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2 School Planning Councils February 22, 2006 Presented by: Charlie Coleman, Principal, Khowhemun Elem. Khowhemun Elementary SPC School District No. 79 (Cowichan Valley) Hosted by the Ministry of Education Part 3: Innovations in Professional Growth Public Education and Webcasting in BC: October 2005 to May 2005

3 School Planning Councils February 22, 2006 Welcome School District No. 79 (Cowichan Valley) The Honourable Shirley Bond Part 3: Innovations in Professional Growth Public Education and Webcasting in BC: October 2005 to May 2005

4 Part 1 The School Planning Cycle: Working with the School Plan Interactions between School and District levels Facilitated Discussion

5 Part 2 Building the Culture Through Dialogue: Reminders for good communication, necessity of dialogue and debate Questions, Examples and Tips Facilitated Discussion

6 Part 1

7 Khowhemun Elementary School School District No. 79 (Cowichan Valley)

8 “WE” Not “ME”

9 School plans: Focus on all aspects of student achievement (intellectual, human and social development, and career development). Support safe, caring and orderly schools. Reflect the context of the school and the range of students served. from SPC Guidelines School Plans

10 School Plans use data (information/evidence) from classroom, school, district and provincial sources. School Plans consider the performance of significant groups of students and; School Plans are an integral part of accountability in B.C. from SPC Guidelines School Plans

11 Improving the life chances of all children … “The challenge … is to apply our emerging understanding about learning to help students become citizens for a ‘preferred future’ where all children, not just a few, will learn” (Earl, 2003)

12 Where are we now? Where do we want to go? How will we get there? How will we know if we have made a difference? Key Questions

13 Results, Not Intentions

14 The School Planning Cycle

15 Where are we now?

16 Collect Information The school planning council considers a wide range of data/evidence that may include: Progress made toward previously set goals Classroom, school, district and provincial information The context of the school and the values and beliefs held by members of the school community, including specific groups of people within that community. from SPC Guidelines

17 Collect Information (continued) The school planning council considers a wide range of data/evidence that may include: School resource information, including funding and staff allocations, Aboriginal Enhancement Agreements and the District Review Report, and from SPC Guidelines

18 At Khowhemun The School Planning Council poured over the data and asked... What does this mean to us? What matters most to us? Beyond FSA?

19 Analyze Areas of strength and areas needing improvement are identified This information is shared by the SPC with the school community (PAC, other school groups and community members) The SPC gathers feedback from SPC Guidelines

20 At Khowhemun Gathering feedback Analyzing feedback

21 Where do we want to go?

22 Plan for Improvement The school planning council develops plans for improvement. Plans include: clearly stated goals, a rationale for the selection of the goals, an indication of specific performance targets for improving student achievement, and a description of the data the school uses to track its progress over time. from SPC Guidelines

23 Plan for Improvement The SPC submits the plan to the School Board. The Board may: accept the plan, return the plan to the school planning council for modification, or reject the plan and direct the principal to develop an alternate plan. from SPC Guidelines

24 At Khowhemun School Planning Council asked... Where do we want to go from here? What priorities? Specific goals, strategies and targets? Beyond the data?

25 At Khowhemun GOALS: Reading, Math and Social Responsibility Real data… that matters to us Fine-tune the goals and data over time

26 At Khowhemun Example: From “Reading” to... “Reading Comprehension” to... “Individual Reading Levels”

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30 How will we get there?

31 Implement School planning councils make plans available to the school community and support the school community as it implements the plans. from SPC Guidelines

32 At Khowhemun Do the work! Communicate, Communicate, Communicate Authentic Feedback Then… more conversations

33 How will we know if we have made a difference?

34 classroom school / school community district / community provincial Data/Evidence

35 Results, Not Intentions

36 Review School planning councils monitor the progress made according to the plans. The SPC shares information about progress to the school community. from SPC Guidelines

37 At Khowhemun Keep the School Goals Alive Structured conversations… with everyone Over-communicate! Ask… Are we there yet? Ask… What next? Criteria for adding/removing a goal

38 School and District Planning School Plans and District goals are connected in different ways. School Plans may drive District goals OR District directions may impact School Goals OR There may be an interactive connection between the District directions and School Plans from SPC Guidelines

39 School District #79 (Cowichan Valley) School Plans and District Connections Peter Porte, Superintendent

40 District and School Planning in School District # 57 (Prince George) - working with the 10 Points of Inquiry

41 SD #57 (Prince George) District Planning Council Meeting

42 School District # 57 (Prince George) School Planning Council Advisory Committee (SPCAC) District Planning Council Internal Review Team

43 Facilitated Discussion …then Break

44 Part 2

45 Bruce Wellman “Crafting the Container” Starting... Structuring... and Sustaining the conversation Building the Culture through Dialogue

46 Frequently asked questions or challenges identified by SPC members: __________________________________________ Getting feedback from the wider school community Developing group ownership of the planning process Building the Culture through Dialogue

47 Continued Frequently asked questions or challenges identified by SPC members: __________________________________________ Addressing diverse viewpoints within the school Engaging all school community members in a meaningful way to support the plan

48 We asked Bruce Wellman: How can you develop group ownership of the planning process? and How can you engage the school community so that the school plan is a living document where all school community members adopt and engage with the goals in the plan?

49 Khowhemun Elem. SPC members speak about: Getting feedback from the wider school community Addressing diverse viewpoints within the school before they become a destructive force.

50 At Khowhemun Changing demographics Data pointed to areas of need Addressing needs of one-third aboriginal population

51 Strategies for the “parking lot” issues Be open to two-way dialogue and debate Bring the issue out in the open Lots of communication Establish ground rules, norms Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe

52 Khowhemun SPC - Resolution Consensus-building Focus on kids Focus on results Ask… Does this help us meet our goals?

53 Facilitated Discussion

54 Thank You Khowhemun Elementary School SD 79 Cowichan Valley SD 57 Prince George Bruce Wellman and MiraVia, LLC SPC Members from across B.C. The Daily – by Shaw TV