July 6, 2020
Revised
Boards of education will set, create and maintain a strategic plan, annually report on student outcomes and put systems in place to continuously improve the educational outcomes for all students and improve equity for Indigenous students, children and youth in care, and students with disabilities or diverse abilities.
The preamble to the School Act and the Statement of Education Policy Order (Mandate for the School System) states, the purpose of the British Columbia school system is to enable all learners to become literate, to develop their individual potential and to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to a healthy, democratic and pluralistic society and a prosperous and sustainable economy. To achieve this purpose, we have a collective mandate to develop the Educated Citizen defined as the intellectual, human and social and career development of every student.
In order to ensure a system-wide focus on continuously improving educational outcomes for all students, this policy specifies the responsibilities for the Ministry and boards of education with respect to strategic planning and reporting of educational outcomes. The policy also identifies ways that the Ministry, boards, Indigenous peoples and other education partners can contribute to improving educational outcomes in the K-12 education system.
School Act (PDF) ss. 8.3, 65 (1.1), and 81 and 168 (2) (t)
Boards of education will set, create and maintain a strategic plan, annually report on student outcomes and put systems in place to continuously improve the educational outcomes for all students and improve equity for Indigenous students, children and youth in care, and students with disabilities or diverse abilities. The policy is grounded in a shared commitment and common values including literacy, numeracy, graduation, belonging and career and life goals to support each and every learner and improve equity of outcomes.
Provincial, district and school educational outcomes, goals, objectives and measures should be specific, meaningful, measurable, and evidence informed. The focus of planning and reporting is to understand the evidence and develop and implement actions to improve student outcomes.
Provincial, district, and school educational outcomes should align with the School Act, the Goals of Education and the Educated Citizen in Parts B and C of the Statement of Education Policy Order (Mandate for the School System). The Ministry will adhere to its commitments under the BC Tri-partite Education Agreement (BCTEA) and support boards of education in an effort to meet those provincial commitments.
Educational outcomes should also align with policies, reports and other frameworks that focus on supporting educational outcomes of all students.
The Province is committed to true, lasting reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. The commitment is aligned with the Draft Principles that Guide the Province of British Columbia’s Relationship with Indigenous Peoples, the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. When developing educational goals, objectives, strategies and measures for strategic planning, the Ministry will collaborate with Indigenous peoples and key education stakeholders in the process, including partners, parents, students, teachers, support staff, and representatives for Indigenous students, children and youth in care, and students with disabilities or diverse abilities. The Ministry will align the work with the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (BC). Boards should take a similar approach to collaboration with First Nations and Indigenous peoples to identify specific actions to support equitable outcomes and opportunities for Indigenous students.
The Ministry has established expected provincial educational outcomes and measures in intellectual, human and social development and career development that must be reported by boards in accordance with the Enhancing Student Learning Reporting Order.
Boards and schools will focus on the minimum education outcomes and measures articulated in the reporting requirements in the strategic planning process and supplement with multiple sources of information to identify actions to improve student success and emerging areas of focus.
The Ministry will:
Boards of education will:
Boards will submit an annual report to the Minister in accordance with the requirements in the Enhancing Student Learning Reporting Order.
The Ministry will work with Boards of Education to build capacity along a continuum of needs, including: