First Nations Education Partnership · The Aboriginal Education Partnership Agreement is built on the fundamental beliefs that Aboriginal people are integral to the social fabric

Aboriginal Education Partnership Agreement

Annual Report 2011-2012

Aboriginal Education Council

And

School District 52 (Prince Rupert)

© 2013 Aboriginal Education Council

This report was prepared by Elizabeth Wilson in collaboration with the Aboriginal

Education Committee and the Aboriginal Education Department for the Aboriginal

Education Council, School District 52 (Prince Rupert).

For additional copies, contact:

Aboriginal Education Department

Wap Sigatgyet

317—9th Avenue West

Prince Rupert, BC

V8J 2S6

Phone: 250-627-1536

Fax: 250-627-1443

www.sd52.bc.ca/abed

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Aboriginal Learners in School District 52 (Prince Rupert)

Prince Rupert School District is situated in the traditional territories of the Ts’msyen

people. The school district provides Kindergarten through Grade 12 education programs

for families in Prince Rupert, Port Edward, Metlakatla, Gitxaała, the Gitga’at First Nation,

Lax Kw’alaams, Dodge Cove, and Gingolx.

Aboriginal people make up more than one-third of the

population of the North Coast. Sixty percent of the school

population—1333 out of 2231 students—is Aboriginal. The

percentage of Aboriginal learners in our school district has

increased from 51% in 2002 to 60% in 2011. This increase in the

percentage of Aboriginal learners has coincided with an

overall decrease in the student population.

The overall decline in the number of students has affected the

families and schools in our area. Ongoing decreases in the

number of students and aging buildings were among the

reasons for major restructuring in our school district this year. Beginning September 2011,

reorganization of schools resulted in one secondary school, one middle school, five

elementary schools (K-5), 1 village school in Hartley Bay, and a multi-grade school, Pacific

Coast School.

The period covered by this Annual Report is the first year for Prince Rupert Middle

School. Students in Grades 6 and 7 were attending a middle school for the first time.

Students in Grade 8 were attending the middle school instead of a secondary school that

included students from Grades 8-12.

On page 2 find the number and percentage of Aboriginal learners in each school including

the total attendance figure for the whole district for each reporting year.

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District Enrollment of Aboriginal Learners

September 2008

All

Learners

Aboriginal

Learners

%

Aboriginal

Conrad 294 199 68%

Lax Kxeen 285 137 48%

Pineridge 218 116 53%

Port Edward 61 35 57%

Roosevelt Park 207 199 96%

Westview 215 83 39%

CHSS 565 307 54%

PRSS 616 293 48%

Pacific Coast School 19 17 89%

Hartley Bay 32 32 100%

Lach Klan 81 81 100%

District Totals 2593 1499 58%

September 2009

All

Learners

Aboriginal

Learners

%

Aboriginal

304 214 70%

263 132 50%

208 110 53%

62 35 56%

187 182 97%

213 83 39%

548 325 59%

559 253 45%

42 25 60%

33 33 100%

NA NA NA

2419 1392 58%

September 2010

All Learners

Aboriginal

Learners % Aboriginal

Conrad 282 210 75%

Lax Kxeen 262 149 57%




Westview 188 77 41%

CHSS 545 319 59%

PRSS 506 247 49%




September 2011

All Learners Aboriginal

Learners

%

Aboriginal

Conrad 200 137 69%

Lax Kxeen 183 101 55%




PRMS 470 279 59%

CHSS 767 388 51%




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Aboriginal Education Partnership Agreement

The Aboriginal Education Partnership Agreement is built on the fundamental beliefs that

Aboriginal people are integral to the social fabric of Canada and that educational

opportunities and success for Aboriginal learners are of vital concern for all partners in

education.

The Aboriginal Education Partnership Agreement Annual Report gives all partners a chance to

discuss the importance of learning, support learners, celebrate achievements, identify

challenges, and plan for improvement. The Annual Report helps education partners and

community to understand—

how well Aboriginal learners are doing,

how well Aboriginal learners are achieving the goals set out in the Partnership

Agreement,

how the achievement of Aboriginal learners changes over the years, and

how we can make changes that enhance Aboriginal learners’ success.

Background

In February 1999 Provincial Education Partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding

stating—

We the undersigned acknowledge that Aboriginal learners are not experiencing school

success in British Columbia. We state our intention to work together within the mandates of

our respective organizations to improve school success for Aboriginal learners in British

Columbia.

This agreement was signed by the Ministry of Education, the Department of Indian Affairs

and Northern Development (now called Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development

Canada), the BC Teachers Federation, the BC College of Teachers, the BC School Trustees

Association, the BC Principals and Vice Principals Association, the Chief’s Action

Committee and the First Nations Schools Association.

On October 29, 2001 the education partners of School District 52 (Prince Rupert) agreed to

enter into a Partnership Agreement aimed at increasing educational opportunities and

improving academic success for Aboriginal learners. A renewed Partnership Agreement

was signed on November 30, 2010, to be in place for five years, 2011-2016.

This renewed Partnership Agreement reflects the mutual respect and responsibility of all

those involved in educating Aboriginal children and youth in our school district. The

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Mission, Principles, Goals, and Performance Indicators of the Partnership Agreement

guide education for Aboriginal learners in our school district.

Mission Statement

Our partnership is a shared responsibility dedicated to creating a community which values, respects

and appreciates Aboriginal languages, cultures, histories, knowledge, skills and people as integral to

the education system and life-long learning process.

Principles

1. We, the undersigned of this Partnership Agreement, confirm our commitment to

improve the life opportunities of all Aboriginal learners in School District 52 (Prince

Rupert).

2. We recognize the need for a long-term, sustained commitment to improve the

education and school success of Aboriginal learners by providing engaging,

relevant curriculum.

3. We will respect Aboriginal cultures, histories and languages, including the tradition

of respecting the primacy of the culture and language of the First Nation within its

traditional territory.

4. We commit to working in partnership in an open, flexible, respectful and

transparent manner.

5. We agree to work individually and collectively within the mandates of our

respective organizations to improve the performance of Aboriginal learners as

outlined in the Partnership Agreement.

6. An Aboriginal Education Annual Report will be published and shared annually to

monitor the Performance Goals over the subsequent years.

7. We collectively commit to reviewing the Aboriginal Education Partnership

Agreement on an annual basis.

Performance Goals

1. Increase Aboriginal learners’ knowledge of Aboriginal language, culture and history.

2. Increase Aboriginal learners’ achievement in reading and writing.

3. Increase Aboriginal learners’ achievement in mathematics.

4. Increase Aboriginal learners’ successful transitions, school completion rates and

graduation rates.

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Culturally Responsive Programs

The Aboriginal Education Council develops and implements a range of programs that

support the mission and goals of the Partnership Agreement and that increase—

the success and strength of Aboriginal learners,

the engagement of families in their children’s education, and

community understanding of Aboriginal culture and history.

Summer Read & Play program students, parents & staff visit Metlakatla

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Prince Rupert School District No. 52 Aboriginal Education Council

ABORIGINAL EDUCATION COUNCIL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

NOVEMBER 30, 2010

WAYI WAH

Mission Statement

Our partnership is a shared responsibility dedicated to creating a community which

values, respects and appreciates Aboriginal languages, cultures, histories, knowledge,

skills and people as integral to the education system and life-long learning process.

PREAMBLE

Aboriginal People are integral to the social and cultural fabric of Canada. Educational

opportunities and success for Aboriginal learners are of vital concern for all education

stakeholders.

In February 1999 the Provincial Education Partners signed a Memorandum of

Understanding stating, “We the undersigned acknowledge that Aboriginal learners are

not experiencing school success in British Columbia. We state our intention to work

together within the mandates of our respective organizations to improve school success

for Aboriginal learners in British Columbia.” This agreement was signed by the Ministry

of Education, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, the B.C.

Teachers Federation, the B.C. College of Teachers, the B.C. School Trustees Association,

the B.C. Principals and Vice Principals Association, the Chief’s Action Committee and

the First Nations Schools Association. Aboriginal Education is a priority for all School

District 52 education partners.

To increase educational opportunities and academic achievement for Aboriginal learners, on October 29, 2001 the Education Partners of School District 52 agreed to enter into a

Partnership Agreement aimed at improving academic success for Aboriginal learners. The Performance Goals of the Partnership Agreement were monitored through an Annual

Report from 2002-2007. Since 2007 a community consultation process has occurred among partners to consider

the mission, goals and indicators for Aboriginal Education over the next five years. This renewed Partnership Agreement reflects the mutual respect and responsibility of all those

involved in educating Aboriginal children and youth in the school district.

PRINCIPLES

1. We, the undersigned of this Partnership Agreement, confirm our commitment to

improve the life opportunities of all Aboriginal learners in Prince Rupert School

District No. 52.

2. We recognize the need for a long-term, sustained commitment to improve the

education and school success of Aboriginal learners by providing engaging,

relevant curriculum.

3. We will respect Aboriginal cultures, histories and languages, including the

tradition of respecting the primacy of the culture and language of the First Nation

within its traditional territory.

4. We commit to working in partnership in an open, flexible, respectful and

transparent manner.

5. We agree to work individually and collectively within the mandates of our

respective organizations to improve the performance of Aboriginal learners as

outlined in the Partnership Agreement.

7

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Aboriginal Education Council

The Aboriginal Education Council, the Aboriginal Education Committee, and the

Aboriginal Education Department together form a firm foundation to provide strong

leadership and support for education for Aboriginal learners and for all learners in our

district.

The Aboriginal Education Council was established in 1989 and builds on decades of

previous work on behalf of Aboriginal learners in School District 52 (Prince Rupert). The

Council is committed to—

providing Aboriginal people an effective voice in determining relevant educational

programs and services for learners of Aboriginal ancestry, and

increasing all learners’ knowledge, awareness, understanding, and appreciation of

Aboriginal people and their history and cultures.

The respect, trust, and communication that has grown through this collaboration ensures

that relevant and responsive programs and services for Aboriginal learners are developed,

implemented, and evaluated in ways that are consistent with the Ministry of Education’s

funding policy.

