Proposed Provincial School Improvement Planning Model ... · It is estimated that the development of the processes and supporting technology for an effective school improvement planning

Proposed Provincial School Improvement Planning Model

September 2004

Department of Education

Draft Document October 14, 2004 - Proposed Provincial School Improvement PlanningModel

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2. Rationale for a Provincial School Improvement Planning Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62.1 Education Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62.2 The Use of Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

• Basic facts about indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7• Indicators in learning organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8• Indicators for accountability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9• Selection of Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2.3 Legislative Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

3. The Proposed PEI School Improvement Planning Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123.1 Values and Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123.2 Overview of the Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133.3 Phases in the Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

• Phase 1: “Start Up” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16• Phase 2: “Planning and Doing” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17• Phase 3: “Doing and Reviewing” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

3.4 Roles and Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193.5 Sustaining the School Improvement Planning Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

4. The PEI School Improvement Planning Model Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204.1 Reasons for the Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204.2 Project Objective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204.3 Project Schedule and Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204.4 Steering Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214.5 The Work Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214.6 Educational Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224.7 Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224.8 Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

..........more

Draft Document October 14, 2004 - Proposed Provincial School Improvement PlanningModel Page 1

APPENDIXES

A. Education Partners Roles and Responsibilities taken from the PEI School Act . . . . . . . 23B. Indicators of Effective Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26C. Requirements for a PEI School Improvement Planning Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29D. Roles and Responsibilities for the PEI School Improvement Planning Model . . . . . . . 30E. The Department of Education Project Work Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37


Executive Summary

Education research in the last 35 years demonstrates that effective schools have a profoundimpact on student learning and success. It is recognized that Prince Edward Island schools andschool boards have a tradition of planning for school improvement, and are successful inimpacting positively on student learning and success.

In January 2004, representatives from New Brunswick’s Educational Review and AccountabilityUnit presented their province’s accountability framework, including processes for schoolimprovement planning, to representatives from the Department of Education and the threeprovincial school boards. It was acknowledged that although the Prince Edward Island publicschool system does school improvement planning, practices are varied across the province. Further, it was recognized that there is not a consistent approach to monitoring and reporting theresults of implementing improvement strategies in schools. It was generally agreed that thepublic education system would benefit from a provincial focus on school improvement planning,and that public confidence may increase with systematic reporting on the impact of schoolimprovement planning on the effectiveness of schools, student learning and student success.

The Department of Education, recognizing the importance of school improvement planning aswell as monitoring and reporting on planned work results, has assumed the leadership role for theimplementation of a provincial school improvement planning model in collaboration with itseducation partners throughout the province.

In July 2004, the Department of Education initiated a project to develop and implement aprovincial school improvement planning (SIP) model for the purposes of improving studentlearning outcomes and increasing student success, while at the same time satisfying legitimatedemands for public accountability. Other benefits to the public education system will be:

• increased accountability,• increased identification of school improvement best practices across the province,• increased understanding and use of evidence informed decision making,• increased professional development opportunities for educators,• improved professional teaching practice, and• increased capacity to improve school performance.

The proposed school improvement planning model is intended to help schools improve fromwithin, and provide useful information to the school boards and the Department of Education foruse in improvement efforts and reporting. This model was designed to meet the unique needs,beliefs and culture of the PEI public education system. It reflects the requirements of the PEISchool Act and education research. The model integrates best practises from other jurisdictions,taking into consideration the size and collaborative nature of the current education system in PEI.


The provincial school improvement planning model includes:

• a standard 3 year cycle for each school,• common set of provincial indicators,• a school self-assessment and peer assessment process, and• a formal reporting process.

It is estimated that the development of the processes and supporting technology for an effectiveschool improvement planning model will take approximately one calendar year. Implementationof the provincial SIP model will unfold over a three year period. The development project workwill be finished when one (three year) cycle of the model is completed. At that time, all schoolswill have developed an improvement plan that reflects its unique culture and climate within thecontext of monitoring and reporting commonly accepted provincial indicators.

With the implementation of a provincial SIP model, schools and school boards will haveincreased capacity for continuous school improvement for the purpose of improving studentlearning and success. The information generated from the school improvement planning modelwill foster a culture of evidence informed decision making as well as enable systematic andconsistent accountability to the public of PEI.


1. Introduction

In January 2004, representatives from New Brunswick’s Educational Review and AccountabilityUnit presented their province’s accountability framework, including processes for schoolimprovement planning, to representatives from the Department of Education and the threeprovincial school boards. It was acknowledged that although the Prince Edward Island publicschool system does school improvement planning, practices are varied across the province. Further, it was recognized that there is not a consistent approach to monitoring and reporting theresults of implementing improvement strategies in schools. It was generally agreed that thepublic education system would benefit from a provincial focus on school improvement planning,and that public confidence may increase with systematic reporting on the impact of schoolimprovement planning on the effectiveness of schools, student learning and student success

To develop a successful, provincial focus on accountable school improvement planning,participation and contribution is required from all education partners. The Department ofEducation will assume responsibility for providing leadership to the SIP model. School boardswill work in collaboration with the department to provide the leadership and support that schoolsneed to carry out their mandate. Principals and teachers must assume responsibility for workingwithin the school improvement planning model to address the challenges that they find withintheir schools. All partners must commit themselves to using the professional resources availableto them so that students derive the maximum benefit within their schools.

The School Act provides guidelines for the responsibilities of the educational partners involvedwith the SIP model. Prince Edward Island offers a unique opportunity because of size to allow aculture of collaboration to exist between education partners. Based on this spirit of collaboration,it is recognized that accountability is a shared responsibility that values and places students at thecentre of the education system, and recognizes teachers and administrators at the school level asthe key to understanding and promoting student learning and success. It is within this context ofcollaboration that the SIP model will be developed and implemented throughout the publiceducation system.

A key component of the SIP model is the collection, monitoring, analysis and reporting ofinformation through the measurement of provincial indicators. The selection of indicators thatalign to student learning and success is imperative. The Department of Education is committedto working with the public school system and its partners in identifying the indicators and themeasures to be used in the SIP model.

Research forms a base of knowledge that can be used to inform educational policy and practice. It is our belief that we can improve student success and reduce inequalities in achievementamong students by making decisions based on that research. Years of research, initially throughthe effective school movement and continuing to this day, have demonstrated that schools canhave a profound impact on student learning and success. The SIP model will draw on thisresearch as well as best practices from other jurisdictions to construct the model to be used byschools in PEI.


Although school improvement has been on-going throughout the Prince Edward Island educationsystem for years, there presently exists a climate that makes it possible for all educationalpartners to align their efforts and resources toward promoting student learning and success byengaging in the development and implementation of an accountable provincial schoolimprovement planning model.


