BOARD BITS for February

  LiB     Thousands of Albertans shared their ideas in recent consultations about education. Ideas raised in those sessions, as well as conversations with parent councils and education stakeholders, will form the basis for future legislation and prompted the development of a 10-point plan for Alberta’s educations system.

All thoughts and suggestions Albertans provided are now being analyzed, and will be considered during the drafting of new legislation to govern Alberta’s education system, which will be introduced in the Legislature in spring 2012.

The 10 new initiatives will be rolled out in the months ahead. Some are trial projects which may provide important lessons about efficiencies and better results and some may become longer term practices. Others will require formal policy consideration by government.

The 10-point plan for education includes:-Reducing travel time for students who spend more than one hour on a bus and enabling students to better use technology when they travel.

-  Creating more opportunities for students to earn credits in high school and post-secondary at the same time.

-  Updating school design specifications to better support communities.

-  Co-ordinating building playgrounds and new schools.

-  Reducing the administrative burden for charter schools.

-  Supporting First Nations students by working closely with the federal government.

-  Creating a stronger voice for parents in the education system.

-  Providing better information to increase the transparency, clarity and accountability of the education system.

-  Reviewing provincial achievement tests.

-  Examining the operational requirements of full-day kindergarten.

With the Governments commitment to revised legislation and the 10-point plan, this will give Alberta’s students the best possible learning opportunities and experiences. 

   LEARNING...ACHIEVING...SUCCEEDING