糖心Swag

Student Performance Data Analysis and Interpretation

Continuous improvement depends on sharing meaningful student evidence as the basis for system-wide improvement. Throughout, we have relied on district and provincial results, and we have data in the appendix in addition to data provided in this section. Foundational Skills Assessment data for diverse learners should be considered within the context of higher participation rates for diverse learners in 糖心Swag (+22%) when compared to their provincial peers.

Intellectual Development: Literacy Results

Students鈥� literacy development is assessed in Gr. 4 and 7 (Foundational Skills Assessments), Gr.10 and 12 (Graduation Literacy Assessments), and Gr. 1, 2, and 3 (糖心Swag Primary Reading Assessment).

糖心Swag primary students improved in reading notably last year, and secondary students outperformed provincial peers. 糖心Swag Aboriginal students compared to 糖心Swag non-Aboriginal students underperformed in literacy. 糖心Swag students with diverse needs performed slightly below their provincial peers, a trend that is evident in Gr. 3.

Intellectual Development: Numeracy Results

Students鈥� numeracy development is assessed in Gr. 4 and Gr. 7 through the Foundational Skills Assessments (FSAs) and in Gr. 10 through the Graduation Numeracy Assessment. Additional data in App. A, Fig. 3 and 4.

糖心Swag students paralleled the province in numeracy performance. 糖心Swag intermediate students with diverse needs outperformed their provincial peers. 糖心Swag Aboriginal students are less likely to perform proficiently when compared to all 糖心Swag students.

Intellectual Development: Grade-to-Grade Transition Results

Students progressed through Gr. 10 to 11 and Gr. 11 to 12, and tracking these results informed us about whether 糖心Swag high school students were likely to finish on time. Additional data in Appendix A, Fig. 5.0.

糖心Swag students tend to transition grade-to-grade on time and at or above the average of their provincial peers. 糖心Swag Aboriginal students are less likely to transition at the same rate as 糖心Swag non-Aboriginal students.

Human and Social Development

We assessed what students had to say about feeling safe, welcome, and having a sense of belonging and feeling connected to adults in school. More data is available in Appendix A, Fig. 6.0.

Cultural and Identity Development

Priority: To develop a sense of identity in individuals and cultural safety and humility in communities.

Career Development

Students who achieve a BC Certificate of Graduation Dogwood Diploma within 5 or 6 years of starting grade 8 are more likely to enter a career than those who do not, so we assess graduation rates as one indicator of career development success. Students will have the core competencies to achieve their life and career goals, which includes transition to post-secondary education. 鈥淚mmediate transition rate鈥� refers to students who are eligible to transition to a BC public post-secondary institution program in the year after graduation. 鈥淭hree-year transition rate鈥� refers to students who have transitioned to a BC public post-secondary institution program within three years of graduation.

糖心Swag students are as likely to graduate at the same rate as students provincially. On average, 5% of Grade 12 students begin post-secondary education while in high school. 糖心Swag will continue to focus on improving post- secondary transition for students after graduation.

Intellectual Development: Literacy, Numeracy, Grade-To-Grade Transitions

Successes. District balanced literacy and balanced numeracy professional learning and resource development contributed to improved literacy results. Teachers鈥� early reading practices made a positive difference for all learners, particularly Aboriginal students. The District primary reading assessment guided interventions (tier 2, 3) and universal (tier 3) practices for historically underperforming learners who accelerated their literacy development, especially last year. Such practices were scaled up in secondary, which sustained improved results. Students who participated in group learning opportunities strengthened their multimodal (print, digital, fine arts) literacies: Young Authors, Young Artists, Strings, Kamloops Children鈥檚 Choir, District Heritage Fair, Ethics Bowl, Student Equity Council, SOGI, Aboriginal Student Advisory Council, District Student Advisory Council, to name a few. District staff developed a numeracy scope and sequence that was implemented in classrooms. Developing system-wide capacity to ensure students鈥� growth in literacy, numeracy, and competencies impacted grade-to-grade transition rates, which mirrored the province, and Aboriginal learners who outperformed provincial peers.

Areas of need. 糖心Swag Aboriginal students compared to 糖心Swag non-Aboriginal students underperformed in literacy and numeracy. Students with diverse needs underperformed in literacy and numeracy compared to provincial peers. 糖心Swag Aboriginal students did not transition at the same rate as 糖心Swag non-Aboriginal students, and students with diverse needs did not transition through grades on time in high school compared to provincial peers.

