Accountability

School Success Plans

With the introduction of the Quebec Education Program in Cycle one this school year the Minister of Education has insisted that schools in the province have some accountability for the success of all students. To initiate this expectation all schools and school boards have been requested to produce School Success plans based on the provincial success rate results produced by the MEQ. This data also includes socio-economic data of the various school communities.

The purpose of these School success plans is to stimulate the school communities to take responsibility for establishing priorities in the respective schools for specific issues that are of importance to school success in the community. Each school is at liberty to determine what measures it will invoke to increase the success rates of the students by reducing the academic delays in its school based on the data of their current success levels particularly in Mathematics and English instruction.

As Governing boards have some local authority they were expected to endorse the school success plans that were drafted in September and submitted to the school board. Once the school board approved those plans schools received per capita allocations to help implement their plans over the remainder of the school year. The plans had to be measurable and documented.

"In drawing up its success plan, each governing board will make a diagnosis of it's school's situation based on an objective analysis of the student's achievement and progression, will set measurable goals for itself, taking into account such factors as the characteristics of the community it serves, and will determine the specific means by which it intends to reach these goals."
A School Success Plan, Ministere de l'Education, Francois Legault, September 2000

In turn, school boards were expected to submit the board wide plan to the Minister or, as in the case of English school boards to Elaine Freeland, Associate Deputy Minister for English school boards. Following the approval of the board wide plans, schools will receive the balance of their per capita allocation to assist in the completion of their various success plans at the school level.

In the case of the Western Quebec School Board it was clear that the schools' plans corresponded to the directions the school board had adopted in June 2000. Throughout the year schools have also been developing the Quebec Education Program implementation plans and their technology plans. It is critical that these three plans maintain some cohesion, a liaison and a common focus if the activities are to be meaningful in the schools.

In compiling the synthesis of the board wide plan schools have developed many innovative projects and ideas to deal with increasing success rates in Mathematics and English. Six themes seemed to run through the suggestions received for the schools and can be compiled in to the following headings:

• Literacy/Numeracy v Quebec Education Program
• Parental Involvement v Evaluation/Portfolios
• Technology
• Special Education /Enrichment

Other suggestions included improving French Second Language, social skills and improving mathematics at the elementary schools.

"Developing and implementing a success plan is a collective undertaking as well as a way of making the school's educational project more concrete. The success plan will capture the essence of the school's personality, will rally those who are the driving force of the school, and will help create a school culture geared to promoting the success of all students."
Ibid