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K-12 Framework for Continuous Improvement

Background

In Manitoba, K-12 education is governed principally by the Public Schools Act and the Education Administration Act, as well as regulations made under both Acts.  Rights and responsibilities of the Minister of Education and Training, school boards, principals, teachers, parents and students are set out in the legislation.

The responsibility for the delivery of Manitoba public education to students in kindergarten through to high school graduation is delegated to school boards. The Public Schools Act and The Education Administration Act define the structure, obligations and responsibilities of school boards.

Performance on recent Pan-Canadian and international assessments and the examination of provincial student achievement data has highlighted the need to increase student achievement, specifically in the areas of literacy and numeracy, in particular for Indigenous students.  To this end the Department has collaborated with educational partners to:

  • examine the relevance and link of school division planning with the current planning and reporting processes and requirements associated with categorical grants and other grants
  • define a more cohesive and responsive approach to facilitate and support the combined efforts of the Department and school divisions to increase student achievement in Manitoba
  • to define the Department's leadership role in supporting school division planning and reporting to increase student achievement, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy

The Department worked with two stakeholder committees, the Student Achievement Data Working Group and the Student Achievement Provincial Advisory Committee to:

  • review Manitoba’s process for school division planning and reporting
  • examine planning and reporting processes in other jurisdictions
  • develop recommendations for change with a focus on increasing student achievement in literacy and numeracy
  • foster collective responsibility for all students’ achievement

Department meetings with school division senior administration teams have provided:

  • valuable insights into how school divisions plan
  • clarity regarding the types of reports that would provide useful information to the Department

Reports released by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRCC), the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy (MCHP), and the Manitoba Office of the Auditor General (OAG) have called for a strong focus on student achievement data and educational outcomes for the province, particularly regarding Indigenous students and children in care.

TRCC – Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (Adobe PDF Document 299 KB)
MCHP – The Educational Outcomes of Children in Care in Manitoba (Adobe PDF Document 2.6 MB)
OAG - Improving Educational Outcomes for Kindergarten to Grade 12 Indigenous Students (Adobe PDF Document 947 KB)

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What We Heard

This K-12 Framework for Continuous Improvement was developed collaboratively with school division leaders and other provincial education partners who recommended:

  • a framework with broad planning areas and the flexibility to include emerging provincial and local priorities
  • provincial implementation of the Individualized Education Plan–Report (IEP-R)
  • incorporating planning and reporting for all grants, including student services and categorical grants, into the Framework
  • ensuring alignment between school division planning and reporting and provincial priorities

Some of these recommendations have been incorporated into the Framework and some will be incorporated at later dates.

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The Framework

Manitoba’s K–12 FCI emphasizes coherence, capacity building, data-informed decision making and shared responsibility for student achievement.

It requires that school divisions:

  • embed accountability in their planning and reporting to ensure high levels of academic achievement in literacy and numeracy for all students
  • examine and analyze disaggregated student achievement data, provided by the department, to better understand trends and patterns to inform instruction and develop appropriate supports for all students
  • address literacy and numeracy
  • incorporate planning and reporting for the following three grants:
    • Indigenous Academic Achievement
    • English as an Additional Language
    • Literacy and Numeracy
  • incorporate planning (only) for the following four grants:
    • Career Development Initiative
    • Technology Education
    • Learning to Age 18 Coordinator Grant
    • Early Childhood Development Initiative
    • Note: Department consultants will collaborate with school divisions regarding program implementation associated with these grants. Therefore, there is no requirement for school divisions to include program reporting for these grants in the Annual Report on Continuous Improvement
  • assess, monitor and report their progress in relation to divisionally identified targets and the provincial context

The purpose of the Framework is to:

  • increase the overall capacity and capability of the K–12 education system
  • close the achievement gap and ensure high levels of achievement in numeracy and literacy for all students
  • ensure the collection and analysis of student achievement data to inform instructional practice and school/school division planning and reporting
  • promote reflection and collaborative inquiry
  • increase transparency and ensure accountability for continuous improvement
  • enhance instructional leadership capacity

School Division Planning

What is important? What is different?
  • Increasing student achievement in literacy and numeracy, especially with regard to Indigenous students, is a provincial priority. Divisions may include other priority areas important to their local context.
  • Four broad Kindergarten to Grade 12 priority areas were developed jointly with school divisions and education partners during the development of this Framework.
  • School divisions are neither required to use a provincial template for their planning nor to submit their plans to the department.
  • School divisions are required to ensure their most current plan is available on the school division website by October 31.
Plan Requirements

All school divisions are required to address high levels of academic achievement in literacy and numeracy, especially with regard to Indigenous students. Also, where applicable, school divisions must include planning for English, French Immersion and Français programs.

School division plans must include the following elements:

  1. Plan details
    1. Clear outcomes—specific success criteria established and understood by all
    2. Sequence and timelines—details of the sequence of actions across the timeline of the plan
    3. Roles and responsibilities—who will do what, how and by when
    4. Monitoring systems—assess progress, determine corrective course of actions as necessary, identify benchmarks
  2. Utilize provincially provided baseline data (in literacy and numeracy) to set realistic and measurable targets for
    1. All students and all languages of instruction—include specific planning for the Literacy and Numeracy grant
    2. Indigenous students—include specific planning for the Indigenous Academic Achievement. A minimum of 50% must be used for addressing academic achievement in literacy and numeracy. The planning for the remaining portion of the grant, focused on cultural perspectives, must also be included.
    3. English as an Additional Language (EAL) students – include specific planning for the EAL grant
  3. Include your school division plans for utilization of the following grants:
    1. Career Development Initiative—highlight information on K-12 career education programming, strategies, resources and career exploration learning opportunities to assist students as they develop a career identity
    2. Technology Education—highlight the use of Technology Education program funding as it relates to Technology Education curriculum for middle years (Industrial Arts and Home Economics only) and senior years (Industrial Arts, Home Economics, ACE and Technical Vocational Education).
    3. Learning to Age 18 Coordinator—include information on enhanced or new programming for students who are at risk of leaving school and/or support for teachers and school staff as they develop non-credit specialized alternative learning activities for students in lieu of attending school.
    4. Early Childhood Development Initiative—utilize Early Development Instrument (EDI) data to identify needs and implement developmentally appropriate services and programming for children (birth to 5 years of age) that prepares them for successful school entry.
  4. Utilize the French Language Education Review to inform planning.
  5. Develop an implementation plan for enhancing instructional leadership.
  6. Describe stakeholder involvement in the development of the school division plan.

Roles and Responsibilities—Planning
Department School Divisions
  • Provide support, assistance and feedback to school divisions during planning process, as needed or requested
  • Provide school division planning workshops for school division senior administration and planning teams to build data capacity and common understandings
  • Provide school divisions with provincially identified data reports for analysis and use in the planning process
  • Follow up with school divisions to ensure current plan is posted on the school division website
  • Implement a planning process that includes all required elements
  • Use required data to inform planning in literacy and numeracy
  • Ensure most recent school division plans are posted on the school division website by October 31

School Division Reporting

What is important? What is different?
  • The department is providing clear expectations regarding the minimum data requirements to be used for school division reporting.
  • The reporting process establishes consistency among school divisions regarding the student achievement data and statistics examined to set targets for continuous improvement.
  • A template is not provided.
  • Required elements are identified.
  • The department will provide support and feedback on draft reports as part of the overall planning and reporting process.
  • School divisions will submit an Annual Report on Continuous Improvement to the department.
  • School divisions will post a final public report on school division websites.
Report Requirements

All school divisions are required to report on progress related to high levels of academic achievement in literacy and numeracy, especially with regard to Indigenous students. Also, where applicable, school divisions must include reporting for English, French Immersion and Français programs.

The Annual Report on Continuous Improvement must include:

  1. School division profile
    1. Brief overview of relevant geographic or demographic information as well as specific school division strengths, equity issues and/or challenges
    2. Description of senior administration team
    3. Division staffing profile

      Full-Time Equivalents Number
      Principals  
      Vice Principals  
      Teachers  
      Counsellors  
      Resource Teachers  
      Teachers supporting special needs low enrolment classes  
      Educational Assistants  
      Speech Language Pathologists  
      Reading Clinicians  
      Occupational Therapists  
      Physiotherapists  
      Psychologists  
      Social Workers  
      Other Professional Staff (specify)  
    4. Disaggregated data for students designated as English as an Additional Language (EAL) and self-declared Indigenous students

      Disaggregation Number of Students Percentage of Student Population
      English as an Additional Language    
      Self-declared Indigenous    
    5. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

      Education for Sustainable Development Number of Schools
      Number of schools in the division  
      Number of schools with an ESD plan  
  2. Website link to the most current school division plan
  3. Report on data—for literacy and numeracy, graduation rates, Grade 9 credit attainment—by language of instruction; and, enrolment trends—French Immersion only.
    1. The data1 listed below are to be used as the basis for the observations, analyses and conclusions on progress made related to student achievement targets as outlined in school division plans.
      2. Data Reports Disaggregation
      • Grade 3/4 Provincial Assessment
      • Middle Years Provincial Assessment
      • Grade 9 Math and ELA
          – successful credit attainment
          – distribution of marks
      • Grade 12 Provincial Tests, Math and ELA
          – successful credit attainment
          – average marks
      • High School Graduation
      • K-12 French Immersion enrolment trends
      • Provincial Report Card (began in 2017)
      • All students
      • Male/female students
      • Non-Indigenous/self-declared Indigenous  students
      • Designated EAL students
      • French Immersion students
      • Children in Care
      • Others to be determined
      1 Modified (M) and English as an Additional Language (E) designated courses are included in the data reports for Grades 9 and 12.
  4. Reporting on the following grants:
    1. Indigenous Academic Achievement. A minimum of 50% must be used for addressing academic achievement in literacy and numeracy. The reporting for any remaining portion of the grant, focused on cultural perspectives, must also be included.
    2. Literacy and Numeracy
    3. English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Note: School divisions must complete and submit the following financial reporting document.


Roles and Responsibilities—Reporting
Department School Divisions
  • Provide school divisions with division-level disaggregated provincially-identified data reports for analysis and use in the development of the report
  • Provide school divisions with support for inquiry and data analysis as needed
  • Engage in ongoing iterative communication and support with school divisions regarding their Annual Reports on Continuous Improvement
  • Host Annual Report on Continuous Improvement Forum with superintendent teams
  • Receive final Annual Report on Continuous Improvement
  • Develop a provincial report on student achievement for the Minister
  • Review and analyse division data on an ongoing basis
  • Superintendent and team participate in Annual Report on Continuous Improvement Forum
  • Submit final Annual Report on Continuous Improvement to CIB@gov.mb.ca and post on the school division website by October 31
  • Provide support for data inquiry and analysis
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Implementation

The Framework was introduced to school divisions in spring 2016 and will be fully implemented in fall 2017.

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Related Links

Additional information regarding the provincial assessments, grade 9 credit attainment and high school graduation rates can be found on the department website at:

Assessment and Evaluation

High School Graduation Rates and Student Achievement Statistics

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