Adjustments. District staff have developed a primary number sense assessment to pilot and reallocated resources to increase District Numeracy Team staff. Alongside all leaders, this team will review different types of data and revise current District assessments. To further strengthen transitioning results, principals will review predictive analytics data to identify students who are most likely not to continue successfully in school. With support of District staff, school teams will review Gr. 7-10 learner profiles to inform transition plans to better support these learners to transition through grades successfully. To learn more about moving into action strategies, see Appendix B: Intellectual Development Priority.

Human and Social Development: Feel Safe, Welcome, Belonging, Connected

Successes. Inclusive Education鈥檚 professional learning and resource development increased school teams鈥� capacities to implement effective social-emotional and mental health practices. Last year, 70 staff from 20 schools and three District leads participated in Everyday Anxiety Strategies for Educators (EASE) training, and the Worry Dragons program (anxiety prevention/reduction) was implemented in 84% more schools than previous years. Over 250 LGBTQ2S+ students participated in social activities to foster a sense of community, and all grade 9 students (800+) participated in Consent Cafes (inclusive sexual health). Every school鈥檚 Learning Assistant Resource Teacher (LART) learned how to better use school data to be responsive to students鈥� particular needs which increased staff capacity to refine classroom and school practices and structures. Approximately 44 students, a 63% increase, accessed tier 3 interventions provided by Mental Health Clinicians. The addition of a transition teacher for students who have autism and who attended the Chris Rose Centre Therapy Centre increased their positive transitions back to designated school programs (i.e., 80% sustained more time in their schools rather than having to return to the Centre).

Areas of need. Increased professional learning opportunities are required to assist staff to further develop their understanding of how to reduce challenging student behavior and to plan for diverse learners to be successful and attend full time. Safety plans indicated that Crisis Prevention and Intervention training specific to students who have autism is needed to better support neurodiverse students. Aboriginal Education Workers need focused training for facilitating social groups. 糖心Swag is striving to reduce wait time for students to receive psychological educational assessments.

Adjustments. Staff will be supported to develop functional behaviour assessments that include student voice. Psychoeducational assessments will be scheduled throughout the summer and access will therefore be increased. We will support more schools to participate in Preventure (evidence-based prevention program that uses personality-focused interventions to promote mental health and delay substance use among teens) and enhance the professional development and training for District Resource Room Programs staff. Speech and Language Pathologists have adjusted structures to better support students with severe speech impediments. To learn more about moving into action strategies, go to Appendix B: Human and Social Development Priority.

Cultural and Identity Development: Sense of Identity, Cultural Safety and Humility

Successes. The District held several cultural and diversity summits with high district-wide student and staff participation. Over 2,100 students attended the District Powwow, 250 students attended an Aboriginal and SOGI wellness summit, and 160 students attended a Student Equity Summit. 糖心Swag hosted ten districts who participated in an Indigenous Student Summit. We held the 10th annual Day of Sucwentwecw (acknowledging one another) which involved every school in recognizing Aboriginal ways of knowing and doing and the unceded traditional territory of the Tk鈥檈ml煤ps te Secwepemc. We continued to promote cultural and LGBTQ2S+ events through a diversity calendar, and held our fourth annual Diversity Film Festival. Over 50 Blanket exercises occurred in schools, six District Aboriginal themed elementary culture kits, and 17 Aboriginal-focused numeracy kits were created. Aboriginal community outreach workers supported over 100 families to successfully re-engage students to return to school. The Indigenous Family Voices for Education continued to support Aboriginal families and hosted a barbeque with over 240 attendees. 糖心Swag implemented Aboriginal support teacher time and provided staff with an Aboriginal Support Teacher Guide, and created an Aboriginal Cultural Safety, Humility, and Competency Guide. Aboriginal Education professional learning in Aboriginal Lead sessions increased system capacity to understand Aboriginal ways of knowing and being, culturally responsive strategies, and how to recognize and eliminate racism and discrimination. Such learning was extended to 2000+ staff through a weekly memo. Aboriginal Education Workers in every school supported local cultural teachings in classrooms. Through targeted funds, we implemented Aboriginal Support Teacher time for Aboriginal students who required additional literacy and numeracy support. Aboriginal Education District staff provided lessons and led staff PD (e.g., 鈥淥n the Land Teacher鈥� mentored staff in local ethnobotany). Secwepemc language and culture courses were in seven schools. The Aboriginal Education Council (AEC ) created the vision for this system-wide capacity building through Local Education Agreements and their fifth . Annual reports on the results are published here.

