HANSARD NOVA SCOTIA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS Wednesday, October 24, 2012 LEGISLATIVE CHAMBER Department of Education Nova Scotia Virtual School and Skilled Trades Education Printed and Published by Nova Scotia Hansard Reporting Services Public Accounts Committee Hon. Keith Colwell, Chairman Mr. Howard Epstein, Vice-Chairman Mr. Clarrie MacKinnon Mr. Gary Ramey Mr. Mat Whynott Mr. Brian Skabar Mr. Andrew Younger Mr. Chuck Porter Mr. Allan MacMaster [Ms. Michele Raymond replaced Mr. Brian Skabar] [Hon. Karen Casey replaced Mr. Andrew Younger] [Mr. Eddie Orrell replaced Mr. Chuck Porter] In Attendance: Mrs. Darlene Henry Legislative Committee Clerk Mr. Terry Spicer Assistant Auditor General Mr. Gordon Hebb Chief Legislative Counsel WITNESSES Department of Education Ms. Carole Olsen, Deputy Minister Ms. Ann Blackwood, Director of English Program Services Ms. Shannon Delbridge, Acting Senior Executive Director of Public Schools Ms. Jan Jollymore, Acting Director of Education Funding and Accountability HALIFAX, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012 STANDING COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS 9:00 A.M. CHAIRMAN Hon. Keith Colwell VICE-CHAIRMAN Mr. Howard Epstein MR. CHAIRMAN: Good morning, I’d like to call the meeting to order. We’ll start the meeting this morning with introductions and I’m going to start with Mr. Ramey. [The committee members and witnesses introduced themselves.] MR. CHAIRMAN: We’re going to start the meeting again, as we usually do, and ask the deputy minister if she would give us a brief overview. MS. CAROLE OLSEN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have two topics to present to the committee this morning: one on the skilled trades education and the other on the Nova Scotia Virtual School. I’ll begin with skilled trades education. Thank you for having me here this morning. It’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to speak about the Skilled Trades Program and the Nova Scotia Virtual School. We know that Nova Scotia has a growing demand for skilled workers. The skilled trades sector is one of the highest job opportunity sectors this province has to offer. It is important for young people to be ready and able to take advantage of these opportunities. One of the key aspects of Kids and Learning First is preparing our young people for good jobs and citizenship. 1 4 HANSARD COMM. (PA) WED., OCT. 24, 2012 Our Skilled Trades courses provide a unique opportunity for students to experience the trades as a potential career opportunity. Skilled Trades 10 was first introduced in February 2009 with 131 students. By the end of the last school year, 2011-12, more than 1,600 students had taken Skilled Trades courses. Schools deliver Grades 10 and 11 Skilled Trades courses in custom-designed Skilled Trades Centres. Students experience work in the trades as realistically as possible, in a school setting. They spend approximately 80 per cent of their time working on real projects, using real tools of the trade. They also learn skills such as trades-focused math, measurements, preparing documents and, of course, workplace safety. We hear, from teachers and students alike, how much students gain from this course. One student said: this class has made me realize I’m capable of things I never knew I was able to do. Skilled Trades courses include Skilled Trades 10, Construction Trades 11, Transportation Trades 11, and Skilled Trades 12 Co-Op. A new course, Manufacturing Trades 11, will be introduced in September 2013. Schools have also expressed interest in Culinary Arts 11 for development in the future. These courses are designed by high school teachers and experienced trades educators from the Nova Scotia Community College, with input from industry representatives. They can also provide students with a head start towards a career. The Department of Education and the Department of Labour and Advanced Education have an agreement so students can receive apprenticeship hours based on the actual time in class, under the supervision of a certified journeyperson. This valuable experience can prepare them for future study at an institution like NSCC or it can lead them directly into the workplace. Whether these students move into skilled trades occupations or not, they have acquired valuable, transferable skills that will serve them well throughout their lives. Parents, teachers, students and industry professionals alike have told us that this is a great program and we look forward to expanding it further in the years to come. With that, I am concluding my opening remarks on the Skilled Trades Program and I’d like to move on to the Nova Scotia Virtual High School. I would like to begin my remarks on the Nova Scotia Virtual High School by sharing with you three quotes from