This document was produced by the Division of Planning and … · 2018. 10. 30. · This document...

This document was produced by the Division of Planning and Research.

Thanks are extended to all departmental directors for their contributions, Necie Mylesfor document design and layout, and Tanya Noseworthy, Policy and Planning Specialist.

Government of Newfoundland and LabradorDepartment of Education, 2004

ISBN # 1-55146-249-4

Annual Report 2002-2003 Page i

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Shared Commitments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Outcomes of Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Enable Learners to Achieve High Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Improved Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Improved Literacy Levels and General Education Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Promote and Support High Performance at All Levels of the EducationSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Improved Responsiveness of the Education System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Improved Transition of All Children into the Education System . . . . . . . . 8Continuous Enhancement of Skills and Abilities Through Professional

Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Build a Provincial Infrastructure of Support for the Education System . . . 9

Improved Level and Scope of Support for Planning and Accountability . 9Effective use of Technology to Maximize Learning Access, Learning

Effectiveness, Instructional Management and Administration . . 10Provision of Safe and Positive Learning Environments for All Students 11

Challenges and Opportunities Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Financial Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Appendix: The Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Annual Report 2002-2003Page 1

K-12 Statistics, 2002-03

• 327 schools (317 public schools)• 11 school boards (10 Anglophone;

1 Francophone)• 84,268 students• 6,065 full-time equivalent teachers• $518.9 million in provincial

operating budget

In February 2004 the educationcomponents of the Department ofEducation and the Department of YouthServices and Post-Secondary Educationmerged, and responsibility for youthservices was assumed by theDepartment of Human Resources,Labour and Employment. When theorganizational structure and staffinglevels have been finalized, a newstrategic plan will be developed to setout the direction and goals for the newdepartment. The period covered by thisreport, April 1, 2002 to March 31, 2003,preceded these changes.

The Department of Education isresponsible for the provision of a public K-12 education system in Newfoundlandand Labrador that allows for the fulldevelopment of individuals and society.Its mandate also includes responsibilityfor the provision of basic literacyprogramming and for the provinciallibraries system.

The publicly-funded education deliverysystem consists of 10 English-languageschool boards, the Conseil ScolaireFrancophone Provincial de Terre-Neuveet du Labrador (CSFP), the ProvincialInformation and Library ResourcesBoard and the Literacy DevelopmentCouncil of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The department works with a number ofkey stakeholders including schoolboards, school councils, other educationrelated councils, professionalassociations, post-secondaryinstitutions, unions and other provincialand federal government departments.

The department operates through threemain business lines which correspond toits executive branches: Planning andEducational Programs; Primary,Elementary and Secondary Education;and Finance and Administration.

Planning and Education Programs -responsible for educational planning andpolicy development, programs for improvingteaching and learning, monitoring andcertifying student achievement, publicaccountability and reporting, research andstatistics, federal and provincialagreements, distance learning (e-learning)and Internet access for teachers, learnersand the community.

Annual Report 2002-2003 Page 2

Primary, Elementary and SecondaryEducation - responsible for the design andimplementation of curricular programs andstudent support services for the provincialschool system, the operation of the officiallanguages program, the development ofschool curriculum and the operation of theNewfoundland School for the Deaf.

Finance and Administration - responsiblefor effective control and management of allfinancial aspects of the provincial educationsystem, human resource management,information communications technology(ICT) services and administrative supportservices.

In addition, the department has anexecutive director responsible forliteracy services, and a senior directorresponsible for school services.

Literacy - responsible for literacydevelopment and coordination of theimplementation of the Strategic LiteracyPlan Words to Live By, early literacy, familyliteracy, basic literacy/Adult Basic Education(ABE) Level I and workplace literacy.

School Services - maintaining liaison withschool boards and other educationalagencies in the interpretation andapplication of legislation, teachers’collective agreements, regulations anddepartmental policies pertaining to theoperation of schools; teacher certification;school construction projects; and issuesrelated to aboriginal education.

The department has a gross budget of$518.9 million and 242 staff positions.


While the Department of Education hasthe overall responsibility for the deliveryof education in this province, success increating a high-quality educationalsystem depends on the commitmentand cooperation of all partners ineducation. Numerous boards, agencies,and other bodies play an important rolein enabling the department to achieve itsgoals.

