1. School Councils & Policy Making
– An Overview –
Yukon School Councils Fall 2013 Conference
Prepared by Yukon Education – Policy, Planning & Evaluation

2. Policy Making – An Overview
Introduction
Legislation, Regulation and Policy
Policy Development in Yukon Education
School Council Policies – jurisdiction
School Council Policies – examples
What Makes a Good Policy
When to Make a Policy…or Not
Effective Policy Development
Q&A

3. Legislation, Regulation & Policy
Legislation / Acts / Statutes – sets fundamental framework & major policy decisions; made by elected officials. Education Act
Regulations – subordinate to legislation; delegation of law-making authority; subordinate to main principles of Act, provides more detail but not major policy decisions. Act is paramount. School Council Election Regulations
Rules & Bylaws – procedural aspects within powers of legislation or regulation Education Appeal Tribunal
Policy – expresses govt. direction on the management of public affairs; guidance in applying legislation. Not binding legal effect or enforceable under law but binding given govt. direction and authority. More flexible; some discretion in application. School Growth Planning Policy

4. What is Policy?
Refers to plans, positions and guidelines of government which influence decisions by government
Many forms and levels:
Broad policy stating govt.-wide direction
Specific policy for a particular sector or issue-area
Operational policy guiding decision on programs
Examples –
Corporate Health & Safety (Yukon govt. wide)
School Growth Planning Policy (dept. wide)
FH Collins Attendance Policy (school council)

5. Policy Development – Yukon Education
Formal Process in “Policy Development Process Policy”
Deputy Minister Approval
Annual Work Plan – Policy Priorities ( )
School Council Input on Policy Development:
Policy Advisory Committee
AYSCBC Role
Yukon Education Website
Examples - School Growth Planning Policy, Research in Schools Policy

6. School Council Policies - Jurisdiction
Within the framework of policies issued by Yukon Education under the Education Act:
School Boards have the authority to establish policies for the administration, management and operation of their schools (CFSY) s. 116(1)
School Councils may establish policies on any matter within their jurisdiction. s. 113(2)(e)
School Councils and School Board may establish, modify and approve school rules and other related School Council responsibilities in cooperation with school administration. S. 39(1)

7. School Council Policies - Jurisdiction
Education Act section 113(1) requires that a School Council shall:
(d) establish a procedure for resolving disputes between schools, parents and teachers (in consultation with the superintendent, school administration and teachers)
(i) establish and attendance policy for students who are enrolled in its school.

8. School Council Policies- Examples
F. H. Collins Secondary School – Conduct Policy, Student Attendance
Ecole Whitehorse Elementary – Dispute Resolution Policy
Del Van Gorder – Substitute Teacher Code of Conduct
Porter Creek Secondary School – General Discipline Policy
Others?

9. Good Policy Making Effective School Council Policies: Are precise
Reflect the overall values of the school & community
Clearly define the school system’s goals & objectives
Are flexible and able to effectively respond to operational issues as they arise
Create a shared understanding by clearly defining expectations, roles and responsibilities
Envision and measure clear outcomes
Are written in plain language and easily understood
Are regularly reviewed and communicated
Taken from AYSCBC Resource “Resource Document for Policy Development and Review for School Councils”

10. When to Make a Policy…or Not
Critical – understanding the problem that needs to be addressed
Defining the Problem or Issue (what)
Analyzing the issue, obtaining different perspectives
Situating the problem within a context (why)
Understanding frequency and scope
Support and Resources

11. Where To Start? Education Act and Regulations
Yukon Education Website – Policies
School Websites – School Council Policies
Dept. Support – Policy, Planning & Evaluation
Superintendents, Public Schools

12. Effective Policy Development
High Level Attributes:
Leadership Direction & Support
Issue Identification
Issue Research & Analysis
Generation of Options & Solutions
Consultation
Performance Monitoring

13. Communicating Policy
Importance of communicating policies when developed and updated.
Know your audience – plain language
Wide-circulation to students, staff and parents
School websites, student and staff handbooks
Visible and available in the school

14. Policy Making Resources: AYSCBC Resource Document
Manitoba Auditor General – Guide to Policy Development content/uploads/2011/06/PolicyDevelopmentGuide.pdf
Yukon Education Website
Yukon Education – Policy, Planning and Evaluation Branch

15. Questions & Answers