Public school division releases education report
By Jeremy Appel on December 11, 2018.
jappel@medicinehatnews.com @MHNJeremyAppel The Medicine Hat Public School Division recently released its annual education results report. Assistant superintendent Corey Sadlemyer says results combine data from MHPSD’s accountability pillar survey, which each school board must complete, with the division’s three-year plan for implementing the survey’s findings. The accountability pillar data is culled from surveys filled out by students, teachers and parents on categories, such as creating a safe and caring environment, program and studies, as well as school improvement. “Most of (the information) is driven by student data, because it’s mostly students who respond, but also parent surveys and teachers surveys,” said Sadlemyer. The report outlines different forms of community engagement undertaken by the board in the past year as part of its community pillar. MHPSD held several feedback sessions in the spring with the Connaught School community to determine the direction of French immersion programming, the benefits of single-track or dual-track language education, boundaries and transportation. In April, they conducted the OurSchool Survey, which had 5,000 responses. Results are meant to inform decision-making and provide information to compare with future survey data. About 30 high school students gathered for an engagement session in May to provide their views on pressing matters in the school. According to Accountability Pillars Online Reporting Instrument, there were 2,800 responses, which representing a 24 per cent increase year-to-year. The report also discusses progress on the collaborative response model, which Sadlemyer describes as “an approach schools are using to identify and support student learning needs for all students,” regardless of each student’s abilities. MHPSD provided 11 optimal learning coaches across its 17 schools, which the report’s summary says “form the base from which we respond to student need in our classrooms.” As part of its three-year plan, MHPSD will be modernizing four of its schools — Connaught in 2019-2020, Crestwood in 2020-2021, as well as Alexandra and River Heights in 2021-2022. The total cost over three years is pegged at nearly $54 million. MHPSD has 7,488 students enrolled from the Early Learning Program through Grade 12, of whom 328 are First Nations, Métis and Inuit, and 329 are English Language Learners, according to the report. The division also has 432 certified teachers and 317 support staff. 17
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