra-curricular activities in the school
65
2
7
26
School -based services and community
partnerships
41
3
7
50
Community use of school facilities
24
3
7
66
Local co- ordination of services for
children and youth
14
1
4
81
Development, implementation and
review of Board policies at the local level
17
12
25
46
Other (see examples below)
3
5
7
85
School councils also reported giving advice /input on such topics as: political action regarding
physical plant issues, school closures, boundary issues, portables, French immersion, Gifted
programs, equipment, grounds, safety, strategic plan formation, crossing guards, playground
structures, use of school by International Languages, official school opening ceremonies, and the
Board's field trip policy.
It is notable that relatively high proportions of councils did not report giving advice or input in
areas in which they are particularly encouraged by the Board to do so: school budget priorities
(46 %); review of Board policies at the school level (46 %); principal profile development (34 %);
and preparation of the school profile (22 %).
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
M, OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 12
B. Reviewing/Responding to Board Policies/Provincial Initiatives
Eighty -seven school councils (72 %) responded to this question. The most common areas for
school council review /response were:
Special Education 22
Policy (field trips, schools as polling stations, student promotion and
placement, volunteers, liability, secondary student transfers,
transportation, dances) 21
School closures 18
Budget 15
OCASC 113
Funding formula 11
Safety (safe schools, play structures, crossing guards, cleanliness 10
Other (less than 10 times and more than once):
ESL, Secondary School Review, Basic level education, French
immersion, calendar, curriculum, staffing (Special Education and
school administration), teaching load, textbooks, TAP, principal and
vice- principal selection, Board -wide exams, family of schools, and
letters to the Board) 10
C. After - School Parent Programs
Thirty-four school councils (28 %) reported offering a variety of after- school programs during the
1999 -2000 school year. Examples of the most commonly mentioned programs are:
Health- or safety- related programs (e.g., Internet risks, anti - bullying,
allergy awareness, playground safety, anger management, crime -
proofing, safe schools)
13
Leisure programs (e.g., arts and crafts, chess, computers, tae kwon
do)
9
Parenting seminars
5
Academic programs (e.g., homework clubs, teaching parents to help
their children learn, student -led conferencing)
5
Welcome programs (e.g., fall barbecue, Grade 8 or 9 information
nights)
4
Information presentations
4
After - school day care
3
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 13 P?o '
D. Fundraising
Responding school councils numbered 101 (83 %). Nine councils (9% of those
responding to this question) included an estimate of the total amounts raised; the range
was from $6,800 to $30,000, with an average of $12,000.
School councils were very resourceful in their approaches to fundraising. The majority
of councils held more than one type of fundraiser. Most common were: book fairs, pizza
sales, hot dog sales, bake sales, lunches, fun fairs, barbecues, food sales (e.g., cookie
dough, chocolates, etc.), clothing sales, raffles, craft sales, and used goods sales (e.g., ski
and skate sales, rummage sales).
Seven school councils reported forming partnerships with businesses such as Wal -Mart,
Loblaws, M &M and Canadian Tire. Councils also held many different kinds of sales,
from magazines to crocus sales. One council held a gardening seminar series, another
held a fabric flea market. Pledging activities (e.g., walk -a- thons, read -a- thons, math -a-
thons) were also reported.
A few school councils reported that they did not fundraise, either because they did not
want to infringe on students' efforts or because it was the responsibility of the parent
advisory council.
School councils used the funds raised to support a broad spectrum of school needs:
• Most councils reported using the money to purchase supplies and equipment
(e.g., audio - visual materials, microscopes, sports equipment, musical
instruments, classroom supplies, etc.) and to purchase library books.
• Some school councils also purchased special programs such as Kindergarten
programs, phonics, and music programs.
• School councils also used their resources to fund trips and special events such
as theatrical presentations or author visits.
• Money was also spent on gifts, awards, and school celebrations.
• A few school councils reported spending money on the school structure or
grounds.
• One elementary council agreed to spend a large proportion of funds raised on
textbooks for the school. This school council "believes that textbooks are an
essential element of education and that the province and board should provide
adequate resources and a proper process for the best texts to be acquired.
These are not an element that should fall to school community fundraising.
