HomeMy WebLinkAbout21 Report 98-266 Update on Process of Program Review73.
C, Ottawa - Carleton District School Board
This report is the original version.
27 July 1998
Report No. 98 -266 to the Board
Re: Update on Process of Program Review
ORIGINATORS: Barbara Stollery, Superintendent of Program and Information Technology
PURPOSE:
1. To provide an update for trustees on the process which will provide a focus for the Program
Review within the Ottawa - Carleton District School Board.
BACKGROUND:
2. On June 151998, a report to Education Committee indicated that within the context of the
Attendance Boundary /Area Review School Closure Process, there were a number of program
factors and delivery models which need to be addressed in the total context of school board
reorganization.
This report also suggests that because there is extensive research and a number of community
concerns in terms of program, that a process be developed to provide focus for the synthesis of
the research information.
Report No. 98 -247, approved by the Board on June 25,1998, recommended a process to focus the
research and provide guidance to the Program Review; namely
a) The researcher will attempt to interview trustees, senior staff and selected community
representatives as suggested by the Ottawa- Carleton Assembly of School Councils;
b) Topics will include:
- French Immersion Entry Points; and
- Elementary and Secondary Program Delivery Models including program
entitlements, magnet schools, neighbourhood schools, families of schools and
composite schools;
c) The focus of the interviews were two questions around each topic; which would generate
questions for focus:
What does the decision -maker want /need to know?
- What would the decision -maker do as a result of the information?
d) Questions will not be selected or rejected on grounds of frequency only in terms of their
being critical to decision- making.
5. This process has been completed over the past three weeks with the interviewer and a number
of stakeholders as noted above. Within this timeframe, six trustees, seven senior staff and
eight community members were interviewed to provide questions to focus the synthesis of the
research.
6. The following broad -based areas have been identified by the interviewers:
- Program Delivery Models;
French Immersion Entry Points;
Program Entitlements;
Alternative Schools;
Alternate Schools;
Magnet Schools;
Neighbourhood Schools;
Composite Schools; -
Special Education Delivery Models including Gifted Programming
Specialized Programming;
Middle Schools; and
Semestering.
Staff are in the process of sorting the questions within each category into a series of sub-
categories which include in each area:
- General Issues;
- Pedagogical Issues;
- Community and Social Issues;
- Economic and Financial Issues;
- Organizational Issues; and
- Contractual Impacts.
8. Staff have begun to pull together the Board and external research to assist in the development
of the decision making process around the following areas:
- French Immersion Entry Points;
- Alternative Elementary Schools; and
- Elementary and Secondary Delivery Models including program entitlements, magnet
schools, neighbourhood schools and composite schools.
9. On August 24,1998, a report will be brought forward to Board outlining a suggested process and
timelines for the issues identified in the Program Review foundation process. This timeline
will synchronize with the boundary/area review /school closure process and take into
consideration the research which will be available as well as the time constraints of the
Ministry of Education School Closure Process.
10. The suggested timeline will be staged taking into consideration issues which require specific
consideration in the area review /school closure process.
11. Research reports on French Immersions Entry Points, Alternative schools, and
Elementary/Secondary Delivery Models will be brought to the Board for consideration over the
August 24 to September 151998, timeframe.
12. Community consultation and participation will be an integral part of the process.
SUBMITTED FOR INFORMATION
Stollery
'Superintendent of Program and
Information Technology