The members of the Aboriginal Education Council in 2011-2012 include—

Hartley Bay: Teri Jo Robinson

Gingolx Village Government: Claude Barton

Metlakatla Band Council: Sandra Carlick*

Lax Kw’alaams: Barb Helin*

Village Principal: Hartley Bay: Ernie Hill*

District of Port Edward: (vacant)

Gitga’ata Society (Prince Rupert): Theresa Lowther* (Co-Chair)

Prince Rupert Urban Haida Society: Frank Parnell

Prince Rupert Nisga’a Local: Della Gibson*; Sharon Oskey, alternate

Board of Education: Terri-Lynne Huddlestone

Northwest Métis Association: Don Reynierse*

Superintendent of Schools: Lynn Hauptman*

District Principal Aboriginal Education: Debbie Leighton-Stephens*

Aboriginal Family Resource Workers: Marlene Clifton* (Co-Chair)

Elementary Principal: Kathy Dann

Secondary Principal: Sandy Pond

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PRDTU: Debbie Carter*; Marla Gamble, alternate

Kaien Island First Nations Elders from Friendship House: Murray Smith; Lillian

Sankey, alternate

Prince Rupert Aboriginal Community Services Society: Kristi Reece*

Prince Rupert Friendship House Association: Vince Sampare

NWCC Aboriginal Liaison: Kaarlene Lindsay

Recording Secretary: Marilyn Bryant

* denotes Aboriginal Education Committee member from within the Aboriginal Education

Council

Grade six students at PRMS present their learning from the Pt’saan

Totem Pole unit

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Student Performance

Aboriginal learners are successful in many important areas of their lives through their

responsible and consistent contributions to their families, communities, and schools. We

regret not being able to include some of these contributions in this report.

This report describes how Aboriginal learners are performing in important academic areas

of their schooling, using performance indicators gathered from our school district and

provincial information.

We have identified achievement in the following areas as being important. We are using

the following measures to indicate student performance.

Literacy

Reading Comprehension, Grades 4 and 7, measured using the BC Foundation Skills

Assessment

English, Grades 10 and 12, measured using participation rates and final marks

Communications, Grade 12, measured using participation rates and final marks

Writing, Grades 4 and 7, measured using the BC Foundation Skills Assessment

Sm'algyax Language, Grades 11 and 12, measured using participation rates and final

marks

Mathematics

Numeracy, Grades 4 and 7, measured using the BC Foundation Skills Assessment

Pre-Calculus, Grade 11, measured using participation rates and final marks

Secondary School Graduation

Grade to Grade Transition Rates, measured using the percentage of learners who

successfully make the transition to the next grade, starting with the transition from Grade

6 to Grade 7 and ending with the transition from Grade 11 to Grade 12

Graduation Rates, measured using the numbers and percentage of learners beginning

Grade 12 in September who successfully graduated at the end of their Grade 12 year

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School Completion Rates, measured using the percentage of learners who successfully

complete the work for a Dogwood Certificate within 6 years of beginning Grade 8

At the end of the section on Literacy and Mathematics Performance, we discuss patterns of

student attendance and the possible role that attendance plays in student achievement and

engagement in school.

Our school district and the Aboriginal Education Council realize that the BC Foundation

Skills Assessment is a snapshot of how a student is doing on a particular day, because the

assessment only takes place once a year. However, we believe that these assessments give

us additional information to plan to support our learners. Our school district is looking at

other indicators that will let us know how Aboriginal learners are achieving.

Charts and graphs showing the data are located in the Appendix, beginning on page 50.

We use information about learner performance to plan culturally relevant, personalized

learning experiences for all children, Kindergarten through Grade 12. These programs and

initiatives are essential to support the successes of Aboriginal learners and are described

later in this report.

Other areas described in the report that are important in supporting all learners include—

Availability and use of culturally relevant resources and materials in classrooms to

increase responsive and personalized learning in our schools.

Programs and resources that support students with special needs.

Initiatives that support students’ emotional well-being and sense of belonging.

Activities that engage families and support them in their understanding of how they

can best support their children’s learning.

Three year old enjoying

playdough at Ready Set

Learn, Lax Kxeen School

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Literacy and Mathematics Performance

Kindergarten Assessment

In past years we have assessed learners as they enter Kindergarten, so that we can find out

how children are doing when they came into school and how they are doing after almost a

year of school. Information at the beginning of the year helps us understand what children

still need to learn to be successful readers. At the end of Kindergarten, the information

tells us how much children learned during their first year in school and how well

prepared they are for Grade 1.

At the beginning and the end of Kindergarten, children take part in enjoyable activities

that show what they know about the alphabet, colours, body parts, counting, letters and

numbers, and recognizing their name in print. We find out what they know about using

books and how well they tell a story about a picture. These are the basic skills of early

literacy.

We ask children to hear and make rhymes, to ‘break apart’ and ‘put back together’

syllables in words, and to hear and identify individual sounds in words. These are the

phonological skills needed for early literacy—being able to hear, identify, and work with

sounds in words.

Each year, young Aboriginal learners make great progress during Kindergarten in the

basic and phonological skills that contribute to strong literacy abilities. Often, fewer than

half of young Aboriginal learners enter school with a strong understanding of basic and

phonological skills. By the end of Kindergarten, many Aboriginal learners have met

expectations in these areas.

By the end of Kindergarten in June 2010, 83% of young Aboriginal learners knew basic

skills such as the alphabet and 75% had learned rhyming, how to hear and use sounds in

words, and how to read a book. In June 2011, the same percentage—83%—of young

Aboriginal children finishing Kindergarten had learned the basic skills. However, only

62% met expectations in phonological skills. This is a lower percentage than we had

hoped.

Reading Comprehension

Graphs and charts for Reading Comprehension are on pages 53-54.

We aim for all learners to meet expectations in reading comprehension by the end of

Grade 3 and to maintain their reading abilities through the Intermediate and Secondary

Grades.

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We have been using the BC Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) results to get an idea

about reading comprehension performance. The BC Foundation Skills Assessment is a

one-day assessment administered in February of each year for students in Grade 4 and

Grade 7. It assesses performance in reading comprehension, writing, and numeracy.

We can use the BC Foundation Skills Assessment to gain understanding of learners’

achievement. These results are a ‘snapshot’ of student performance and should not be

considered alone as an indicator of a student’s reading level. They do not give us an

accurate picture of the day-by-day performance of learners because there may be a

number of learners who meet or exceed expectations, who—for a variety of reasons—did

not take the assessment.

The percentage of learners reported to meet or exceed expectations is a percentage of all

learners enrolled in the Grade, not just those who have taken the assessment. This may

result in fewer learners identified as meeting or exceeding expectations.

Over the past five years, the participation rate in reading comprehension on the FSA has

ranged from 90% to 97% for Grade 4 learners and from 86% to 94% for Grade 7 learners.

According to the February 2012 provincial FSA results, 66% of all Grade 4 learners met or

exceeded expectations in reading comprehension, and 61% of Aboriginal Grade 4 learners

met or exceeded expectations. This was a great improvement over the year before, when

49% of all Grade 4 learners and 42% of Aboriginal Grade 4 learners met or exceeded

expectations. This was our students’ best performance in the past five years.

In February 2012, 48% of all Grade 7 learners and 37% of Grade 7 Aboriginal learners met

or exceeded expectations in reading comprehension. This was a slight decline from the

previous year, when 52% of all Grade 7 learners and 43% of Aboriginal Grade 7 learners

met or exceeded expectations in reading comprehension. For Grade 7 learners, this was the

lowest performance in the past five years.

English 10

Graphs and charts for English 10 information are on page 62.

English 10 is an academic course that continues the work of earlier grades and prepares

learners for the more challenging English courses in Grades 11 and 12. Since 2008, between

85% and 93% of all learners have passed the course with a C- or higher. During the same

period, between 74% and 88% of Aboriginal learners have passed the course with a C- or

higher.

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In order to be successful in the more challenging English courses in Grades 11 and 12, it

would be better for learners to pass the course with a C+ or higher. A lower percentage of

all learners and of Aboriginal learners passed the course with a C+ or higher. Since 2008,

only about half of all learners passed English 12 with a C+ or higher. During the same

period, the highest percentage of Aboriginal learners passing the course with a C+ or

higher was 40%, in 2011. In 2012, only 44% of all learners and 25% of Aboriginal learners

achieved this mark.

English 12

Graphs and charts for English 12 are on page 63.

English 12 is the academic course required for admission to post-secondary education

programs.

The proportion of Aboriginal learners taking English 12 was fairly consistent between 2006

and 2010, ranging from 28% to 34% of the learners taking the course. By June 2011, 37% of

the learners taking English 12 were Aboriginal. This is the highest percentage of

Aboriginal learners in the course for the past six years. Last year, 31% of those enrolled in

English 12 were Aboriginal learners. If we were to have parity of participation in English

12, approximately 60% of the learners in the course would be Aboriginal learners.

Once Aboriginal learners enroll in English 12, they do well in the course, with a range of

85%-90% of Aboriginal learners passing the course between 2006 and 2010. There was a

great increase in the percentage of Aboriginal learners passing English 12 in June 2011—

98% received a mark of C- or higher. This dropped in 2012 to 86%.

As with the performance of learners in English 10, there are fewer students passing

English 12 with C+ or higher. Over the past five years, between 49% and 56% of all

learners have passed English 12 with C+ or higher. During the same period, between 20%

and 35% of Aboriginal learners have achieved C+ or higher in this course.

In next year’s Annual Report we should be able to report English First Peoples data, as this

course is being offered in 2012-2013.

Communications 12

Graphs and charts for Communications 12 are on page 64.

Communications 12 is an alternative to English 12. Passing this course enables a learner to

graduate, but does not prepare the learner for post-secondary education. If a learner takes

Communications 12 and passes, he or she may still have to upgrade in order to take

College or University courses after graduation.

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Far fewer learners take Communications 12 than take English 12; however, the proportion

of Aboriginal learners taking Communications 12 is higher than that taking English 12.

Last year, 31% of the learners taking English 12 were Aboriginal and 70% of the learners

taking Communications 12 were Aboriginal. We continue to work to encourage Aboriginal

learners to enroll in English 12, which allows them greater options after graduation.

For the past three years, 100% of all learners and 100% of Aboriginal learners taking

Communications 12 have passed the course with a C- or higher. Unfortunately, the

percentage of learners who pass the course with a C+ or higher is much lower—over the

past 5 years, the success rate of C+ or higher ranges from 17%-34% for all learners and 13%

to 37% for Aboriginal learners.

Writing

Graphs and charts for Writing are on pages 55-56.

As with reading comprehension, we are using the BC Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA)

results to get an idea about writing performance.

In the February 2012 assessment, 59% of all Grade 4 learners and 52% of Aboriginal Grade

4 learners met or exceeded expectations in writing. This was a decrease in the performance

from the previous year, when 60% of all Grade 4 learners and 62% of Grade 4 Aboriginal

learners met or exceeded expectations in writing.

