• student health
• student outcomes
• student success
• continuity of learning
• learning

The Framework for Enhancing Student Learning Policy and accompanying Enhancing Student Learning Reporting Order came into effect September 1, 2020.

Summary of New K-12 Public Education Financial Planning and Reporting Policy and Accumulated Operating Surplus Policy (May 2021)

Background

The Independent Panel of the K-12 Provincial Education Funding Model Review made 22 recommendations to improve accountability, financial management and equity in the K-12 education sector. Government accepted the recommendations and launched Phase 1 of the implementation plan in February 2020. The two new financial management policies are part of the Phase 1 actions. Ministry of Education staff worked closely with the Financial Management Committee, (6 representatives from the BC Association of School Business Officials and one from the First Nations Education Steering Committee) to co-develop and finalize both policies. Ministry staff have also consulted with the BC School Trustees Association, BC School Superintendents Association and Métis Nation BC to finalize the policies.

What Do the New Policies Mean for School Boards?

• Most boards are already doing what the policies require so there are no significant changes for them. The policies present an opportunity to revisit existing policies, procedures and reporting to strengthen board processes in financial management.
• There will be a phased, supported implementation of both policies with no change to reporting for 2020/21 or planning for 2021/22. The Ministry will provide direction on what needs to be done, and when, including guidelines and education for district staff and trustees on what the changes mean.

The K-12 Public Education Financial Planning and Reporting Policy

The K-12 Public Education Financial Planning and Reporting Policy directs boards to develop multi-year financial plans that identify how funding and resources will support board strategic plans, operational needs of school districts and improved educational outcomes for students. The Ministry will provide guidance and resources, as needed, to help boards build and maintain multi-year financial plans.

To enable greater transparency, boards must develop, publish and maintain a local board policy that describes how they will engage with and report out to education partner and stakeholder groups, including local First Nations and Metis Nation BC, on their multi-year financial plans.

The Ministry has a robust annual school district financial reporting framework the boards use to meet their reporting requirements as specified in the School Act and to align with the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act. Boards will use this existing financial reporting framework to annually report on boards’ progress towards meeting board objectives as outlined in their multi-year financial plans (i.e., enhanced student educational outcomes and other operational needs of the school board).

The K-12 Public Education Accumulated Operating Surplus Policy

The K-12 Public Education Accumulated Operating Surplus Policy ensures consistency, transparency and accountability for the use and reporting of operating funding that is not used in the year in which it was provided. It acknowledges that it is appropriate for boards to maintain an operating surplus to manage financial risk and the accumulation and holding of appropriate operating surpluses by school districts is a component of sound financial and strategic planning.

The policy outlines the process for the accumulation, spending and reporting of operating surplus funds and the boards’ engagement with their local community and education-partner groups, including local First Nations and Métis Nation BC so they are aware of the process. It requires boards to monitor and report on their management of operating surplus and provides information and guidelines to boards around operating surplus categories.

The policy ensures that when boards restrict surplus funds it is done for specific purposes with identified timelines. It also creates a mechanism for boards, if they wish, to set aside funding for approved capital projects after other priorities have been addressed.

The Enhancing Student Learning Policy and Ministerial Order will hold boards of education more accountable and ensure student outcomes are the focus of their strategic and operational plans. We encourage parents/guardians to read both documents. 

Improve educational outcomes for all students
Boards of education will set, create and maintain a strategic plan, annually report on student outcomes and put systems in place to continuously improve the educational outcomes for all students and improve equity for Indigenous students, children and youth in care, and students with disabilities or diverse abilities.

Focus on The Educated Citizen
The preamble to the School Act and the Statement of Education Policy Order (Mandate for the School System) states, the purpose of the British Columbia school system is to enable all learners to become literate, to develop their individual potential and to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to a healthy, democratic and pluralistic society and a prosperous and sustainable economy. To achieve this purpose, we have a collective mandate to develop the Educated Citizen defined as the intellectual, human and social and career development of every student.

Enable through capacity building, strategic planning, coordinated implementation and reporting
In order to ensure a system-wide focus on continuously improving educational outcomes for all students, this policy specifies the responsibilities for the Ministry and boards of education with respect to strategic planning and reporting of educational outcomes. The policy also identifies ways that the Ministry, boards, Indigenous peoples and other education partners can contribute to improving educational outcomes in the K-12 education system.