Areas of need. Secwepemctsin language module development is needed due to the shortage of language teachers. We will continue to recruit Aboriginal Education Workers and improve on-boarding, mentorship, and training. Through targeted professional development, we will increase staff awareness of cultural safety, humility, and competency. We will also assess staff members鈥� confidence and competence of those constructs and of teaching diversity in the curriculum.

Adjustments. Secwepemctsin module development is happening this summer to support teachers with the curriculum. We will continue professional learning to further Truth and Reconciliation, to enact the priorities of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, and to support school teams with structures and processes to ensure student success without over-relying on District Aboriginal staff. To learn more about moving into action strategies, go to Appendix B: Cultural and Identity Development Priority.

Career Development: Students Will Graduate & Life Competencies

Successes. 糖心Swag has strong high school completion rates. Although not accounted for in provincial data, on average, 5% of 糖心Swag students transitioned to post-secondary during Gr. 12 through dual-credit programs with TRU (Youth Train-in-Trades; TRU Start Programs). Ongoing capacity-building opportunities offered by the Career Development Team contributed to these positive results. Trades and Transitions Coordinators participated in sessions three times last year to learn about experiential learning opportunities for students through Transition Programs (dual/secondary credit) and Transition Events (trades-related experiences). Last year, 65 Gr. 12 students were enrolled in TRU occupational training programs that led to professional certification, 348 Gr. 6-12 students participated in District Career Transition Programs, and 1024 students participated in District Career Transition Events. Further, the District Coordinator of Career Education worked with lead Career Education teachers to develop and deliver lessons within K-12 classrooms.

Areas of need. 2023-2024 will target the completion and post-secondary transition rate disparities identified between 糖心Swag Aboriginal students and 糖心Swag non-Aboriginal students, and 糖心Swag diverse needs students and provincial peers. We will continue to investigate these trends to better understand and reverse these trends.

Adjustments. Students at risk of not graduating will continue to receive additional support (e.g., increased ELL support). The District Aboriginal Graduation Support Teacher position will continue to provide instructional support to Aboriginal students who are at risk of not graduating, and the District School Completion Coordinator will continue to connect with non-graduated students in year 6 to reconnect with learning programs. Parents/guardians/caregivers of Gr. 12 students will continue to be supported to better track their children鈥檚 progress towards completion. Outreach to Aboriginal communities will be expanded (e.g., District Vice-Principal of Career Programs will continue to attend Indigenous Family Voices for Education events to provide career program and post-secondary transition information). We will continue to review course selection and career planning opportunities to enrich Career Education PD, and academic advising to provide direct support to students and parents to support better transitioning to post-secondary. To learn more about moving into action strategies, go to Appendix B: Career Development Priority.

Systems Development: Allocating Resources Responsibly, Fairly, and Sustainably Through Operations

In this section, we provide a summary, and  a more detailed overview is available in Appendix C.

Successes. Human Resources (HR) (recruited staff for hard-to-fill positions) Transportation (leveraged software to optimize bus routes), Facilities (Parkcrest Elementary rebuild underway), Infrastructure and Technologies (IT) (partnered with schools to replace old hardware with longer lasting equipment), Community Partnerships (worked closely with partners for mutual benefit [i.e.,revising our joint use agreement with the City of Kamloops]), Health and Safety (educated all staff about fire safety), Communications (published stories that showed our District Strategic Plan Priorities in-action), and Finance (aligned budget with new District Priorities).

Areas of need. HR (reduce employee absenteeism), Transportation (recruit bus drivers), IT (manage increased costs of freight/parts/materials to expand/update technologies), Facilities (retention and recruitment of specialty trade positions), Health and Safety (reduce work safe claims), Communications (review website provider and improve response to website ease-of-use), and Finance (manage reporting and monitoring requirements of multiple grants).

Adaptations/adjustments. HR (assess employee needs to increase engagement and diversify our workforce), Transportation (research alternative training programs for bus drivers), IT (leverage bulk purchases), Facilities (focus on retaining a full complement of trades and grounds staff), Health and Safety (continue to support worksite supervisors with implementation and expansion of Prismatic software), Finance (seek efficiencies in financial reporting for sustainable decision making), Communications (leverage all communication modes to increase the visibility of the District Strategic Plan).

