HORIZON SCHOOL DIVISION #205 A Community of Learning and Achieving

Annual Ratepayer’s Meeting

February 25, 2009

HORIZON SCHOOL DIVISION #205

A Community of Learning and Achieving

Part 1:

Horizon School Division Board Goals, Vision, Mission

Board of Education Goals2007-2008

• Benchmarks of student success form the basis of continuous improvement, accountable decision making and positive outcomes.

• Effective partnerships are established to support student learning.

• Effective administrative policies and procedures are established and guide the Horizon School Division community.

• The school division has a sustainable fiscal plan.• Technology is effectively used within the context of the

school division plan.• Common collective agreements are established with

staff.

Our Mission …

• To educate the whole student to become a positive community contributor by adapting opportunities to provide for personal growth and measurable success.

Our Vision …..

• To build a community of learning and achieving.

Our Commitment to Achieving our Vision…

We value:• success for all students.• focused leadership that is creative, pro-active

and accountable.• productive and principled working partnerships.• and model lifelong learning.• optimism for a positive approach and the

celebration of success.• effective communication.

HORIZON SCHOOL DIVISION #205

A Community of Learning and Achieving

Part 2:

Horizon School Division Programs & Services

Continuous Improvement Framework Highlights

• Board commitment to keeping small schools open – average class size 16.91 versus 20.66 provincially.

• Horizon students exhibit a much greater persistence to complete Grade 12 (89%) than their provincial peers (73%) persistence.

• Persistence from Grade 8 to Grade 9 or 10 is 97.41% for Horizon students compared to only 96.5% for provincial students.

CIF Highlights (Continued)

• Horizon students earn more credits than their provincial peers (27.94 vs 27.47)

• Horizon has a significantly higher ratio of First Nations and Métis staff to First Nations and Métis students (1:2) compared to the provincial number (approximately 1:4).

• Horizon students receive a quality education regardless of whether an accredited or non-accredited teacher instructs the class.

Results for Self-Declared Students

• Unfortunately persistence and credit completion results for self-declared students are significantly lower than their Horizon peers.

• A number of interventions are being put into place to attempt to address these differences and afford these students with increased opportunities to experience success.

CIF Highlights (Continued)

• In the CAT 3, Horizon students’ reading scores exceeded the Canadian norm of 77% in three of the four grade levels tested.

• Grade 9 reading scores were only 1% below the Canadian norm.

• Horizon students outperform provincial and regional students in Grades 7 and 10 but not Grade 4.

• Horizon has embarked on an ambitious reading improvement plan

CIF Highlights (Continued)

• Horizon students did not achieve as well on the CAT 3 Math tests. Our students scored below the Canadian norms in math.

• As a result, we have developed a Division Math Plan to improve student learning outcomes in math.

• Individual school staffs, under the leadership of their principals, have created individual math action plans designed to improve math results.

Other Student Success

• Horizon students exhibit excellence in their extracurricular pursuits in 2007-2008:

• Six gold medals in team sports

• Five silver medals in team sports

• Five bronze medals in team sports

• Seven gold medals in individual sports/track and field

Other Student Success (Continued)

• Seven silver medals in individual sports/track and field

• Three bronze medals in individual sports/track and field

• Three Horizon schools were presented Saskatchewan High Schools Athletics Association awards for Sportsmanship for their outstanding conduct at their provincial championships.

Technology Infusion

• We believe that by improving the engagement of students in the learning process, students learning outcomes will improve.

• We need to use digital tools to engage students in learning. To this end, we have hired two Learning Technologists (LT’s) to work with teachers and students and literally transform the way our classrooms operate.

• Two infusion pilots were initiated in the latter part of the 2007-2008 school year

Student Services

We have expanded services by:• Increasing the number of Speech Language

Pathologists• Hiring an Occupational Therapist• Hiring an additional Student Services

Coordinator• Staffing schools with Learning Resource

Teachers• Achieving outstanding Ministry Review results

Effective Partnerships

• Horizon has a signed partnership agreement with three First Nations:Muskowekwan First NationDay Star First NationGeorge Gordon First Nation

• Horizon moved forward with the Punnichy Career Transitions Initiative through strategic meetings and the careful collection and consideration of survey feedback from parents and students.