2. Rationale for a Provincial School Improvement Planning Model

2.1 Education Research

The rationale for the development of a provincial school improvement planning model as well asthe proposed design for the PEI model are based on literature reviews of education researchconcerning the factors that impact on student learning and success.

The effective schools literature reflects the complex nature of determining the factors orcharacteristics of what makes a school effective in terms of student learning and success. In thelate 1960s, American researchers began to investigate why certain schools were able to fosterhigh levels of student learning and success despite the challenges posed by their students’backgrounds (issues included race, gender and socio-economic status). Early research oneffective schools indicated that as long as schools have the “right” ingredients, they can make adifference for all students. After nearly four decades, researchers seem to agree that no onecombination of characteristics would guarantee an effective school. However, researchconsistently recognizes that schools tend to be more successful when specific characteristics areevident over a sustained period of time.

Some of the most frequently identified factors that are associated with effective schools are:enrollment, student socio-economic status, parental educational attainment, languagebackground, student special needs, student mobility, education funding, early childhoodeducation, school leadership, planning and decision making, school climate, support personnel,class size and organization, student attendance, physical facilities, community-schoolrelationships, teaching/learning environment, teacher professional development, planning andcollaboration, parental involvement, teacher qualification and experience, and curriculumimplementation.

Researchers and policy makers agree that it is important to use the knowledge about effectiveschools to enable continuous improvement in all of our schools. This can be done by increasingthe knowledge and skills of educators to understand and use the effective school research intoschool improvement planning practices.

In a formal planning process educators set goals for their schools that reflect relevant effectiveschool factors and identify strategies to improve those factors. Continuous improvement occurswhen schools use valid and reliable information to inform decision making, strategydevelopment, and changes to strategies; as well as to identify priorities. The appropriateinformation is available through monitoring the impact of their strategies on the selectedeffective school factors.

A jurisdictional review of Canadian provinces indicates that most provinces have a practice ofmonitoring effective school factors as a proactive means to assist schools in improving studentlearning and success.


2.2 The Use of Indicators

Historically, indicators have been used in many ways by different organizations in both theprivate and public sectors. To facilitate the success of the proposed SIP model, it is important tounderstand how indicators will be used by participants within the model.

For the proposed SIP model, it is intended that indicators will serve a dual function. First,indicators will be used to inform school improvement planning. Second, indicators will be themeans to collect and report information for accountability purposes. This section provides basicfacts about indicators, insight into the intended practical uses of indicators in the SIP model, aswell as a brief discussion on selecting indicators.

Basic facts about indicators

Indicators are statistics which provide sound information for planning and policy development. When factors and variables that are associated with an organization’s performance and the resultsof that performance are monitored, they are called indicators. Monitoring indicators enablesinformed decision-making, while ensuring that efforts are results oriented and purposeful.

Educational indicators may be grouped by theme or type.

Education Indicator Themes

The effective schools literature often groups indicators by themes. Themes have different namesdepending on the author but the content is relatively consistent. The themes recognize thatindicators can be grouped to reflect components of effective schools. The five themes chosen forconsideration in the proposed SIP model are:

1. Demographics2. School profile3. School leadership4. School life 5. Teaching and learning

APPENDIX B presents a list of indicators which are commonly associated with effective schoolsand which are used by other jurisdictions in Canada.


Education Indicator Types

Education indicators can also be grouped by type: input, context, process and results.

Type of Indicator Description Example in Education

Input Indicators • exist within the environment ofthe school and can be consideredcontrollable variables

• resources allocated to orconsumed by the school

curriculum, years of teachingexperience, class size

Context Indicators • reflect each student’s homeexperience

• information on factors thatimpact on results that may ormay not be in the control of theschool

socio-economic status ofstudents, satisfaction levels,ethnicity, demographics

Process Indicators • activities associated with theschool or what is done at and/orby the school

• what the school does to fulfill itsmandate

number of classes taught,number of extracurricularactivities

Results Indicators Benefits for students during andafter completing school

student achievement,learning outcomes

Indicators in learning organizations

A learning organization uses indicators to learn about the relationships between investingresources, doing work and the results of the work. Indicator information is monitored todetermine trends, identify successes and also to identify areas for improvement. In a learningorganization staff members and/or leaders can use indicator information to generate discussion,increase understanding and inform decision making. Indicators information can help to focuswork efforts for the purpose of continuous improvement of performance for results.

Within the context of the SIP model, it is intended that schools will use indicators to gainunderstanding about how the work they are doing impacts on the effectiveness of their school,student learning and success. Educators will have reliable and valid information to enableanalysis, interpretation and discussion. This will facilitate decision making as well as strategyand goal development within the context of the their school improvement plan which will reflectthe unique environment and needs of their school.


Indicators for accountability

The Canadian School Board Association describes accountability in a February 2002 discussionpaper as follows:

“Accountability is about responsibility - who is responsible for what and to whom. Itrelies on a shared vision of goals and objectives, a clear division of responsibilities,reliable ways of evaluating how those responsibilities are being met, and strategies forproviding the public with clear, accurate information about performance.

...Education accountability is about more than testing and student performance. It is alsoabout understanding why we are educating students in the public school system, howpublic funds are being used, how responsibility for various aspects of children’seducation is shared, and - above all - how we can constantly improve the education ofCanadian children.”

The SIP model supports this view of accountability in that it is intended to use indicators to inform education stake holders and the public about the work being performed in schoolsthroughout the province and the results of that work.

Selection of indicators

The Department of Education has identified a number of indicators that are recognized in theeffective schools’ literature to contribute to effective schools, student learning and success. Also,these indicators are commonly used by many Canadian jurisdictions for accountability purposesas they are the critical success factors for effective schools, student learning and success. SeeAPPENDIX B. The challenge for the PEI school improvement planning model is to select thespecific indicators to be monitored throughout the province by all education partners in thepublic school system.

It must be recognized that usually “what gets monitored gets done”. Some factors or indicatorsthat are commonly monitored in education systems, such as socio-economic status, are beyondthe control of the school. While others, such as school climate, can be affected by the schoolthrough intentional strategy implementation. Regardless of which indicators are selected to bemonitored, it can be expected that schools will most likely develop strategies and focus someadditional attention on those indicators. Therefore, the selection of the indicators, to someextent, does suggest where action or change will happen in the system.

The Department of Education intends to consult with education partners throughout the designand implement of the provincial SIP model. Consultation around indicator selection isparticularly critical to the success of school improvement planning and accountability for theimplementation of school plans.


