BC Guide for Independent Schools

This section includes:

• Student Records
• Reporting Requirements
• Electronic Transfer of Data
• Reporting Requirements for Funding Purposes
• School Closure
• Calendar of Reporting Deadlines

Student Records

The Independent School Act and the Regulations and Orders made under the Act provide few directives on matters pertaining to student records; therefore, it is incumbent that the enrolling school authorities create and maintain student records policy.

Legal and public expectations regarding the confidentiality, disclosure and transfer of student records are increasing. To assist independent school authorities with their responsibility to ensure that student record information is handled appropriately, the Inspector of Independent Schools, in consultation with the Federation of Independent School Associations (FISA), developed the document, Student Records: Requirements and Best Practice Guidelines for Independent Schools (61KB PDF).

Reporting Requirements

The Inspector requires all independent schools to submit data as required for statistical purposes no later than October 15 each year. The information collected will reflect the school as it was on September 30.

Data required by October 5:

School Data Collection Form (1601) (48KB PDF)
This form is used to collect the school demographics (name, address and email), name of the principal, elementary and secondary headcount and FTE educators; school organization, number of elementary divisions and number of secondary students receiving instruction at a distance, directly or a combination of both. The information from this form is used in a number of ways: funding considerations; communications regarding characteristics of schools; demographics of independent schools; and, calculation of average class size statistics and Ministry communications.

Independent School Authority Information Data Collection Form (1602)
(64KB PDF)
This form is used to collect and update information on the name, address and email of independent school authorities. It is also used to determine the standing of the authority with the Registrar of Companies.

Student Data Collection Form (1701) (64KB PDF)
This form is required for each student enrolled in the independent school and each homeschooled child registered with the school each school year as of September 30 and early March (please see K to 12 Data Collection web site for posted deadline dates). This form collects information about individual students: name; birth date; gender and grade level; ESL program enrolment; and, number of courses for all enrolled secondary level students, adults and school-age students with graduation certificates. The collected information is critical for: calculating the provincial education budget; allocating funds to independent schools; tracking student movement between public and independent schools; and, movement between provinces, and enrolment trends.

Independent School Teacher and Principal Information Report (I-2001)
(64KB PDF)
This form is used to collect the following information on educators employed in Groups 1, 2 and 4 independent schools: demographic data; experience; and, certification. This information is used to analyze educator supply and demand and to produce various reports about educator characteristics.

Electronic Transfer of Data

Independent schools are to electronically transfer their data to the Ministry by e-mail. Schools must use either software purchased from a certified vendor or the Ministry verification software to create the file. Data created with any other software package will not be accepted.

For more details refer to the Ministry information on data collection.

Reporting Requirements for Funding Purposes - required by October 15

For funding purposes, the following forms must be submitted:

• Group 1 and Distributed Learning schools are required, in addition to the above, to have their auditor (a person qualified under section 180 of the Business Corporation Act) complete a Statement of per Student Operating Costs covering the previous school year. This form is to be forwarded to the Office of the Inspector of Independent Schools by October 15. This form is required for Group 1 and Distributed Learning eligibility (Independent School Regulation, section 2 (2)/Independent School Distributed Learning Project Conditional Grant Agreement).
• Group 1 and 2 schools must record student attendance and are required to have their auditor (a person qualified under section 180 of the Business Corporation Act) complete the Eligible Student (ES) Audit Form as of May 15. This form must be forwarded to the Office of the Inspector of Independent Schools by June 15. The information is required for the calculation of the school's June 30 grant payment (Independent School Regulation, section 2 (1)).
• Each authority of a Group 1 and 2 school must submit a "Direct Deposit Application". The form designates a bank account for direct electronic funds transfer from the government to the bank account of the school authority.

School Closure

If a school closes permanently, the school must forward student records to the schools where students will be enrolled.

If the new enrolling school is not known, and

• the authority continues to operate other school(s), then it retains the records at the operating school, or
• the authority does not continue to operate a school, then the records are forwarded to the Office of the Inspector of Independent Schools for Safekeeping (Inspector's Order 1/98, the Reports, Records and Data Submission Order, section 2).

Required items in a permanent student record are defined in Student Records: Requirements and Best Practice Guidelines for Independent Schools (61KB PDF).

Calendar of Reporting Deadlines

August 30	Data Collection Forms (1601, 1602, 1701, I-2001) are forwarded to schools.
First Week of October	Please refer to page 2 of the Independent School Special Education Grant Fall Application form for the specific due date for new students and appeals of pre-approval applications. All Group 1 and 2 schools wishing to apply for special education grants must submit application forms and required documentation.
October (as specified)	Deadline for submitting Statement of per Student Operating Costs Form covering the previous school year for: Group 1 schools (only schools desiring Group 1 classification need to complete and return this form) all new schools who have been operating for one full year as a Group 3 school, applying for the first time for a funded classification Distributed Learning Schools
First Week of October	Deadline for submitting Data Collection Forms (1601, 1602, 1701, I-2001). Please use Ministry verification software to verify, correct and finalize data.
Mid-October	Deadline for submitting a Direct Deposit Application Form. Schools receiving funding for the first time and schools that have changed bank accounts should return this form by the specified date.
End of October	Good Standing Check: School Authorities must file their annual report with the Registrar of Companies to maintain good standing under the Society Act. The Annual Report (Form 11) must be filed within thirty days of the annual general meeting. The Office of the Inspector of Independent Schools will follow up on the status of each School Authority's "good standing" with the Registrar of Companies.
Mid-February	Collection of mid-year student enrolment data (Form 1701: Student Data Collection).
Mid-February	Please refer to page 2 of the Independent School Special Education Grant Mid-Year Application form for the specific due date for Pre-approval Applications. All Group 1 and 2 schools wishing to apply for special education grants must submit application forms and required documentation.
First Week of May	Please refer to page 2 of the Independent School Special Education Grant Pre-Approval Application form for the specific due date for Pre-approval Applications. All Group 1 and 2 schools wishing to apply for special education grants must submit application forms and required documentation.
Mid-June	Deadline for return of Qualifying Student-Audit Forms (based on May 15th enrolment) for calculation of June 30th school operational grant payment.