School Boards are established underthe Schools Act, 1997 and areresponsible for administering the day-to-day operations of schools and schooldistricts, including staffing, distribution ofresources, technology, repair andmaintenance of school buildings,transportation of students and thedevelopment, implementation andmonitoring of instructional policies andpractices. Primary responsibility forschool governance rests with electedschool boards. Under the Schools Act,1997, the members of each schoolboard (referred to as school trustees)are to be elected by popular vote.School board elections are usually heldevery four years, coinciding withmunicipal council elections.

School Councils are established by theschool principal as a requirement of theSchools Act, 1997. School councils arerequired by legislation to providemeaningful input into the operation of

each school by monitoring teaching andlearning in the school, providing a reportto be included in the annual schoolreport, and providing advice to theschool and school board. Schoolcouncils consist of the principal andteacher, parent and communityrepresentatives. A student is alsoelected to sit on the council in schoolswhich teach high school courses.

Other Education Delivery Agenciesinclude the Council on HigherEducation; the Literacy DevelopmentCouncil of Newfoundland and Labrador;and the Newfoundland and LabradorEducation Investment Corporation.These agencies play a role in educationplanning and coordination; literacycoordination and expansion; and capitaldevelopment for the education system.

Non-Governmental EducationalOrganizations such as theNewfoundland and Labrador Teachers’Association (NLTA), the Newfoundlandand Labrador School BoardsAssociation (NLSBA), the Newfoundlandand Labrador Federation of SchoolCouncils (NLFSC) and theNewfoundland and Labrador Associationof Directors of Education (NLADE)participate in discussions that inform thedepartment’s policy development anddecision making.


The department was also representedon a number of provincial and federalforums such as provincial liaisoncommittees, the Forum of LabourMarket Ministers (FLMM), the Council ofMinisters of Education, Canada (CMEC)and the Atlantic Province’s EducationFoundation (APEF). Participation inthese forums allows the department tocollaborate and form partnerships on aprovincial and national basis.

Outcomes ofObjectivesMajor themes of the draft strategic planare used in the sections below topresent the outcomes of thedepartment’s objectives for the 2002-03fiscal year. Enable Learners to AchieveHigh Standards

A clear focus of the Department ofEducation is student achievement. Anumber of activities in 2002-03 highlightthe initiatives directed toward improvingstudent achievement and literacy levelsof the population.

Improved Achievement

Criterion Referenced Tests (CRTs) inmath, science and language arts areadministered to students in Grades 3, 6and 9 at least every three years. As partof a strategy to improve achievement,the department annually administersassessments in language arts and math.

Language Arts

In 2002-03 there were a numberinitiatives designed to improveachievement in Language Arts.

< In an effort to identify strugglingreaders at an earlier grade and toprovide the necessary intervention tothem while still in primary, thedepartment developed anassessment tool for mid-Grade 1students.

< A writing resource was piloted withGrades 4 and 7. This resource willprovide additional support toteachers as they work to address theneeds of struggling writers.

< The department continued itsimplementation and support of theAtlantic Canada ReadingAssessment Resource in all K-3schools.


< The department continued to providesupport for teacher development inthe teaching of language arts(reading, oral language and writing)at the primary level.

< Professional development, throughthe First Steps Program, has beenprovided for all primary (classroomand special education) teachers inthe province. The focus of thisprofessional development program isto enable teachers to determine thechild’s reading, writing and orallanguage level and to planappropriate individualized instruction.

The primary literacy assessments givento Grade 3 students in June 2002showed significant improvements in thereading and writing skills of primarystudents. For Grade 6 students,achievement levels improved for allelements of writing since 1997 - the lasttime that Grade 6 students completed awriting assessment.

Mathematics

The department is committed toensuring there is an effectivemathematics education for theprovince’s students that will preparethem for success in future learning andfuture employment. In June 2002, thedepartment established the Provincial

Advisory Committee on MathematicsAchievement with representation fromthe Newfoundland and LabradorTeachers’ Association, the Faculty ofEducation at Memorial University,provincial school boards and theDepartment of Education. The grouphas been asked to provide advice on thesteps to be taken to improve attainmentin math and to make recommendationsto the department and school districtson a long-term strategy for improvingmathematics achievement.