users. The first one, “Teaching online has allowed me to join two things I love, technology and teaching” This was from a teacher, Guy Aucoin, from the Nova Scotia Virtual School - instructional lead. Another quote, “This is an amazing experience, and it gives us the chance to show our skills and be proud of them.” This is from a student, Dawn Moore, who was a film and video student. The last is, “. my virtual course has come to be my favorite class . I don’t always have a teacher standing over my shoulder but if I need help I just go into Via . .” WED., OCT. 24, 2012 HANSARD COMM. (PA) 5 that’s the video conference, “. and Guy is almost always there to help in any way he can.” That’s from Kaitlin Lake and she’s an entrepreneurship student. Nova Scotia is building on a strong tradition of distance learning that began as early as 1917; think about it, 1917. At that time, courses were established to assist those coming home from the war to complete high school and to upgrade. The nature of the course delivery has changed and developed over the years. Today, approximately 2,000 students are enrolled in correspondence studies at any given time. Half of those in correspondence studies are public school students. The current approach to on-line learning in Nova Scotia came from some innovative efforts in our school boards - notably the Strait Regional School Board in the late 1990s - when they realized they had a need for a new way to deliver distance education. The Chignecto-Central Regional School Board and CSAP also took up this ground-breaking work. Because there was a need, the province began working together with the boards to develop a more coordinated and comprehensive approach to the Nova Scotia Virtual School. Just to let you know, the Nova Scotia Virtual High School is not just for students. The Department of Education now offers professional development and informational resources for teachers that have been produced by our own media production. Five years ago, the province began funding 200 seats per year for students in predominantly small rural schools so they could take on-line learning. Today there are approximately 400 students per year at the Virtual School, choosing from among 46 courses, including immersion courses. Our vision for Nova Scotia Virtual School is quite ambitious and exciting. We want students to be able to complete a Nova Scotia high school graduation fully on-line, we want to increase the number of course options, we want teachers to be able to take advantage of a host of professional learning opportunities, and we want to continue to work in partnership with school boards to ensure the needs of students are met. On-line learning is becoming increasingly more common. Nova Scotia students not only gain curricular skills from on-line learning, but they enhance their technological skills and broaden their perspectives on the learning in the 21st Century. Let me talk a little bit about what is ahead. We are planning to have 1,500 students enrolled next year. We will continue to expand the course offerings to the point where a student could actually complete a Nova Scotia high school graduation diploma through the Nova Scotia Virtual School. It’s not expected that many students would actually complete the diploma on-line, but the number of courses would be there should this ever become necessary. We do have some exceptional circumstances where the full range of course work is required, and I’m thinking of students that might have medical issues and they can’t attend school, or elite athletes who are training away from - not only Nova Scotia, but 6 HANSARD COMM. (PA) WED., OCT. 24, 2012 they may even be out of the country and they want to complete their Nova Scotia high school diploma. They would be able to do so. We’re developing courses to support Grades 7 to 9, as well as credit recovery courses. We’re also working to increase the number of the Nova Scotia Virtual School teachers to include all school boards. Mr. Chairman, this concludes my opening remarks on the two topics before the committee today. Thank you. MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much. I’d like to welcome Ms. Casey and Mr. MacMaster to our meeting. Ms. Casey, you have 20 minutes. HON. KAREN CASEY: Thank you very much and welcome to the new deputy. I certainly listened to your introduction with interest and just have some questions based on some of the information that you shared, perhaps for clarification. If we can talk first about the virtual high school and your numbers - and I think it was 400 students in this current year, 2012-13, and a projection of 1,500 for the upcoming school year? MS. ANN BLACKWOOD: That’s correct. MS. CASEY: Can you tell me how that expansion in a short period of time will unfold - what it will look like? MS.