Please ensure that in your roll -up report to the Ministry this view is strongly
expressed. "
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board
Management, Policy & Planning
( ' OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 14
E. Community Development
The 106 school councils (88 %) responding to this question reported that their activities included
community development activities as follows during the 1999 -2000 school year:
Community Development Activity % of school councils
involved in activity
Communications with parents
93%
Advocacy (e.g. re school closures, quality of education,
education funding) 76%
Volunteer programs to increase parent participation in school
activities 72%
Communications with the community
53%
Programs to increase parent involvement with children's
school work 41%
Facilitation of community partnerships (e.g., health,
recreational, youth services) 36%
Other
12%
From this it is clear that most school councils were very involved in community development
activities, particularly by communicating with parents and supporting volunteer programs to
increase parent participation in school activities.
Some councils reported pursued community development activities other than those listed above.
For 13 school councils (12 %), such "other activities" included:
• charitable organizations
• speakers from community, parenting workshops, and education evenings for example,
attendance, teen depression and suicide, environmental issues)
• sport programs
• working with municipality and police regarding community safety issues such as
graffiti, vandalism, and traffic calming measures
• school yard revitalization
• babysitting programs
• daycare and outreach program
Ottawa- Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
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OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 15
F. Other
In addition, school councils reported a wide variety of activities other than those listed in E.
above. These other activities can be grouped into three main types:
Development of the school community:
• appreciation luncheon for teachers
• providing services to school community
• after - school enrichment program
• annual fun fair, family dance, barbecue
• assisting principal/Board in managing crisis in school
• multicultural dinners
• mentoring of new teachers
• parent survey on use of rewards and incentives in classrooms
• school logo contest
• Tundra Semiconductors scholarship
Improvements to the school and /or grounds:
• replacing or renovating play structures
• team shirt purchase
• school clothing sale
• parent and student survey on school yard improvement initiative
• donating basketball nets
Promotion of school and /or school's concerns in the community.
• lobbying local government and/or Board (e.g., re school closures)
• involving a childcare member from the school daycare
• lobbying regarding safety concerns (e.g., traffic safety, community safety)
• hosting a community ravine clean-up
• participating in "Kilometre of Coins" and donating funds to a charity
• encouraging volunteers from the community
• reporting activities in local newspaper
• displaying art in the community
• attending parades
• partnering in barbecues
• community outreach work
• working with OCASC
• representation on SEAC
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
�3 OCDSB School Councils Survey P P Report: September 2000 16
Support
12. Does your school council have a constitution and /or by -laws?
Most school councils responding to this question (85 %, or 101 of 119) responded that they have
a constitution and/or by -laws.
• 32% (33 of 104) made revisions to the constitution and/or by -laws during this school
year.
• 89% (89 of 100) would be willing to share these electronically on BEAM with other
school councils
Nearly all school councils responding to this question (92 %, or 104 of 113) felt their council
members fulfilled their obligations /roles and responsibilities very well or extremely well. Nine
councils (8% of those responding) felt they did not fulfill their responsibilities very well. No
school council reported that members failed completely to fulfill their responsibilities.
s0%
40%
20%
0%
Percentage of School Councils Saying
How Well They Fulfil Roles (P.014.SCO)
Extremely Well Very Well Not Very Well
Despite these positive ratings, some councils indicated problems encountered, or gave reasons
for being unable to fulfill their obligations /roles and responsibilities to a higher degree.
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
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2 0
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 0 0 17
Some of the problems that school councils encountered
Membership
• council lost experienced members
• insufficient membership
• did not fulfill obligation to recruit community members
• difficult to find volunteers to take projects /tasks and deliver results
Council Advisory Functions
• the council was not used as an advisory body by the principal (confined to setting
goals and objectives related to social activities and fundraising, and not allowed any
input into the school improvement plan);
• council gave limited input or advice (whereas under policy, the primary role is as an
advisory body)
• access to adequate levels of information to make informed decisions was limited and
information was often not available within reasonable time frames
• level of input was limited compared to previous years
• budget and finance — staff/school funds and parent/council funds: need to improve
reporting and communication between school and council
Need for Outreach
• need more outreach to parents and greater involvement by entire community in the
school and with educational issues
Communications
• communications to parents were sporadic and of little effect
• parents in their community are generally supportive of the school but do not want to
become personally involved in this kind of activity
Morale
• council members were getting worn down by the constant fight to keep the school
open
Some reasons school councils gave for not fulfilling obligations very well were:
• all were new members so they were learning as they went
• the majority were new members
• council workload was unevenly distributed — some members did a lot, some very
little
• could have done more if more enthusiastic parents had joined the team
• should have included more staff and students to get their direct involvement
• members have worked hard/fulfilled their roles well, but there is always room for
improvement
• although the council did not follow the manual literally, we were /are a very busy
council, conducting many activities and fundraising to support necessary resources
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 18
14. Does your school council attend OCASC monthly meetings?
Of the 118 school councils (98 %) responding to this question, 80% indicated that a council
representative attended monthly OCASC meetings.