Effective Partnerships (Continued)

• Co-management agreement with St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Separate School Division- Humboldt Collegiate Institute.

• Partnerships with Carlton Trail Regional College and the Buddies Programs in Kelvington and Wadena.

• Establishment of a Before and After School Program at Humboldt Public School.

• Effective Pre-K programs

Other Student Initiatives

• Itinerant career counsellors visit all of our high schools on a regular basis

• SCCs were elected in all Horizon schools• Horizon continues to provide support and

guidance to SCCs • All schools, with the exception of the two

Hutterite schools and St. Peter’s High School, have Learning Improvement Plans.

Staff Agreements

• We have a single CUPE agreement that was signed during the 2007-2008 school year.

• We have separate agreements with every other staff association in Horizon, except with the teachers.

• Negotiations with the teachers have recently reached a stage where teachers are considering a proposed contract.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

• Horizon School Division believes that PLCs are the best means for meaningful and sustained improvement of student learning outcomes.

• PLCs provide a vehicle for teachers to update their professional knowledge and skills through collective inquiry into best practice and current reality.

PLCs (Continued)

The critical questions that PLCs are charged with the responsibility of answering are:

• What do we expect students to learn?• How will we know when they have learned it?• What do we do to facilitate learning?• How will we respond when they don’t learn?

Horizon provides four days per school year for teachers to meet in PLCs in order to answer the four critical questions outlined above.

Assessment for Learning

This provincial initiative serves as another means to improve student learning outcomes. It achieves this by:

• Enhancing assessment literacy.• Providing division and school-specific

opportunity-to-learn data.• Providing division and school-specific

achievement outcome data.

There are specific expectations set out at the division, school and classroom teacher levels.

Canadian Achievement Tests (CATs)

• CAT is a commercially available series of achievement tests drawn up with current Canadian curricula in mind.

• This assessment seeks to be free of bias with respect to ethnicity, age and gender.

• Content of the tests is set up to reflect Canadian society and values.

• Horizon School Division conducts CAT testing in math and reading at various grade levels.

Additional Initiatives

• Student Outcome Rubrics

• Math K, 1, 4 and 7 curriculum renewal

• Middle Level Science pilots

• English as an Additional Language

• Tragic Events Response Team

• Student Activities Coordinator

• Emergency Response Plan

Personal Program Plan Review

Provincial Success Rate

1. Strengths and impact areas (needs) are recorded 92%

2. Assessed level of educational performance is recorded

77%

3. Annual outcomes are consistent with impact areas 71%

4. Short term objectives are developed under each annual outcome

68%

5. Assessment procedures for monitoring and evaluating student progress are recorded

74%

6. Sources of supports are recorded 62%

7. Efforts towards differentiated instructional strategies 91%

8. Collaborative Team Approach 80%

9. Parental signature or documented attempt 75%

Horizon Success Rate

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

94%

100%

Provincial CIF Priorities

1. Higher levels of literacy and student achievement

2. Equitable Opportunities for all students

3. Smooth Transitions into and through systems

4. Strong system-wide accountability and governance

Horizon School Division Priorities

• Horizon’s priorities have been developed to align with the CIF priorities.

• The division’s priorities are listed below the provincial priorities.

