Term

Definition

Aboriginal Education Programs and Services

Are Aboriginal Language and Culture programs, Aboriginal Support Services, or other Ministry approved Aboriginal Programs. For more information see the 1701 Form instructions.

Such programs and services are articulated in Enhancement Agreements, developed collaboratively by the board of education and district Aboriginal communities. Enhancement Agreements are signed by the board of education, the Aboriginal communities, and the Ministry of Education. By 2005 all Boards of Education and district Aboriginal communities should have entered into such agreements.

Aboriginal Student

"Aboriginal student" refers to students who have reported themselves as Aboriginal.

Accreditation

A process involving all BC public schools, focusing on school improvement and accountability. The process involves participation in a school self-assessment, the development of a school growth plan, and evaluation by an external team. Student outcomes (knowledge, skills, and attitudes), parent/teacher satisfaction, and community satisfaction are examined and reported.

Adult

Board/Authority Authorized (BAA) Courses

Board of School Trustees, or Board of Education

An elected board of trustees as constituted under the School Act. Board and board of education are defined in section 1 of the School Act.

Career Programs

A process whereby all students enrolled with a Board of Education are entitled to undertake a free Challenge process to assess their prior learning for any Ministry developed graduation program course offered by any Board of Education in the Province that school year, as well as any Board Authorized (BAA) course taught in the enrolling district that school year, provided the student has not already challenged the course and received a passing grade, or completed the course through previous enrolment, or granted equivalency for the course, see Earning Credit through Equivalency, Challenge, External Credentials, Post-Secondary Credit and Independent Directed Studies Policy.

-or –

A formal complaint to the Ministry concerning the appropriateness of a Recommended learning resource.

CommunityLINK

Student enrolment audits conducted by the Funding & Compliance Branch of the Resource Management Division to:

• provide assurance to the ministry and school boards that ministry policy is being followed;
• promote compliance with ministry funding directives; and
• support the accurate allocation of education funds based on the funding formula.

Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF)

The CSF is BC's only francophone education authority. It was established in 1995 to meet BC's obligation under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to enable francophones to manage their own education programs. Students enrolled in CSF schools are taught the same standard curriculum as any other BC student; however, they receive their instruction in French, and have an added linguistic and cultural component.

Continuing Education

An education program offered by school districts, primarily for adults, leading to either secondary school completion or the upgrading of a current graduation certificate.

Criminal Records Check

Curriculum

What students are expected to know and be able to do at each grade in each subject. Boards of Education are required to address these expectations.

The applicable educational program guide set out in the Educational Program Guide Order, and the subjects set out in the Required Areas of Study in an Educational Program Guide Order or a Board developed program or a Board Authorized Course.

Curriculum is defined in the Student Progress Report Order for the purposes of that Order.

Distance Education

Course work that takes place without a requirement for the learner to be physically present in a traditional classroom setting. Instruction occurs through correspondence, telecommunications, or other electronic media and is provided throughout the year, permitting a flexible schedule. Distance education courses are available to public and non-public K -12 school students. Note: this term has been replaced in the School Act with the term distributed learning.

District Approved

Distributed Learning

Diversity

is an overarching concept that reflects a philosophy of equitable participation and an appreciation of the contributions of all people. It is a concept that refers both to our uniqueness as individuals and to our sense of belonging or identification within a group or groups.

Diversity refers to the ways in which we differ from each other. Some of these differences may be visible (e.g. race, ethnicity, gender, age, ability), while others are less visible (e.g. culture, ancestry, language, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, socio-economic background).

Goals or purposes for Diversity include:

• taking into account the different beliefs, customs, practices, languages, behaviours and physical differences of individuals and cultural groups
• encouraging understanding, acceptance, mutual respect and inclusion, in order to make school communities and society as a whole more equitable for all people

Dogwood Diploma

A certificate granted to students who meet secondary school graduation requirements by successfully completing Grade 11 and 12 required courses (Foundation Studies) and elective courses (Selected Studies). Also known as the British Columbia Certificate of Graduation. The Student Credentials Order set out the requirements for receiving the British Columbia Certificate of Graduation.