1
Percentaae of Schools Councils Sendina
Representatives) to OCASC Meetings
YPa No
Elementary and secondary school councils showed similar response rates: 77% of elementary,
and 88% of secondary, councils attended.
Please indicate at approximately how many of these meetings (from September
1999 to June 2000 your school council will have been represented.
104 school councils (86 %) indicated the number of OCASC meetings at which they were
represented. School councils were generally well represented, with 64% of councils attending at
least 7 OCASC meetings during 1999 -2000.
5
4
3
2
1
Percentage of School Councils Indicating
Frequency of OCASC Attendance
None 1 -3 4-6 7 -8 9-10, all
Number of OCASC meetings attended in 1999.2000
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 19 6
If your school council has not been represented at these meetings in 1999 -2000,
please indicate why.
Typical reasons given for not attending OCASC meetings were:
Barriers
• difficulty getting child care in order to attend
• scheduling conflicts
• language barriers
• transportation or travel difficulties
• lack of funds
Lack of relevance of, or time for, OCASC meetings
• the mandate for the executive was to focus on the school itself and not OCASC
• OCASC does not meet the specific needs of our school (Basic education), so do not
have an established representative
• we receive our information from OCASC via e- mails, mail -outs, web sites, and
minutes
• it is difficult to find a volunteer to represent our council at OCASC meetings
• the burden of attending more meetings is too great; it is time - consuming to attend
Most school councils (74% or 87 of 118 responding) reported connections with other school
councils throughout the Board. Similar percentages of elementary and secondary school
councils had made these connections (73% and 76 %, respectively).
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Percentage of School Councils Reporting
Connections with Other Councils
Yes No
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
;I -
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 20
94 school councils indicated how these networks /connections were made. Typical responses
were:
• trustee zone meetings, trustee `round table'
• telephone calls
• through parents with children at other schools
• OCASC conference; OCASC sub - committee members sit on other school councils
• connections with feeder schools, the Board, our family of schools
• Internet, BEAM
• councils in our municipality made connections (for example, Goulbourn, Kanata, east
end, South Rural Alliance)
• contact with secondary school councils
• personal contact, informal connections
• working groups, committees, lobby groups, joint projects
School councils were asked to rate the people or groups they were most likely to consult. The
suggested list of sources was: School Council Operations Manual, OCASC monthly meetings
for school councils, BEAM networking, the school principal, Board liaison, OCASC chair,
OCASC Liaison Officer, OCASC Delegate, and Other (specify).
Sources of Information That School Councils Were Most Likely
to Consult in 1999 -2000
% of School Councils
making rating
Rated #1, most likely
Principal 88
OCASC delegate 17
Other (see comments below) 15
Rated #2, second most likely
OCASC monthly meetings 19
OCASC delegate 12
School Councils Operations Manual 12
Rated #3, third most likely
School Councils Operations Manual 19
OCASC Chair 19
BEAM networking 12
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board
Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 21
The school councils that rated "Other" as their first choice specified sources of information such
as:
• arts co- ordinator
• school council members (e.g., co- chair, council chair, council members) or parent
networks
• previous chair
• trustees and/or staff (for example, Planning Department)
• SEAC contacts
• school staff (vice - principal, teachers)
• community
School councils tended to find the School Council Operations Manual very helpful: 54% (59 of
109 responding councils) rated it extremely or very helpful. Elementary and secondary schools
did not differ in their ratings of the manual's helpfulness.
s
5
4
3
2
1
Percentage of School Councils
Rating Helpfulness of Manual
Extremely Very Not Very Not at All
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
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�q - OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 22
Suggested additions or improvements
School councils had several suggestions for additions or improvements to the manual:
• improve the index
• add best practices from other school councils and more practical examples
• provide a condensed version or versions for elementary or secondary schools
• make it an interactive CD -ROM
• add guidelines for financial record - keeping and reporting
"Too big and cumbersome. "
"Too long and complicated. Makes the role of school council chair seem like a
life's work. "
"Excellent for new council members who have not been involved before. "
Overall, the 115 councils (95 %) that answered this question were very likely to make use of the
Board's electronic mail and bulletin board system (BEAM).