The number and type of indicators to be included in the SIP model will reflect the followingselection criteria:

• the degree of association or linkage between the factor (being monitored by an indicator)with effective schools, student learning and success. - as determined by education research

• the common priorities within the public school system

• the relevance of the indicator to schools, school boards and the Department of Educationfor school improvement planning for effective schools, student learning and success- as determined by consultation with education partners

• the relevance of the indicator for the purpose of reporting and communicating to parents,education stake holders and the public (accountability)

• the current human, financial and technical resources throughout the school system thatcan be allocated to the development and implementation of the SIP - as determined by education partners

• the availability of quantitative data throughout the school system for an indicator

• the estimated costs (time, resources) required to collect quantitative data for a particularindicator

The primary reason for the investment in a provincial SIP model is rooted in the commitment tosupport continuous improvement in effective schools, student learning and success. It is therefore recommended that the degree of association or linkage between an indicator witheffective schools, student learning and success should be the primary criteria for including anindicator in the SIP model. The effective schools literature notes that school culture, teachingand learning, and leadership are significant contributors to student learning and success.

As the SIP model becomes integrated into the annual school year, and as the public schoolsystem requires different or additional indicator information to reflect different educationdirections or results, other indicators can be added to the model when resources are available.


2.3 Legislative Requirements

The School Act for Prince Edward Island indicates that:

The Minister of Education: “shall establish expected outcomes and standards of performanceand assess the extent to which outcomes are achieved and standards are met (Section 7d) andestablish an accountability framework for the school system (Section 7h)”.

It is the responsibility of the school boards to “monitor and evaluate effectiveness of schools(Section 49f) and ensure the development of and approve school improvement plans (Section49g)”.

Principals have the responsibility to “initiate the development of a school improvement plan(Section 99 p)”.

The development and implementation of a provincial SIP model complies with the legislatedroles and responsibilities for education partners as delineated in the School Act. APPENDIX Alists the general roles and responsibilities for education partners that are relevant to thedevelopment of a provincial school improvement planning model, as taken from the School Act.


3. The Proposed PEI School Improvement Planning Model

3.1 Values and Principles

The proposed PEI School Improvement Planning Model was designed based on the directions setout in the School Act and education research. The following underlying values and principlesshaped the design of the proposed SIP model. About education and learning:• Students are the focus of the public education system.• Student learning and success are impacted at the school level.• Schools are the primary source for understanding and promoting teaching and learning.• The principal plays a critical role in school improvement. • There is need for continuous improvement of schools. Concerning Accountability:• There is a shared responsibility among all education partners for improvement of the public

education system of PEI.• Accountability to the public is a fundamental responsibility of the public education system.• The public has a right to information that shows how the public education system is

performing throughout the province.• Published school improvement plans and reports on results improve accountability. • Over the long term, the SIP model will promote confidence in the public education system.

Concerning the design of the model:• The SIP model will be implemented provincially, in all schools.• The selection and implementation of provincial indicators and measures for the SIP model

will lead to actions that will improve the delivery of education and improve student learningand success.

• The SIP model must be informed by sound educational research.• The SIP model will be valid and easily understood.• The SIP model will be unique to PEI. Although it will consider the experiences of other

groups or organizations, comparability with other jurisdictions/programs will not drive thePEI process.

• The SIP model will be an evolving process that is dynamic and responsive to issues in thepublic school system of PEI.

• The SIP model will result in school improvement plans that reflect the unique environmentand culture of each school.

Concerning how data and information will be used:• Information must be useful and relevant at the school and board level.• Data and information collected for school improvement planning will focus on student

learning and success.• Information will enable administrators, teachers, boards and the Department of Education to

make evidence informed decisions based on reliable quantitative and qualitative information.• Ranking school data is not appropriate or beneficial.


3.2 Overview of the Model

The proposed SIP model is intended to help schools improve from within, and provide usefulinformation to the school boards and the Department of Education to be used in improvementefforts and reporting. This model was designed to meet the unique needs, beliefs and culture ofthe PEI public education system. It reflects education research and integrates best practises fromother jurisdictions as well as recognizing the size and collaborative nature of the currenteducation system.

The proposed SIP model combines school self-assessments with reviews conducted by a peerassessment team. The Department of Education will work with groups of schools throughout theprovince each year to complete a cyclical school improvement planning model.

The proposed SIP model is a mandatory process in which all schools assess themselves using indicators that are common across the province. Each school will establish a schoolimprovement team which is responsible for providing leadership and coordination to schoolimprovement planning, including the self-assessment process.

In addition to self-evaluation, schools will be reviewed by a peer assessment team. Improvementand change are most likely to be sustained when the impetus comes from within the schoolcommunity itself. However, schools will also benefit from the outside perspective that a peerassessment team can provide within the SIP model. As a result of the assessment(s) each schoolwill develop an improvement plan and publish a progress report for distribution to parents andother community stakeholders. School improvement planning teams, school staff and peerassessment teams will receive training and support to conduct their self-assessments.

School self-assessment must occur on an ongoing basis. A complete assessment will occur everythree years (during Phase 1 of the SIP cycle). As a result of the assessment, schools will developa comprehensive improvement plan. The school improvement plan will be developed with theparticipation of parents and school councils. Implementation of the plan will be monitored, andthe plan will be revised or modified as necessary in each remaining year of the three-year cycle.It is expected that the school will be responsible for informing the school board of the schoolimprovement plan, implementation results and ongoing changes to the plan.

The proposed provincial SIP model has the following components:• Three-year SIP cycle for each school• Three phases within each SIP cycle (Start Up, Planning and Doing, Doing and

Reviewing)• Each school has a School Improvement Planning Team• Each school will be assigned a Peer Assessment Team • Department of Education prepares a summary SIP report for each school, based on the

school self-assessment and the peer assessment • Each school develops a school improvement plan based on school self-assessment and

peer assessment• Each school will have its own data on-line (web site, school profile)• Each school board will have data from each school in the district• Department of Education will have access to all data for purposes of analysis and


dissemination to school board, schools• Schools will use data to prepare a public SIP report(s) for parents and community• Schools prepare an annual SIP report for the school board• Superintendent prepares annual SIP report for the Department of Education• Evaluation and research of the provincial school improvement planning experience

TABLE 1 presents the activities and time lines for each of the three phases within the proposedSchool Improvement Planning Model. See section 3.3 “Phases in the Cycle” for detailed phasedescriptions.


TABLE 1: The Proposed School Improvement Planning Process

This table presents the activities and time lines for each of the three phases within the proposedSchool Improvement Planning Model.