English Language Learning (ELL)

Designed for students whose use of English is sufficiently different from standard English that they require specialized language services in order to be successful in the British Columbia school system.

Instruction provided to assist students to become proficient in English and to prepare them to achieve the expected learning outcomes of the provincial curriculum.

External Credentials

Fine Arts

Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA)

A large-scale provincial assessment for students in Grades 4 and 7, covering reading, writing and numeracy.

This assessment is administered annually to all students in Grades 4, 7, and 10. It measures student achievement in reading comprehension, first draft writing, and numeracy.

Foundation Studies

A common core of learning comprised of provincially prescribed curriculum to ensure that all students learn to read, write, and do basic mathematics, solve problems, and use computer-based technology. These basic skills are emphasized through studies in English, mathematics, science, social studies, fine arts, and applied skills from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Refers to credits earned in the following subject areas:

• Language Arts 11 (4 credits)
• Language Arts 12 (4 credits)
• Social Studies (4 credits)
• Mathematics (4 credits)
• Science (4 credits)
• Fine Arts (2 credits)
• Applied Skills (2 credits)
• Career and Personal Planning (4 credits; in either Grade 11 or 12, students must earn 1 credit for 30 hours of work experience)

(Foundation studies are discussed in the Graduation Requirements Order, but not in the Graduation Program Order.)

Francophone student

Funding Allocation System

The system the provincial government uses to allocate funds to the school districts for public education. The yearly amounts are derived through a formula based on a student base allocation plus supplementary grants.

Homeschool

Students may be taught at home without the supervision of a school, but are registered with a public, francophone, distance education, or independent school or with the Ministry as required by section 13 of the School Act.

Independent School

A person or organization outside the public school system providing an educational program to 10 or more school-age students. These schools are governed by the Independent School Act and are grouped into four classifications. Group 1 schools offer programs consistent with the BC curriculum, employ certified teachers, maintain adequate education facilities, and meet municipal codes. They receive per-student grants at 50 per cent of the student costs of local public schools. [Group 2 schools meet the same requirements as Group 1 schools, but receive student grants at the 35 per cent level because their per-student costs exceed those of the local public schools.] Group 3 schools must maintain adequate facilities that meet municipal codes; Offer an education program; all employees must have a criminal record check; and they do not receive provincial grants. Group 4 schools cater to non-provincial students. They meet the same curriculum requirements as Group 1 and 2 schools. These schools must be bonded and are not eligible for grants.

Integrated Resource Package

An educational document that provides some basic information required by K -12 teachers to implement a subject/course. It contains provincially prescribed learning outcomes (also known as provincially prescribed curriculum), suggested instructional strategies for achieving learning outcomes, suggested assessment strategies, and provincially recommended learning resources. See the Educational Program Guide Order for more information.

International Students

Students who have moved from outside of Canada to British Columbia and do not meet the residency requirements of Section 82 of the School Act.

For the purposes of the International Student Graduation Credit Policy 2009, an international an international student is a student from outside of Canada who is in British Columbia for the purpose of obtaining an educational program, is not ordinarily resident in British Columbia or eligible for provincial or federal funding, and whose language of instruction in the previous two years of education was neither French nor English.

Locally Developed Programs

Section 85(2)(1) of the School Act gives Boards of Education the authority to offer education programs that are developed locally to suit the specific needs of the community. As much as 20 per cent of curriculum can be made up of locally developed programs.

Parent Advisory Council (PAC)

Under section 8 of the School Act, parents may establish an advisory council for the school their child attends. Through elected officers, the council may advise the board, principal, and staff on any matters relating to the school.