Since 2008, there had been an increase each year in the percentage of Grade 4 Aboriginal

learners meeting expectations in writing, as assessed by FSA. This is the first year that

there has been a decrease.

In Grade 7, 57% of all learners met or exceeded expectations in writing and 44% of

Aboriginal learners met or exceeded expectations. This was also a decrease from the

previous five years.

Sm'algyax Language

Graphs and charts for Sm'algyax Language are on page 65.

This year and last year 15 learners were enrolled in either Sm'algyax 11 or Sm'algyax 12. In

2010-2011, 80% of students successfully passed the courses. Last year all students – 100% –

successfully passed the courses.

These courses build strength in the Sm’algyax language and are challenging academic

programs. They have the same status for graduation as any language course in the

province.

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Grade 4 and 7 Numeracy

Graphs and charts for Numeracy are on pages 57-58.

As with reading comprehension and writing, we are using the BC Foundation Skills

Assessment to gain some understanding of learners’ ability in mathematics and numeracy.

In February 2012, 57% of all Grade 4 learners and 53% of Aboriginal Grade 4 learners met

or exceeded expectations in numeracy. This is the highest performance in the past five

years and a great increase over last year, when 37% of Aboriginal Grade 4 learners met or

exceeded expectations in Numeracy.

In Grade 7, 41% of all learners and 28% of Aboriginal learners met expectations in this

area. This is generally the same performance as last year for Grade 7 learners in numeracy.

Pre-Calculus 11

Graphs and charts for Pre-Calculus 11 are on pages 59-60.

In June 2010, in Principles of Mathematics 11, all learners and Aboriginal learners

increased their performance from the previous year and their performance was almost the

same: 94% of all learners and 92% of Aboriginal learners successfully passed Principles of

Mathematics 11.

In June 2011, the percentage of Aboriginal learners who successfully passed the course

was greater than the percentage of all learners who passed the course—94% of all students

passed; 97% of Aboriginal learners passed. More Aboriginal learners took Principles of

Mathematics 11 in 2010-2011. This was the highest proportion of learners since we began

gathering data about this course; 33% of the students taking the course were Aboriginal.

In 2011-2012 a new course was introduced, Precalculus 11. The percentage of Aboriginal

learners successfully passing Pre-Calculus 11 was higher than the percentage of all

learners passing the course—92% of Aboriginal learners successfully passed the course

and 90% of all learners passed the course. The proportion of Aboriginal learners remains

high—31% of those taking the course are Aboriginal learners.

Attendance

The chart for Attendance is on page 52.

This year we gathered information about attendance patterns to see if there might be an

impact on performance due to low attendance, especially in the middle school and

secondary school grades.

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We calculated the number and percentage of learners who missed 30 days or more

throughout the year. We identified these as ‘All learners’ and as ‘Aboriginal learners’, as

we do with the other data in this report.

Here are some patterns that we found—

The highest percentage of absences for all learners and for Aboriginal learners came

during Grade 7 and Grade 8; 26% of all learners missed more than 30 days in the

year in Humanities 7 and Math 7; 27% of all learners missed more than 30 days in

Humanities 8, and 29% of all learners missed more than 30 days in Math 8.

Of the learners in Grade 7 and Grade 8 who missed more than 30 days, 89% of those

in Grade 7 were Aboriginal learners and 76% of those in Grade 8 were Aboriginal

learners.

This was the first year for the Prince Rupert Middle School, which is a new

configuration for learners who had previously spent their Grade 6 and 7 years in an

elementary school. One possible reason for the lower attendance may have been

lack of preparation for the structure of a middle school.

Attendance for all learners and for Aboriginal learners improved greatly in Grades

9-12. The percentage of learners who missed more than 30 days dropped to about

10% in Humanities 9 and Mathematics 9.

In Grades 10-12, there are some major differences in attendance patterns; 35% of

learners taking Apprentice and Workplace Math 10 missed 30 days or more. Only

4% of learners taking Foundations of Math/Pre-Calculus 10 missed that many days.

This pattern for attendance in mathematics courses continued through Grade 11;

31% of learners taking Apprentice and Workplace Math 11 missed 30 days or more,

while only 6% of learners taking Pre-Calculus 11 missed that many days.

In Grade 12, no learners taking Calculus 12 missed 30 days or more and only 1

learner taking Principles of Math 12 missed that many days.

15% of learners taking English 10 missed 30 days or more.

8% of learners taking English 11 missed 30 days or more, while 29% of learners

taking Communications 11 missed that many days.

10% of learners taking English 12 missed 30 days or more, while 54% of learners

taking Communications 12 missed that many days.

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Throughout the information about attendance, we found that most of the students missing

30 days or more are Aboriginal learners. This absenteeism very likely has an impact on

their performance and achievement, and ultimately on learners’ ability to successfully

graduate from secondary school.

We are currently considering possible reasons for high absenteeism and ways that we may

be able to support students and families to attend school more regularly. It is possible that

the decline in employment and concurrent increase in poverty levels in the communities

have had an impact on families and student attendance.

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Secondary School Completion

Without doubt, it is important for Aboriginal learners to complete school and to graduate

as a pre-requisite for future education and training. This is particularly important so that

young Aboriginal people are able to make whatever choices they wish for their own future

and the future of their communities.

Many factors contribute to students successfully graduating from secondary school,

beginning when they are in Kindergarten and continuing through their performance in

academic subjects.

Included in this section are some key indicators about how well students are moving

through school and graduating successfully. These indicators include—

Grade-to-Grade Transitions

Eligible Grade 12 Graduation Rates

First Time Grade 12 Graduation Rates

School Completion Rates

Grade-to-Grade Transition Rates

Graphs and charts for Grade-to-Grade Transition Rates are on page 66.

Grade-to-Grade Transitions let us know the percentage of learners who make a successful

transition to a higher grade, starting with those making the transition from Grade 6 to

Grade 7 or higher, and ending with those moving from Grade 11 to Grade 12. The

information about successful transitions applies to learners who were in the Prince Rupert

School District in Grade 6 and who are now anywhere in the BC public school system,

even if they have moved away from Prince Rupert.

For example, if a student left Prince Rupert in Grade 7 and enrolled in Grade 8 in another

public school somewhere else in BC, that student would still be included in the percentage

of learners who made a successful transition between Grade 7 and Grade 8. The student

would not be included if he or she left school entirely or moved to another province or to a

private school or a band-operated school.

Looking at patterns of transitions for learners helps us know when students are most

likely to leave school and what percentage are staying in and successfully moving forward

to graduation.

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Transitions for Aboriginal learners have improved over the years. In 2007, only 67% of

Aboriginal learners made a successful transition from Grade 10 to Grade 11. In 2011, 81%

of Aboriginal learners made a successful transition from Grade 10 to Grade 11. Over the

past two years, 70% of Aboriginal learners made a successful transition from Grade 11 to

Grade 12. These are indications that Aboriginal learners are staying longer in school than

in previous years.

Graduation Rates

Graphs and charts for Graduation Rates are on pages 69-71.

There are two ways for us to look at graduation rates: Eligible Grade 12 Graduation Rates

and First Time Grade 12 Graduation Rates.

Eligible Grade 12 Graduation Rates measure the percentage of learners who start Grade 12

in September able to graduate in June if they pass all of their courses during the year. That

is, if the learners pass all courses in which they are enrolled as of September, they will

have met all of the requirements to graduation. Eligible Grade 12 Graduation Rates tell us

the number and percentage of learners who have met all the requirements by June and

who actually graduate.

The information on Eligible Grade 12 Graduation Rates shows that when Aboriginal

learners progress through school successfully passing their courses and making successful

transitions to the next grade, they are very likely to graduate.

In 2011, 92% of all learners who entered Grade 12 eligible to graduate did actually

graduate in June. For Aboriginal learners, 88% who entered Grade 12 eligible to graduate

did graduate in June. Last year (June 2012) there was a slight increase for all learners and

for Aboriginal learners: 95% of all learners who entered Grade 12 eligible to graduate did

actually graduate. For Aboriginal learners, 90% who entered Grade 12 eligible to graduate

did graduate.

The Eligible Grade 12 Graduation Rate for Aboriginal learners in Prince Rupert was higher

last year than the percentage for all the provincial schools combined: 90% of Aboriginal

learners who entered Grade 12 in June 2011 eligible to graduate, did graduate; 88% of the

provincial public and independent schools combined did so.

First-Time Grade 12 Graduation Rates measure the percentage of Grade 12 students who

entered Grade 12 for the first time in September and successfully graduated at the end of

the year, in June. Some of the First-Time Grade 12 students were not eligible to graduate in

June because they had not completed all the previous courses they needed before they

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entered Grade 12. Usually a smaller percentage of these students actually graduate,

compared to those who are identified in the Eligible Grade 12 Graduation Rates.

In June 2011, there was a 17% increase in the percentage of Aboriginal learners who

entered Grade 12 for the first time in September 2011 and graduated in June 2012; 59% of

Aboriginal learners graduated as first time Grade 12 students. In June 2012, the

percentages were similar to the year before: 72% of all learners and 54% of Aboriginal

learners who entered Grade 12 for the first time in September graduated in June 2012.

The First Time Grade 12 Graduation Rate for Aboriginal learners in Prince Rupert was

lower last year than the percentage for all the provincial and independent schools

combined: 54% of Aboriginal learners who entered Grade 12 in June 2011 for the first time

graduated; 63% of the provincial public and independent schools combined did so.


Graphs and charts for School Completion Rates are on page 68.

School completion rates represent the proportion of learners who complete school and

receive a Dogwood Certificate within 6 years of entering Grade 8 for the first time. As with

the grade-to-grade transition data, school completion information tracks students who

remain in the BC public school system, regardless of where they move. If a student left the

province or moved to a private or a band-operated school, that student would not be

included as one who successfully completed school or graduated.

The percentage of Aboriginal students who successfully completed school and received a

BC Certificate of Graduation increased greatly during the first several years of the

Partnership Agreement. In June 2001, 39% of Aboriginal learners successfully completed

school within 6 years of beginning Grade 8. By June 2005, 58% of Aboriginal learners

completed with a Dogwood Certificate.

However, in 2008 and 2009, school completion rates declined. In June 2010, 58% of all

learners and 35% of Aboriginal learners successfully completed school within six years of

beginning Grade 8. These numbers may be due, in part, to the two schools in Aboriginal

communities in our area leaving the public school system to become Aboriginal

community-operated schools. The learners in these two schools would no longer be

counted in the information—it would look like they had left the school system.

