Our Children’s Success: MANITOBA’S FUTURE Report of the Commission on K to12 Education March 2020 02 Report of the Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education LETTER TO THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION The Honourable Kelvin Goertzen Minister of Education Government of Manitoba 168 Legislative Building Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 0V8 Dear Minister Goertzen: We are pleased to submit to you the final report of the Commission on K to12 Education. We thank you for the opportunity to conduct this timely review by listening to the advice and good counsel of the widest possible cross-section of Manitobans. We thank all those who met with us, attended the public interactive workshops, provided submissions, presented briefs, and participated in discussions and online surveys. It was, indeed, a pleasant experience for us to see the passion and commitment of Manitobans who had one goal in common: to make the system even more effective, relevant, and engaging for all of Manitoba’s students. Our recommendations represent the consensus we have forged, and the conclusions reached after almost a year of hearings, research on successful practices in Canada and internationally, and careful and intense deliberations on what works to improve schools and to create a world-class education system. This report represents a comprehensive review of the province’s elementary and secondary education system – the first of its kind in decades. We sought input on key areas of focus including student learning, teaching, accountability for student learning, governance, and funding. In all, we received 62 briefs, 2,309 written submissions, 1,260 responses to the teacher survey and 8,891 to the public survey, as well as numerous phone calls, handwritten notes, and personal emails. It is clear that Manitobans are supportive of their school system. They appreciate its strengths and are also aware of the areas that require immediate attention. They want to have excellent schools wherever they choose to live in the province. We took your invitation to help shape our education system quite seriously. We are counting on you to implement our recommendations and to further enable and build the capacity of those who teach, lead, and govern to continue to do their best work. We are counting on all staff within our divisions to persist in working co-operatively to provide the avenues, tools, and pathways to success for all students, regardless of their backgrounds or personal circumstances. We encourage you to continue to engage parents, community, business, labour, and industry to create partnerships that further cement their support for our schools. Fortunately, the will to take the schools to higher levels of achievement exists across Manitoba. Respectfully, Clayton Manness Dr. Janice MacKinnon Commission Co-Chair Commission Co-Chair Report of the Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education 03 NAMES OF COMMISSIONERS, EXTERNAL CONSULTANT, AND SECRETARIAT STAFF Commissioners Terry Brown – Community Leader and CEO of Okimaw Community and HR Solutions Mark Frison – President of Assiniboine Community College J.D. Lees – Career Teacher Clayton Manness (Co-Chair) – President, Prairie Flour Mills and active farmer Dr. Janice MacKinnon (Co-Chair) – Professor of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan and Executive Fellow, University of Calgary Linda Markus – Kelsey School Division & University College of the North (June 2019 to February 2020) Jill Quilty – Criminal, divorce, and family lawyer (January to May 2019) Laurel Repski – Vice-President, Human Resources (retired) Denis Robert – Retired Principal and Career Teacher Ian Wishart – Legislative Assistant to the Minister of Education Consultant to the Commission Dr. Avis Glaze – International Education Adviser Secretariat Staff Dr. Jean-Vianney Auclair – Director Rhonda Shaw – Senior Policy Analyst Kim Topham – Administrative Assistant Paige Jaenen – Assistant to the Commission 04 Report of the Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter to the Minister of Education ................................................................................................................3 Names of Commissioners, External Consultant, and Secretariat Staff ..................................................4 Executive Summary .........................................................................................................................................7 Acknowledgments .........................................................................................................................................23 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................26 The Mandate of the Commission .................................................................................................................28 Organization of the Report ...........................................................................................................................28 Manitoba: A Vision for Improvement ...........................................................................................................29 How are Manitoba’s K to 12 Students Doing Academically? ...................................................................30 Education Spending and Student Outcomes .............................................................................................33 Manitoba Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education: The Focus Areas for the Review ..34 Public Consultation Process ........................................................................................................................35 Imperatives for Improvement .......................................................................................................................37 IMPERATIVE #1: Strengthen Educator Capacity to Improve Teaching and Learning ......................38 IMPERATIVE #2: Increase School Leadership Effectiveness ...............................................................49 IMPERATIVE #3: Improve Student Engagement and Well-being .........................................................55 IMPERATIVE #4: Close the Achievement Gap Between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Students .69 IMPERATIVE #5: Commit to Equitable Outcomes and Improved Achievement for All .....................78 IMPERATIVE #6: Ensure Quality Educational Programming in Rural, Remote, and Northern Communities ..............................................................................................................................................89 IMPERATIVE #7: Strengthen the Delivery of French Language Education ........................................93 IMPERATIVE #8: Expand Community Education and Strengthen Public Outreach and Alliances 97 IMPERATIVE #9: Improve Foundational Skills in Mathematics, Literacy, and Other Curricular Areas ..........................................................................................................................................................105 IMPERATIVE #10: Enhance the Effectiveness of Governance, Administrative, and Funding Structures .................................................................................................................................................. 119 Concluding Remarks: Our Path Forward ..................................................................................................129 Constructing Our Path Forward .............................................................................................................132 References ....................................................................................................................................................135 Additional Readings .....................................................................................................................................149 List of Recommendations ...........................................................................................................................154 Appendices ...................................................................................................................................................164 Appendix 1: Terms of Reference .............................................................................................................164 Appendix 2: Participants in the Consultations: Individuals and Organizations ..............................166 Appendix 3: Web Links to Consultation Summary Documents .........................................................176 Report of the Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education 05 06 Report of the Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In January 2019, the Government of Manitoba reiterated its commitment to improve student outcomes by creating an education system that has high standards for educators, high expectations for student learning, relevant curriculum, excellence in governance, a sustainable fiscal framework, and enhanced public confidence in the education system. With the idea that Manitoba would become the most improved system in Canada, the government appointed a diverse team of commissioners to propose a renewed vision for K to 12 education, make bold recommendations to ignite change, and consider the continuum of early learning, post-secondary education, and labour market needs as part of an integrated lifelong learning system. There is a clarion call across the world to reform education systems. Many elected