Conclusion

We continue to learn together and inquire into pressing issues as opportunities to adjust and reflect on impacts on students鈥� learning as related to our District Priorities. We welcome feedback on our plan and see this document as one that necessarily must change as we gather information and see new possibilities for continual improvement.

Appendix A: Student Results

App. A, Figure 1.0 District Assessment: Primary Literacy Results

App. A, Figure 2.0 Provincial Literacy Results

App. A, Figure 3.0 Numeracy Results 

App. A, Figure 4.0 Numeracy Results   

App. A, Figure 5.0 Grade-to-Grade Transitions

App. A, Figure 6.0 Feel Safe, Welcome, Sense of Belonging and Connected (Two+ adults who care) Results

App. A, Figure 7.0 Percentage of Students Who Completed with a Dogwood in 5 Years

Appendix A, Figure 8.0: Number and percentage of students transitioning to Canadian post-secondary institutions within 1 and 3 years.

Appendix B: Moving Into Action (Department Work Plans)

Intellectual Development Priority

Literacy Strategies 2023-2024 - To improve literacy, we will:

• Build staff capacity to teach from a culturally sensitive stance that connects with learners鈥� experiences and identifies through collaboration with Aboriginal and Inclusive Education, and Curriculum Departments.
• Support the development and use of effective and sustainable school literacy intervention models through collaboration with schools and the Aboriginal, Inclusive Education, and Curriculum & Instruction Departments.
• Use proficiency-based assessments to identify learner needs and determine areas of focus for classroom instruction and intervention.
• Increase access to quality reading materials that reinforce a focus on the foundational pillars of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics instruction, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
• Encourage daily writing across all grades to promote the formation of letter-sound connections to bond spelling, pronunciation, and meaning of specific words in memory, improve reading and writing fluency, build vocabulary, and enhance comprehension.
• Rationale:
• Integrate literacy instruction (oral language, reading, and writing) in all learning areas across all grades.

Numeracy Strategies 2023-2024 - To improve numeracy, we will:

• Build staff capacity to teach from a culturally sensitive stance that connects with learners鈥� experiences and identities through collaboration with Aboriginal and Inclusive Education, and Curriculum Departments.
• Use proficiency-based assessments to identify learner needs and determine areas of focus for classroom instruction and intervention.
• Develop the integration of mathematical models and strategies that support foundational numeracy skills by:
  • Enhancing instruction of number sense, geometric thinking, and spatial reasoning in primary classes.
  • Building computational fluency by enhancing instructional use of multiple strategies and models for number operations in intermediate classes.
  • Support numeracy instruction across a variety of content areas through the incorporation of numeracy tasks in secondary schools.

Grade-to-Grade Transition Strategies 2023-2024 - To improve grade-to-grade transitions, we will:

• Provide school principals with individual student learner profile information to best inform instructional and support plans.
• Implement school transition processes focused on strengths-based learning action plans for secondary students who receive a Final Summary of Learning indicator of Emerging or Insufficient Evidence (IE), to enable students to be successful at the next level of learning.
• Support students through school transitions by implementing individual academic, cultural, social, emotional and behavioural transition plans.
• Continue with the intake process into alternative education programs to involve the Inclusive Education Services and Aboriginal Education District Team to provide support for students and families.
• Create transition plans back into regular, consistent programming when students attend alternative programs, enroll in a new school, or attend a part-time program.
• Engage in targeted transition activities and programs for diverse learners, LGBTQ2S+, ELL and Aboriginal students which include student mentorship and community involvement.
• Support diverse and underrepresented learners and their parents as partners to participate in career exploration.

Human and Social Development Priority

Human and Social Development 2023-2024 - To improve sense of belonging, and feeling welcome, safe, and connected, we will:

• Implement Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies with First Peoples Principles of Learning, and Seven Grandfather Teachings so that students and staff are familiar with how these domains (self awareness, self management, social awareness, relationships skills and responsible decision-making) support students to manage their emotions which promotes safety for themselves and others, and increases their social skills and self regulation skills to remain in their classrooms and develop a sense of belonging.
• Build staff capacity for incorporating SEL with First Peoples Principles of Learning, and Seven Grandfather Teachings through distribution of a comprehensive SEL/Mental Health (Mental Health Literacy and Mental Well-Being as per the PHE BC Curriculum) scope and sequence with evidence-based, developmentally appropriate resources.
• Provide support to school leaders to collaboratively establish targeted strategies for supporting students identified as feeling unsafe, unwelcome, or a low sense of belonging or connection within their school community.
• Increase knowledge of language translation opportunities for school communities to proactively address cultural and linguistic inequities for English Language Learners.
• Continue to support students with mental health and substance use issues at all levels of intervention through implementing EASE, Mental Health LIteracy training and Preventure for students.
• Implement well-being training programs for adults leading our system with attention to cultural safety and humility.
• Continue supporting Indigenous students and families through counseling, advocacy, cultural support, and outreach within the schools.
• Continue supporting ELL, Aboriginal, LGBTQ2S+ students through social groups and Inclusive Sexual Health Education.
• Continue providing resources, and opportunities for students and staff from diverse backgrounds to see themselves represented in their curriculum and schools, to foster a positive sense of identity and community.
• Create transition plans back into regular, consistent programming when students attend alternative programs.
• Continue providing diverse activity-based after-school programs throughout the District with a focus on opportunities for diverse students.
• Expand the current athletic programs to include cultural activities (e.g. lahal).
• Broaden Inclusive Sexual Health Education instruction for grades K-7 and continue the delivery of Consent Cafes to secondary students throughout the District.
• Implement strategies in Local Education Agreements and the Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement.

Cultural and Identity Development Priority

To improve cultural safety and humility and a personal sense of identity, we will:

• Build staff capacity to teach from a culturally responsive stance that connects with learners鈥� experiences and identities through collaboration with Aboriginal and Inclusive Education and Curriculum departments.
• Implement targeted professional learning (e.g. training modules for onboarding staff) focused on diversity, cultural humility and safety, and inclusive practices.
• Visibly acknowledge and celebrate diversity in our learning environments and curriculum through providing lesson plans and resources (e.g., multicultural events, multi-languages on signs, Pride posters, Inclusion calendar with lessons, ELL newsletters, etc.).
• Annually review and revise school, district, and classroom policies and practices for biases and report on and revise strategies based on results.
• Collaborate with families and communities to ensure their perspectives are considered and valued.
• Implement strategies in Local Education Agreements and Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement.
• Develop a self-assessment tool for Aboriginal school teams attending the Aboriginal school lead sessions to monitor an increased awareness of cultural bias, teacher confidence and competence in teaching Aboriginal content.
• Create an action plan to provide ongoing cultural competency training and professional development opportunities for staff and stakeholders to enhance their understanding of different cultures, histories, and experiences. This training should focus on building cultural humility, challenging biases, and promoting respectful interactions.
• Evaluate existing policies and procedures to ensure they align with cultural humility and safety principles. Make necessary adjustments to promote inclusivity, respect, and cultural safety.

• Continue the District鈥檚 annual Diversity Film Festival to highlight different cultures, identities and sexual orientations to foster an understanding and appreciation of all students鈥� and staff members鈥� backgrounds.
• Continue providing opportunities for students and staff from diverse backgrounds to see themselves represented in their curriculum and schools, to foster a positive sense of identity and community.

Career Development Priority

To improve graduation rates, we will:

• Through the District Aboriginal Graduation Support Teacher, provide Aboriginal students at risk of non-graduation direct instructional support in collaboration with their catchment school.
• Through the District School Completion Coordinator, each month identify students who have disengaged from school and work to reconnect these students to a learning program.
• Differentiate learning supports (universal, targeted, intensive) to increase high school completion for identified struggling learners.
• Increase ELL support for International students with a focus on those students enrolled in the Graduation Program.

To improve transition to post-secondary, we will:

• Implement targeted professional learning for Career Education teachers focused on student academic and career transition planning so students can make informed choices. 
• Provide opportunities for parents and caregivers to develop their capabilities to support students鈥� choices related to course planning, education, and career planning.
• Provide opportunities for students to experience post-secondary environments at different grade levels and in a variety of contexts so students see post-secondary learning in their possible futures.
• Identify and remove barriers to career program participation for vulnerable learners and underrepresented learner groups.
• Implement an exit interview for International students enrolled in the graduation program to track post-secondary planning. 

Systems Development: Allocating Resources Responsibly, Fairly, and Sustainably Through Operations

To ensure that students improve continuously within a system that allocates resources responsibly, fairly, and sustainably, we will:

Human Resources: 糖心Swag will monitor the effectiveness of the professional learning and support a program for school- based leaders to determine the level of positive impact it is having; the district provided additional steno support to the department and that FTE is being used to create greater efficiencies and better workflows; we continue to implement and refine our dispatch processes to ensure all worksites have staff absences filled; the department team continues to focus our work on the District Strategic Plan at weekly meetings and through visual reminders in our department area; develop and implement an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) demographic tracking system to ensure we are meeting our Administrative Procedure and Collective Agreement commitments; work closely with the Financial Services department to ensure compliance with respect to changing legislation such as the Pay Transparency Act.