22

There was an increase in June 2011 in School Completion Rates: 63% of all learners and

44% of Aboriginal learners graduated within six years from the time they first enrolled in

Grade 8. These percentages were higher still in June 2012, when 67% of all learners and

47% of Aboriginal learners successfully completed school within 6 years of entering Grade

8.

The School Completion Rate for Aboriginal learners in Prince Rupert was lower last year

than the percentage for all the provincial and independent schools combined: 47% of

Aboriginal learners who began Grade 8 six years ago successfully completed school; 56%

of the provincial public and independent schools combined did so.

Sage Vanier receiving Aboriginal Education Bursary 2011

Sage Vanier accepting

Aboriginal Education

Bursary 2011 from Debbie

Leighton-Stephens.

Atarah Shaw will also

receive a Bursary.

23

Supporting Literacy and Mathematics

Early Learning

Family involvement in their children’s education helps children become more successful

in school. Many families take an active part in activities provided within the schools and

communities, such as Ready, Set, Learn; Welcome to Kindergarten; Helping Our Children

Learn Family Workshops; PALS (Parents as Literacy Supporters); POPS (Parents of

Primary Students); and Summer Read and Play.

Children’s early learning in their homes, in Head Start and pre-school programs, and in

their communities helps build a strong foundation that will last throughout their lives.

Early learning and oral language experiences have a strong impact in children’s lives.

Talking, listening, reading, and learning together build strong relationships between

children and adults. Kindergarten and early learning programs developed and/or

administered by the Aboriginal Education Department are very successful in helping

learners acquire early literacy skills.

StrongStart BC is an early learning program for families and their young children, from

birth to five years old. Children who come to StrongStart BC meet and play with other

children and take part in enjoyable learning activities that are suitable for their age.

Parents, caregivers, and family members meet and get to know other families from their

community. They participate in activities with their children and learn how to support

their learning at home in new and interesting ways.

Ready, Set, Learn is a partnership of the school district, the Aboriginal Education Council,

the Ministry of Education, and other government agencies that provide the resources for

the program. Families and their three-year old children who attend receive—

a book

a family kit with a booklet of helpful tips for supporting their preschooler's learning

and development

information about school programs and services

additional items to help children get ready for school

Welcome to Kindergarten helps children begin with a positive start in school. Families

and their four- and five-year-olds attend an orientation where they receive a Welcome to

Kindergarten Bag and learn about activities they can do together at home over the summer.

The Welcome to Kindergarten Bag includes—

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/early_learning/rsl/books.htm

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/early_learning/rsl/rsl_english08.pdf

24

An information pamphlet called Help Your Child Get Ready for School

Magnetic letters (upper and lower case) and numbers

Templates for upper and lower case letters and the numbers 1-10

Three Storybooks

Coloured construction paper, round-end scissors and a glue stick

Thick crayons, a pencil and a scribble pad

A recipe for play dough

Children & parents enjoying a Ready, Set, Learn Session

Kindergarten includes the full day Kindergarten Curriculum Framework, the First

Nations Kindergarten Cross-Curricular Theme Units, the Sm'algyax Kindergarten

Curriculum, Receptive Language Kits, Talking Tables, Moe the Mouse programs, and

many other activities.

Sm'algyax Kindergarten Curriculum confirms the Aboriginal Education Council’s belief

that a focus on Sm'algyax language and Ts’msyen culture increases learners’ confidence

and sense of belonging. This belief is shared by families, who report: “my son is more self-

confident”… “I am so proud of my daughter; she is learning beyond my expectations… “

Based on recent surveys, teachers report that they are very positive about the Sm'algyax

Kindergarten Curriculum and that the scope and sequence of the curriculum shape the

Kindergarten day in all areas. Parents are very excited about their children having

additional second language support and have made strong recommendations that the

25

same occur in Grade 1. One parent has suggested that there be more Sm'algyax language

materials to go home for families to use to learn and reinforce the lessons at school.

PALS (Parents as Literacy Supporters) is a program for families of 5 and 6 year old

children, developed to help families support their children’s literacy learning and to

strengthen the connection between home and school. The program provides a welcoming,

stimulating, and joyful atmosphere for family literacy. POPS (Parents of Primary Students)

continues the work begun in PALS for children in Grades 1-3.

The purposes of PALS and POPS are to—

build on the relationship between parents and the school that has already begun

continue to develop parents’ confidence in their abilities to help their children learn

build on early reading and writing skills that are already happening in children’s

homes.

Summer Read and Play is a collaborative education initiative involving Ts’msyen Bands

and the Aboriginal Education Department. This three-week intensive program for 6 and 7

year old children provides an excellent opportunity for young learners to improve their

reading ability. Summer Read and Play has operated since 2001. The Aboriginal Education

Department plans, organizes, and implements the program. The school district provides

the locations and some supplies.

Learners are selected each year by their classroom teachers. Children take part in reading

instruction and Literacy Centres in the morning, have snacks and lunch together, then

spend the afternoon in recreational activities. A teacher and a teacher assistant are hired to

run the programs during the summer. Additional training is provided to the teacher and

teacher assistant before they begin the program.


Summer Read & Play

Students on a field trip

26


Improving reading comprehension is a high priority for our school district. The overall

aim of our school district is for all learners to become successful readers and writers by the

end of Grade 3. Strong ability in reading comprehension helps learners in all aspects of

school and life—it makes learning all other subjects and areas easier.

Community and school partnerships provide a foundation for literacy programs.

Culturally responsive resources and instruction, a range of literacy strategies and

programs, personalized learning, inquiry and research, and assessment for learning

promote reading comprehension throughout learners’ school years.

Literacy activities, initiatives, and strategies include—

Early Literacy Programs

Talking Tables

Oral Language Development

Receptive Language Kits

Reading Instruction and Materials

Literacy Centres

Reading Power

Writing Activities

Aboriginal Resources

Aboriginal Cross-Curricular Units

Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM)

Early Learning Coordination

Secondary Literacy/English Language Development Support

Many books available at appropriate levels for learners to read for pleasure

The Aboriginal Education Council and our school district are active members of North

Coast Literacy Now and play a major role in the Annual North Coast Literacy Now

“Celebrating Literacy” community event held each March in Rupert Square Mall.

English Language Development

English Language Development (ELD) programs provide a range of services to learners

who require language development support to increase academic success. The goals of the

ELD program are to—

27

strengthen the language skills needed to make progress in school

honour and affirm cultural identity

develop oral language and increase vocabulary

support the Aboriginal Education Partnership Agreement, School District 52

Achievement Contract, and our school district literacy initiatives

Major restructuring in our school district over the past year brought about a number of

changes to the English Language Development program. Because each elementary school

changed to teaching Kindergarten to Grade 5 instead of Kindergarten to Grade 7, the ELD

program in the elementary schools was reduced and a new program established at the

middle school.

Learners are eligible for five years of ELD services, which they usually have completed by

the time they leave the middle school. This means that very few learners are receiving ELD

services at the secondary school, which now includes students in Grades 9-12.

The ELD department provided support and orientation at the beginning of the year to new

ELD teachers. They also continued the bi-monthly meetings that have been practice for

ELD teachers for many years.

When the ELD program was initially expanded in 2002, it was decided that the program:

include Aboriginal content, and

as much as possible, services would be provided within the classroom.

The work of Faye Brownlie and others (2004) explains that English language learners need

to be in their classrooms and exposed to the curriculum in order to find success at school.

Learners need to be developing cognitively and academically at the same time that they

are developing proficiency in English (Brownlie et al, 2004). English language learners

need the benefit of being in the classroom with more able speakers of the language

(Brownlie et al, 2004, Egbo, 2009).

Throughout our district, ELD teachers have continued to focus on developing supports

and programming that enable students to stay in the classroom as much as possible.

Classroom teachers and ELD teachers are able to collaborate and co-teach so that students

receive the benefits of language strategies from the ELD teacher and the

content/curriculum expertise of the classroom teacher.

The ELD department is also investigating how to collaborate with others in our school

district, including the Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Speech and

28

Language Pathologists. A first step is sharing information, so that each group may better

identify learner needs and work together to plan for support.

The ELD department recently conducted an evaluation of the Talking Tables program.

Some significant points coming from the evaluation include providing updated training in

Talking Tables and providing training in other language programs, such as Moe the

Mouse. It is also recommended that additional resources for the Kindergarten language

program be created, incorporating Aboriginal content with a focus on local animals, the

seashore, the five senses.

Sm'algyax Language Program

The Sm'algyax Language Program is a valued and well-respected part of the curriculum of

our school district. Sm'algyax, the language of the Ts’msyen, is offered from Grade 5

through Grade 12 in Prince Rupert and Port Edward, as an integral part of the Full-Day

Kindergarten Program, and in all grades in Hartley Bay starting in Kindergarten. It builds

proficiency in Sm'algyax language literacy throughout the school years. At two of our

elementary schools, Roosevelt and Conrad, Sm’algyax is provided for Kindergarten -

Grade 5 students.

The Sm'algyax Curriculum is recognized by the BC Ministry of Education as an approved

provincial curriculum. Learners who successfully complete Sm'algyax Language in

secondary school can be approved for their second language requirements for university

entrance.

In most years, about 600 learners take Sm'algyax throughout our school district. More than

90% are Aboriginal with more than 75% being Ts’msyen. A group of fluent teachers and

team teachers (certified teachers who are gaining proficiency in the language) teach the

classes.

The goals of the Sm'algyax Language Program are to—

enable learners to develop some proficiency in Sm'algyax

increase learners’ self-esteem, pride, and academic success

increase the status and role of Sm'algyax and Ts’msyen culture within School

District 52 (Prince Rupert).

Aboriginal language, culture, knowledge, and history are an integral part of our

community’s education system, are important for all learners to know, and are vital to the

success of Aboriginal learners. The Sm'algyax Language Committee works in partnership

29

with the Ts’msyen Sm'algyax Authority to design, develop, implement, and evaluate

Aboriginal language and culture programs, including the Sm’algyax Language

curriculum.

In order to make sure that there will be enough teachers to continue to teach the Sm'algyax

Language Program, the Aboriginal Education Council supported the Ts’msyen

Developmental Standard Term Certificate Program for adults in the North Coast.

