Grade Configuration Consultation Meeting

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Grade Configuration Consultation Meeting

• SD 71 Comox Valley

Jordan Tinney, Dec 2006
2
The past

• Declining Enrolment Task Force March, 2003
  recommendations
• Closing Black Creek School in Sept. 2003 or Sept.
  2004
• Closing Union Bay School in Sept. 2003 or Sept.
  2004
• Closing Tsolum Elementary in Sept. 2006 and
• Reexamining the current grade structure and
  school boundaries in the district over the next
  five years in the best interests of students
  rather than to fill buildings.

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One of the issuesconsistency

• Highland Secondary grades 10-12
• Mark R. Isfeld Secondary grades 9-12
• G.P. Vanier grades 9-12
• Lake Trail, Cumberland Jr., Cape Lazo, Aspen
  grades 7-9
• Courtenay Jr. grades 7-8

4
Demographics

• Where do they come from and who is Baragar?
• Stats Canada, hospital records (birth rates),
  local knowledge, BC Stats
• Used across entire province
• Strong history of accuracy.

5
One of the issues - demographics
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Past and Future
7
Our Middle Schools
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Our Secondary Schools
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Elementary Zones - Comox
10
Elementary Zones - Courtenay
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Elementary Zones North/Central
12
Elementary Zones - Islands
13
Elementary Zones Cumberland/Royston
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Total Elementary Seats Empty

• 1863 in all elementary schools
• We get 5830/student
• This is approx. 10.8M in revenue that is lost
  given our current space.
• Of this 10.8M, about half would be available for
  other programs and staff beyond our current
  staffing ratios.

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The overall plan

• Consolidate grades
• Propose school closures
• Consolidate facilities
• Dispose of assets
• Adjust resource levels to strengthen school
  programs
• Draft firm 3-5 year district plan with projection
  for 10 years.

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The basic issues

• Too many seats, too few kids
• Programs vs. facilities

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Understanding potential closures

• Closing the full school and not the empty one

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The importance of research and planning

• If demographics, funding, and the community force
  you to reexamine the configuration of your
  schools, then the decisions should be based on
• Academic research about which structures are most
  supportive of students and
• Careful planning and consideration for the future
  and sustainability.

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The Trillium Report

• Recommendations
• Adopt a grade 6-8 middle school model
• Initiate process for closure of Tsolum and Union
  Bay
• Proceed with the implementation of the 6-8 middle
  school model when secondary enrolments have
  declined sufficiently
• Initiate the process for considering the closure
  of Cape Lazo Middle, Comox Elementary, Village
  Park Elementary, Glacier View Elementary, and
  Courtenay Elementary by 2009.
• Explore opportunities to consolidate district
  programs in one surplus facility
• Explore opportunities to sell a surplus school to
  the Conseil Scolaire Francophone
• Proceed with the disposition of properties that
  are surplus to District needs.

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Masters Study - 2005

• Recommendations
• Develop a consultative process with secondary
  school teachers so they will feel involved in the
  process
• Mandate professional learning communities in the
  three secondary schools
• Share key research on middle school
  configurations
• Standardize middle and secondary school
  configurations
• Consider alternate structures for secondary
  schools (multiple campuses, self-paced learning)
• Appoint a leader for the change process whose job
  it is to ensure changes are implemented and who
  will be accountable for progress in the secondary
  system
• Establish networks with other schools and
  districts that are involved in change and
  improvement programs
• Appoint lead learners in schools who will help
  train and implement changes
• Engage in systems thinking create schools that
  serve students better. Encourage schools to share
  their ideas and methods with those that are
  under-performing.

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Masters Study 2005

• Improve awareness throughout our district as to
  the moral purpose of schools to improve
  satisfaction and achievement levels. Raise the
  bar and close the gap most importantly, we
  need to make people believe there is an urgent
  need to improve our system.
• Investigate how Assessment for Learning can give
  a ready focus to the professional learning
  communities set up in our schools and
• Develop a small-school philosophy. Ensuring
  numbers are not excessive
• Ensure feeder schools are sending their students
  to a single school
• Reconfiguration needs to be based on long-term
  goals
• Give careful thought to the transition process
• Choosing a secondary school model is less
  important than ensuring support for change and
  establishing clear direction for those involved
• Work toward greater integration of North Island
  Distance Education School and
• Establish a transition committee made up of
  members from all stakeholder groups, and empower
  them to make decisions about the long-term
  direction for SD 71.

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Possible Scenarios

• Comox Valley School District could close all of
  our middle schools and reconfigure the district
  in a K-8 and 9-12 model. The capacity in our
  elementary schools is sufficient to accommodate
  all students as are our three secondary schools.
  This would mean the closure of Cape Lazo, Ecole
  Aspen Park, Lake Trail, Courtenay Middle and
  Cumberland Junior schools. It would be reasonable
  to assume that the subsequent elementary
  populations would be dispersed to the newer
  buildings and the older facilities closed. For
  example, Cape Lazo and Ecole Aspen Park could
  hold the combined populations of Brooklyn,
  Village Park, and Comox Elementary.

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Possible Scenarios

• Comox Valley School District could reconfigure
  for a standard 6-8 and 9-12 grade configuration.
  In the Trillium report, this possible scenario
  included the potential closures of Glacier View
  Elementary, Comox Elementary, Village Park
  Elementary, and Cape Lazo Middle School.

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Possible Scenarios

• Comox Valley School District could continue with
  the grade 7-9, 10-12 model with adjustments to
  have consistent grade configurations in
  buildings. In the Trillium Report, this possible
  scenario included the potential closures of Comox
  Elementary, Cape Lazo Middle, and Vanier
  Secondary School. It is important to note that in
  this model you would not have to wait until 2015
  to close Vanier as the enrolment decline is
  sufficient by 2010 to justify the closure of
  Vanier with a subsequent sale and upgrade to
  Highland and Mark R. Isfeld to accommodate the
  additional students.

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Possible Scenarios

• Inconsistency in grade structures
• Independent directed studies secondary school
• Multiple campus single secondary school
• others?

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Timeline for configuration decisions

• November 2006 January 2007
• Paper on grade configuration soliciting
  feedback and advertising forums through local
  media
• Two public forums
• One small working group to collate discussions
• Participation and feedback requested online as
  well
• February 2007
• Working group collates results/comments and
  suggests options for district grade
  configuration.
• Superintendent writes report complete with
  recommendations.
• March 2007
• C.O.W. public discussion on recommendations.
• Board meeting Board decision on grade
  configuration.

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Timeline for configuration decisions

• April, 2007
• Initiation of Policy 3050 complete with
  identification of schools proposed for closure.
• Public information on the timelines of potential
  school closures.
• April-June, 2007
• Initiation of school closure and consolidation
  processes.
• September November, 2007
• Public consultation regarding school closures as
  per policy 3050.
• November 27, 2007
• Board decision regarding school closures for
  June, 2008 at the earliest.

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Our task

• Briefly review research
• Answer 4 questions to begin
• What is the most important educational issue for
  the district to consider in moving to a
  consistent grade configuration?
• Which grade configuration do you prefer?
• What research or information do you have to
  support your preference for grade structure?
• What do you feel is the most important
  non-educational issue for the district to
  consider as we move to have consistency in our
  grade structures?
• Return and report out 1 common theme from each
  table.

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Follow - up

• All notes taken and added to district web site
• Any emails welcomed as further information
  (linda.nygaard_at_sd71.bc.ca)
• Student working group
• Community working group
• Teachers working group
• Committee of the whole discussion
• Next meeting January 23rd 700 Mark R. Isfeld.