Transportation: 糖心Swag will research and develop alternative training programs for drivers. The department continues to seek cost-saving alternatives for fuel, supplies, equipment, and freight. However, costs for these items continue to increase. Existing bus routes will continue to be reviewed annually to ensure they adhere to  and meet the needs of a growing district.

IT Services: 糖心Swag Services will continue to leverage bulk purchasing and put a higher emphasis on homogeneity of technology to reduce the freight and maintenance costs for all district equipment. We will also encourage and support staff professional development to ensure sustainable solutions of the highest quality that fulfill the Districts needs are implemented and maintained.

Facilities: 糖心Swag strives to ensure there is a full complement of trades and grounds staff to support District facilities. This department continues to seek cost-saving alternatives for supplies, equipment, and freight. 糖心Swag will continue to proactively plan for capital projects (as evidenced by the Long-Range Facilities Plan Report), including the building of new schools, portable classroom placements, and facility upgrades.

Communications: 糖心Swag will share stories of students success and practices that improve students鈥� life chances for all priorities in the District Strategic Plan.

Health and Safety: 糖心Swag will continue to support worksite supervisors with the effective implementation of Prismatic software and expansion of the use of this program; we will expand and refine our training programs with the goal of improving our response to areas of growth as they relate to claims and inspection reports.

Appendix C: District Successes, Needs, and Adjustments for Success in 2023-2024 (Detailed)

Systems Development: Allocating Resources Responsibly, Fairly, and Sustainably Through Operations

Successes

In our multiple departments, highlights of our successes in 2022-2023 are:  

Human Resources: In collaboration with senior leadership, we created a revised professional learning and support program for school based leaders; developed a more efficient onboarding process for all teachers and will directly support hard-to-fill positions as per the District Strategic Plan; began working with a provider to create more efficient storage of employee documentation and improve workflow and communications between Finance and Human Resources; developed a and created an education and training program for all employees that will be implemented in 2023-2024; worked on employee and Health and Safety administrative procedures for compliance with changing legislation.

Transportation: 糖心Swag continues to utilize technology to build and optimize bus routes to ensure that the District is adhering to and is also meeting the needs of families. The maintenance schedule has been updated to routinely meet the needs of a growing fleet of maintenance vehicles and school buses. GPS is installed in each school bus to monitor idling and to ensure that times for pick up and drop off for students is according to the schedule. 糖心Swag was also able to provide Safety Training in all elementary schools to ensure that the youngest riders were aware of the safety aspects and behavior expected while riding the bus. 

IT Services: 糖心Swag IT Services Department has partnered with schools to replace old computer hardware with equipment that has longer lifetimes and is better supported by the Department. We have utilized bulk purchasing agreements, with technology such as chromebooks, for cost savings across all departments and schools. The Wide Area Network infrastructure was updated to improve internet quality to schools. The IT Department also improved communications with school and district staff by creating a 鈥淜nown Problems and Outages鈥� page on the district website. We also prototyped a new VOIP telephone system at Ralph Bell Elementary which will save money and increase telephone reliability. We also completed the first phase of a three phase plan to renew the Video Conferencing system in rural schools.

Facilities: 糖心Swag continues to be one of the fastest growing Districts in BC, and as such has had to anticipate and accommodate a growing student population. During the 2022-2023 school year, the expansion of Valleyview Secondary was completed providing an additional 525 seats for students and removed the requirement of 12 portable classrooms in which they previously learned for years. All of these portables were reallocated to other schools to manage the increase in student population. Ralph Bell Elementary received a refresh from maintenance, grounds and information technology departments and reopened in September 2022 to provide additional space for students living in the Valleyview and Juniper Ridge communities. Other major capital projects in progress in 2022-2023 include the Parkcrest Elementary School rebuild, funding approval and consultation on Pineview Valley Elementary, installation of new playgrounds at Heffley Creek Elementary and Ralph Bell Elementary, and the creation of two new child care facilities at Ralph Bell Elementary and at the Happyvale school site. The Ministry of Education and Child Care announced additional funding for the 2023-2024 school year called the Feeding Futures Fund. This fund is to ensure that students have access to meal programs and snacks. School leaders were surveyed during June to gather data on the capital needs to expand or create a meal program. 糖心Swag submitted the Food Infrastructure Program under the Ministry鈥檚 Minor Capital Program prior to the June 30 deadline.