Percentage of School Councils
Reporting Using BEAM
Yes No
Elementary school councils were slightly more likely than secondary school councils to make
use of BEAM (60% vs. 54 %, respectively).
Typical reasons for not using BEAM were:
• members already use a different form of e-mail
• BEAM not installed or council members not trained to use it
• system difficult to access (that is, have to go to the school to use a computer)
• principal and/or OCASC supplies relevant information
• lack of time to follow this source of information/method of communication
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
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OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 23
Operate effectively
Almost half (48 %, or 52 of 109) of school councils responding to this question indicated they
needed additional support in order to operate effectively. Elementary and secondary school
councils did not differ greatly in their answers to this question.
Percentage of School Councils Believing
Additional Operational Support Required
Yes No
Serve your school community
About half of school councils (51 %, or 53 of 105) responding to this question indicated they
required additional support to serve their school communities. More secondary school councils
indicated needs for additional support than did elementary school councils (59% vs. 48 %,
respectively).
s
5
4
3
2
1
Percentage of School Councils Believing
Support Needed to Serve School Community
Yes No
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
31- OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 24
Comments
Of the 71 councils that elaborated on their needs for support, 20 reported they needed additional
support from parents. Volunteer support for fundraisers and other events tended to be sufficient,
but further volunteer support to serve on school councils was required. A number of councils
(16) also reported that additional funds are needed, both to support the school and the council.
Several indicated that a modest operating budget would be very helpful, particularly for
communicating with parents (for example, to defray photocopying and postage costs) and
reimbursing council members for expenses for transportation, childcare, mileage, etc.
Satisfaction with/Effectiveness of this Year's Operation
20. Of the three top priorities /goals set by your school council (Question #10): 7
How many_ did you make Progress on during the 1999 -2000 school year?
Most school councils (80 %) made progress on all three of their top goals or priorities for the
1999 -2000 school year.
1c
Percentage of Schools Councils Reporting
Progress on Goals in 1999 -2000
All Three Two One None
Number of goals on which progress was made
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 25
How many did you accomplish during the 1999 -2000 school year?
Schools councils were also quite successful in accomplishing their stated goals or priorities, with
86% reporting they had accomplished two or three.
60 %'
5
4
3
2
Percentage of School Councils Reporting
Accomplished Goals in 1999 -2000
All Three Two One None
Number of goals accomplished
87 school councils elaborated on their progress or accomplishment of goals:
• Many school councils indicated that there is always room for improvement.
"Many goals are a work in progress; constantly being refined. "
"Our objectives are ongoing; we haven't truly accomplished them, but are
satisfied with this year's effort. "
• Several school councils were preoccupied with school closures.
"1998 -99 and 1999 -00 have not been 'normal' years for 'business as
usual.' They have been dominated by the school closure issues. "
• School councils cited insufficient time, funds, and person -power as reasons for goals
not being optimally accomplished.
"We had a few dedicated volunteers who kept our programs running in the
school even though we were actively searching for more volunteers. "
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
33, OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 26
Of the 121 responding councils, 114 (94 %) listed at least one communication strategy.
Communication strategies to disseminate information to various stakeholder
groups in school community.
A wide variety of ways were employed to disseminate information. The most common method
was to communicate via newsletters. Most strategies were successful, but some were found to
need improvement. For example, although newsletters were considered a good way to
disseminate information, they needed to be accurate, regular, delivered home, and perhaps
translated. While meetings were another good way to disseminate information, it was
acknowledged that few non - member parents attended, and poor attendance was a problem for
many school councils. Networking was a good strategy, but it was hard to reach all the parents
through word -of- mouth.
Communication dissemination strategy Percentage of times indicated
Newsletters 29%
Other (e.g., local media, bulletin boards, networking) 25%
Flyers, letters, notices sent home 14%
Meetings, minutes, or agendas 11%
Phone or e-mail 11%
Parent nights or special events 6%
Web sites 4%
Communication strategies to gather information from the school community.
Councils reported several strategies for gathering information from the school community.
While these strategies tended to work well, some needed improvement. For example, speaking
directly to parents did not reach the entire intended audience. In general, more response from
parents was needed. Phoning was found to be very labour- intensive.
