FOUNDATIONS - Student Learning The total current student enrolment for the school district on December 31, 2005, was 10,605 at the secondary level and 12,462 at the elementary level.  This total enrolment of 23,067 represents a decrease of 99 students from December 31, 2004.  The pattern of declining enrolment is projected to continue despite significant growth in the City’s population. These students represent an extremely diverse community.  They have many different interests, abilities, and needs.  Approximately 23% of them live below the poverty line, while others enjoy a family income that makes Richmond one of the richest communities in Canada.  They come from the highest percentage of non-English speaking households in BC, representing nearly 100 different languages.  All are welcomed into their neighbourhood school. The mission of the school system is to “enable” all these learners and the district Statement of Philosophy states that in order to achieve this goal “schools should adapt their educational programs and services to the needs of each student insofar as an equitable application of resources will allow.”  In other words, curriculum and instruction should be student-centered in order to enable learners to achieve their full potential, whatever that may be. This high calling can only be achieved through the collaborative effort of many people.  The most fundamental and critical partnership is that between student, teacher, and parent.  In this partnership, the teacher is responsible for clarifying and communicating to both student and parent: • What s/he knows and observes about the student and his/her learning • What the student is learning • What is taking place in the classroom • What is expected of the student • How the student's learning will be assessed and his/her performance evaluated The student is responsible for: • Understanding what s/he is learning and why • Being engaged and working productively • Behaving appropriately The parent is responsible for: • Communicating what s/he knows and observes about his/her child • Clarifying what s/he knows about his/her child's educational program, classroom, and school • Being clear and consistent in his/her support for his/her child's learning • Clarifying how his/her child is doing as a learner As students move from Kindergarten to the Graduation Program, they become increasingly independent and accept increasing levels of responsibility for themselves and their learning.  Still, the partnership between teacher, student, and parent remains essential at all ages. Common purposes, good intentions, and collaboration, however, are not enough.  There must also be a sound curriculum and appropriate instruction in the classroom.  Curriculum is the sum total of learning experiences designed by the teacher in order to enable student learning.  It is based on intended learning outcomes and aided by various resources, but curriculum should not be confused  either with the learning outcomes in an IRP or the materials that are used in the classroom. It is the teacher’s job to design the curriculum on the basis of intended learning outcomes, available resources, and the needs and abilities of the particular students in his or her class.  Thus, assessment precedes instruction and must be ongoing throughout the process of instruction so that the teacher will know what it is necessary for him or her to do next, and sometimes what outside assistance to seek, in order to enable the student to achieve the intended learning outcomes. The assessment to instruction cycle is represented in the following diagram, which is fundamental to the core purpose of student learning. The implementation of a student-centered curriculum that upholds high standards while enabling a full range of diverse learners to achieve to their highest potential is a very demanding task.  That is why teachers are required to receive a high level of professional training and why they deserve the full support of other staff in the district, parents, and the community. The balance of this report provides an overview from the district perspective of the many ways in which staff, students, and parents are working together to achieve their common purpose of high standards of achievement for all students in all aspects of their development. <<Prev -- Table of Contents -- Next>>