Other initiatives include:• implementation of a Mathematics

Action Plan, with partners in the Council on Higher Education, tofacilitate students’ transition to Post-Secondary Education;

• support for teacher administration ofa diagnostic math assessment forsenior high students;

• Grades 3, 6 and 9 student CriterionReferenced Testing for mathematics;

• public examinations for bothacademic and advanced Level IIIcourses; and

• teacher professional development inmathematics.

Pass rates for those students who wroteJune public exams were 72 per cent inacademic mathematics and 94 per centin advanced mathematics.

High School Performance

High-school graduates of June 2002who entered Memorial University in thefall performed at higher levels than theirpredecessors. Results from MemorialUniversity’s Fall 2002 semester showedthe best overall performance of first-yearstudents recorded since 1995, whenachievement level tracking first began.This result illustrates how changesmade at the high school level over thepast number of years, includingreinstatement of public exams, are

having a positive impact on studentperformance at the post-secondarylevel. The department continued itsannual support of academicachievement for high school studentsthrough the provincial scholarshipprogram. In September 2002 thedepartment awarded 202 scholarships,with a total value of $247,000, tostudents pursuing post-secondarystudies.

A total of 26,089 senior high schoolstudents were evaluated on their year’swork in June. The students achieved anoverall pass rate of 89 per cent in theircourses. Improved Literacy Levels andGeneral Education Levels

Government’s literacy plan Words toLive By (2000) set out strategicdirections for increasing literacy levels inthe province, addressing literacy fromearly childhood to adulthood. Thedepartment continued its commitment toensure that a high quality BasicLiteracy/Adult Basic Education (ABE)Level I program is developed for thisprovince. Following an independentevaluation of the ABE Level I program, aworking group was established toconsider the conclusions andrecommendations of the report and todevelop a new ABE Level I program


Other Literacy Activities in 2002-03

< Continued funding and resourcesfor KinderStart

< Distribution of grants to non-profitorganizations delivering earlychildhood literacy programs

< Review and assessment ofexisting early childhood/familyliteracy programs in the province

< Continuation of the Read &Succeed Public AwarenessCampaign

< The launch and distribution of anew Guide to SupportingWorkplace Education inNewfoundland and Labrador

< Evaluation of the LiteracyDevelopment Council ofNewfoundland and Labrador

delivery model. The working group hasrecommended that the new programmodel should be first introduced as atwo-year pilot, scheduled to begin inSeptember 2003.

September 2002 marked the pan-Canadian inaugural launch of the AdultLearners Week. The Department ofEducation joined with the Department ofYouth Services and Post-SecondaryEducation and other provinces and

territories throughout the country topromote adult learning throughout life,with the goal of increasing the numberof adults engaged in learning activities.

Through the Early ChildhoodDevelopment Initiative, the departmentallocated over $100,000 to various earlychildhood development programsthroughout the province and continuedthe For the Love of Reading Challengefor students in Grades K-6. In total, 119schools and thousands of studentsparticipated in the challenge, and thetop 20 schools - 10 primary and 10elementary each received an award of$2,500 to support literacy activities orresources.

The 2002-03 fiscal year marked the thirdconsecutive year that governmentinvested an additional $1 million to theProvincial Information and LibraryResources Board for the purchase ofnew books. The greater selection ofbooks at community libraries hasincreased the accessibility of readingmaterials which is recognized as majorfactor in improving the reading skills ofthe population.


Promote and Support HighPerformance at All Levels of theEducation System

Improved Responsiveness of theEducation System

A number of curriculum developmentand implementation activities in 2002-03highlight the department’s commitmentto improve the responsiveness of theeducation system. Activities included theimplementation of the following newcurriculum:• Grade 3 Mathematics in English and

French immersion,• Grade 4 Core French - revision,• Grades 4-6 Science in English and

French immersion,• Grades 4-6 Religious Education in

English,• Grade 8 Mathematics in English and

French immersion,• Biology 2201,• Physics 2204,• Canadian Economy 2203,• Mathématiques Grades 4-9, • Biologie 2231,• English Language Arts 2201 and

2202,• Healthy Living 1200, and• Art and Design 2200-3200 - unit

added. In addition, new learning resourcescovering a varied list of courses wereprovided, and professional development

sessions for school districts related tothe implementation of all the above newcurricula were delivered.