The Ts’msyen Developmental Standard Term Certificate Program was a three-year, 90

credit program that led to a standard certification, which allowed participants to teach the

Sm'algyax language and culture in our schools. The program consisted of three years of

full-time study and includes courses in education, language, and linguistics. Following

successful completion of the Standard Term Certificate Program, several participants

enrolled in and completed a Bachelor of Education program.

CHSS Sm’algyax Students

Mathematics

Activities, initiatives, and strategies that have been implemented to support students in

mathematics include—

Focus on mathematics throughout the grades, using hands-on math programs and

resources and math assessments to guide teaching and learning

Part-time Mathematics Helping Teacher in the secondary grades

30

Supporting Successful Graduation

All of the programs and initiatives described so far contribute to successful graduation.

When learners successfully complete secondary school, they open themselves to choices

and opportunities. They are able to select options in post-secondary education that allow

them to make career and life choices that suit their interests and aspirations.

In addition to the strategies, programs, and initiatives described in this report, secondary

school initiatives that support students through school completion include:

Pathways to the Trades and post-secondary training and education, including ACE-

IT program with Northwest Community College; Secondary Apprenticeship

Program; FIT Program; the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program; community and

post-secondary partnerships

Alternate pathways to school completion, including an expanded Pacific Coast

School to address individual student academic needs

A focus on student involvement and engagement in their learning

Greater understanding of learners’ needs through the use of learning style

inventories, interviews, interest surveys, and other processes

Follow up on attendance; reconnecting with students who have left school prior to

completion to re-enroll; and alternate ways to graduation

Secondary in-school alternate support, inter-agency cooperation, after-school

activity programs, Homework Clubs

Daycare support for teen parents

The following programs and initiatives contribute to students’ sense of belonging,

community, competence, and confidence and are described in detail in the following

sections of the report:

LUCID (Learning for Understanding through Cultural Inclusion and Imaginative

Development)

Aboriginal Curriculum Resources

Cross-Curricular Theme Units

Programs for Students with Special Needs

Initiatives that Develop a Sense of Belonging

Initiatives that Increase Awareness and Respect

School, Community, and Family Engagement and Partnerships

31

LUCID: Learning for Understanding through Cultural Inclusion and

Imaginative Development

The LUCID initiative contributes greatly to the ability of Aboriginal and all learners to

deepen conceptual understanding and appreciation of culture. It emphasizes inclusion of

culturally relevant materials and approaches, as well as the mediation of the cognitive

tools outlined in Imaginative Education.

The coordinators for the LUCID initiative work to improve Aboriginal learners' success

through increased engagement with curriculum. LUCID promotes both the use of

Aboriginal content, resources, and involvement with the community. An emphasis is

placed on local contexts, authentic experiences, and cooperative learning. The aim is to

bring learning alive for students as they connect their hearts and minds to construct their

own understanding.

The goals and objectives of LUCID in 2011-2012 included:

Offer team-based and individual planning sessions with teachers from K - 12

Provide professional development workshops that give teachers an interactive look

at the LUCID methodology

Work with teachers in classrooms in the delivery of LUCID Units

Promote the use of Aboriginal resources

Support the Simon Fraser University Master of Education Program: Curriculum

Development and Implementation

Further develop LUCID support materials for the Cross-Curricular Units

Continue to explore connections between LUCID work and other district initiatives

such as Universal Design for Learning, differentiated instruction, formative

assessment, project based learning, and inquiry.

Working with Teachers

Classroom teachers and the LUCID coordinators worked extensively over the past year to

support better understanding of LUCID methodology, plan units, expand on existing

units, and gather ideas of ways to incorporate Aboriginal resources.

Throughout the year, many teachers and students used LUCID strategies and

methodologies. Examples include schools and teachers that—

32

Developed a United Nations unit for Grade 6 to incorporate imaginative education,

Ts'msyen culture and computer technology.

Created a wide range of supplementary materials to the existing cross-curricular

unit Pts'aan. Over the course of three months they designed and implemented

engaging activities to deepen the conceptual understanding of totem poles in

Ts'msyen and other northwest coast cultures. These lessons were designed around

the three levels of understanding that are key to LUCID teaching—transcendent,

narrative, and strategic (cognitive tools). These teachers made use of several Role

Model experts, many field trips, technology, and hands-on experience. The outcome

for students was a high level of engagement and solid achievement on both

formative and summative assessments

The Grade 9 project, MEC, invited the LUCID coordinators from the earliest

planning stages through to the completion of the course to provide feedback or

suggestions on this inquiry-based course in the context of our community. This

model of learning overlaps greatly with LUCID methodology and provided good

ideas that could be applied to a range of educational settings. Within the course

students took part in a mini-project on the 'mysteries in history' of our community

and the larger Ts'msyen territory. Students did a remarkable job bringing the

history alive with their engaging presentations.

The Sm'algyax language teachers invited the LUCID coordinator to explore

possibilities of a unit on the Seasonal Rounds. The language teachers at Prince

Rupert Middle School and Charles Hays Secondary School also involved the

coordinator in additional planning on various adaawx units.

A small group of grade 4/5 teachers met to share resources and ideas on how to

create an environmental stewardship unit using LUCID strategies.

Teachers from elementary schools, our middle school, and secondary school

connected with LUCID to plan units such as poetry, literacy projects, outdoor

education, library research, diversity of life, and intertidal ecology. Many showed

an interest in exploring ways to access more community supports, traditional

Aboriginal knowledge, and create more cross-curricular learning opportunities for

their students.

33

Aboriginal Role Model, Alex Campbell, speaking to students at PRMS

Aboriginal Resources

Aboriginal resources are the foundation of bringing Aboriginal culture into the classroom.

The LUCID coordinators and classroom teachers worked together to plan adaawx, story /

narrative, sense of place, role models, locally developed units and other resources. The

goal is to increase teacher knowledge of the possibilities found in bringing Aboriginal

culture into the classroom.

LUCID Professional Development Workshops

In 2011-2012, three workshops were offered for teachers, to provide participants a

foundation in the LUCID methodology using an interactive platform. The topics included

were, LUCID Methodology, The LUCID Tool Kit, and Unit Design.

Simon Fraser University, Imaginative Development

Simon Fraser University Graduate Programs offered an M.Ed. cohort that will run from

2011 - 2013. There are 15 students enrolled, comprised of educators from several schools

within the district. Throughout the two years the students are immersed in LUCID theory,

develop their own curriculum based on the methodology, and conduct action research to

benefit the overall educational community.

34

One aspect of the partnership among SFU, School District 52 (Prince Rupert), and

Aboriginal Education Council is to develop a sustainable professional community around

the principles of culturally inclusive, imaginative development. The work of this cohort

helps greatly to further this goal.

Support Materials for Cross-Curricular Units

Over the past year the LUCID coordinators and three teachers from Prince Rupert Middle

School worked in partnership with the Aboriginal Education Department to create an

addition to the Pts'aan unit. People met several times over four months to plan and

implement this unit. The materials have been written up with a resource kit for approval

by the Aboriginal Education Council and will be available soon for teachers to use in their

classrooms.

Partnerships and Connections

The LUCID initiative is continually building partnerships with other district initiatives to

establish best practices for all of our schools. This year the coordinators helped teachers

with their inquiry questions for the Network of Performance Based Schools, assisted with

grant applications such as the Aboriginal Curriculum Schools Initiatives, and took part in

discussions on new project-based learning models. On the broader scale, LUCID is

connected to educators across BC and with university researchers such as SFU, to explore

where LUCID fits with other current educational programs and initiatives.

35

Aboriginal Curriculum Resources

The Aboriginal Education Council actively supports culturally responsive curriculum and

instruction by purchasing and developing resources to support classroom instruction.

Curriculum and instructional materials produced by the Aboriginal Education

Department are recognized throughout BC for their high quality and cultural

responsiveness.

Materials and resources are available for use in all schools and have been purchased by

many school districts throughout BC and Canada. All learners benefit from these materials

which support the BC Curriculum and provide relevant Aboriginal content throughout all

grades.

The professional library at Wap Sigatgyet is maintained by the Aboriginal Education

Department and holds over 2,000 items. The majority of the collection contains books on

these topics:

Self-determination

Myths and legends

Natural sciences

Aboriginal culture

Land claims

Customs and narratives

Technology

Narratives by Aboriginal writers

Traditional religion

Linguistics

Art

The library also includes a large collection of Curriculum Teacher Guides and Literacy

Resources. Children’s books and fiction chapter books make up an extensive part of the

collection. Other resources include CDs, DVDs, kits, maps, picture sets, posters, slides, and

videos.

In addition to the Aboriginal Cross-Curricular Theme Units described in the next section,

resources include:

Sm'algyax Dictionaries

The Adventures of Txamsm: 4 colourful pictures books about Txamsm, the

Ts’msyen Raven trickster

Hartley Bay Books: 6 student books

Łuutigm Hoon: Honouring the Salmon

Persistence and Change: A History of the Ts’msyen Nation

36

Ts’msyen Seasonal Rounds Poster Series

Sm’algyax Grammar Resource

Sm’algyax Picture Books

Teachings of Our Grandfathers: The Tsimshian Series, suitable for all levels: 7 books

and Teacher’s Resource Book

Community Books: These books were developed in the 1980s by teachers and

community members in Lax Kw’alaams, Gitxaała, and Hartley Bay

Aboriginal Role Model Posters (14 posters)

Increased use of these resources contributes to improving school success for Aboriginal

learners as well as educating all learners about Ts’msyen history and culture.

The Aboriginal Education Department Library Resource Catalogue is available for

browsing on our school district website under Aboriginal Education, Library Resources,

and can be accessed as a ‘Guest’. For more information, please contact the Aboriginal

Education Department at [email protected] or [email protected] or call 250-627-1536.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

37

Cross-Curricular Theme Units

Aboriginal Cross-Curricular Theme Units form part of the large collection of materials and

resources developed by the Aboriginal Education Department.

Cross-Curricular Theme Units are used by teachers in elementary classrooms throughout

our school district. They are specifically developed to make education more relevant for

Aboriginal learners and increase understanding of Aboriginal history and culture. These

cross-curricular theme units were developed to be taught across all subject areas.

Aboriginal Cross-Curricular Theme Units

K/1 Aboriginal Theme Units for Early Primary: Four literature-based theme units: I Love

My Family, Rainbow Colours, Winter Camps, and Walking Shoes.

Gr. 2 P’te’ex dił Dzepk: Clans and Crests: This unit helps teachers and learners understand

the importance of clans and crests in Ts’msyen society.

Gr. 1, 3 The Adventures of Txamsm: Four stories of Txamsm, the Ts’msyen Raven

Trickster.

