Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Menicoche.

Elementary and Secondary School

The Auditor General expressed concern that there was no detailed territory-wide plan to improve student performance.

A key finding of the OAG’s report is the lack of improvement in student performance between the school years ending 2005 and 2008. One bright light is an increase in the number of students of secondary school graduates; however, the results on Alberta Achievement Tests and diploma examinations, and the number of students working at their functional grade levels, show little or no improvement. The OAG questioned ECE as to how

this was possible and found that ECE had done no analysis. Without studying the results, the department is not in a position to provide optimal guidance for educational councils.

OAG Recommendation (Paragraph 52 of the OAG Report)

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment should:

•

formally identify the root causes of the

diverging trends in student performance and use this information to better target its efforts for continuous improvement; and

•

develop, in collaboration with education

councils, a comprehensive territory-wide action plan and targets for improved student performance.

In its response to the OAG, ECE has agreed to target known causes with the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative, which was developed in part to address the low attendance levels at NWT schools. An accountability framework has been drafted that will support continuous improvement efforts and provide information that can be reported to the public. A number of activities are planned to address performance issues.

Standing Committee on Government Operations believes ECE should be mindful of the importance of identifying the causes that affect performance of students. A delineation of these causes can inform planning.

The OAG noted that the department introduced the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative in order to address concerns over poor student performance.

The OAG found that the department has improved its reporting on student performance over the last four years. Indicators in ECE’s Towards Excellence: A Report on Education in the NWT were on par with those of other education and statistical organizations.

The OAG advises that it is important for ECE to keep the public and the Legislative Assembly informed about the results of its programs delivered by education councils and their impact on aboriginal peoples.

The Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative is intended to identify the root causes of low student achievement levels and provide ways to raise aboriginal secondary graduation rates to the same level as non-aboriginal rates.

The OAG noted that ECE monitors compliance with education directives but has not formally assessed their effectiveness or relevance.

The Minister has provided 20 directives to educational councils. Subjects range from calendar planning to standardized testing. The OAG’s

performance audit focused on two directives: inclusive schooling and aboriginal language and culture-based education. Inclusive schooling requires education councils to respond to the needs of individual students to develop individual learning plans when necessary. In 2006-2007, over 20 percent of the students enrolled in grades 1 to 9 were following such plans. The ALCBE directive requires education councils to provide students with school programs and learning environments that reflect, validate and promote the community’s language and culture. Education councils complied with the reporting requirements, but reports on activities were often too general to provide enough information for ECE to assess compliance.

OAG Recommendation (Paragraph 63 of the OAG Report)

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment should:

•

follow up on corrective actions taken by

education councils to address issues the department has raised as a result of its monitoring of education directives;

•

develop a strategy and timetable for formally assessing the success and continued relevance of education directives; and

•

formally strengthen the reporting requirements for the aboriginal language and culture-based education directive.

In its action plan, ECE acknowledges this finding and intends to strengthen its reporting requirements. The directive on student assessment will be amended in time for the 2010-2011 school year. The policy review framework has been developed, a working group of departmental and education authority officials will be established to begin this work, and a schedule of reviews will be developed.

The ALCBE directive will be the first directive to be reviewed. ECE will undertake consultation with the education authorities during this fiscal year to determine how additional jurisdictional information could be provided in future editions of Towards Excellence.

The OAG found that the department has improved its reporting on student performance over the last four years but the OAG warns that it is important for ECE to inform the Legislative Assembly and the public about its results, including the program impact on aboriginal peoples.

Currently, ECE reports mainly on community size. It does not break down results into categories by education council, ethnicity or gender. Residents of a particular region cannot compare the performance of their students with those of other regions in the Northwest Territories. The OAG

notes that such comparisons could lead to sharing of good school practices.

OAG Recommendation (Paragraph 66 of the OAG Report)

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment should:

•

ensure that key performance indicators are

publicly reported to the Legislative Assembly according to major categories such as education council, ethnicity and gender; and

•

report these key performance indicators in its Towards Excellence report.

In its action plan, ECE reports that it will undertake consultations with the education authorities during this fiscal year to determine how additional jurisdictional information could be provided in future editions of Towards Excellence.

Standing Committee on Government Operations observed that the cost of the two initiatives the OAG reviewed, inclusive schooling and ALCBE, was $33 million 2008 and yet there was no evidence that these programs had improved student performance. In fact, there was evidence of a downward trend in performance in: (1) non-aboriginal secondary school graduation; (2) grades 3, 6 and 9 language arts; and (3) Grade 3 math. The committee is pleased that ECE is reviewing the ALCBE directive and, in addition, sees the need for a review of inclusive schooling.

Although Standing Committee on Government Operations agrees with the recommendation to publicly report key indicator information by education council, ethnicity and gender, the committee accepts that there may be a need to address individual privacy by aggregating data when necessary.

That now concludes my portion of the report and I’d like to pass the floor to my colleague Mr. Abernethy, MLA for Great Slave.