Improved Transition of All Childreninto the Education System

In October 2002, the Minister ofEducation officially announced theKinderStart program. The program is aninitiative of Stepping Into The Future,the Early Childhood DevelopmentInitiative, and was developed to help pre-Kindergarten students get ready fortheir first year of school. The program,which began following Kindergartenregistration for the 2003-04 school year,was designed to help children adjust tothe school environment and to providetheir parents and caregivers withinformation on how to prepare the childfor school.

Continuous Enhancement of Skillsand Abilities Through ProfessionalDevelopment

As the education system responds tothe changing needs of students, newcurricula result in continued professionaldevelopment requirements for teachers.The Department of Education has aresponsibility to ensure that teachershave the skills and knowledge toprepare our students for future success.


Throughout 2002-03 the departmentcontinued to support professionaldevelopment activities for educatorsthrough a number of activities including:• maintaining the budget for

professional development at $4.8million for the 2002-03 fiscal year;

• the addition of three school days forteacher in-service;

• the development of a ProfessionalDevelopment Alliance withrepresentatives from school boards,the NLTA and Memorial University;

• supporting the training of teachersfor The Real Game, an initiative thatteaches students in Grades 3 to 12skills in the areas of personalmanagement, teamwork, decision-making and communication so thatthey are able to make informeddecisions about their futures;

• the facilitation and funding for fivemath institutes for teachers onappropriate teaching strategies;

• the co-sponsoring of an Atlanticteachers education forum entitledPartnering for Quality Teaching andLearning, designed to promoteteacher collaboration as a means ofachieving better student learning inAtlantic Canada; and

• the signing of a Memorandum ofUnderstanding between thedepartment’s Centre for DistanceLearning and Innovation (CDLI) andthe NLTA’s Virtual Teachers’ Centre

(VTC). This MOU allowed theDepartment of Education and theNLTA to work together to ensure thaton-line professional development isdeveloped and delivered in a co-ordinated way.

Build a Provincial Infrastructureof Support for the EducationSystem

Improved Level and Scope of Supportfor Planning and Accountability

Various divisions within the departmentare involved in planning activities.

< Work continued towards finalizing aFramework for School Developmentto support school-level planning andreporting.

< The Human Resource Divisiondeveloped a three-year humanresource plan for the departmentwhich included an analysis of thedemographic characteristics of staffand the anticipated impact of theseon human resource management.

The department also continues to workwith school boards to implement thegovernment-wide AccountabilityFramework, including the provision ofstrategic planning support.


In 2002-03, there were 18high school courses offeredon-line to 74 sites acrossNewfoundland and Labrador.

Effective use of Technology toMaximize Learning Access, LearningEffectiveness, InstructionalManagement and Administration

As technologies improve, opportunitiesarise for increased efficiencies in manyareas. The department is committed tomaximizing the use of technology topromote learning, management andadministration.

Centre for Distance Learning andInnovation (CDLI)

The Centre for Distance Learning andInnovation (CDLI), launched in 2002-03,was designed to expand distanceeducation programs in schools and givemany more students an opportunity to

access a broader range of courseoptions. Through e-learning, thedepartment plans to expand the numberof distance education course offeringsand include courses in music and thehumanities. To facilitate this expansion,the department reached an agreement

with Aliant Telecom in 2002-03 for thedevelopment of faster, more reliablenetwork connections. A recent CDLIinitiative includes the adaptation ofvideoconferencing technology forpotential use in the delivery of studentprograms and teacher professionaldevelopment.

Community Access Program (CAP)

By January 2003, the department hadsuccessfully negotiated twofederal/provincial agreements intendedto provide support to the over 200Community Access Program sites (CAPsites) in the province. The funding willbe used to support centre operationalcosts such as computer hardware andsoftware, telecommunications (Internetand phone lines), technical support,staffing and marketing. In many ruralcommunities, CAP sites represent a vitallink to the rest of the world. Thesecentres provide rural communities withthe opportunity to realize the social andeconomic benefits associated withInternet access including e-commerce,e-government and e-learning.

