The Ministry of Education is responsible for demonstrating the effectiveness of the educational system from a province-wide perspective. The following initiatives and programs provide a clear picture of how well the school system is serving British Columbians, and a basis for making improvements at each level of the system.

Accountability Framework

District Annual Reports: Each school board must include in its annual report a set of key indicators of student and school performance, such as: district graduation rates, participation rates in provincial examinations, examination results and career preparation enrolments.

Provincial Annual Report: The ministry annually publishes a report that summarizes the general effectiveness of educational programs in the BC education system.

Provincial Learning Assessment Program: The ministry regularly conducts province-wide assessments of student performance in relation to selected areas of the provincial curriculum. The BC Foundation Skills Assessment in reading comprehension, writing and numeracy, is administered annually to students in Grades 4, 7, and 10. Results are provided at the provincial, school district and student level. The ministry conducts assessments in specific subjects on a sample basis.

National and International Assessment: Schools take part in national and international assessments to see how students in BC compare with those in the rest of Canada and the world. The ministry reviews the standards of the provincial education program in light of the performance of BC students on national and international assessments.

Grade 12 Provincial Examinations: The Provincial Examination Program sets provincial standards for student performance on specific Grade 12 courses. It communicates these expected levels of performance to students, teachers and parents, and gives students the opportunity to demonstrate excellence. The results inform decisions made in schools, as well as improvements to the provincial curriculum. Provincial examinations are currently offered in 21 Grade 12 subjects.

Program Evaluations: To ensure that the ministry monitors what is working and what is not in the Kindergarten to Grade 12 education system, the ministry conducts evaluations of selected programs. The results of the evaluations provide a basis for program improvement and policy development.

Performance Planning: Under the terms of the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act the ministry must publish an annually updated three-year performance plan. The performance plan sets long-term goals and objectives, and specific strategies and activities which the ministry will undertake to achieve its goals and objectives. Achievement of the goals and objectives requires the involvement of school boards and schools, as the plan calls for improved results from the education system as a whole. The ministry will use the key performance measures identified in the performance plan to report annually on the achievement of desired outcomes.