Gr. 4 Łootm Smgan: Respecting the Cedar: Learners investigate the science of cedar and its

cultural importance, respecting cedar as the tree of life.

Gr. 5 Łuutigm Hoon: Honouring the Salmon: Learners learn the important and enduring

relationship that the Ts’msyen have with the salmon.

Gr. 5, 6 Gaxsoo: Canoes: This unit describes the importance of the canoe in traditional

Ts’msyen life and at the time of European contact, as well as the rebirth of the canoe in

recent years.

Gr. 6 Pts’aan: Totem Poles: This unit provides a sequence of lessons through which

learners gain a grasp of the full meaning of totem poles in Northwest Coast cultures.

Gr. 7 Suwilaayksm Dzepk: Learning About Crests: Learners learn about traditional and

modern ways in which crest designs are used. Student Resource book available.

38

Students with Special Needs

Learners in our school district who have special needs are supported through Special

Education funding. They are also strongly supported through the vision and commitment

of the Aboriginal Education Council.

We believe in one another. It is like a wheel, if one spoke is weak, it affects the others. When

we see someone who is a bit weak, we try to pick them up gently…we bring each other

strength.1

Prominent among Council initiatives to support learners are the Łoomsk Resource: Social and

Emotional Well-Being. Other initiatives include the use of Restitution in our schools and the

work of Aboriginal Counsellors and Aboriginal Family Resource Workers.

Further, there are ongoing programs that help Aboriginal learners build a strong sense of

themselves and their identity, which include the Role Model Program, the support of

Graduate Programs for Aboriginal professionals in Education, and curriculum projects.

The Ministry of Education provides funding for learners with special needs so that they

are able to receive the services they need. These services are provided to all learners who

require them and/or meet the Ministry of Education criteria for supplemental funding:

Speech and Language services

Elementary Counselors

Occupational Therapy

Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Inclusion Support

In addition, each school in our district is funded for a full or part-time Learning Resource

Teacher, depending on enrolment.

Activities, initiatives, and strategies that have been implemented to support students

include—

A focus on differentiated instruction, student engagement, and a greater

understanding of our learners’ needs through the use of learning style inventories,

interviews, interest surveys, and other processes

Counselling, learning, and behaviour support

1 Quoted in Voice and Presence: A History of the Aboriginal Education Council in Prince Rupert. Aboriginal Education

Council, September 2007.

39

Building Resilient Kids Project

Workshops to support students at all levels, including Be the Change, Seven Habits of

Highly Effective Teens, The Leader in Me

Provincial Aboriginal Youth Conference during spring break, 2010

Community Enrichment Society Groups

Special Services Education Assistant Courses provided for support staff on

following topics: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Inclusive Education, Fetal Alcohol

Spectrum Disorders, Basic Sign Language, Understanding Behaviour, Assistive

Technology, Introduction to Instructional Strategies

Study Centres in Elementary Schools which provide a safe, quiet place for students

to go to for a break or for extra assistance

Student Support Services

The diagram on the following page shows the pyramid of services available for all learners

and for learners with specific or persistent special needs.

As you can see, many of the services and initiatives described in this report are identified

on the different levels of the pyramid. All learners benefit from the programs and

initiatives that promote cultural relevance and a sense of belonging, as well as the other

initiatives identified in the pyramid and referred to in this report and elsewhere:

Differentiated Instruction

Universal Design for Learning

LUCID

Effective Instructional Practices

Assessment for Learning

Inquiry Focus

Safe, Caring, and Orderly Learning Environment

Additional resources are available for all learners who require more specific services.

These include the work of Aboriginal Family Resource Workers, Counsellors, Special

Education staff, and School-Based Teams. For very specific needs, our school district links

with the community and government agencies to provide additional services.

40

41

A Sense of Belonging

Some indicators of learners’ feelings of belonging, community, and responsibility in their

schools include attendance and behaviour. Our goal is to continue to focus on encouraging

consistent attendance in school and reducing the number of Aboriginal learners who are

involved in code of conduct incidents, such as fighting, harassment, and intimidation. We

are always significantly concerned with any evidence of racism as a factor in these

incidents.

Restitution

Intervention in cases of student conduct involve Restitution, Mediation, In-School

Suspensions, Out of School Suspensions, and other actions involving the school, the

student, the family, and the community.

Since 2004 there has been an increase in the positive use of Restitution, Mediation, and

other interventions and a decrease in the percentage of learners receiving out-of-school

suspensions. We believe that alternative forms of intervention are working for Aboriginal

learners and are leading to an overall decrease in the number of learners being excluded

from school.

Restitution is rooted in Aboriginal culture and practices. The goal is to strengthen

students’ sense of self-discipline, confidence, and independence. Level 1 Restitution

Training workshops were held at Roosevelt Park School in October 2010 and at the

Northwest Region Aboriginal Family Resource Worker Conference in April 2011.

Attendance

The chart with the number and percentage of students with 30 absences or more during

the year can be found on page 52.

All partners recognize the importance of school attendance in students’ performance and

in their ability to complete school with a range of opportunities and choices. We are

examining ways to understand the attendance patterns of our students and the

relationship between school attendance and achievement.

This year we are including information about attendance and some of the possible impacts

of attendance on achievement and graduation rates throughout the report. We chose to

focus on finding out how many learners missed 30 or more days in the school year.

42

Aboriginal Family Resource Workers

Aboriginal Family Resource Workers are vital to the well-being of Aboriginal children in

our school district and work in many ways to improve attendance and achievement. They

know the families and children and help families and schools communicate with each

other. They provide support to families, learners, and schools in Prince Rupert and Port

Edward.

*Aboriginal Family Resource Workers for 2011-2012 were:

Violet Baker

Nora Brown

Marlene Clifton

Sonny Henry

Roy Supernault

Aboriginal Counsellors

Several counseling positions within our school district support Aboriginal learners and

their families, including the District Aboriginal Elementary Counsellor, Aboriginal

Counsellors at the middle & secondary schools, and the Educational Counsellor for

Metlakatla. Aboriginal Counsellors for 2011-2012 were:

Lori Leighton, District Aboriginal Elementary Counsellor

Lonni Bryant, Charles Hays Secondary School

Roberta Edzerza, Prince Rupert Middle School

Sandra Carlick, Educational Counsellor for Metlakatla

Home/School Coordinator

A Home/School Coordinator is employed by Lax Kw’alaams Band to work closely with

the secondary schools in our district. The Home/School Coordinator supports and

encourages Aboriginal learners as they work their way through school. She maintains

close communication with families and schools and acts as an advocate for Aboriginal

learners. The Home/School Coordinator is Barb Helin from Lax Kw’alaams. She can be

contacted at Charles Hays Secondary School.

43

Awareness and Respect

Important goals of the Partnership Agreement are to—

honour and support the language, culture, and history of Aboriginal people whose

traditional territories are served by School District 52, and

increase understanding of Aboriginal people in the community.

Conrad students working together to make drums

To further these goals, the Aboriginal Education Department has a number of continuing

initiatives, including—

Aboriginal Role Model Program

District Aboriginal Education Committee

National Aboriginal Day Celebration

Aboriginal Role Model Program

The Role Model Program fulfills two important functions:

Local role models from within the community come into classrooms to speak about

topics from traditional culture to contemporary job opportunities.

Local role models link learners with the Aboriginal community in Prince Rupert

and provide positive models of Aboriginal values.

Prominent well-known Aboriginal speakers, authors, and artists are invited to share

their talents, experiences, and wisdom with all learners and staff in our school district.

44

Role model, Stolly Collison, making cedar roses with students at Conrad school

National Aboriginal Day Celebration

The Aboriginal Education Department plays a leading role in organizing the Annual

National Aboriginal Day celebration in Prince Rupert. The Fourteenth Annual National

Aboriginal Day Celebration took place on June 21, 2012 and provided an opportunity for all

members of the North Coast to recognize and celebrate Aboriginal people and their

cultures.

National Aboriginal Day Celebrations contribute to developing a better understanding by

all Canadians of Aboriginal peoples’ role and contributions to this community and

country. Aboriginal people are Canada’s founding nations and the country would not

exist as it does today without them.

The Aboriginal Education Council is committed to the four principles of a renewed

relationship between Aboriginal people and Canada, outlined by the Royal Commission on

Aboriginal Peoples: Mutual Recognition, Mutual Respect, Sharing, and Mutual

Responsibility. These principles form a solid foundation for the work of the Aboriginal

Education Council on behalf of all learners with a focus on Aboriginal learners.

45

Roosevelt Park Kindergarten Students perform at National Aboriginal Day

under the direction of Marlene Clifton, Aboriginal Family Resource Worker

School and Family Relationships

Strong, trusting relationships among schools, families, and learners provide a firm

foundation for learners to grow and learn. Although we are not able to measure family

and student involvement and sense of belonging in the same ways we are able to measure

performance goals, we acknowledge the importance of a sense of belonging and

community in the lives of Aboriginal children and youth.

Student and parent involvement in the following areas is one indicator of the strength of

relationships among learners, schools, and families:

extra-curricular activities

school planning councils

family and parent sessions

parent/teacher conferences

Extra-Curricular Activities

Extra-curricular activities enable learners to develop personally, to become part of their

school community, and to contribute their talents and energy to their schools and

communities.

46

Every school offers many activities to appeal to learners’ interests and to involve them

with their peers and their teachers in out-of-school events. Learners who are involved in

school and community activities tend to have a greater sense of commitment to others and

a stronger sense of belonging.

Schools and communities offer activities in these broad areas to appeal to learners’

interests:

Leadership, including Student Councils, School Monitors and Patrols, and similar

activities

Academic, including Invention and Science Fairs, and similar activities

Arts, including bands, choirs, art displays, performances, and similar activities

Athletics, including volleyball, basketball, track and field, and other sports

Service, including the Recycling Program, the Breakfast Program, the Grad

Committee and similar activities

School Planning Councils

School Planning Councils include parents, administrators, and teachers. They are advisory

groups whose role is to develop, monitor, and review school plans for student

achievement in consultation with the school community. The school community consists

of all parents, learners, teachers, administrators, and support staff.

School Planning Councils acknowledge the importance of parent and family involvement

in schools. They provide parents with a voice in developing plans to improve student

achievement in district schools. The school plans that emerge from the work of the School

Planning Council reflect the characteristics, values, and needs of the school community.

