School improvement, not incentives, say education partner organizations

Release date: May 12, 1999

The presidents of the Alberta Home and School Councils' Association (AHSCA), the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA), the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) and the College of Alberta School Superintendents (CASS) today called on Minister of Education Gary Mar to replace the School Performance Incentive Program (SPIP) announced in the March 11 provincial budget with a program jointly developed and endorsed by the education partners.

The March budget included provision for a program designed to provide incentive funding to school jurisdictions that meet performance measures set primarily by the provincial government. The education partners have serious reservations about the program and have worked together to develop an alternative, the Alberta School Improvement Program (ASIP).

"As provincial partners, we've been working for several weeks now to propose a program that will contribute to improved student learning," noted AHSCA president Christine Ayling. "Efforts to improve schools need to start in our school communities, where parents, school staff, students and others concerned with education collectively define local needs and create unique local initiatives involving shared responsibility."

A key to the approach is partnership. "Rather than just saying Îno' to this program, we've chosen instead to work with the AHSCA, ATA and CASS to offer an alternative. Our proposed Alberta School Improvement Program is a constructive contribution to the incentive program debate," said ASBA president Lois Byers. "It's crucial to allow time for public discussion with the overall educational well-being of our students as the focus."

ATA President Bauni Mackay emphasized that teachers don't want the incentive funding paid to school jurisdictions as salary bonuses for teachers. "The ATA is willing to give up salary bonuses to improve teaching and learning conditions. The joint proposal (ASIP) revolves around improving schools, not paying incentives."

CASS president John Darroch noted that the partners believe our government recognizes and values the importance of reaching consensus on this particular issue. "There is strong support for ASIP among the education partners. Each executive endorsed these directions," Darroch noted. "The joint proposal provides resources that school jurisdictions need to work toward school improvement."

The AHSCA, ASBA, ATA and CASS are seeking a joint meeting with Education Minister Gary Mar to review the Alberta School Improvement Program and to discuss its implementation.

For additional information about the Alberta School Improvement Program, please contact any of the provincial organizations as follows:

Alberta Home and School Councils' Association
- Christine Ayling (Grande Prairie), (780) 532-3398
- Cheryl Newton (Edmonton), (780) 454-9867

Alberta School Boards Association
- Lois Byers (in Medicine Hat today), (780) 632-9685
- David Anderson (in Medicine Hat today), (780) 910-8207

Alberta Teachers' Association
- Bauni Mackay (Edmonton), (780) 447-9423; toll free in Alberta, 1-800-232-7208
- Gordon Thomas (Edmonton), (780) 447-9452; toll free in Alberta, 1-800-232-7208

College of Alberta School Superintendents
- John Darroch (Lethbridge), (403) 328-4111
- Neil Gannon (Edmonton), (780) 451-7106

A complete copy of the Alberta School Improvement Program proposal is also available.

Backgrounder

Comparison of School Performance Incentive Program and
Alberta School Improvement Program

 

 

School Performance Incentive Program

(as proposed in March 11, 1999 provincial budget and subsequent meetings with education partners)

Alberta School Improvement Program

(as proposed by Alberta Home and School Councils' Association, Alberta School Boards Association, Alberta Teachers' Association and

College of Alberta School Superintendents, May 12, 1999)

Design

Identifies specific outcomes and rewards behavior that achieves those outcomes with additional funding

Identifies goals, uses research to select appropriate strategies and provides funding up front to achieve the goals

Format

Top-down approach with provincially imposed targets and measures

  • scorecard created for each jurisdiction based on measures
  • province releases scorecard totals for each jurisdiction, identifying numerical targets which must be met to receive incentive payments

Grass roots approach at school community and jurisdiction levels

  • creation of school improvement programs based on locally-identified needs and priorities
  • establishment of teams for each school improvement program
  • teams review research and documented practices, set achievement indicators and jointly plan action to meet or exceed them
  • provides opportunity for innovation and creativity

Measures

Provincial and local quantitative measures

  • 75% provincial, including achievement test and diploma examination results (modified by participation rates), grade 9 to 12 continuation rates, on-time high school completions, increased number of students in senior academic courses, completion of Career and Technology Studies courses
  • 25% local, including at least three quantifiable local measures that are provincially approved

Combination of quantitative and qualitative measures appropriate to the nature of the school improvement program

  • 100% local decision; may include provincial measures

Assessing improvement

"General improvement target" is 3.5 percent each year; jurisdiction's improvement target is based on its own "opportunity to improve" as reflected in scorecard

Set of improvement indicators is identified by each team; indicators are appropriate for the nature of each school improvement program

Payment

Maximum payment is made for 3.5 percent improvement; partial payment available for improvement of 1 percent or more

  • maximum payment to a jurisdiction is a sum equal to 4 percent of employees' basic salaries
  • no payment unless provincial measures are achieved
  • first incentive payment (2000/2001 school year) to be made in November 2000

Payment is made up front

Resources are allocated to meet the goals identified in each school improvement plan

First payment (2000/2001 school year) to be made in September 2000

 

Sign-on

Voluntary participation by each jurisdiction

  • enter into contract with minister
  • obtain support from employee groups on local measures and use of incentive funds

Voluntary participation by each jurisdiction

  • submission of program plans to the minister, including set of improvement indicators

Major players

Provincial government with jurisdiction involvement in recommending local measures

School community with jurisdiction support and coordination

Assumption about motivation

Assumes that extrinsic motivation can improve test scores and other measures

Assumes that intrinsic motivation can improve results

Consideration of means and ends

Rewards behavior, whether appropriate or not, with funding as long as targets are met

Provides funding to achieve results identified on the basis of sound research and documented practices

Belief structure

Does not expect every jurisdiction to meet its "general improvement target"

Expects every jurisdiction to meet or exceed its improvement indicators

Reporting

Provincial reporting each year

  • annual release of each jurisdiction's scorecard

Regular local reporting

  • ongoing activities by improvement teams
  • interim and final reports submitted to the minister, including documentation of results

Funding available

No funding in 1999/2000

$38 million in 2000/2001

$66 million in 2001/2002

Paid as a reward where quantitative improvement targets are met in previous year

No funding in 1999/2000

$38 million in 2000/2001

$66 million in 2001/2002

Paid up front to provide funding to meet improvement plan targets

Use of government resources

Central control: highly bureaucratic, technical and costly to manage

Local control: situated in school communities, research based and locally managed

The Alberta School Boards Association serves and represents all Alberta’s public, separate and francophone school boards.