SummaryContinuous Improvement Framework

Higher levels of literacy and student

achievement

Equitable Opportunities for all students

Smooth transitions for students into

and through Systems

Strong system-wide accountability

and governance

Assessment: AFL, CAT 4,

Division Math Grade 4 and 7, Diagnostic Reading

Comprehension and Math Diagnostic

(See Five Year Assessment Plan)

Enhance E-Learning: Distance Education

Pilots(See Five Year Distance

Education Plan)

Professional Development :Principals and

lead teachers to PLC Conference and Continuing the Journey,

Four days of PLCs division-wide, Math K,1, 4, 7 Inservice

Renew Learning Program and Instructional

Approaches: Team teaching, Special Education Master Plan,

Curriculum Renewal

Review Supports for Learning:

Special EducationStudent Outcome Rubric

ReportSpecial Education Master

Plan

Improve Outcomes for First Nations

and Metis Students: Pre-K Programs,

Partnerships with First Nations

Articulate Human Service Mandate

and Delivery Structures

Implement the Early Learning

and Child Care Strategy:Pre-K Programs, Humboldt Early

Entrance Pilot

Implement the Keeping Kids in School Strategy:

Survey of Students in High School Classes and completion rates

Develop and implement the Career Development

Action Plan: Career Councilors in each school,

Division Purchase of Choices Planner

Implement the Continuous Improvement Framework:

PLCs, Assessments, Five Year Distance Education Planning, LIPs, SCCs

Implement School Community Councils

Provide equitable transparent funding methodology (K-12 Operating Grant): Decentralized Budgets, Staffing Formula

Provide Property Tax Relief

Provide a Framework for Facilities Management and Infrastructure Renewal: Annual Facilities Tours

There are four critical priorities.

The Ministry's strategies to advance

each priority are in bold font.

Horizon's priorities follow the ministries.

Horizon’s priorities follow the Ministry’s priorities.

Horizon School DivisionExpectations

• Professional Learning Communities

• Provincial Assessment for Learning Program

• Canadian Achievement Tests

• Division Assessment

Initiatives to Improve Student Learning

• Math K, 1, 4, 7 Curriculum Renewal

• Middle Level Science Pilots

• Professional Learning Communities

• Career Education

• English as a Second Language

Strategic Planning Information

Horizon has several initiatives in place to advance division priorities:

• Learning Technology Software• Professional Development• Pre-service bursaries for personnel in SLP

and Educational Psychology• Special Education Funding

Companion Reports

• TERT

• Student Activity Year End Report

• Student Activity Coordinator Report

• Student Services Funding

CIF Indicator Reports

• Core Indicators Report– Class Size– Credits per Graduate– Enrolments– Persistence to complete Grade 12– Transitions from Grade 8 to High School

• Average Marks per course

• Intensive Supports Report Summary

Board of EducationStrategic Plans – in progress

• Five Year Assessment Plan

• Five year Distance Education Plan

• Five Year Curriculum and Instruction Plan

• Five Year Career Counsellor Plan

HORIZON SCHOOL DIVISION #205

A Community of Learning and Achieving

Part 3:

Horizon School Division 2008 Financial Explanation

School Division Revenue• Revenue Sources are broken into 5 main categories• Taxation – revenue received from property taxes• Grants – revenue received from Federal and Provincial Government

including the Educational Property Tax Rebate• Complimentary Services – revenue that is received specifically for

services that compliment the general operations• Tuition – revenue received from other school divisions, First Nations

and Foreign Students• External Services – revenue received for special projects of which

the school division acts as a host.• Other – revenue received for sale of materials/assets, rentals,

interest on investments

Taxation

• Division Total Assessment is 1,823,680,085. Urban assessment is 24% and rural is 76%

• Derived GIL Assessment is 17,234,085• This generates the annual levy which of

$43,261,483.00, of this total the Education Property rebate would be estimated at $11,845,037.00

• Penalties for 2007-08 were at $373,763.00• Discounts, cancelations and abatements for

2007-08 were $2,149,237.00.

Cancellations Exemptions and Abatements

• Concern in some communities that we do not approve exemptions for local service groups or senior citizen buildings.

• Concern to the school division that we lose actual cash revenue when exemptions, cancellation and abatements take place

• Our grant is based on assessment, assessment goes up – grant goes down, assessment goes down – grant goes up

• So when the division is faced with an abatement the division simply lose the revenue and it is not made up on the grant side of the equation.