In 2002-03 more than 75 youth, aged15-30 were employed at various CAPsites. The Community Access Programprovided meaningful work experiencewhich enabled the participants todevelop computer skills such as web


page design, troubleshooting andgraphic design; professional skills suchas promotions, research, training andpublic relations; and personal skills suchas problem-solving and decision-making.

Use of Technology in Management andAdministration

In 2002-03 there were a number ofinitiatives developed or continued whichsupported and enhanced the technologyand applications infrastructure of theDepartment of Education, including:• major modifications to the Teachers

Payroll, Pensions and Certificationsystem to accommodate the newcollective agreement as well asongoing support and maintenanceactivities;

• ongoing enhancements to web-based applications to improvesecurity and validation ofinformation;

• development of a web-based filetransfer application to allowelectronic reporting of AnnualGeneral Return information fromexisting automated schooladministration systems;

• testing and deployment of newbusiness intelligence tools to allowdistricts and other educationalstakeholders more efficient access toaggregated educational statistics,

indicators and other information tosupport planning and reporting;

• the development and deployment ofa web-based application allowingapproximately 10,000 teachers tocomplete the Education Staff Recordsurvey on-line; and

• development of a web-basedinventory and tracking system fortechnology assets deployed insupport of CDLI’s distance learninginitiatives.

Provision of Safe and PositiveLearning Environments for AllStudents

Schools are places where students,teachers and staff spend much of theirtime and the Department of Education iscommitted to encouraging practices thatsupport open, safe, caring, inclusive,peaceful and healthy learningenvironments.

School Construction, Renovation andOperation

Since the consolidation of school boardsin 1997 government has allocatedapproximately $178,529,000 for majorcapital school construction projectsincluding new school construction;extensions and renovations to existingschools; air quality studies and


remediation where necessary; andmaintenance such as repair andreplacement of roofs, windows andsiding.

A number of capital constructioninitiatives either began or werecompleted in 2002-03.

< The tender was awarded for sitedevelopment and construction for anextension to Holy Trinity School inTorbay. The extension, scheduled tobe completed in September 2004,will include 15 new classrooms, anew science lab, a challengingneeds suite, and a music room.

< Upgrades to Belanger Memorial ($3 million) and Appalachia High ($4.2 million) were completed.

< Extensive renovations to Grandy’sRiver Collegiate were completed in2002-03 to convert the school to a K-12 facility.

< Tenders were awarded for newschools in Happy Valley-Goose Bay,Postville and Mud Lake in Labrador.

< A tender was called for RockyHarbour K-12 school.

< The tender was awarded for a newK-12 school for Burgeo.

Despite a student enrolment decline ofalmost four percent annually and asubstantial reduction in the number ofschools, the 2002-03 budget for schoolboard grants was maintained at 1999-2000 levels.

In 1996-97, government announcedthat, for a three-year period, schoolboards would be permitted to retain thesavings from school closures for capitalexpenditures. This continued every yearsince, bringing the total amount that hasbeen reinvested in education, as a resultof school closures, to $26.5 million. Infiscal year 2002-03, $2.3 million wasreinvested as a result of this initiative.

Bullying in Schools

Increasing concerns of bullying inschools led to a number of departmentalinitiatives throughout 2002-03 including:• development of Creating Peaceful

Schools - A Forum on SchoolBullying that was held in St. John’s inMay 2002;

• the development of regional sessionsin Corner Brook and St. John’s todevelop a draft provincial action planand to discuss ways to workeffectively with community partners;

• the release of a Safe and CaringSchools Provincial Action Plan; and


Department of Educationpublications are available on thedepartmental website at:http://www.gov.nf.ca/edu/pub.htm

Additional statistical informationabout the education system inNewfoundland and Labrador isavailable through the K-12 SchoolProfile System web site at:http://www.education.gov.nf.ca/sch_rep/pro_year.htm

• the sponsorship of an anti-bullyinginitiative which will make copies of abook entitled Trevor and the Bullyavailable to all primary schools in theprovince. The book was designed tohelp primary students understandwhat bullying is and what they shoulddo if they become a victim.