Communication dissemination strategy
Percentage of times indicated
Other strategies (e.g., principal, assembly, OCASC,
22%
trustee, suggestion box, presentations, etc.)
Surveys
21%
Meetings
20%
E -mail or phone
13%
Notice or newsletter home with response requested
13%
Word -of -mouth, informal communication
10%
Web site
2%
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 27 3
In general, school councils reported positive relationships with the groups with whom they
worked. Relationships were most positive within the school council and with the principal and
school staff (98% and 99 %, respectively). Fewer school councils (72 %) reported positive
relationships with other school councils than with school staff. This result is in line with that for
Question 15, where 74% of school councils reported having made connections with other school
councils.
Relationship with /among % saying "Yes" % saying "Not
applicable
School council parents 98 1
Principal /school staff 99 0
School Community 91 8
Other School Councils 72 24
OCASC 89 10
While relationships were generally reported to be positive, council comments revealed that some
efforts had been made to build and sustain these positive relationships. Generally, where school
councils' interests were dissimilar to the individual interests of other school councils (for
example, in relation to programs or boundaries), comments reflected these efforts.
"In past years, school closure studies were so adversarial that other area
elementary councils continue to lobby boundary and program delivery allocations
with which [our council] does not agree. "
"We have found other councils in our area very territorial. "
"By choice we have not been very involved with OCASC activities. We have kept
our focus fairly local. "
"We have some personal issues between individuals. "
"School council parents tend to want things that benefit their child's class and the
rest tends to be forgotten. "
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
3 OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September er 2000 28
Overall, of the 105 school councils (87 %) responding to this question, 91% were very or
extremely satisfied with this year's operations. This compares favourably to the 1997 survey of
former CBE school councils (in which about 80% reported being very or extremely satisfied).
Percentage of School Councils Reporting Overall
Satisfactions with Operations in 1999 -2000
70%
60X%
50 /G
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Extremely Very Not Very
Overall satisfaction rating
The nine school councils which were not very satisfied with this year's operations indicated the
following reasons:
• Outside pressures on parents reduced efficiency, attendance. Nothing really pressing
needed to be tended to — yet parents were so busy that interest was not piqued.
• Need to survey the parents on different areas (homework, etc.), survey volunteers,
establish links with two other councils, find a community representative, and have at
least one workshop /talk evening for parents.
• Was disappointed in not being able to accomplish all ideas and often felt council was
simply a rubber stamp for school decisions.
• No commitment from people — some of those elected only came to the meeting to be
elected and were never seen again.
• Too few parents attend. To mobilize a parent body requires adequate time and
resources - few volunteers have the amount of time required.
• Very satisfied with school life in general but (1) co- ordination and advance planning
of events can improve; and (2) co- ordination/merging of teacher, staff, and parent
fundraising, with school council oversight, must improve.
• We need more participants!
• As a school council we felt too much time was spent on issues to do with fundraising.
We would like to be more involved in a variety of areas. We would like greater
parental involvement.
• These parents are the same people as in past years, and have yet to accomplish
anything significant. It is time for a new council with people who are willing to
actually work and implement programs.
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
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OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 29
Concluding Observations
While school councils identified a number of areas for improvement, there was generally a very
high level of satisfaction with their operation in 1999 -2000.
Some Areas for Improvement Identified by School Councils
Membership /Participation
• Hold elections earlier so the incoming council can get off to a quicker start.
• Need to recruit new members, in particular to attract community members and reflect
ethnocultural diversity.
• The tools are in place to have a somewhat strong school council, but tools can't work alone
— they need people to make them work.
• A few parents are working very hard, but it would be better if more became involved.
• Too few parents attend.
• To mobilize a parent body requires adequate time and resources — few volunteers have the
amount of time required.
• We tried to fulfill our mandate, but found it very frustrating due to lack of participation.
Communications
• Need better communications with parents.
Goals /Priorities
• Need new initiatives for next year.
• Spent a great deal of time this year on constitution rather than on other things.
• As a school council, too much time was spent on issues to do with fundraising; would like to
be more involved in a variety of issues.
Overload
• With school closures, budget cuts, liability insurance, board and ministry-wide issues, it is
very difficult to focus on your own school and its needs and issues; it is very difficult to
become knowledgeable and to keep up -to -date on all the education issues as expected by
parent body.