Phase 1: Start Up Phase 2: Planning and Doing Phase 3: Doing and Reviewing

Training to get ready for SIP

(Sept/Oc t)

Reports to schools & superintendent

(Sept)

Schools to review & revise SIP

(Sept/Oc t)

Departm ent of Edu cation mee ts with

superintendent to discuss assessment

report information

(Sept/Oc t)

Self assessme nt by team in

school (Nov/Dec)

Develo pment of S IP by scho ols

(Sept/Oc t)

Principal/sc hool bo ard staff meet to

review plan (Oct/Nov)

Data to Department of

Education from schools (Jan)

SIP to sup erintenden t from schoo ls

(Oct)

Schools continue to work on their SIP

(Oct/June)

Analysis of da ta from scho ols

(Jan/Feb)

Principal/sc hool bo ard staff meets to

review plan (Oct/Nov)

Consolidated report from

superintendent to Department of

Educatio n (January)

Training of peer assessment

team (Jan)

Peer assessment team review

(Feb/March)

Schools begin work on their SIP

(Oct/Nov)


follow up on SIP & review progress

(April/M ay)

Data to Department of

Education from peer

assessment teams (March)

Consolidated report from school

boards to Department of Education

(January)

Introductio n for schoo ls starting cycle

3 (May/June)

Analysis of data from peer

assessment teams

(March /April)


follow up on SIP & review progress

(April/M ay)

Report from schools to superintendent

(June)

Dissemina tion of data to

schools from Department of

Educatio n (May)

Meeting with schools, peer

assessment teams & boards

(May/June)

Introduction for schools starting

cycle 2 (May/June)

Introductio n for schoo ls

starting cycle 2 (May/June)

Report fro m schoo ls to

superintendent (June)

Writing sc hool repo rts

(July/August)


3.3 Phases in the Cycle

Phase 1: “Start Up”

During Phase 1 each school improvement planning team and peer assessment team will betrained on the SIP model, including the use of self-assessment instrument(s). Data gathering forthe provincial indicators will be done, analysis performed and reports generated for each school.Schools will continue to work on strategies within the context of the provincial SIP model andprevious school improvement plans.


Phase 2: “Planning and Doing”

During Phase 2 each school will identify goals and strategies, using the information from Phase1, to prepare the school improvement plan. School improvement plans will be sent by schools tothe superintendent for approval. School board staff and school improvement planning teams willmeet to review the plans. The school will begin to implement the plan and monitor progress onan ongoing basis. At the end of the school year a SIP feedback report will be provided by eachschool to the superintendent. In addition, a progress report will be made available to parents andthe school community. The superintendent will prepare a summary report describing the schoolimprovement activities and accomplishments within their board for submission to theDepartment of Education.



Phase 3: “Doing and Reviewing”

During Phase 3 schools will continue to work on the school improvement plan strategies andrevise as needed, given quantitative and qualitative information that is available to the school. School board officials and school improvement planning teams will continue to meet to monitorthe plan. Schools will prepare a final SIP cycle report demonstrating the status on their goals forsubmission to the superintendent. In addition a SIP progress report will be made available toparents and school community. The superintendent will prepare a final SIP cycle reportdescribing the school improvement activities and accomplishments within their board forsubmission to the Department of Education.


3.4 Roles and Responsibilities

The success of the provincial SIP model is dependent upon the participants fulfilling their rolesand responsibilities within an environment of collaboration and consultation. The roles andresponsibilities are consistent with the PEI School Act, educational research, other jurisdictionexperience, and take into account the current PEI educational structure and environment. SeeAPPENDIX D for the detailed SIP roles and responsibilities for the following participants in themodel. The positions and teams noted with an asterisk (*) are newly established for the purposeof implementing and supporting the SIP model throughout the public education system.

• District school board• Superintendents• Principals• School councils, parents, and other community members• Students* School Improvement Planning Team* Peer assessment teamC Department of Education* Director of School Improvement Planning, Department of EducationC Policy, Planning and Evaluation Division, Department of EducationC Technology in Learning Division, Department of EducationC English Programs, Department of EducationC Student Services Division, Department of EducationC French Programs, Department of Education

3.5 Sustaining the School Improvement Planning Model

The ongoing success of an effective provincial school improvement planning process requires thededication of resources at all levels of the education system; schools will need to dedicate timeand resources for planning and carrying out those plans. School boards need to dedicate resources to monitor and support the school plans within their district; and the department ofeducation will also require dedicated resources to maintain the monitoring capacity and tosupport the technology being used for the process.

As the province draws close to the completion of this cycle of school improvement planning, itwill be necessary to determine how school improvement planning will continue in the publiceducation system.


4. The PEI School Improvement Planning Model Project

4.1 Reasons for the Project

This project is being undertaken to provide leadership to the public education system for thepurpose of improving learning outcomes and increasing student success through increasedsupport to school improvement planning, while at the same time satisfying legitimate demandsfor public accountability.

Other benefits to the public education system will be:

• Increased accountability• Increased identification of school improvement best practices across the province• Increased understanding and use of evidence informed decision making• Increased professional development opportunities for educators• Increased capacity to improve school performance

4.2 Project Objective

The objective of the project is to develop and implement a School Improvement Planning (SIP)model which includes collecting, monitoring and reporting on provincial indicators throughoutthe PEI public education system.

The SIP model will include:• a standardized 3 year cycle for each school• common set of indicators• a school self-assessment and review process• a formal reporting process (time lines, and activities)

This project will be completed when one complete cycle of the model is completed. At that time,all schools will have developed an improvement plan that reflects its unique culture and climatewithin the context of the provincial indicators.

It is intended that when this project is completed, the provincial SIP model will continue tooperate as an integral part of the school year within the public education system.

4.3 Project Schedule and Scope

It is estimated that the development of the processes and supporting technology for an effectiveschool improvement planning process will take approximately one year. Implementation of theprovincial SIP model will unfold over a three year period. Consultation with education partnerswill be critical throughout the development and implementation of the SIP model.

APPENDIX E presents the Department of Education work plan for the development andimplementation of the provincial SIP model. The work plan has twelve major activity clusters.


Each of the activities will include consultation with the appropriate education partners.

Activity 1: Finalize the School Improvement Planning (SIP) Model (including the section ofthe provincial indicators and “look fors”)

Activity 2: Define the roles and responsibilities for the participants in the SIP modelActivity 3: Develop a communication plan and materialsActivity 4: Develop data collection instrumentsActivity 5: Develop logic for analysisActivity 6: Develop the Department of Education process(es) for working with schoolsActivity 7: Develop the requirements for the school SIP web siteActivity 8: Design SIP reports, content and formatActivity 9: Develop technology support/capacityActivity 10: Plan the implementation for the start of the SIP cycle - Phase 1Activity 11: Design the evaluation frameworkActivity 12: Plan and conduct training

4.4 Steering Committee

The Steering Committee will consist of the Department of Education Department ManagementTeam. This leadership group includes the Deputy Minister of Education, the divisional directors,the departmental human resources manager and the communications officer. The SteeringCommittee is responsible for directing the activities for the development of the provincial schoolimprovement planning (SIP) model.

4.5 The Work Team

The work team is responsible for the development and implementation of the provincial schoolimprovement planning model. The SIP model will reflect input from education partners. Implementation of the SIP model requires extensive collaboration with all provincial schools andthe three school boards in Prince Edward Island.

