Many of the positive things South East Cornerstone School Division (SECSD) has accomplished over the last two years through its Continuous Improvement Framework (CIF) plan were highlighted on April 11 for members of the Ministry of Education.
The bi-annual meeting gave the three regional (south) and two Continuous Improvement Department officials from the Ministry a chance to hear from division superintendents, co-ordinators, counsellors and teachers about the successful projects and initiatives that have taken place since the previous meeting in 2009.
This bi-annual conference is Ministry-mandated, where each school division is expected to speak to Ministry officials about their CIF plans and how those plans have been benefiting students.
During the presentations, Ministry officials asked a variety of questions to further their understanding of the initiatives SECSD has undertaken. Officials also praised the school division and Board for their work in furthering and enhancing student learning. The reporting done during this meeting was considered more extensive than in previous years.
"I am always impressed with what happens in South East Cornerstone," said Jim McLeod, a consultant with the Assessment and Accountability Unit in the Education Ministry. "The future is so bright, bold and beautiful for South East Cornerstone School Division and the fortunate 8,000 students who get to come to your 38 schools. They are so lucky to have a group of people who care so much, work so hard and have a good time doing it."
Some of the division initiatives Ministry officials heard about include: Project Greenlight and collecting student data; SECSD's three priorities of Assessment, Mathematics and Early Learning, and where each fits into the Ministry's four main initiatives; 40 Developmental Assets, the partners involved in it, the results of the student surveys, a breakdown of the data and what action one particular school is taking to address asset building; Response to Intervention; student achievement data, how Cornerstone compares to provincial numbers and an assessment plan to address that data; and programs review.
A number of Board members also attended the meeting. Board trustee Harold Laich gave an update on the work being done by the First Nations and Métis committee and the initiatives related to this area.
Board Chair Carol Flynn spoke about such things as the Board's Governance Model, the Three-Year Education Plan and the Board Engagement Plan, which looks at how trustees can reach key stakeholders important to the school division. Flynn also highlighted the challenge facing the Board of Education around the tax rebalancing that SECSD was affected by, which resulted in $1.3 million less in the budget.
"The work the presenters have done has been amazing. It is exactly the kind of thing we want to see in our school division," said Flynn. "We are very happy with the results coming out of these projects and initiatives, as they have benefited our students greatly. We hope to see these positive results continue throughout South East Cornerstone School Division and our students continue to grow, based on the excellent work our staff continues to do."
