DIRECTIONS OVERVIEW The Directions framework is intended to provide all staff with a way of looking at their work that encourages shared learning and collaborative action in service of a common purpose.  It may be applied at the individual, classroom, school, or district level.  However, the main application is currently at the district level.  Understanding and use at the school, classroom, and individual level is, and will continue to be for some time, a work in progress.  The district approach to implementation and ongoing development of the Directions framework is persistent rather than insistent and intended to promote cultural change that leads naturally to lasting structural change, rather than imposing structural change in the hope of causing cultural change. Directions is centered on four key understandings. • We are working to achieve the purposes defined by the district philosophy and overall  educational goal.  This is why the school district exists and we are employed. • We uphold the principles of inclusion and collaboration and the values of a civil society. • We are sustained by our relationships with other people and can only be successful in achieving our purposes and upholding our principles as part of a supportive community. • We must constantly hone our individual and collective competencies in order to succeed. Effective financial management and revenue generation are necessary in order to provide the stability and resources that the district requires.  The Superintendent and the Secretary Treasurer are responsible for administration of these functions, but they require all staff, students, and parents to be prudent stewards of our assets and resources. A range of district committees are involved in the enactment of the other arenas of district activity identified in the Directions framework.  They are as follows. Core Relations Membership: Bruce Beairsto (Chair), Bruce Reid, Barbara Fitzpatrick, Lynn Rodgers, Ingrid Trouw, Deb DeBaie-Strick, June Kaiser, Jo-Anne Schaap, Kathy Champion, Al Klassen, Wayne Lownsbrough The Core Relations Committee, which includes representatives of all other committees and all stakeholder groups, seeks opportunities to reinforce the core foci of purpose, principles, relationships, and competencies.  Its work over the past year has been primarily concerned with  enhancing relationships and developing supervision as a means of enhancing individual and collective capacity in all aspects of district operations.  This committee also assists in the writing of the District Accountability Contract. Performance Assessment Goal:   To identify data appropriate to the monitoring of performance in all critical areas and develop efficient, systematic collection methods to support continuous improvement and accountability processes at the school and district level. Membership: Kathy Champion (Chair), Walter Janzen, Susan Johnsen, June Kaiser, Thelma Serrano, Julie Edge, Toni Morrison, Bert Wiens, Bruce Beairsto, Gina Rae, Don Allison, Ray Saintonge, and Diana Minci. The Performance Assessment Committee contributed to the development of the District Accountability Contract in the Fall by reviewing the performance assessment data gathered by Glen Bussey for the past two years.  The Committee has also continued to consider the types of data that might be collected in the area of Social Responsibility.  In addition, the Committee produced a document for teachers about the various types and levels of assessment and will be finalizing a similar document for parents. Continuous Improvement Goal:   To establish and support continuous inquiry into the degree and nature of the district’s success in serving its core purpose. Membership: Susan Johnsen (Chair), Greg Ponsart, Toni Morrison, Ray Saintonge, Craig Svalestuen, Rhona Panton, June Kaiser, Dianne Smith, Jerry Fast, Jean Adshead The Continuous Improvement Working Group was a key support to schools in the development of School Planning Councils and continues to support SPCs as they learn how best to identify and achieve school goals.  This includes support for SPCs in identifying and using appropriate data sources, formulating SMART goals, and planning to achieve those goals through longitudinal strategies at the school level. A district meeting for SPCs was held on January 19th to review the revised version of The Ten Point of Inquiry and provide an opportunity for schools to self-assess relative to the rubrics in that document. Learning Community Goals: To ensure that all staff have knowledge of, and commitment to, the district’s core purpose(s). To create a district learning climate characterized by curiosity and reflection, in which all personnel are given encouragement and opportunity to take part in individual, collective, and collaborative learning experiences. Membership: Tom Williams (Chair), June Kaiser, Kathy Champion, Greg Ponsart, Faye Erbe, Jim Strilesky, Janet Chan, Kelly Johnson, Amarjit Panda, Bill Juhasz, Sandi Prunkl, Jenny Martin, Elaine Stapleton, Lynda Comber, Anna Ho, Deb DeBaie-Strick The Learning Community Committee had previously recommended that an orientation process to provide all staff with common basic understandings about district values, goals, and processes be developed.  The Personnel Services Department has responded to this challenge by developing an orientation process for all employees that will begin this Winter, 2006.  In the past, orientation was done for teachers and CUPE in separate sessions.  This new process will be for all new support staff, teachers, educational administrators, and excluded staff.  The sessions will be done with all staff together with some breakout sessions on issues pertinent to certain employee groups. Our school district provides a wealth of professional development activities that have a focus on the educators.  The Learning Services Department provides an incredible array of support as well as professional development and inservice activities.  Each department and school provides learning opportunities from planned non-instructional days and training manuals to study groups.  However, it has been difficult to provide support staff with the same wealth of opportunities as educators.  In recognition of this fact, the school district is endeavouring to expand the focus to all staff.  As an example, the school district will hold two professional development days for support staff each school year, the first being on February 24, 2006.  In past non-instructional days, support staff could not participate because the support staff still had to stay at their jobs to enable the schools to be open and functional for the general non-instructional day activities. Communications Goals: To ensure broad-based, convenient access to a wide range of information about district structures, processes, and results. To encourage and support communication between and among the various education partner groups. Membership: Jim Martens (Chair), Ric Pearce, Sandi Prunkl, Sandra Bourque, Steve Campbell, Mike Kliman, Donna Sargent, June Kaiser, James Abrams, Joanne Berndt, Kirby Elcombe, Gordon Smith, Michael Jaswal, Ross McLuskie, Tracy Sherlock, Orchid Zatylny (Recording Secretary) The Communications Committee, which predates the Directions framework, has been active for over a decade, is project-oriented, providing workshops on core issues, producing brochures and promotional materials (such as the Learning Matters Guide, Learning Matters Calendar, and Richmond Students Newsletter), liaising with the media, marketing the district internally and externally, and supporting events such as Education Week. Table of Contents -- Next>>