Ben Levin

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2007 Update OCSTA New Trustees Seminar Ben
Levin Deputy Minister of Education January 12,
2007

• Ben Levin
• Deputy Minister of Education
• January 13, 2006

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• Not Ministry initiatives
• Rather, What we are doing together for publicly
  funded education

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Outline

• What weve accomplished
• Challenges
• 2007 in prospect

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Where We Were

• Stagnant achievement
• Lots of conflict
• Inadequate public support

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Theory of Change

• Improve student outcomes
• Build capacity
• Build positive relationships

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Theory of Change

• Improve student outcomes
• Build capacity
• Build positive relationships
• Attend to distractors
• Everything else will follow

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Three Key Goals

• Improving student outcomes
• Literacy and Numeracy
• High school graduation
• Broad range of others
• Less inequity
• Ethnicity, disability, gender, language
• Building public confidence
• Less conflict, more trust
• Effective use of resources
• Public reporting

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Four Strategies (from 2005)

• Effective teaching, learning and assessment
• Supports to reduce gaps in outcomes
• Supportive and engaged families and communities
• System effectiveness, transparency and
  responsiveness

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Working Together (from 2005)

• Success requires partnership
• Need to work together
• Able to disagree BUT
• Always focused on outcomes
• Substance, not tricks
• Discussion, not blame

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How Have We Done?

• Much progress on many fronts
• More to do
• Also continued challenges

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Progress

• All outcomes going in the right direction
• Student achievement up three years in a row
• Teacher morale sharply higher
• Significant conflict sharply down
• Public support improving

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Fewer Low-Achievement Schools
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Progress Some 2006 Items

• Character education
• Parent engagement
• Leadership development
• Principals, trustees, SOs
• Business practices support
• Transportation, special education, purchasing,
  benefits, capital

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Other Initiatives A Partial List

• Smaller classes
• Safe schools
• Anti-bullying
• Action team report
• Healthy schools
• Daily activity
• Less junk food
• Parent engagement
• Character education
• Aboriginal education
• French language education
• E-learning
• Trustee honouraria
• Special education policy

• Better facilities
• Leadership
• Role of principal strategy
• Leadership institute
• More specialist teachers
• Research strategy
• Peace and stability
• 4 year contracts
• Workload improvements
• Commissions
• More PD days
• OCT changes
• New teacher induction
• Changes to TPA

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Ontarios education strategy is as strong and
effective as any in the world.
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Why The Success?

• Focus
• Partnership and positive approach
• Building on existing pluses
• Building capacity to sustain
• Public engagement
• More resources

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Resources

• GSN - 18 more in 3 years while enrolment
  declines (21 more per pupil)
• Substantial non-GSN funds
• Capital investments
• More staff of all kinds
• More PD days
• Support for effective resource use

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Provincial Staffing

• 2002-03
• 1.997 M students
• 14.9 billion
• 116,000 teachers
• 7,400 Principals and VPs
• 8,600 secretaries
• 16,000 custodial/maintenance

• 2005-06
• 1.960 M students (down 2)
• 16.9 billion (up 13)
• 121,000 teachers (up 4)
• 7,600 Ps and VPs (up 3)
• 8,900 secretaries (up 4)
• 16,600 custodial (up 3)

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Changes to the Funding Formula Since 2003

• Teacher salary benchmarks
• School foundation grant
• Capital funding revised substantially
• Support for rural boards up 24
• 20 M for Community Use of Schools
• Increased supports for declining enrolment
• Removal of ISA for special needs funding

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Challenges

• 2007 as election year
• More political pressure on everyone
• See the big picture
• Sustaining focus on key goals
• Positive change is always fragile
• Paying attention to equity
• Keeping positive energy
• Increasing public awareness and support

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Ministry Challenges

• Coherence among initiatives
• Effective communication
• Reporting requirements
• Keeping everyone positive

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Thank you for your efforts and commitment.