On February 8th, a variety of members in different capacities within the Rocky View Schools umbrella met at the brand new W.H. Croxford High School in Airdrie to hear the details of the plan for the next four years.
From October 7, 2014 to November 26, 2014, RVS invited the community to help create its 2015-2019 Four Year Plan, Empower the Potential. Over the eight week period, students, parents, staff, school council members, business and community leaders, and service providers participated in one or more focus groups to help the school division decision makers gain a greater knowledge on what needs to change to increase the success of the students. It is reported by RVS that over 2,000 individuals provided their input in the future direction of the RVS.
The, what RVS is calling, ‘major agreements’, are definitions, create a common language, begin with the end in mind, engage students, amplify student voice, build meaningful relationships, innovation, assessment practices, creating partnerships, parental involvement and community engagement. One of the most common these in the descriptions in these agreements is the desire for uniformity. The desire to build a glossary of terms was cited across most of the focus groups and agreed to by most participants. It was also felt that even while the students are still in school, the focus needs to be on what happens to these students after school. Is what they are learning going to be applicable to life after school?
Part of the report reflected what students answered when asked “What does it look like when I’m learning at my best?”. Some of answers were things like, ‘my teachers help me learn’, ‘I don’t feel judged’, ‘my studies are interesting’ and ‘I know how I’m doing’.
As RVS looks to the future, they asked the question ‘What does student success look like?’. As young adults preparing to leave schools, RVS states that their students will be: well rounded, confident and credible, literate in 21st century skills, resilient and caring.
Whether in elementary, middle or high school, it is the hope that RVS students will be engaged, growing academically, increasingly self-directed and active in school life. The report states that ‘engaged students are happy to learn, exited to come to school and excited to share”.
So now that this new plan has rolled out, how will student’s success be monitored and assessed? It was reported that the RVS administrators communicated a sentiment that the current assessment data sets lack authenticity and relevance. So these steps are being put into place: establish divisional leadership for literacy and numeracy, support teacher practice, provide professional learning, ensure the right tools are in place and enhance school practice.
When it came to what parents had to say about their involvement in RVS schools, many topics were touched on. Parents want to feel that their volunteering time is valued and supported – they felt that the volunteering should be celebrated equally. So, whether you’re a parent that is at the school a several hours a week or a parent that volunteers from home, that all are treated equal. Parents also want clear and concise communication, further enhancement of the school councils, identifying curriculum supports and to also create a community hub within the schools.
Rocky View Schools has a strong desire to build meaningful business and community partnerships. Business and community leaders provided their input on this stating that the key elements would be to establish functioning pattern programs, to invite them in, to be always networking and to ask for their input and help no matter how big or small.
Bev LaPeare, Ward 2 Trustee with Rocky View Schools has this to say about the Four Year Plan, “The thing that stands out to me is the very fact that so many voices were heard and incorporated into the plan. I heard from parents at School Council meetings that the original draft was too full of Edu-speak. Their suggested changes are in the final plan. I’m also really happy to see the emphasis on numeracy and literacy.”