• 1998 -99 and 1999 -00 have not been "normal" years for "business as usual," they have been
dominated by the school closure issues.
Opportunities for Input
• We often felt council was simply a rubber stamp for school decisions.
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
�q OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 30
Some Areas of Particular Satisfaction Identified by School Councils
• Although we are small, we accomplish a great deal and receive good support from staff and
the school community.
• We had more involvement than in previous years, including student and teacher.
• We accomplished most of what we wanted to, relationships were maintained.
• Our participation level is high.
• Although a small council, we all have one main goal in common — a positive learning
experience for our children at our school and this is happening.
• Our council is energetic and dedicated; we had a strong turnout at all meetings; the principal
and vice - principal are very dedicated, enthusiastic, and supportive; there are good
communications between council and school so everyone works toward the common goal of
what is best for the school.
• We did some positive work and were of service to the principal, the students, and the parents.
• Despite being a very small council we were able to address the school's needs adequately and
organize some very successful school -wide events.
• Council meetings ran smoothly because we followed a detailed agenda; we had some
interesting guest speakers.
• There were effective, respectful group dynamics, and timely delegation of responsibilities —
committees were formed to deal with specific issues /initiatives.
• We worked collaboratively on fast - moving issues.
• Ours was a committed group.
Ottawa- Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning
OCDSB School Councils Survey Report: September 2000 31 3Y -
Appendix
Many thanks to the following school councils for responding to this survey.
A. Lorne Cassidy ES, A.Y. Jackson SS, Agincourt PS, Alta Vista PS, Arch Street PS, Bayshore
PS, Bayview PS, Bell HS, Bell's Corners PS, Blossom Park PS, Briargreen PS, Bridlewood
CES, Broadview PS, Brookfield HS, Cairine Wilson SS, Cambridge Street PS, Canterbury HS,
Carleton Heights PS, Carson Grove ES, Castlefrank ES, Centennial PS, Century PS, Charles H.
Hulse PS, Christie PS, Churchill Alternative, Clifford Bowey, Colonel By SS, Connaught PS,
Convent Glen PS, D. Roy Kennedy PS, Dunlop PS, Dunning - Foubert ES, Earl of March SS,
Elgin Street PS, Elmdale PS, Fallingbrook Community ES, Featherston Drive PS, First Avenue
PS, Fisher Park PS, Fitzroy Centennial PS, Fitzroy Harbour, Forest Valley ES, Frederick Banting
Alternate Site, General Vanier PS, Glebe CI, Glen Ogilvie PS, Gloucester HS, Goulbourn MS,
Greely ES, Greenbank MS, Hawthorne PS, Henry Larsen ES, Henry Munro MS, Hillcrest HS,
Hilson Avenue PS, Hopewell PS, Huntley Centennial PS, J.H. Putman PS, John McCrae SS,
Kars PS, Katimavik ES, Knoxdale PS, Lamira Dow Billings ES, Lakeview PS, Laurentian HS,
Le Phare ES, Leslie Park PS, Lisgar CI, Manor Park PS, Manordale PS, Maple Ridge ES, Mary
Honeywell ES, McArthur HS, Meadowlands PS, Meadowview PS, Merivale HS, Merivale PS,
Metcalfe PS, Munster ES, Mutchmor PS, Nepean HS, North Gower/Marlborough PS, Orleans
Wood PS, Osgoode PS, Osgoode Township HS, Overbrook PS, Parkwood Hills PS, Pleasant
Park PS, Queen Elizabeth PS, Queen Mary Street Public School, Queenswood PS, R. Bytns
Curry, Regina Street PS, Rideau HS, Rideau Valley MS, Ridgemont HS, Riverview Alternative,
Riverview PS, Robert Bateman PS, Robert E. Wilson PS, Roberta Bondar PS, Rockcliffe Park
PS, Sir Guy Carleton SS, Sir Robert Borden HS, Sir Wilfrid Laurier SS, Sir Winston Churchill
PS, South Carleton HS, Stephen Leacock PS, Stittsville Public School, Summit Alternative,
Terry Fox ES, Torbolton PS, Trillium ES, Vincent Massey PS, W. Erskine Johnston ES, W.E.
Gowling PS, W.O. Mitchell ES, West Carleton SS, Woodroffe Avenue ES, Woodroffe HS, and
York Street.
Ottawa - Carleton District School Board Management, Policy & Planning