The Department of Education work team members are:• Frank Hennessey, Director• Tamara Hubley-Little, Policy and Research Analyst• Technical staff: Bob Andrews, Director Technology in Learning, Linda Trenton,

Coordinator, Systems and Technology Services, Shawn Alexander, Information SystemsManager

• Possibly contract services, as required

The work team will require support and expertise from various staff and divisions throughout theDepartment of Education to develop and implement an effective SIP model that meets the needof schools, school boards and the department (Appendix C presents the requirements.).


Resources to the team are:• Diane Griner, Manager, Strategic Planning• Cindy Wood, Student Assessment and Program Evaluation Consultant• Dawn Doyle, Monitoring Technician• Mary Henderson, Administration Support• Faye Martin, Director, Policy, Planning and Evaluation Division• Imelda Arsenault, Director, French Programs• Jean Doherty, Communications Officer• Staff of the English Programs, French Programs, Student Services and Technology in

Learning Divisions

4.6 Educational Partners

Consultation and collaboration with educational partners are critical to the success of the project. Discussions and feedback will be ongoing throughout the project with the following primaryeducational partners:

Eastern School DistrictWestern School BoardFrench School BoardPEI Teachers’ Federation University of Prince Edward Island Home and School Association

4.7 Assumptions

The success of the development and implementation of the SIP model is dependent upon thefollowing assumptions.

• There is ongoing commitment from all partners.• There will be collaboration with all partners.• There is commitment to a four-year time frame to fully implement.• There is commitment to sustainable funding to start and grow the SIP model.• The use of technology is critical for a cost effective SIP model.• There is commitment to provide additional resources for full implementation.

4.8 Constraints

It is anticipated that there will be the following constraints particularly for the development stageof the project:

• Time available for development activities (consultations with partners, design time anddiscussions)

• Time available for school staff and school boards • Availability of department staff• Limited amount of human, financial, technical resources

The dedication of human, financial and technical resources to the project in a timely manner willpositively impact the successful implementation of the SIP model.


APPENDIX AEducation Partners Roles and Responsibilities taken from the PEI School Act

The School Act governs many of the department activities, as well as department and schoolboard responsibilities. By recognizing and adhering to the guidance of responsibilities providedin the Act, roles and responsibilities within the accountability framework can be clarified for thepurposes of implementing a provincial school improvement planning model.

The following section identifies roles and responsibilities within the public education system,grades 1 to 12, for PEI. Only those deemed to pertain to the development of schoolimprovement plans and accountability are presented here. The list of responsibilities is notexhaustive and the selection of these responsibilities is not to be regarded as a statement of value.

Pertinent Responsibilities of the Minister

According to Section 7 in Part II of the School Act, The Minister shall

• define the goals, standards, guidelines, policies and priorities applicable to the provision of

education in Prince Edward Island;

• research and assess changing needs, trends and approaches in education and develop and

implement strategic plans;

• provide leadership and coordination in developing curriculum, define curriculum,

articulate curriculum standard and assess and evaluate programs at each level;

• establish expected outcomes and standards of performance and assess the extent to which

outcomes are achieved and standards are met;

• establish an accountability framework for the school system.

The Minister may issue such directives as the Minister considers necessary to carry out the

Minister’s responsibilities under this Act. These are outlined in Part II, Section 8.

The Minister may, after consultation with school boards, develop and issue directives respecting

policies, guidelines and rules for the provision and coordination or educational and

administrative services by school boards, with respect to

• the roles and responsibilities of trustees, principals and supervisory personnel of school

boards;

• assessment and coordination of staff and leadership development needs;


• procedures and criteria for the evaluation of schools;

• capital expenditure needs and priorities;

• the development of combined or shared services for school boards;

• such other matters as the Minister considers necessary to carry out the Minister’s

responsibilities under this Act.

Pertinent Responsibilities of the School Boards

As written in Part IV, Sections 49 and 50 of the School Act, a school board shall, subject to the

regulations and Minister’s directives,

• provide for the recruitment, employment, management and evaluation of staff of the school

board and identification of staff development needs;

• provide for effective and efficient management of the financial affairs of the school board;

• monitor and evaluate effectiveness of schools;

• ensure the development of and approve school improvement plans;

• encourage good relations among schools, parents and the community and promote family

and community awareness of the importance of education.

Pertinent Responsibilities of the Unit Superintendent

Section 61 of the School Act details the responsibilities of the Unit Superintendent. Each school

board shall appoint a Unit Superintendent who shall be the chief executive office of the school

board.

Subject to the direction of the school board, the Unit Superintendent shall

• be responsible for the general organization, administration and supervision of educational

programs and services;

• be responsible for the operation of the schools in the unit; and

• fulfil such other responsibilities as are set out in the regulations or assigned by the school

board.

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Pertinent Responsibilities of the Principal

The principal of a school shall, subject to the Minister’s directives and the policies of the school

board

• be responsible for such school as may be assigned by the school board;

• provide education leadership in the school;

• ensure that the instruction provided by teachers employed at the school is consistent with

the courses of study and education programs prescribed, approved or authorized pursuant

to this Act;

• perform the supervisory, management and other duties required or assigned by the Unit

Superintendent or the school board;

• evaluate(d) or make provision for the evaluation of teachers under the principal’s

supervision and report to the Unit Superintendent respecting the evaluation;

• ensure records are maintained in respect of each student enrolled in the school in

accordance with the regulations and school board policy;

• ensure that teachers conduct such assessments as are appropriate to determine the progress

and promotion of students, as required by the Minister or the school board;

• report to the Unit Superintendent or to the school board as required on matters concerning

the school;

• initiate the development of a school improvement plan.

Pertinent Responsibilities of the Lieutenant Governor in Council

The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations

• respecting the provision of information to the Minister by a school board;

• respecting student records.


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APPENDIX BList of Educational Indicators

The following is a list of indicators which are commonly associated with effective schools andwhich are used by other jurisdictions in Canada. The indicators are presented by theme, with thetype of indicator noted in parenthesis.