Grants

• Provincial funding formula A – B = C• A – recognized expenditures

( expenditures incurred in operations of division – basic rates, diversity, special needs funding and transportation)

• B – recognized revenue – the amount the government feels can be obtained locally

• C – Grant – net effect expenditures – revenues

Fog Recognition Categories

• Recognized Expenditures (A)– Basic rates – Student Transportation– Targeted Funding Support– Special Education Geographic Factor– Other Factors

Fog Recognition Categories• Recognized Revenue (B)

– Expected Locally Raised Revenue based on Ministry equalization factor of 17.2 mills

– Other External Revenue Received

Grant Entitlement (C)Recognized Expenditures minusRecognized Expenditures equalsFoundation Operating Grant $18,856,128.00Property Tax Rebate $11,845,037.00Other Ministry Grants $ 400,396.00

Total Grant 2008 $31,101,561.00

.

Tuition/Other

• The division receives tuition revenue for students that attend our schools from other school divisions, First Nations and Foreign students.

• Other miscellaneous revenue comes from such things as sale of materials/assets, rentals, interest on investments, loans and debentures.

• Tuition revenue was $6,512,195.00 and Other income was $615,143.00

Division Operating Revenue(based on 2008 actual)

Other1%

Tuition10%

Property Tax Rebate

17%

Grants29%

Taxes43%

Taxes Grants Property Tax Rebate Tuition Other

Division Expenditures

• Division expenditures are broken into ten main categories.

• Governance – costs of the board operations• Administration – costs of administering the

school division• Instruction – costs of providing the instructional

programs of the school division• Plant Operation and Maintenance – costs for

maintaining our schools

Expenditures (Continued)

• Transportation – cost of student transportation in the division

• Tuition – costs to send any of our students to other school divisions when we cannot provide the programs they require.

• Other which include– Supplementary Services– Complimentary Services– External Services– Interest and Bank Charges – the costs for our line of credit

interest and interest on loansTotal Expenditures including debt repayment $65,096,350.00

Division Operating Expenditures(based on 2008 actual)

Facilities11%

Other1%

Governance1%

Administration3%

Instructional73%

Tuition1%

Transportation10%

Governance Administration Instructional Facilities Transportation Tuition Other

Consolidated Revenue and Expenditures

• Division Accounts are made up of three funds, operating, capital and reserve

• All are consolidated to form the final reporting of division operations

• The Audited Financial Statement will provide information on the transactions in all three funds

• The Audited Consolidated Financial Position for 2008 is a surplus of $3,077,635.00

Horizon School Division Budget ProcessSchool Division 2008

Mill Rate

Horizon School Division 23.5

Chinook School Division 23.7

Good Spirit School Division 21.95

Living Sky School Division 24.25

Northeast School Division 21.0

Northwest School Division 20.0

Prairie South School Division 24.8

Prairie Spirit School Division 22.86

Prairie Valley School Division 22.75

SE Cornerstone School Division 23.0

• The 2009-2010 budget process has begun and will continue until the end of April at which time the mill rate will need to be set.

• All aspects of the school division from staffing to classroom supplies is being reviewed.

• Long Term (3. 5 ,10 year) facility plans, transportation plans and sustainable fiscal plans are also in development.

Public Sector Accounting

• Due to new regulations coming from the Public Sector Accounting Board the division has implemented a 2 account system in the schools.

• The two accounts will be the School operating account and the SRC account.

• These accounts will be a part of the 2009 audited financial statement and be reported there each year thereafter.

• We are presently looking into an asset valuation model as to be able to depreciate.

• Our big question is who will use the information and will the information be of such value to justify the expense?

Additional Information

• The 2008 Annual Report and 2008 Audited Financial Statement can be found on the Division web site at www.hzsd.ca

• If you want further information please call– Phil Benson or Marc Danylchuk at

• 1-306-365-4888 • or Toll free in Saskatchewan: 1-877-365-4888

HORIZON SCHOOL DIVISION #205

A Community of Learning and Achieving

Thank you for coming!