Increased Public Knowledge of KeyAspects of the Education System

In 2002-03, there were a number ofinitiatives designed to improveaccountability and increase publicknowledge of the education system.

< The Department of Educationworked on a Provincial School LevelReport. The document will providecomparable data on each school inthe province. It is scheduled to bereleased, in print form and in a web-based version, early in 2004.

< All schools are now required topublish annual reports, with specificinformation on student outcomes anda plan for school development.

< The department has developed anonline K-12 School Profile systemand continues to add to statisticalinformation of interest to parents,researchers and others.

< The Department of Education hasdeveloped a student/parenthandbook for students who areentering high school. The handbookfocuses on planning an educationprogram over three years to ensureall graduation requirements are metand a student’s individual goals arerealized. The handbook is expectedto be printed - and posted online - foruse in the 2004-05 school year.


Challenges

Improving Academic Achievement

Improving academic achievement andpreparing students for successcontinues to be the main focus of the K-12 education system in Newfoundlandand Labrador. In order to achieve thisgoal, the department will continue towork diligently towards the provision of abalanced curriculum, appropriateprofessional development for educatorsand adequate learning resources.

Education System Demographics

Throughout the past several years therehas been severe enrolment decline inthe K-12 education system in thisprovince. Since 1996-97, enrolment hasdropped from 106,205 to 81,665 full-time equivalent (FTE) students, adecline of 23.1%. Enrolment is projectedto decline further over the coming years.Maintaining a high quality of service inan environment of declining enrolmentwill be a significant challenge for theDepartment of Education.

Geographic Challenges

In 2002-03, 65.9 per cent of schools,with 45.2 per cent of the total provincialenrolment, were located in rural areas(population less than 5000).

These schools serve a vast geography and many are located in remote areas,creating a number of challenges forservice delivery and teacherrecruitment.

Opportunities

A number of recent activities within theDepartment of Education are laying thefoundation for increased opportunitiesfor the future.

< Improved accountability and datacollection processes will provideoutcome/performance-based information for programmanagement, research andinforming students, parents and thepublic.

< Progress is being made in thesubmission of electronic data to thedepartment for forms such as theAnnual General Return and theEducational Staff Record. Progressin this area facilitates the quicktransfer of information back to thesystem and provides increasedopportunities to use the data fordecision making in the field andwithin government.

< Innovative new products andservices developed locally have


application in other places aroundthe globe. An opportunity exists tomake these educational solutionsavailable to others throughcommunication technologies,consultative services and/or on-the-ground delivery.

< The Centre for Distance Learningand Innovation (CDLI) has enabledstudents in rural and remote regionsto access high schoolcourses/programs previouslyunavailable to them, taught by someof the province’s most qualifiedteachers.

< Following the restructuring of the K-12 system in 1997, the departmentcontinues to monitor the currentdelivery structure and look foropportunities to streamlineadministration.

< Collaboration with other governmentdepartments on the delivery ofservices to persons with specialneeds provides an opportunity todetermine the gaps in currentservices. This enables the necessarycorrective actions to take place,ensuring that a full continuum ofservices is provided in the mosteffective manner.

< Evaluations of the BasicLiteracy/ABE Level I Programs andthe Literacy Development Council ofNewfoundland and Labrador willprovide recommendations for animproved literacy delivery model forthe province.

The department believes that theplanned development of a world classeducation system requires a continuedfocus on improving studentachievement, professional developmentfor teachers, and learning environments. The department is committed tomonitoring and reporting on progresstoward realizing this vision.


Below is the 2002-03 summary of the Statement of Expenditure of the department.Expenditure and review figures included in this document are based on public accounts.