Community Partnerships: 糖心Swag continued to partner with municipalities, local companies, and community agencies to improve and create solutions for shared commitments and sustainability of resources. As examples, 糖心Swag continues to partner with the City of Kamloops to update and review the Joint Use Agreement; update and review the terms of the Community Land Trust; support the Parkcrest Elementary School rebuild; collaborate on the Pineview Valley Elementary Community Engagement Committee; expanding Child Care Facilities; expand the KCN fibre network with focus on the North Shore. In addition, 糖心Swag works with partners at BC transit, Ministry of Transportation, and road maintenance companies to ensure roads were maintained in the winter months and procedures were put in place to alert the District office in the situation where there were road closures. This communication between partners ensures that parents, schools, and local First Nations are advised if there is a road closure or incident concerning students. 糖心Swag was fortunate to be a valuable partner in both the Canada 55+ Games and Special Olympics BC Winter Games. District facilities, school buses and staff were utilized to ensure both of these events were organized to accommodate and transport the athletes around the City of Kamloops to various hotels, events, and venues.

Health and Safety: To ensure all staff, students, and parents feel safe, welcomed, and connected to schools, we: educated all school and district administration on fire safety guidelines and monitored implementation; completed radon testing in a large percentage of district worksites in collaboration with Interior Health; continued with Prismatic implementation which is providing the District with data that allows us to address concerns in a timely manner and celebrate safety committee successes; the Violence Prevention Committee met throughout the year with the goal of creating worksites that ensure that we report incidences, respond to incidences, and re-evaluate our practices in a timely manner that prevents workplace violence in all our worksites; continued with hearing tests, asbestos management programs, and a range of other safety training; provided staff wellness activities monthly such as yoga, general fitness, ice hockey, pickleball, pilates, canoeing, and tennis; worked with bus drivers in the school to provide school bus safety training to kindergarten students and their bus buddies; trained all bus drivers do emergency evacuation training with their regular riders so they know what to do in the event of an emergency.

Communications: To ensure that we communicated progress on District Plan priorities, we published stories with a clear connection to the District Strategic Plan, and we have connected those stories to internal and external platforms (website, Intranet, social media, print media, media advisories, and stories); created parallel strategic plans with department work plans; kept the strategic priorities alive (i.e., Transportation uses a 鈥渄river鈥檚 board鈥�; in person meetings; operations and support managers meetings (i.e., share progress on the plan and keep everyone aware of progress and areas of need); and annual reports that enable the Board to learn about and monitor progress are available here.

Financial Services: 糖心Swag redesigned the 2023-2024 Annual Budget Presentation to align with the 2022-2027 District Strategic Plan Priorities and created a live budget reporting structure for senior district staff for better departmental monitoring and oversight of expenditures and resources to enable re-allocation, when necessary. The annual budgeting model for staffing was reviewed with school leaders in an effort to discuss alternate allocations. 糖心Swag prepared the first year end projection under  forecasting from March 31, 2023 actual results reported on the GRE to estimated June 30, 2023 results. In partnership with the International Student Program, 糖心Swag launched a new online payment service through FlyWire allowing for easier reconciliation of payments and an easier process for parents, students, and agents to pay online. 糖心Swag also amended  to align to current Ministry requirements. The Ministry of Education and Child Care provided additional funding to enhance support for students and families. The Student and Family Affordability fund for the 2022-2023 school year provided funding for school supplies and enhancement fees, athletics and field trips. The Financial Services team worked with all schools to ensure parents were offered the financial support in a stigma free manner and assisted schools with the financial recording and reporting.

Areas of Need

Human Resources: High levels of staff absenteeism continue to impact all departments under Systems Development with both operational and financial implications for the District. Recruitment for hard to fill positions in all three employee groups continues to create both a recruitment and retention challenge. The large number of legislative requirements for safety puts increased pressure on the department and worksites. The volume of new hires puts challenges on our training and support for all employee groups and our Human Resources staff tasked with supporting these new hires and the processes required for supporting the life cycle of the employees.

Transportation: 糖心Swag continues to see staff turnover with increased levels of absenteeism and retirements. Difficulties in the recruitment of new drivers is further impacted by the elimination of a local driver training program. 糖心Swag has experienced increased costs for equipment, parts, fuel, and freight.