Family and Parent Sessions

Each year, schools provide a number of ways that families can become involved, including

PALS (Parents as Literacy Supporters) for parents of 5 and 6 year old children, POPS

(Parents of Primary Students) for parents of children who are in Grades 1-3, Meet-the-

Teacher nights, Family and Friends nights, and other events that focus on student

achievement and performance.

These sessions and others are well attended by parents and family members and have

continued to grow over the years. Schools continue to develop ways to build positive

relationships with all Aboriginal families.

47

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent/Teacher Conferences are an important way for families and schools to meet and

focus on how well learners are doing. In previous years, schools have kept records about

the percentage of families attending Parent/Teacher conferences during the year. The

percentages of all parents and the percentages of Aboriginal parents are very similar, with

50%-60% of families attending Parent/Teacher conferences.

Aboriginal Entrepreneurship students from CHSS selling

their products at the All Native Basketball Tournament

48

Aboriginal Education Department

The Aboriginal Education Department coordinates programs and services for Aboriginal

learners throughout our school district, using designated and targeted funding from the

Ministry of Education. The staff works closely with the Aboriginal Education Council to

develop, implement, and evaluate Aboriginal programs and services. They work with

district committees to make sure that the needs of Aboriginal learners are incorporated

into all district programs and services.

The Aboriginal Education Department, for many years, provide steadily improving

opportunities with a particular focus on literacy, language and culture, family

involvement, and increasing Aboriginal content in daily curriculum. Many programs

developed by the Aboriginal Education Department are integrated throughout the school

district and support the learning of all students. Programs are adapted continually to meet

the changing needs of learners. The Aboriginal Education Department is committed to

building understanding of Aboriginal history and culture throughout our school district as

a way to develop positive relationships among all students and staff.

The Aboriginal Education Department continues to plan and implement successful

initiatives, programs, and materials including the Sm'algyax Language Program, LUCID,

Aboriginal Cross-Curricular Units, the Role Model Program, Full-Day Kindergarten

Program, PALS (Parents as Literacy Supporters), POPS (Parents of Primary Students),

Summer Read and Play, and other programs described in this report.

The Aboriginal Education Committee is the working committee for the Aboriginal

Education Council. It operates under the direction of the Aboriginal Education Council to

provide sound educational advice, prepare reports on major programs and services, and

implement quality educational programs.

49

Aboriginal Education Department 2011-2012

SM'ALGYAX PROGRAM

Stephanie Fisher, Hartley Bay

Ernie Hill, Hartley Bay

Ben Spencer

Marjorie Brown

Alex Campbell

Sandra Carlick

Isabelle Lewis

Nadine Leighton

Theresa Lowther

Missy Trimble

Donna McNeil-Clark

ABORIGINAL EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT, WAP SIGATGYET

Marilyn Bryant, Aboriginal Program

Resource Teacher

Colleen Pudsey and Raegan Sawka,

LUCID Program Coordinators

Fran Colussi, Secretary

Debbie Leighton-Stephens, Aboriginal

Education, District Principal

STUDENT SERVICES

District Aboriginal Counsellor,

Lori Leighton

Secondary Aboriginal Counsellors,

Sandra Carlick, Educational Counsellor

for Metlakatla

Lonni Bryant, Charles Hays Secondary

School

Roberta Edzerza, Prince Rupert Middle

School

FAMILY RESOURCE WORKERS

Violet Baker

Nora Brown

Marlene Clifton

Sonny Henry

Roy Supernault

50

Future Directions

Aboriginal learner success is a shared responsibility. The Aboriginal Education Partnership

Agreement reminds us of our commitment to work together to improve educational success

for Aboriginal learners.

The Annual Report provides valuable information about performance and describes the

programs, services, and initiatives that support our learners’ success. It allows us to know

where to put our efforts and resources as we continue to support Aboriginal learners in

our schools, over time.

For a number of years, Aboriginal learners have shown general upward growth in school

completion rates, the number of Aboriginal learners taking academic courses, the number

of learners graduating, improved early reading skills, greater parent involvement, and

increased use of Restitution and Mediation.

In recent years, however, there has been a decline in some very important indicators.

Successful school completion has its roots in children’s early learning experiences. All

learning—from early learning through school completion—will continue to be the focus of

the Aboriginal Education Council.

In order to continue the strong work that is taking place in early learning, we will continue

to focus on differentiating and personalizing relevant instruction for all learners and

improving transition rates throughout the school years and into post-secondary school

years. We will also continue our emphasis on Inquiry Based Learning and the inquiry and

collaboration that is part of our schools’ involvement with the provincial initiative,

Changing Results for Young Readers.

As stated in our school district’s Achievement Contract, we believe that education is about

forging ahead into the unknown.

“To have the courage to move forward our students need hope, to believe that they

can be successful. Hope flourishes in schools that are safe, welcoming, caring and

orderly places where each and every student is valued for who they are, and how

they learn, and the learning environment is responsive to the diverse learning needs

and preferences of students. As students experience success in their learning, they

become more confident and approach future learning with purpose and self-

control.”

51

Appendix: Data Charts and Graphs

These data charts and graphs indicate the performance of all students and Aboriginal

students over the past years.

The bar graphs show the percentages of students who have successfully passed the

course or who meet or exceed our expectations for their performance in the area

indicated.

School District 52 Kindergarten Assessment

53

30

52

72 77

69

87 82

47

23

42

55

77

70

83 83

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011

Kindergarten Basic Skills

All Fall

All Spring

Aboriginal Fall

Aboriginal Spring

24 26

50

38

66

77 75

65

21

12

41

29

64

74 75

62

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011

Kindergarten Phonological Skills

All Fall

All Spring

Aboriginal Fall

Aboriginal Spring

52

Kindergarten Basic Skills:

Numbers and Percentages of Learners Meeting or Exceeding Expectations

2007-2008

#/%

2008-2009

#/%

2009-2010

#/%

2010-2011

#/%

All Fall 88/53% 49/30% 59/52% 88/72%

All Spring 135/77% 102/69% 113/87% 79/82%

Aboriginal Fall 48/47% 24/23% 29/42% 46/55%

Aboriginal Spring 85/77% 69/70% 66/83% 54/83%

Kindergarten Phonological Skills:

Numbers and Percentages of Learners Meeting or Exceeding Expectations

2007-2008

#/%

2008-2009

#/%

2009-2010

#/%

2010-2011

#/%

All Fall 39/24% 42/26% 57/50% 48/38%

All Spring 117/66% 114/77% 114/75% 62/65%

Aboriginal Fall 21/21% 12/12% 28/41% 24/29%

Aboriginal Spring 71/64% 72/74% 59/75% 40/62%

53

Attendance: September 2011 – June 2012

Percentage of all learners and Aboriginal learners who have missed more than 30 days

during the year

Grade Course All Learners

With 30+

Absences

(#/%)

Aboriginal

Learners

With 30+

Absences

(#/%)

Total

Learners

K-5 (all

schools)

138 (16%) 119 (14%) 865

Grade 6 English 6 (Humanities) 23 (17%) 21 (15%) 137

Social Studies 6 (Humanities) 22 (17%) 20 (16%) 127

Math 6 24 (19%) 21 (16%) 128

Grade 7 English 7 (Humanities) 36 (26%) 32 (23%) 141


Math 7 35 (26%) 31 (23%) 134

Grade 8 English 8 (Humanities) 46 (27%) 35 (20.5%) 170


Math 8 45 (29%) 34 (22%) 155

Grade 9 English 9 (Humanities) 15 (10.6%) 14 (10%) 141

Social Studies 9 (Humanities) 14 (10.5%) 13 (9.7%) 133

Math 9 16 (9.4%) 13 (7.7%) 163

Grade 10 English 10 19 (15%) 11 (8%) 130

Apprentice & Workplace Math 10 12 (35%) 8 (24%) 34

Foundations of Math & Pre-

Calculus 10

4 (4%) 2 (2%) 92

Grade 11 English 11 10 (8%) 6 (5%) 119

Apprentice & Workplace Math 11 11 (31%) 9 (26%) 35

Foundations of Math 11 2 (8%) 1 (4%) 24

Pre-Calculus 11 4 (6%) 0 (0%) 71

Communications 11 6 (29%) 6 (29%) 21

Grade 12 English 12 11 (10%) 7 (7%) 107

Calculus 12 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 18

Principles of Math 12 1 (2%) 1 (2%) 54

Communications 12 14 (54%) 12 (46%) 26

54

Foundation Skills Assessment: Reading Comprehension

Grade 4 Reading Comprehension:

Numbers and Percentages of Students Meeting or Exceeding Expectations

2008

#/%

2009

#/%

2010

#/%

2011

#/%

2012

#/%

All Learners 106/60% 87/58% 78/50% 74/49% 110/66%

Aboriginal

Learners 63/56% 49/49% 39/43% 41/42% 66/61%

FSA Reading Comprehension: Participation Rates for All Learners

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Grade 4 90 96 92 97 93

Grade 7 94 94 94 94 86

60 58

50 49

66

56 49

43 42

61

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Grade 4 Reading Comprehension

Percentage Meeting or Exceeding Expectations

All Learners Aboriginal Learners

55

Grade 7 Reading Comprehension:


2008

#/%

2009

#/%

2010

#/%

2011

#/%

2012

#/%

All Learners 100/57% 111/64% 97/55% 87/52% 70/48%

Aboriginal

Learners 46/46% 56/53% 43/42% 47/43% 36/37%

57 64

55 52

48 46 53

42 43 37

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Grade 7 Reading Comprehension



56

Foundation Skills Assessment: Writing

Grade 4 Writing:


2008

#/%

2009

#/%

2010

#/%

2011

#/%

2012

#/%

All Learners 97/55% 86/57% 102/67% 104/69% 99/59%

Aboriginal

Learners 54/47% 48/48% 54/60% 60/62% 56/52%

55 57

67 69

59

47 48

60 62

52

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Grade 4 Writing



57

Grade 7 Writing:


2008

#/%

2009

#/%

2010

#/%

2011

#/%

2012

#/%

All Learners 125/72% 107/62% 115/65% 105/62% 83/57%

Aboriginal

Learners 61/60% 54/51% 56/54% 58/53% 43/44%

72

62 65 62 57 60

51 54 53

44

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Grade 7 Writing



58

Foundation Skills Assessment: Numeracy

Grade 4 Numeracy:


2008

#/%

2009

#/%

2010

#/%

2011

#/%

2012

#/%

All Learners 83/47% 76/51% 63/41% 70/47% 94/57%

Aboriginal

Learners 49/43% 41/41% 27/30% 36/37% 57/53%

47 51

41 47

57

43 41

30

37

53

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Grade 4 Numeracy



59

Grade 7 Numeracy:


2008

#/%

2009

#/%

2010

#/%

2011

#/%

2012

#/%

All Learners 90/51% 91/52% 78/44% 68/41% 59/41%

Aboriginal

Learners 39/39% 42/40% 35/34% 33/30% 27/28%

51 52

44 41 41 39 40

34 30 28

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Grade 7 Numeracy



60

Principles of Mathematics 11/Pre-Calculus 11

Note: Date up to 2012 refer to Principles of Mathematics 11. Data for 2012 refers to a new course, Pre-

Calculus 11.

