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School District 28, Quesnel
Planning Information
(don't use) 2. SD #28, Quesnel Accountability Agreement
School History
Accountability Contract: School District #28 (Quesnel)
October 2003
“It’s All About Achievement – ALL Achievements and Achievements of ALL”
Section 1: The Context of the District:
The Quesnel School District serves a community of approximately 30,000 people in central British Columbia. The community is situated on the traditional lands of the Carrier and Chilcotin Nations. Significant European habitation occurred with the Barkerville Gold Rush of the 1860’s. The community is influenced by the confluence of two major rivers, the Fraser and the Quesnel, and is supported primarily by the forestry industry, but also has a very strong agricultural base, with some tourism activity.
Economy:
The North Cariboo economy primarily consists of Forestry & Wood Products, Tourism, Agriculture and Retail/Industrial Products and Services. The Forest industry has seen a progression evolving from small-localized sawmill operations to large centralized sawmills, a plywood plant, two pulp mills, a West Pine Medium Density Fiberboard plant and numerous secondary industries.
The majority of the general population and student population subsists along the Fraser River and Highway 97, which runs north and south through the community. The district also encompasses the communities of Wells and Barkerville, 80 kilometers to its east and Nazko and Kluskus, 100 plus kilometers to the west of the town center. Approximately 2400 students are transported daily in thirty school buses that run approximately 5000 kilometers per day. The average time that students spend on the bus is approximately 45 minutes each way and some students ride as long as two hours and twenty minutes each way, to and from school.
Unique Characteristics of the District:
The Quesnel School District has a history of working collaboratively and in partnership with its various stakeholder groups, including parents and advocates of students with special needs, Aboriginal parents, as well as, business and industry in support of Career Prep programs and Information Technology services.
The Quesnel School District has sustained a Career Preparation program that for the last ten years has maintained in the top 5% of the province with respect to student participation. The Board of School Trustees is in the process of signing an Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement with the members of the Aboriginal Education Council and the Ministry of Education.
A School Based Team model has been instituted in the district, which has proven to be very effective in addressing the diverse needs of all students, including those with special needs.
The district has a history of entering into positive partnerships with the community. The most recent example is in a 15 year agreement to operate the Cottonwood House Historical Site, as a youth project in partnership with the Provincial Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services--BC Heritage Department. It has an ongoing commitment to providing Wood Products Manufacturing programs for students with local industry and has received a Conference Board of Canada Award for this project. It has also received a Conference Board of Canada Award for its Tourism Programs, related to the operation of Cottonwood House and in its involvement with the Canadian Academy of Tourism.
The district has introduced a Hockey Academy Program in conjunction with the BC Amateur Hockey Association, and is in its second successful year of operation.
The Quesnel Secondary School Jazz Band was selected to participate in a National Competition in Ottawa, this past year and received a ‘Silver Standard’ award. In addition, the District has entered into a partnership with an organization named ‘SWOVA’ to address the issue of the prevention of violence against women.
A Distributed Electronic Learning (DEL) Program has been gradually introduced and expanded to meet the diverse needs of students, both within and outside of the district.
District and School Connections:
By policy all schools have a School Planning Council in place. The School Planning Councils with representation from parents, staff and the school administration has linked school growth plans to the needs of the communities that they serve.
The growth plans of the schools align with the district goals, such that two or more of the district goals are reflected in every School Growth Plan. The district goals were initially based on the needs identified through the school growth plan process. The School Growth Plans were reviewed with the School Planning Councils, individually and directly by the Superintendent of Schools, the Director of Instruction and one or more trustees. There was also an analysis of the district data by the principals as a district administration team.
The School Planning Councils were than provided with feedback, using the Ministry’s ten-point rubric of inquiry, with comments. (See chart 1). All of the school growth plans have been placed on the district’s SSDAS system, which is a web-based database system for tracking school and district goals, objectives, strategies, structures, etc. The School Growth Plans were subsequently approved by the Board. The School Growth Plan information was summarized and district level data was reviewed and analyzed by the partner groups. This process included representative from the teachers’ union, the support staff union, the Aboriginal Education Council, the Quesnel and District Parent Advisory Council, the Quesnel Principals’ and Vice-Principals’ Association, as well as District Administration and Trustees.
The trustees have established goals that also support the School Growth Plans and District Accountability Contract. (See attached appendix one). As previously mentioned a web-based system is used to align school and district plans following a common template. The Superintendent will invite and receive feedback throughout the year on the District Accountability Contract from the principals, teachers and other partner groups. This feedback will provide an ongoing analysis and review of the extent to which we are meeting expectations across the ten point rubric as part of an on-going improvement cycle. Regular updates will be provided at public Board meetings and Education Committee meetings of the Board.
Vision
All students will achieve intellectual and personal growth. Student achievement is best attained in a caring, challenging, learning environment supported by the collaborative efforts of educators, support staff, parents, students and the community.
Mission Statement
The Mission of the Quesnel School District is to inspire all students to embrace learning as a way of life by creating quality learning environments, nurturing positive relationships and honoring individual student needs which will enable our students to be responsible citizens of the global community.
Values
In order to achieve our vision, we in the Quesnel School District, will:
1. centre our decisions first and foremost on student needs;
2. speak and act with respect and dignity;
3. work together to provide an emotionally and physically safe, supportive, learning environment;
4. encourage all students to learn the skills, knowledge and attitudes that enable them to take responsibility for life-long learning;
5. collaborate with students, staff, parents and community partners;
6. demonstrate a desire to learn and promote life-long learning through a variety of personal and professional development.
School Administration Contacts
Ed Napier, Superintendent of Schools
Tim Klotz, Secretary-Treasurer
Sue-Ellen Miller, Director of Instruction
Denis Bosovich, Director of Human Resources
Randy Curr, District Principal-Operations
Phone: (250)992-8802
Fax: (250)992-7652
School Planning Council Members
Board of School Trustees
Caroline Nielsen, Chair
Dave Chapman, Vice-Chair
Shirley Demers
Louise Scott
Don Cunningham
Rose Danby
George Natalizio
Parent Advisory Council Executive
QDPAC Executive
Related Files
SD28_2003_DOT.pdf 2003-2004 SD28 Accountability Contract Charts
2003-2004 SD28 Accountability Contract (without charts).doc 2003-2004 SD28 Accountability Contract (without charts)
Related Websites
School District 28 Homepage (www.sd28.bc.ca)
Full Accountability Plan (in pdf) (http://www.sd28.bc.ca/District/accountabilitycontract.pdf)
Facilities Review Process (www.sd28.bc.ca/District/facilities/)