IT Services: Increases in the costs of freight, replacement parts and materials over the last year has made it more difficult and expensive to maintain or update our infrastructure. 

Facilities: 糖心Swag has experienced difficulties in recruitment and retention of specialty trades positions. The Internal Work Order system requires revisions to allow for better dialogue between school and site supervisors requesting work and the Facilities Department. 糖心Swag has experienced increased costs of supplies, equipment, and utilities.

Financial Services: 糖心Swag continues to experience increased levels of reporting requirements and legislative changes increasing workloads within the Financial Services department. Growth within the District鈥檚 enrolment, the addition of child care to the Ministry of Education and Child Care, new funding programs (Student and Family Affordability Fund, Feeding Future School Foods Program) has increased workloads for the Financial Services team. The District will continue to review these trends to better understand the impacts. The Ministry鈥檚 Student and Family Affordability Fund had lessons to learn. For example, the funding required a cohesive approach with one central staff member to offer parents and families assistance with the rising costs of food, student activities, and school fees. The Fund also required the District to review modules available through SchoolCash to more efficiently allow parents to choose to receive assistance with fees.

Communications: 糖心Swag was in it鈥檚 first year of a new strategic plan, and we need to ensure balanced representation of stories across District departments and schools.

Health and Safety: The five year WorkSafe Employer report shows increased costs and an increased number of claims; the volume of employees applying for, and being approved for, long term and short term leaves creates financial pressures on the district and pressures on the department regarding the volume of work required on a monthly basis; continue to support worksites with resources (e.g. ice cleats) to prevent slips, trips, and falls (the largest claim in our annual Employer Report).

Adjustments/Adaptations for Success

Human Resources: We will monitor the effectiveness of the professional learning and support program for school based leaders to determine the level of positive impact it is having; the district provided additional steno support to the department and that FTE is being used to create greater efficiencies and better workflows; we continue to implement and refine our dispatch processes to ensure all worksites have staff absences filled; the department team continues to focus our work on the District Strategic Plan at weekly meetings and through visual reminders in our department area; develop and implement an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) demographic tracking system to ensure we are meeting our Administrative Procedure and Collective Agreement commitments; work closely with the Financial Services department to ensure compliance with respect to changing legislation such as the Pay Transparency Act.

Transportation: 糖心Swag will research and develop alternative training options for drivers. The department continues to seek cost-saving alternatives for fuel, supplies, equipment, and freight however, costs for these items continue to increase. Existing bus routes will continue to be reviewed annually to ensure they adhere to and meet the needs of a growing district.

IT Services: IT Services will continue to leverage bulk purchasing and put a higher emphasis on homogeneity of technology to reduce the freight and maintenance costs for all district equipment. We will also encourage and support staff professional development to ensure sustainable solutions of the highest quality that fulfill the Districts needs are implemented and maintained.

Facilities: 糖心Swag strives to ensure there is a full complement of trades and grounds staff to support District facilities. This department continues to seek cost-saving alternatives for supplies, equipment, and freight. 糖心Swag will continue to proactively plan for capital projects (as evidenced by the Long-Range Facilities Plan Report), including the building of new schools, portable classroom placements, and facility upgrades.

Financial Services: 糖心Swag will review work flows and procedures to find operational efficiencies in financial reporting. The District鈥檚 annual Financial Statement and Discussion Analysis report for 2022-2023 better aligns with the District Strategic Plan priorities. The creation of the District鈥檚 first Multi-Year Financial Plan under  will enable the District to plan for student growth, and will support the District鈥檚 goals, desired outcomes, and implementation of strategies. Lessons learned in the implementation of the Student and Family Affordability Fund will be applied to the new Feeding Futures Fund Program launching in September 2023. The launch of a new SchoolCash module will better assist families and schools in resource allocation and financial reporting. The Financial Services department will ensure the District is compliant with changing legislation such as the Pay Transparency Act, the Asset Retirement Obligation, and the changes to the Canadian Auditing Standards.

Communications: We will continue to publish weekly stories that show values-in-action in schools and departments. We will increase website and media public participation (accessing or commenting) on content.

Health and Safety: We will continue to support worksite supervisors with the effective implementation of Prismatic software and expansion of the use of this program; we will expand and refine our training programs with the goal of improving our response to areas of growth as they relate to claims and inspection reports.