School climate (Processes)1. Behaviour management2. High expectations3. Caring/understanding

School leadership (Processes)1. Leadership support2. Shared decision-making3. Teacher feedback

School management (Processes)1. Staff interaction2. Teacher role3. Effective discipline4. Support personnel

Management of staff performance (Processes)1. Goal agreement2. School morale3. Professional development

Partnerships with parents (Processes)1. Achievement reporting2. Communication with parents 3. Parent/community participation

Growth and improvement (Processes and Context)1. Collection and analysis of data2. Planning3. Policies and guidelines

Teaching and learning (Input)1. Curriculum2. Instructional process3. Student services4. Time distribution for selected subjects at elementary school level 5. Use of selected assessment materials and methods6. Use of computers in selected subjects7. Teacher professional development, planning and collaboration8. Parental involvement Teacher qualifications and experience9. Student attendance


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Facilities and equipment (Input)1. Accessibility of science and computer labs, physical education facilities, libraries

guidance areas2. Accessibility of school and public libraries3. The number of volumes of books available for circulation, and in different languages;4. The geographic location of the schools, urban and rural;5. The number of schools

Teacher characteristics (Input)1. Professional development activities2. Distribution of teachers by experience in the profession3. Teacher turnover4. Distribution by gender and Aboriginal origin5. Percentage of women in administrative positions6. Education levels of educators, by gender7. Percent of employees classified as full-time educators

Classroom characteristics (Input)1. Pupil/teacher ratio1. Class size2. Distribution of teacher time among various activities3. Percentage of school positions help by women4. Enrollment of residents of the board, by public and independent school categories 5. Days of instruction during the academic year6. Numbers of school, students and teachers

Community, student and family demographics (Context)1. Enrollment2. Socio-economic status3. Educational attainment4. Language background5. Categories of special needs6. Student mobility

Preparedness to learn and early-learning support (Context)1. Pre-school experience2. Readiness-to-learn scale

Student achievement (Results)1. Provincial achievement results2. National and international achievement results3. Graduate/school leaver destinations4. Students completing high school5. Credit accumulation

Perception and satisfaction of general public, parents, students and teachers (Context) some


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Education financing (Input)1. The proportion of available public funds allocated to education in relation to other public

expenditures2. Educational financing in relation to the wealth of the province or jurisdiction3. The average expenditure for each student4. The distribution of educational expenditures by jurisdiction, level and function,

average teacher salaries by characteristics5. Special programs6. Cost components for school board operating expenditure7. Education costs per capita8. Capital spending per student

Community-school relationships (Context)1. School-community partnerships2. School councils


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APPENDIX CRequirements for a PEI School Improvement Planning Model

The PEI School Act delineates roles and responsibilities for accountability regarding school improvement plans. The

following requirements are need ed for a school impro vement planning mo del that will meet the needs of schools,

school boards and the province.

Department of Education School Board School

Clear process Clear process Clear process

Time lines Time lines Time lines

Commitment to SIP Commitment to SIP Commitment to SIP

Dedicated HR to the project Time dedica ted to SIP (directors,

superintend ent, suppo rt staff, etc.)

School team (working with school

staff)

Time to develop & implement Time to do Time to do

Comm itment to work with schools

& school boards

Comm itment to work with schools Commitment to work through the

SIP process

Access to th e schools Allow acc ess to schoo ls Allow access to the school

Training Training Training

Identify indicato rs & data

collection process

Facilitate collec tion of schoo l data

& information

Collect school data & information

Two-way data sharing Two-way data sharing Two-way data sharing

Technology capacity - SIP

information systems

Technology - SIP information

systems

Technology capacity - SIP

information systems

System secu rity System secu rity System secu rity

Confiden tiality Confiden tiality Confiden tiality

FOIPP Information and FOIPP Information and FOIPP

Analyze & disseminate d ata Understand data & board to use for

informed decision making

Understand data & apply in the

school

Access to d ata Access to school board data Access to sc hool data

Two language s - documents,

technology

Identify schools for phased

implementation

Identify schools for phased

implementation

Support teams Support teams Support teams

Research - case study on PEI -SIP

Effective implementation of phases

(evaluation)


(evaluation)


(evaluation)


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APPENDIX DProvincial School Improvement Planning Model:

Roles & Responsibilities

The roles and responsibilities for the participants in the provincial school improvement planningmodel are described below.

District School Board

District school boards help set direction and provide support for the school improvementplanning process. They are responsible for:• establishing vision and mission statements for the board and board improvement plans, and

communicate them to schools so that schools can use them as a context for their improvementplanning

• encouraging school councils, parents and other community members to participate in thedevelopment of school improvement plans

• implementing mechanisms to hold superintendents of education and principals responsible forcommunicating progress towards the goals set out in school improvement plans.

It is also imperative that boards understand, through annual reports from superintendents, thegoals being set by the schools in their jurisdictions.

Superintendents

Superintendents are responsible for ensuring that each school has a school improvement plan andmonitoring each school’s progress within the context of the school plan. (Superintendents maydelegate responsibilities to appropriate staff, as needed, within the school board office.)

Further, they are responsible for:• developing a thorough understanding of the school improvement planning process• providing resources to support the school improvement planning process (e.g. administration

support, Trevlac support for monitoring, etc.)• ensuring professional development and training opportunities on school improvement

planning are available to school leaders (for example: use principals’ meetings to provideprincipals and vice-principals with professional development opportunities)

• supporting school councils, parents, and other community members in becoming involved inthe school improvement planning process

• modelling strategies (for example, evidence informed decision making) that principals can usein the school improvement planning process

• ensuring that principals and staff receive the information (for example, the board’s strategicplan) and the resources (for example, professional development opportunities) they need tocarry out the improvement planning process

• ensuring that schools use accurate and comprehensive information (for example, informationgenerated through the school improvement planning process) in developing their plans

• providing support to principals when and where needed as schools implement their plansDraft Document October 14, 2004 - Proposed Provincial School Improvement PlanningModel

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• providing opportunities and venues (for example: principal or family-of-schools meetings,newsletters, electronic discussion groups) for schools to work together to resolve problemsand share best practices

• reviewing school improvement plans with principals regularly, and request regular updates onimplementation of the plans

• communicating updates to the Board on the school improvement planning process• submitting the annual board school improvement planning report to the Department of

Education

Principals

Principals are the key players in the provincial school improvement planning (SIP) model. Theyare responsible for the development of a school improvement plan and the implementation of thatplan. The school improvement plan reflects the unique characteristics of each school. In general,principals’ roles in school improvement planning fall into three main categories, as follows:leadership, communication, and professional development. (Principals are encouraged to workwith their school administrative team to provide leadership, communication and professionaldevelopment to the SIP process within in their school.)