Estimates

Actual ($) Amended ($) Original($)

Minister's Office (1.1.01)

Total 364,972.00 366,100.00 350,900.00

General Administration (1.2.01 - 1.2.04)

Total 4,888,047.00 5,007,400.00 4,211,900.00

Primary, Elementary and Secondary Education(2.1.01 - 2.4.03)

Financial Assistance (2.1.01 - 2.1.09) 510,085,008.00 510,625,700.00 483,576,700.00

Program Development (2.2.01 - 2.2.04) 5,158,674.00 5,942,300.00 6,155,900.00

School Services and Professional Development (2.3.01 - 2.3.03) 6,423,661.00 6,460,300.00 6,199,100.00

Student Support Services (2.4.01 - 2.4.03) 3,372,575.00 3,341,600.00 3,492,600.00

Total 525,039,918.00 526,369,900.00 499,424,300.00

Literacy, Library and Information Services(3.1.01 - 3.2.02)

Literacy Policy Services (3.1.01) 917,743.00 994,300.00 940,600.00

Public Library and Information Services(3.2.01 - 3.2.02)

6,975,800.00 6,975,800.00 6,975,800.00

Total 7,893,543.00 7,970,100.00 7,916,400.00

Total Department 538,186,480.00 539,713,500.00 511,903,500.00


The Centre for Distance Learning and InnovationOn October 30, 2002 the Department ofEducation officially launched the Centrefor Distance Learning and Innovation(CDLI) and pioneered a new era of e-learning in Newfoundland and Labrador.A key element of CDLI’s vision is todevelop a culture of e-learning in ourschools which is considered to be anintegral part of school life for all studentsand teachers. Since its inception, CDLIhas developed and delivered quality on-line distance education course offeringsto high school students throughout theprovince, has initiated a strategy tosupport e-learning and technologyintegration at the K-9 grade levels, andhas partnered with the Newfoundlandand Labrador Teacher’s Association(NLTA) to provide quality online teacherprofessional development opportunities. The Centre for Distance Learning andInnovation (CDLI) uses web-basedtechnologies to deliver programopportunities for teachers and students.This model commonly referred to as e-learning involves a group of learnerswho are free from the limitations ofgeography, brought together bytelecommunications systems andcomputer networks. The technologypermits learners, from any number ofschools in different districts to enroll

together in a given course orprofessional development program.Most communications are through anInternet-based system incorporating e-mail, audio conferencing, Internet faxand conference forums.

The Online Distance EducationProgram

Although CDLI and its e-learningmandate benefits all schools, studentsand teachers in rural communities willbe the greatest beneficiaries. CDLIoffers an innovative solution thatensures equal access to educationalprograms and services for ruralstudents. The internet provides smalland rural schools with access toprograms, resources, and teachingexpertise not ordinarily available, and assuch, helps to level the playing fieldbetween schools in rural and urbansettings. CDLI courses also have thepotential to be taught to students whoare in hospital or house-bound to ensurethey are able to keep up with theirschool work.


TeachersIn partnership with school districts, CDLIhas hired a number of e-teachers whoseprimary responsibility is online coursedelivery and evaluation. At the schoollevel, teams of mediating teachers areassigned to ensure appropriateinteraction between students and e-teachers. All of the major aspects ofCDLI=s operations are decentralizedoutside of the Department of Education,with e-teachers and program developersspread throughout the province. Thisgreatly facilitates the dissemination of e-learning skills and expertise.

In the 2002-03 school year, CDLI’s 18full time e-teachers offered 18 highschool courses online in 74 sites acrossNewfoundland and Labrador. Each siteis equipped with computers, headsets,graphire tablets, workstations, softwareand multi-function machines for printing,faxing, scanning and copying. Thesecourses span most of the subject areasincluding math, science, languages,social studies, and art.

Future ExpansionIn September 2003, 23.5 e-teachers willdeliver 25 courses at a distance tostudents in 95 small rural schoolsspread throughout 10 school districts. The e-teacher complement includes anonline guidance counsellor.Approximately 1000 students and 1600

course registrations will beaccommodated by these e-teachers.Registration numbers will have morethan doubled since the new model wasintroduced. By 2005, the departmentplans to triple the current level of courseofferings and include more courses inareas such as art, music and Englishlanguage.

Technology Integration

ICLT Demonstration Project: BeginningSeptember 2003, CDLI will partner witheach of the eleven school districts on ane-learning initiative focusing on theintegration of technology in theclassroom. Eleven schools representingthe primary, elementary andintermediate levels will be involved inthe Information, Communication andLearning Technologies (ICLT)Demonstration project in which teacherswill focus on the design, developmentand delivery of well organized, wellstructured and well planned ICLTenhanced curriculum projects. Theproject will further develop theinnovative work already ongoing intechnology integration at the K-9 level inthe province.