Passport to Education

means a performance scale, as described in section 1 of the Student Progress Report Order, represented either as a graph or described in words, that shows progress in relation to the expected learning outcomes,

1. for students in Kindergarten, as "Approaching", "Meeting" or "Exceeding" expectations, and
2. for students in Grades 1 to 3 as "Not yet meeting", "Approaching", "Meeting", or "Exceeding" expectations

Recorded information about an identifiable individual, including:

(a) the individual's name, address or telephone number,
(b) the individual's race, national or ethnic origin, colour, or religious or political beliefs or associations,
(c) the individual's age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status or family status,
(d) an identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned to the individual,
(e) the individual's fingerprints, blood type or inheritable characteristics,
(f) information about the individual's health care history, including a physical or mental disability,
(g) information about the individual's educational, financial, criminal or employment history,
(h) anyone else's opinions about the individual, and
(i) the individual's personal views or opinions, except if they are about someone else.

Planned program of studies

Applies to the 1995 Graduation Program. If a student on the 1995 Graduation Program takes a course that has a related examination, the examination must be taken in order to earn credit for the course.

Measure student performance in selected Grade 12 academic courses. Some independent schools in BC and some public schools in the Yukon also participate. Provincial examinations are currently held in November, January, April, June, and August.

A specific type of provincial large-scale assessment designed to allow individual students to demonstrate they have met provincial graduation requirements. There are two types of Provincial Examinations, each related to a specific graduation program: the term "Graduation Program Examinations" applies to the 2004 Graduation Program; the term "Provincial Grade 12 Examinations" applies to the 1995 Graduation Program.

Provincially Prescribed Curriculum

The provincially prescribed (required) curriculum is contained within Integrated Resource Packages (IRPs) in the form of learning outcomes. These are statements of what students are expected to know and be able to do in each grade. They describe the knowledge, enduring ideas, issues, concepts, skills, and attitudes for each subject. All learning outcomes complete the stem: "It is expected that students will ..."

Public School

A body of students, teachers, other staff, and facilities organized as a unit for educational purposes under the supervision of an administrative officer and administered by a district board of education. Types of public schools include standard, continuing education, and distributed learning schools.

Defined in section 1 of the Student Progress Report Order are comments describing:

1. what the student is able to doareas in which the student requires further attention or development, and
2. ways of supporting the student in his or her learning.

Credits that must be earned in the following subject areas:

• a Language Arts 10 (4 credits)
• a Language Arts 11 (4 credits)
• a Language Arts 12 (4 credits)
• a Social Studies 10 (4 credits)
• a Social Studies 11 or 12 (4 credits)
• a Mathematics 10 (4 credits)
• a Mathematics 11 or 12 (4 credits)
• a Science 10 (4 credits)
• a Science 11 or 12 (4 credits)
• Physical Education 10 (4 credits)
• Fine Arts and/or an Applied Skills 10, 11, or 12 (4 credits)
• Planning 10 (4 credits)

School Age Student

School District

A geographic area constituted as a district under the School Act. There are currently 59 school districts and the Francophone Education Authority in the province.

Special Education

Refers to a range of student support services provided by school districts to respond to the educational needs of its students, particularly those who are gifted or have a disability.

Dependent Handicapped (A)
Deafblind (B)

(See the K-12 Form Instructions for additional information)

Moderate to Profound Intellectual Disabled (C)
Physically Disabled, Chronic Health Impaired (D)
Visually Impaired (E)
Deaf/Hearing Impaired (F)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (G)

(See the K-12 Form Instructions for additional information)

Intensive Behaviour Interventions
Serious Mental Illness (H)

(See the K-12 Form Instructions for additional information)

Special Needs, Students with

Students who have a disability of an  intellectual, physical, sensory, emotional or behavioural nature, have a learning disability, or have exceptional gifts or talents, as defined in the Manual of Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines, Section E.

A free early learning program located in schools, for preschool children accompanied by parent, other adult family member or caregiver, created through an agreement between school districts and the Ministry of Education.

Student of Aboriginal Ancestry

For the purpose of this funding policy, is defined as a school-age student who has self-identified as being of Aboriginal Ancestry (First Nations, status and non status; Métis; and Inuit). Aboriginal identification must be made on a voluntary basis.

Student Learning Plan

A document listing the courses or components of a student’s program of studies meeting Required Areas of Study or Graduation Program Order requirements.