• Principals are responsible for the leadership of the school improvement planning model. Thisincludes:

• demonstrating support to the school improvement planning model by leading schoolimprovement planning meetings with staff, school councils, parents, and othercommunity members

• establishing the School Improvement Planning Team • facilitating the collection of the information required for the school improvement

planning model• ensuring that the school uses the information generated through the school improvement

planning model in developing their plan• regularly collecting and using classroom information on student achievement to adjust

and improve teaching strategies• ensuring that the school budget and appropriate resources are available to support school

improvement planning, the plan’s goals and implementation strategies• regularly monitoring and evaluating staff’s implementation of the school improvement

plan• submitting the annual school improvement planning report to the superintendent• celebrating successes achieved in the pursuit of the school’s improvement goals with the

school and its community

• Principals are responsible for the quality (timely, accurate) of the communication associated

with the school improvement planning model. This includes:• clearly explaining the school improvement planning model to staff, school councils,

parents, and other community members• helping staff, school councils, parents, and other community members understand their

role in the model and invite them to participate


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• providing the community with a school “profile” detailing the nature and characteristicsof the school

• ensuring that everyone involved in the model receives regular communications about theimprovement plan and the school’s progress

• communicating the school plan to members of the school’s community• communicating the status and result of work on the school improvement plan to members

of the school’s community

• Principals are responsible for ensuring access to the appropriate professional development forschool improvement planning. This includes:

• providing professional development/training opportunities to staff, school councilmembers, parents, and other community members involved in the SIP model

• provide support and ongoing professional development for staff members as they pursuethe strategies set out in the plan

• establishing professional development goals with staff that focus on the goals andstrategies in the school improvement plan

• ensuring that professional development activities that focus on achieving the school’simprovement goals are part of every staff meeting

Teachers

Since the ultimate objective of school improvement planning is to improve the level of studentlearning and success, the person who has the greatest impact on students during the school day -the teacher - plays several critical roles in the school improvement planning model.

Teachers are responsible for:• actively participating and assuming leadership roles in the school improvement planning

model• actively participating in identifying school priorities and goals• formulating implementation strategies for the plan• working closely with school councils and parents to implement the plan• ensuring that classroom strategies for improvement address the needs of students at all levels

of learning• assessing students in a variety of ways • developing strategies for improving the level of student achievement based on assessments• supporting the monitoring of the plan by providing up-to-date information on student

learning, the school environment, and parental feedback• setting and pursuing professional development goals that focus on the goals and strategies

identified in the plan

School Councils, Parents and Other Community Members

It is important to ensure that parents’ voices are heard in matters related to their children’seducation. Section 67. (c) of the PEI Public School Act states that one function of the schoolcouncil is to participate in the development of school improvement plans.


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We believe that school councils, a majority of whose members are parents, must be activelyinvolved in the school improvement planning model to ensure that the priorities of the wholeschool community are reflected in the school’s plan. Parents and community members who arenot members of the school councils may also wish to participate, and should be encouraged to doso.

In partnership with the school’s principal and teaching staff, school councils are responsible for:

• participating in the school improvement planning model• regularly encouraging parents and other community members (for example, through school

council newsletters or at parent meetings) to participate in appropriate activities associatedwith the school improvement planning model

• keeping informed on the status and progress of the school improvement plan• working in consultation with the school’s principal to build partnerships with social service

agencies, recreation departments and facilities, community groups, businesses, and industriesto help implement the plan.

School councils may wish to modify or augment the above list of roles with additional activitiesthat reflect the unique needs of their schools and communities.

Students

High school students and students in Grades 7, 8 and 9 may also play a part in schoolimprovement planning. They could:

• participate in the school improvement planning model• participate in setting goals and strategies• help communicate the plan to the student body• communicate the plan to their parents• participate in strategies to reach the school’s goals.

School Improvement Planning Team

This team includes the principal, instructional and non-instructional staff members, schoolcouncil representative(s) and/or parents and other members of the community.

The team reflects the working environment and culture of the school as well as the diversity ofthe school population (e.g. a range of teaching experience, gender).

The principal is the team leader. Ideally the team consists of representatives from:• teachers of specialty subjects (physical education, music, core French, etc.) • home room teachers and/or department heads• special education/resource teachers• non instructional staff, as appropriate for the working environment of the school • students• representative from the school council• parent representative and/or other members of the community


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The optimal size for an SIP team ensures fair representation of the school community withoutimpeding its working effectiveness.

The school improvement planning team is responsible for:• coordinating and working with the Department of Education to conduct the self-assessment• collecting the self assessment instrument data• collecting other data, as needed for the school improvement plan• interpreting data and information for use in the planning model• working with the peer review team • communicating with staff regarding activities associated with the SIP model• drafting the school improvement plan with input from school staff• actively participating in identifying school priorities and goals with the school staff• formulating implementation strategies for the plan with the school staff• working closely with staff, school councils and parents to implement the plan• monitoring and evaluating the progress of the implementation of the plan• supporting the principal in the preparation of the school improvement planning report for

submission to the superintendent

Peer Assessment Team

The purpose of the peer assessment team is to confirm the school self assessment work and toprovide another perspective to the school team’s planning work. The Department of Educationwill select, train and assign the peer assessment team(s). The intent is to construct aknowledgeable team that will be able to provide a school with insightful and meaningfulfeedback within a collegial atmosphere.

Ideally the team will be composed of experienced educators who will be able to provide otherreliable perspectives to challenge the school’s improvement planning work, including the self-assessment. There are several ways that this team could be constructed. For example, retiredteachers and principals could be considered, teachers and administrators from other schools whohave participated in the school improvement planning model, or other educators interested inschool improvement planning.

The peer assessment team is responsible for:• coordinating and working with the Department of Education to conduct the self-assessment

for the school(s) assigned to it• meeting with the school principal and the school improvement planning team to discuss the

school environment and culture • completing the school self assessment instrument for submission to the Department of

Education• meeting with the school principal ,the school improvement planning team and Department of

Education representatives to discuss the assessments


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Department of Education

The Department of Education is responsible for providing leadership to the public educationsystem in the establishment of a provincial school improvement planning model. Thisresponsibility is carried out by a special project director, reporting directly to the Senior Directorof Public Education.

In addition, several divisions are responsible for specific leadership and support responsibilitiesfor the SIP model: Technology in Learning Division; Policy, Planning and Evaluation Division;English Programs, Student Services and French Programs.

Director of School Improvement Planning is responsible for the development andimplementation of the provincial school improvement planning model.

This includes:

• designing the school improvement planning model which includes collecting, monitoring andreporting on provincial indicators in consultation with public school system

• implementing the school improvement planning model in collaboration with the public school system

• providing SIP model training to principals, school improvement planning teams, peerassessment teams, and school boards

• collecting, analysing and reporting on provincial indicators, including final reports to schools • providing advice to principals and school boards on the school improvement planning model• assisting schools in interpreting quantitative and qualitative data collected for planning

purposes• providing advice to the Minister of Education and Department of Education Management

Team on the provincial school improvement planning model• communicating with divisions within the Department of Education and the public education

system on the school improvement planning model

The Policy, Planning and Evaluation Division is responsible for providing leadership,expertise and support in the following areas for the school improvement planning model: dataanalysis and interpretation, program evaluation, planning and reporting of school improvementinformation.