Principles of Mathematics 11/Pre-Calculus 11 Success Rate (2011-2012):

Number and Percentage of Learners Successfully Passing the Course

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

All learners 104/85% 84/85% 110/94% 93/94% 72/90%

Aboriginal Learners 21/64% 15/68% 24/92% 32/97% 23/92%

Principles of Mathematics 11/Pre-Calculus 11:

Letter Grades, Number and Percentage

All Learners

School Year A

#/%

B

#/%

C Range

#/%

F

#/%

2007-2008 25 (20%) 24 (20%) 55 (45%) 19 (15%)

2008-2009 14 (14%) 18 (18%) 52 (53%) 14 (14%)

2009-2010 37 (31%) 19 (16%) 54 (46%) 6 (5%)

2010-2011 23 (23%) 26 (26%) 44 (44%) 6 (6%)

2011-2012 23 (29%) 10 (13%) 39 (49%) 8 (10%)

85 85 94 94 90

64 68

92 97

92

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Principles of Mathematics 11/Pre-Calculus 11

Success Rate


61

Pre-Calculus 11: Letter Grades, Number and Percentage

Aboriginal Learners

School Year A

#/%

B

#/%

C Range

#/%

F

#/%

2007-2008 3 (9%) 4 (12%) 14 (42%) 12 (36%)

2008-2009 1 (5%) 0 (0%) 14 (64%) 7 (32%)

2009-2010 3 (12%) 3 (12%) 18 (69%) 2 (7%)

2010-2011 7 (21%) 4 (12%) 21 (64%) 1 (3%)

2011-2012 4 (16%) 4 (16%) 15 (60%) 2 (8%)

Principles of Mathematics 11/Pre-Calculus 11: Enrolment and Letter Grades

Male and Female Learners

Principles of Math 11 Enrolment and Letter Grades, 2007-2008

Enrolment Letter Grades

n A B C Range F

All Students 123 25 (20%) 24 (20%) 55 (45%) 19 (15%)

Male 61 11 (18%) 9 (15%) 28 (46%) 13 (21%)

Female 62 14 (23%) 15 (24%) 27 (44%) 6 (10%)

Aboriginal 33 3 (9%) 4 (12%) 14 (42%) 12 (36%)

Male 20 1 (5%) 2 (10%) 8 (40%) 9 (45%)

Female 13 2 (15%) 2 (15%) 6 (46%) 3 (23%)



n A B C Range F

All Students 98 14 (14%) 18 (18%) 52 (53%) 14 (14%)

Male 46 7 (15%) 7 (15%) 26 (57%) 6 (13%)

Female 52 7 (13%) 11 (21%) 26 (50%) 8 (15%)

Aboriginal 22 1 (5%) 0 (0%) 14 (64%) 7 (32%)

Male 14 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 10 (72%) 4 (29%)

Female 8 1 (13%) 0 (0)% 4 (50%) 3 (32%)

62



n A B C Range F

All Students 117 37 (31%) 19 (16%) 54 (46%) 6 (5%)

Male 70 18 (26%) 12 (17%) 35 (50%) 5 (7%)

Female 46 19 (41%) 7 (15%) 19 (41%) 1 (2%)

Aboriginal 26 3 (12%) 3 (12%) 18 (69%) 2 (7%)

Male 16 0 (0%) 2 (13%) 13 (50%) 1 (4%)

Female 10 3 (30%) 1 (10%) 5 (50%) 1 (10%)



n A B C Range F

All Students 99 23 (23%) 26 (26%) 44 (44%) 6 (6%)

Male 45 9 (20%) 11 (24%) 22 (49%) 3 (7%)

Female 54 14 (26%) 15 (28%) 22 (41%) 3 (6%)

Aboriginal 33 7 (21%) 4 (12%) 21 (64%) 1 (3%)

Male 12 0 (0%) 2 (17%) 10 (83%) 0 (0%)

Female 21 7 (33%) 2 (10%) 11 (52%) 1 (3%)

Pre-Calculus 11 Enrolment and Letter Grades, 2011-2012


n A B C Range F

All Students 80 23(29%) 10(12%) 39(49%) 8(10%)

Male 37 9(24%) 5(14%) 19(51%) 4(11%)

Female 43 14(33%) 5(12%) 20(47%) 4(9%)

Aboriginal 25 4(16%) 4(16%) 15(60%) 2(8%)

Male 12 1(8%) 3(25%) 8(66%) 0 (0%)

Female 13 3(23%) 1(7%) 7(54%) 2(15%)

63

English 10

English 10 Success Rates


2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

All learners 178/85% 202/91% 169/91% 146/93% 127/86%

Aboriginal learners 84/74% 85/83% 87/88% 62/85% 48/79%

85 91 91 93

86

74

83 88 85

79

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

English 10 Success Rate

All Learners

Aboriginal Learners

64

English 12

English 12 Success Rates


2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

All learners 143 (94%) 115 (97%) 125 (95%) 146 (98%) 112 (95%)

Aboriginal learners 45 (85%) 27 (90%) 34 (87%) 54 (98%) 32 (86%)

English 12 Enrolment: Number and Percentage

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

All learners 152 (100%) 118 (100%) 131 (100%) 149 (100%) 118 (100%)


94 97 95 98 95

85 90 87

98

86

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

English 12 Success Rate

All Learners

Aboriginal Learners

65

Communications 12

Communications 12 Success Rates


2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

All learners 18 (78%) 27 (93%) 22 (100%) 29 (100%) 23 (100%)


Communications 12 Enrolment: Number and Percentage

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

All learners 23 (100%) 29 (100%) 22 (100%) 29 (100%) 23 (100%)


78

93

100 100 100

81

91

100 100 100

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Communications 12 Success Rate

All Learners

Aboriginal Learners

66

Sm'algyax Language 11 and 12

Sm'algyax Language 11 and 12 Success Rates: Number and Percentage

2011 2012 2013 2014

Sm'algyax 11 and 12 8/80% 15/100%

Sm’algyax 11 & 12 Enrolment and Letter Grades, 2011-2012


n A B C Range F

All Students 15 5(33%) 7(47%) 3(20%) 0(0%)

Male 8 1(13%) 5(62%) 2(25%) 0(0%)

Female 7 4(57%) 2(28%) 1(14%) 0(0%)

Aboriginal 15 5(33%) 7(47%) 3(20%) 0(0%)

Male 8 1(13%) 5(62%) 2(25%) 0(0%)

Female 7 4(57%) 2(28%) 1(14%) 0(0%)

80

100

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2011 2012 2013 2014

Sm'algyax 11 and 12 Success Rate

67

Grade to Grade Transitions

These charts and graphs show the percentage of learners making successful transitions

to next grade.

Grade 6 to higher grade




Grade 10 to higher

grade

Grade11 to higher grade

2006-2007 98 98 94 95 80 80

2007-2008 98 98 95 89 80 72

2008-2009 96 92 95 91 88 73

2009-2010 98 98 93 93 79 80

2010-2011 100 98 98 95 87 81

0

20

40

60

80

100

Grade to Grade Transitions: All Students





Grade 10 to higher

grade

Grade11 to higher grade

2006-2007 99 98 92 90 67 68

2007-2008 97 98 93 77 70 59

2008-2009 93 88 92 88 77 63

2009-2010 97 97 89 89 69 70

2010-2011 100 98 96 91 81 70

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Grade to Grade Transitions: Aboriginal Students

68


School Completion Rates represent the proportion of learners who complete school and

receive a Dogwood Certificate within 6 years of entering Grade 8 for the first time.

School Completion Rates: Percentages of Learners

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

All Learners 63% 61% 58% 63% 67%

Aboriginal

Learners 39% 44% 35% 44% 47%

School Completion Rates: Numbers of Learners

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

All Learners 146 144 128 131 152

Aboriginal

Learners 48 54 42 50 51

63 61 58

63 67

39 44

35

44 47

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

All Learners

Aboriginal Learners

69

Graduation Rates

Eligible Grade 12 Graduation Rates measure the percentage and number of Grade 12

students who start Grade 12 in September with the possibility of graduating in June. That

is, if the students pass all courses in which they are enrolled as of September, they will

have met all of the requirements to graduation. These are students who have met all the

requirements by June and who do graduate. First time Grade 12 Graduation Rates are

those students who are entering Grade 12 for the first time and who graduate in June of

the same year.

Eligible Grade 12 Graduation Rates: Numbers and Percentages of Learners

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

All Learners 143/86% 141/96% 128/91% 168/92% 127/95%

Aboriginal

Learners 54/82% 45/90% 42/78% 67/87% 47/90%

86

96 91 92 95

82

90

78

87 90

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Percentage of Eligible Grade 12 Graduation Rates

All Learners

Aboriginal Learners

70

First Time Grade 12 Graduation Rates: Numbers and Percentages of Learners

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

All Learners 158/66% 138/76% 130/66% 166/73% 136/72%

Aboriginal

Learners 69/53% 46/55% 44/42% 68/59% 55/54%

Provincial School Completion and Graduation Rates

66

76

66 73 72

53 55

42

59 54

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Percentage of First Time Grade 12 Graduation Rates

All Learners

Aboriginal Learners

79 79 79 81 82

47 49 50 54 56

0

20

40

60

80

100

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Provincial School Completion Rates

All Learners

Aboriginal Learners

71

95 95 95 94 94

90 90 90 89

88

82

84

86

88

90

92

94

96

98

100

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Provincial Eligible Grade 12 Graduation Rates

All Learners

Aboriginal Learners

79 79 80 79 81

58 58 60 60 63

0

20

40

60

80

100

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Provincial First Time Grade 12 Graduation Rates

All Learners

Aboriginal Learners

Documents

First Nations Education Partnership · The Aboriginal Education Partnership Agreement is built on the fundamental beliefs that Aboriginal people are integral to the social fabric