In June 2020 the BC School Trustees Association (BCSTA) posted an updated Guide to School Legislation in British Columbia. These Guides contains factual summaries of the key legislation that governs education in BC. 

The Guide contains factual summaries of the key legislation that governs education in BC. In each subject area, the Guide contains an overview of the legislation in simple, basic terms, and includes references to the relevant sections of Acts, Regulations and Orders. Many sections include context information (e.g. statistics, history) to help the reader understand how the legislation connects to the school system.

This Guide contains many references to enactments: Acts, Bills, Regulations, Ministerial orders. Readers who wish to consult the primary sources may wish to consult the Ministry of Education’s Manual of School Law which includes most of these enactments. Another helpful resource for BC legislation is the BC Laws website. The Guide is a non-legal summary published for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a legal text, and persons with specific questions or who are faced with particular situations should seek qualified legal advice.

Below are the guides most relevant to parents/guardians and families.

Part 1 - The Student and the School

Part 2 - Parents and Community

Part 3 - The Teacher

Part 4 - Non-Teaching Employees

Part 5 - Board of Education

Part 6 - School Trustees

Part 7 - The Ministry of Education

Part 8 - Board Finance and Property

Part 12 - Indigenous Education

Appendix - Acts & Resources

• parent education
• advocacy
• student health
• student achievement
• student safety
• public education
• COVID19

• parent education
• advocacy
• student health
• student achievement
• student safety
• public education
• COVID19

• parent education
• advocacy
• funding
• funding model

​Recommendations from the Ministry of Education's funding model review Working Groups were released in October 2019.
Read the reports:

Financial Management
Adult and Continuing Education
Inclusive Education
Online Learning

• parent education
• advocacy
• funding
• funding model

Under the Teachers Act, the BC Teachers' Council (BCTC) is responsible for:

• Setting standards for teachers and educators in B.C., including education, competence and professional conduct requirements
• Setting standards for post-secondary teacher education programs
• Reviewing and approving post-secondary teacher education programs

In June 2019 there was an update to the Professional Standards for BC Educators. They replace the Standards for the Education, Competence and Professional Conduct of Educators in BC. Educators have a level of autonomy, are accountable for their actions, and must act in the public interest. An educator’s practice is governed by the ethics and principles outlined in these Professional Standards. The Professional Standards serve both as ideals to which educators aspire and expectations to which certificate holders can be reasonably held. Standards 1 to 8 have been updated to reflect current terminology and further enhance concepts of diversity and inclusion in BC’s classrooms. Standard 9 is new and honours the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This new Standard carries with it the aspiration and expectation that BC educators strive towards truth, reconciliation and healing, acknowledging the history and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis in Canada, and confirms educators’ commitment to the success of First Nations, Inuit and Métis students.  The actualization of the Professional Standards requires a shared commitment across BC’s education system to provide educators with the necessary learning opportunities, resources and supports to ensure the success of students.

Education Standards Handout

Education Standards Document

 

 

We presented to the Independent Panel re the Funding Model Review. Read our submission. 

The British Columbia School Trustees Association (BCSTA) serves and supports their members, BC’s boards of education (trustees), in their work of improving student achievement. At the local level, BCSTA provides professional development, legal counsel and communications. Provincially, their non-profit association acts as boards’ strong, unified voice in advocating to government, other education partners and the public on matters affecting public education.

Read about the Role of Boards of Education and Trustees

Their members set the directions for advocacy and all other aspects of BCSTA’s work on their behalf. Members do this via resolutions at their annual general meeting in the spring, and at smaller Provincial Council governance meetings over the year. Members enact bylaws to govern BCSTA’s internal procedures and policies to guide our advocacy.

British Columbia is a large province with many communities, each having different priorities, needs and unique educational requirements. British Columbians elect their boards of education (trustees) to improve student achievement according to the diverse needs of these communities. As locally elected representatives, the trustees on these boards best understand their respective communities’ particular strengths, challenges and demands. Trustees engage their communities in building and maintaining a school system that reflects local priorities, values and expectations. School trustees listen to their communities, guide the work of their school district and set plans, policies and the annual budget. Reflecting the strength of local representation, boards report back to their communities on how students are doing. Boards are directly accountable to the people they serve.

 

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