This includes:• designing of instruments and data collection models for the provincial indicators• analysing of the school data submitted for the provincial indicators • preparing summary reports for schools • designing evaluation frameworks • conducting research on school improvement planning topics• collecting, managing and disseminating statistical information relevant to the provincial

indicators used in the school improvement planning model


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• providing ongoing planning support • providing advice on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPP) as it

pertains to the provincial school improvement planning model

The Technology in Learning Division is responsible for providing leadership, expertise andsupport for the use of technology within the school improvement planning model.

This includes:• providing advice on appropriate technology to use in the school improvement planning model• developing, implementing and maintaining a province-wide data collection systems to

support the school improvement model (SIP information systems)• developing, implementing and maintaining school improvement plan information system that

includes data collection and presentation of analysis• designing and implementing a web interface with individual school access (in two languages)• developing and implementing appropriate security for the school improvement plan

information system, including the web interface• ongoing support and advice for the technology used in the school improvement planning

model

English Programs, Student Services, French Programs and Technology in Learningdivisions at the Department of Education are responsible for providing leadership, expertiseand support for education strategies particularly in the areas of curriculum, instruction,assessment, technology in education and student services.

This includes:• providing advice on the selection of indicators used in the school improvement planning

model• providing advice and support to schools as they develop and implement school improvement

plans


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APPENDIX E

The Department of Education Work Plan

Figure 1 illustrates the time lines and dependencies for the Department of Education work planactivities.

The Department of Education Work Plan Table presents the work activities to be completed forthe development and implementation of the provincial School Improvement Planning (SIP)model, the estimated work days and the person(s) responsible for the task completion.

The “Estimated Work Days” column presents the number of days required to complete thedescribed task.

The initials under the “Responsible” column indicates the person(s) who will be doing thedescribed task.

FH Frank Hennessey, Director of School ImprovementFM Faye Martin, Director, Policy, Planning and EvaluationTHL Tamara Hubley Little, Research/Policy AnalystDG Diane Griner, Manager, Strategic PlanningDD Dawn Doyle, Monitoring TechnicianJD Jean Doherty, Communications OfficerTIL Technology in Learning Division


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Activity Task Responsible EstimatedWork Days

Status

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1. Finalize the SIP model(including selection of provincialindicators and look-fors)

1.a Develop recommendations on the indicators to be monitoredin the SIP process

FH, THL 4

1.b Present proposed SIP model and indicators’recommendations to the Department of Education DepartmentManagement Team

FH, THL 6

1.c Present proposed SIP model and indicators to school boardofficials

FH 7

1.d Present proposed SIP model and indicators to PEI Teachers’Federation

FH 2

1.e Plan the day for the presentation of the final SIP model andindicators to the education partners

FH, THL, DG 6

1.f Prepare for and conduct focus groups to provide input on themeasures (look-fors)• document decision making process• values/criteria for decision making• discussion process for feedback and decision)

FH, THL 80

1.g Develop the rubric(s) FH, THL 12

1.h Send out finalized provincial indicators, measures (look-fors), rubric(s) to education partners

FH, THL 2


Status

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2. Define Roles andResponsibilities for SIP Process

Draft roles and responsibilities for all participants in the SIPprocess:2.a School improvement planning team2.b Support teams to schools2.c School boards2.d SuperintendentDepartment of Education2.e Technology in Learning Division2.f Policy, Planning and Evaluation Division2.g Director of School Improvement2.h English Programs, French Programs and Student ServicesDivisions

FH, DG 3


Status

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3. Develop CommunicationMaterials and Methods

3.a Finalize the design documentation for the SIP process FH, THL 40

3.b Finalize the project work plan FH, THL, DG 15

3.c Determine communication methods for the project (Who, what, where, when, etc.)

FH, THL, JD 5

3.d Prepare a school improvement planning process handbook FH, THL 40

3.e Have it formatted for presentation - Strategic Marketing FH, THL, JD 10

3.f Translation - based on document FH TBD

4. Develop data collectioninstruments

4.a Identify what instruments are needed FH, THL TBD

4.b Develop these instruments FH, THL 15 days perinstrument

4.c Pre-test the instrument(s) FH, THL

4.d Make amendments to instrument FH, THL

5. Develop logic for analysis 5.a Determine the statistical manipulations for each indicator THL 2

5.b Analysis THL 2

5.c Develop a consistent reporting format THL 2

5.d Trevlac - Crystal report THL 2

6. Develop Department ofEducation Process for workingwith schools

6.a Determine how school information submitted 1

6.b Determine how school information will be processed 2

6.c Define records management filing system (labels, numbersand content)

.5

6.d Data entry 1

6.e Data testing 1


Status

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7. Develop requirements for theschool web site

7.a Design the format for the provincial school SIP web site(standard site for all school - school profile)

FH, THL,TIL Division

2

7.b Develop web site TIL TBD

7.c Develop data input and management processes and practicesfor schools - based on indicators

FH, THL, TILdivision

TBD

7.d Define the security access levels FH, TIL division 1

8. Design SIP reports, content,and format

8.a Design template for the report by the support team for thedepartment

FH, THL 5

8.b Template report for the schools from the department FH, THL 5

8.c Template for the report from the schools to the school board FH 5

8.d Template for the report from the school board to theDepartment of Education

FH, THL 5

8.e Clearly delineate access to school, school board anddepartment SIP reports (FOIPP)

FH, THL, FM 3

9. Develop technologysupport/capacity

9.a Design school website (two languages) TIL Division TBD

9.b Develop secure/standard sites for schools, school board,Department of Education

TIL Division TBD

9.c Develop necessary databases for data collection (dependenton the indicators and measures)

TIL Division TBD

9.d Analysis report - support preliminary testing TIL Division TBD

9.e Reports accessed by schools and school boards on line TIL Division TBD

9.f Test remote access to web site from schools and schoolboards

TIL Division TBD


Status

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10. Plan the implementation forthe start of the SIP cycle - Phase I

10.a Determine criteria for school participation in Phase 1, 2, and 3 - Consult with school boards

FH 3

10.b Determine number of schools in Phase 1 FH 3

10.c Identify schools FH, MH 3

10.d Compile working documents (e.g. instruments,instructions, handbooks, etc)

2

11. Design evaluation framework 11.a Determine the scope of the evaluation FH, CW, THL 2

12. Plan/conduct training 12.a Determine who needs what type of training 2

12.b Develop training for the chool improvement planning team 10

12.c Develop the training for the support team 10

12.d Develop the training for the school board staff 10

12.e Develop the training for the Department of Education stafftraining (contract staff)

5

12.f Identify who will conduct the SIP process training for all ofthe above

3

12.g Train the team who will be delivering the training (onindicators, measures, etc.)

2

12.h Compile the training package(s) 2

12.i Schedule and conduct training

Documents

Proposed Provincial School Improvement Planning Model ... · It is estimated that the development of the processes and supporting technology for an effective school improvement planning