Student Web PortalWork to build a new student web portalhas begun. This portal is designed tobuild a sense of community among allschools in the province, to celebratestudent success, and provide careersupport and learning resources tostudents at the intermediate and seniorhigh levels. Pan Canadian Web PortalIn April 2002, the Council of Ministers ofEducation - Canada (CMEC) approvedthe development of a pan-Canadianweb-based portal to link K-12 and postsecondary provincial/territorial web sites,portals and learning contentrepositories. CDLI is playing a lead rolein this initiative on behalf of theprovince.

Multi-media Learning Object RepositoryDiscussions have begun regarding thedevelopment of graphical or multi-medialearning objects to supplement highschool courses, particularly those taughtonline and which have a publicexamination requirement. In tandemwith this, consideration is being given tothe design and development of alearning object repository to housethese objects and a meta-taggingscheme to facilitate their searchabilityon the web. This repository will feeddirectly into the pan-Canadian portal.

CDLI WebsiteCDLI=s website is now operational andwill quickly evolve to be a full-blownportal with password-protected accessto various groups within the K-12educational community. The website isintended to be the entry point forstudents enrolled in e-courses and moregenerally for all students, teachers andparents wishing to find resources andinformation regarding educationalprograms and services in and outsidethe province. The URL for CDLI=swebsite is http://www.cdli.ca.

Online Teacher ProfessionalDevelopment

The Internet also provides districts withan effective and efficient means ofoffering teachers access to professionaldevelopment opportunities andresources, all delivered directly to theworkplace. CDLI and the NLTA havepartnered to provide online professionaldevelopment and support to theteachers of the province and havesucceeded in establishing the VirtualTeacher Centre, a web site that hostsan abundance of professional tools andresources. The partnership has allowedboth parties to pool their resources tohelp teachers implement the provincialcurriculum. Sharing knowledge, skillsand expertise among educators


ultimately benefits our studentsthroughout the province.

Subject Centre Design andDevelopment An internet gateway for teachers toaccess all resources related tocurriculum and other programs hasbeen developed. This will become thelink to all department, district, schooland external agency materials anddocuments being made available to K-12 educators. It encompasses aregistration component so that all mathteachers, for example, can identify eachother, engage in discussions and shareresources. Professional developmentdirected towards any subject will also beaccessed through the Subject Centre.Information and support in coursemodification, assessment and evaluationwill also be included.

Ask An Expert This initiative will enable teachers tohave access to persons with expertise inthose areas they are tasked to teach.Teachers will submit questions, online,to an expert selected from a list of thoseparticipating. Responses willautomatically post to the web andarchive for all interested persons toread.

Videoconferencing In an effort to bridge its facilities in St.John=s and Gander, CDLI has acquired apair of high-quality videoconferenceunits. These have proven to be souseful and reliable that CDLI is in thepreliminary stages of a tentative strategyof deploying additional units at keylocations in the province. Eventually thistechnology may be used as part of theoverall e-learning strategy. For now,however, the concentration is on usingthe technology to facilitatecommunication among the keyeducational decision-makers, who mustotherwise travel extensively toparticipate in regional meetings. It ishoped that as the key users buildfamiliarity with this mode of operationand as available bandwidth increases,so to will the use of this technology.

Professional Development Modules A module design prototype usingGeography 3202 has been completedand populated with appropriate content.Design and content were vetted througha team composed of geographyteachers, social studies experts,curriculum developers and instructionaldesigners. This pilot experience hastaught several lessons which arecurrently being used to inform ongoinginitiatives. Further work will be carriedout on this project during the 2003-04year.


School Connectivity

E-learning programs in small and ruralschools will become increasinglyeffective as access to higher levels ofbandwidth becomes available to theircommunities. In July 2002, CDLIconcluded a two-year agreement withAliant Telecom for the installation of a512K, frame relay, private network. Inyear one, 64 systems were installed andin year two another 15 plan to be added. Frame relay is a method of providing awide area network through Aliant=sexisting fibre/copper infrastructure.Eleven schools are equipped with highspeed satellite technology. Theremainder have either DSL or cablemodem service.

The Centre looks forward to continuingto make a significant contribution to thedevelopment of a world class provincialeducation system.

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