Reporting on K-12 Education

 


Glossary of Terms

ABCDEFGHI • J • K • L • M • N • O • P • Q • RST • U • V • W • X • Y • Z

A

Aboriginal Student

A student who has reported him/herself as being of Aboriginal ancestry (First Nations: status and non-status, Metis, and Inuit).

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

Adult Student

A student 20 years of age or older as of June 30 in the school year July 1 - June 30.

 

Adult Graduation Diploma

See British Columbia Adult Graduation Diploma

 

Alternate Programs

Programs that meet the special requirements of students who may be unable to adjust to the requirements of regular schools (for example timetables, schedules or traditional classroom environment). Does not include distributed learning programs or schools.

 

Alternative High School Completion

Certificates of high school level attainment that are alternatives to obtaining a British Columbia Certificate of Graduation include: British Columbia Adult Graduation Diploma, General Educational Development (GED) Secondary Equivalency Certificate, Adult Basic Education (ABE) Provincial Diploma and Letters of Assessment.

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B

British Columbia Adult Graduation Diploma

Granted by the Ministry of Education upon successful completion of the provincial adult graduation requirements. Sometimes referred to as an "Adult Dogwood Diploma".

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

British Columbia Certificate of Graduation

Granted by the Ministry of Education to students who meet the British Columbia secondary school graduation requirements. Sometimes referred to as a "Dogwood Certificate / Dogwood".

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

British Columbia School Completion Certificate

Granted by the Ministry to recognize the accomplishments of students who have succeeded in meeting the goals of their educational program other than graduation.

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

C

Career Programs

Educational programs focusing on a career or career-related area of study, which combine related courses with a work experience component.

 

Class Size

The number of students taking the same course at the same time with the same instructor.

 

Completion Rate

see Six-Year Completion Rate

 

Continuing Education Program

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

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D

Distance Education

see Distributed Learning

 

Distributed Learning

A method of instruction that relies primarily on indirect communication between students and teachers, including internet or other electronic-based delivery, teleconferencing, or correspondence.

 

Distributed Learning School

A school or francophone school that offers instruction by means of distributed learning only.

 

District

see School District

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

Dogwood Certificate / Diploma

see British Columbia Certificate of Graduation

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E

Educator

A teacher, vice-principal, principal, or director of instruction having BC teacher certification.

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

Electronic Programs

see Distributed Learning

 

Enrolment

A record of a student reported to the Ministry as receiving an educational program. A student may be recorded and counted as an enrolment in more than one school. Registered homeschooled children are not included.

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

F

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Student

A measure indicating the proportion of full time participation (full day, full week) in the education system, calculated by adding the FTE values of the enrolments.

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Teacher

A measure equivalent to the number of teachers who work full time in a school.

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G

Grade Range

Schools are organized to provide educational opportunities for students in specific grades or grade ranges. These grade ranges are Elementary (K-7); Elementary - Junior Secondary (K - 10); Elementary - Secondary (K - 12); Junior Secondary (grades 8 - 10); Secondary (grades 8 - 12); Senior Secondary (grades 11 and 12).

 

Grade to Grade Transition Rate

The percentage of students who enter a grade for the first time from a lower grade and make the transition to a higher grade anywhere in the British Columbia school system in the next school year.

 

Graduate Transition

Students who have graduated and moved beyond secondary education. For example post-secondary study, employment, travel or other activities.

 

Graduated Adult

An adult student who has either met the general requirements for graduation in British Columbia or has completed the requirements for graduation from a secondary school or high school in another jurisdiction.

 

Graduation

A Certificate of Graduation is awarded by the Ministry of Education upon successful completion of the provincial graduation requirements.

 

Graduation Completion Rate

see Six-Year Completion Rate

 

Graduation Rate, First-Time Grade 12

A measure of students recorded as being in Grade 12 for the first time in September who then graduate in that same school year.

 

Graduation Rate, Eligible Grade 12

A measure of Grade 12 students who, if they pass all courses in which they have enrolled as of September, will have met all requirements to graduate, and graduate.

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H

Headcount (Students)

A count of unique individuals.

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

Homeschooled (Children)

Children may be taught at home without the supervision of a certified teacher, but are required to be registered with a public, francophone, distributed learning or independent school.

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I

Independent School

A school that is maintained and operated in British Columbia by an authority that provides an educational program to 10 or more school-aged students as outlined in the Independent School Act. All independent schools must hold a valid Certificate of Group Classification issued by the Inspector of Independent Schools.

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

K

Key Information

A collection of the most commonly used statistics about the BC education system published annually in one report.

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

M

Msk

Abbreviation for Mask. When reporting, numbers or percentages must be suppressed if they are elements of a population that is one through four. For more refer to the Policy Document: Protection of Personal Information when Reporting on Small Populations

 

P

Participation Rate (Foundation Skills Assessment)

The number of students who responded to at least one question in the assessment divided by the total number of students in that grade.

 

Participation Rate (provincial examinations)

The number of students who wrote the examination at least once in the school year and are in the same grade as the indicated exam grade level divided by the total number of students who are in the same grade as the indicated exam grade level.

 

Pass (Success) Rate

Students who receive a passing letter grade of A, B, C+, C, or C- as their exam mark in a particular year divided by students who receive a letter grade of A through F as their exam mark in that year. Includes students from all grades who obtained marks in the course of the indicated grade level.

 

Provincial Examinations

Measure student performance in selected Grade 10, 11 and 12 academic courses. Provincial examinations are currently held in November, January, April, June and August.

 

Provincial Resource Program

Provincial Resource Programs (PRP) are designed for students, who, for health or other reasons cannot attend a regular school. These programs are intended to assist districts to meet the educational needs of students in exceptional circumstances. Students are in long term PRPs if they are in the program for longer than three months.

 

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 school board.

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

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R

Regular Graduate

A student who has met the British Columbia graduation requirements.

 

Regular Honours Graduate

A regular graduate who achieves a grade point average (GPA) of greater than 3.0.

 

S

School Completion Rate

see Six-Year Completion Rate

 

School District

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

 

School Year

The school year includes a portion of two regular calendar years. It is the 12 month period commencing on July 1 and ending the following June 30.

 

School Facility

A school building or collection of buildings used for purposes of providing an educational program for students.

 

School Program

An organization having at least one teacher and administrator, which provides educational programs to students.

 

Six-Year Completion Rate

The proportion of students who graduate, with a Certificate of Graduation, within six years from the first time they enrol in Grade 8, adjusted for migration in and out of British Columbia.

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

Special Education Program

A supplemental program is provided by schools to assist students, identified as having “special needs”, in achieving a BC Certificate of Graduation and/or other outcomes as specified in the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).

 

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.

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

Student

A person enrolled in a British Columbia educational program provided by a Board.

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

Student Cohort

A group of students who share particular characteristics and who are tracked over a period of time.

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T

Teacher

A teacher has a BC teaching certificate and is employed by a school board to provide an educational program to students or to administer or supervise the provision of an educational program to students. “Teacher” populations are calculated by headcount.

[Detailed Technical Glossary of Terms]

 

Transition

see Grade to Grade Transition; see Graduate Transition

 

W

Writer

A writer is any person who has written either one or more provincial exams or an FSA assessment.

 

Y

Youth Custody Facilities

Where applicable, the ministry reports performance of students in Youth Custody Facilities where they may have been sent either by court order, or during probation.

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