Rocky View Schools (RVS) is making progress on its education plan.

The Board of Trustees adopted the RVS' 2023–2027 Education Plan in May 2023, and it went into effect at the beginning of this school year. The plan outlines objectives for students to accomplish, construct, and produce within a future-focused system.

The school division wanted to launch a few initiatives for the second half of the school year. Here they are:

  • Begin the development of the RVS Math Assessment tool in the spring.
  • Implement the OurSCHOOL survey for students in Grades 4 – 12; this survey replaces the Education Plan Survey conducted by RVS in support of the previous Four Year Education Plan.
  • Continue with the implementation of the new curriculum as well as the use of learning disruption funding to support our youngest readers and mathematicians.

"As this is the first year of a four-year Education Plan, identifying trends from the data is challenging. Early indicators demonstrate there has been some growth in both literacy and numeracy skills," stated RVS.

They have implemented a few of the initiatives they wanted to for this half of the school year. RVS’ Education Plan Survey was replaced this year by the OurSCHOOL survey. This survey engages students in Grades 4 – 12, families and teachers, and provides feedback needed for the measures in the Annual Education Results Report (AERR). The survey closed on May 3 and results will be available to schools soon.

Several schools are currently developing career pathway education opportunities for students across different grades. Schools are enthusiastic about the growing momentum to prepare students for future success.

"RVS’ Writing Assessment for Grades 3, 4, 8, 9 and 11 is in development and will be ready for next school year," stated RVS.

Here are some of the highlights from the first four months of the 2023/24 school year that aligned with the education plan goals according to RVS:

  • Goal one of the plan is centred on advancing students’ literacy and numeracy skills. In response to assessment results which indicate improvements in literacy and numeracy are needed, schools developed goals and measures in these areas to guide their instructional focus and provide appropriate interventions for groups of students. Some elementary schools received ongoing learning disruption funding from the province based on assessment results and are using that funding to provide additional time for staff to work with students, engage in professional learning to enhance instructional skills and purchase resources for use in classrooms.
  • Goal two was building future-ready students. Administration and teachers at 33 schools formed a Career Connections Strategy group which meets to discuss current practices related to career education planning and best practices for providing students in Grades 6 – 12 with access to initiatives intended to help build career skills development programs. This group will ultimately provide recommendations for the development of a Career Connections Practice Guide. 
  • Goal three focuses on creating inclusive, engaging, healthy learning opportunities for all students. Schools are focused on teaching Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)-focused lessons in each classroom, expanding their use of ‘catching kids doing good’ and rewarding them in various ways for positive behaviour.

The first year of the current Education Plan has garnered positive feedback from school administrators responsible for aligning their school's education plan with the division's Education Plan.

Families can now enroll in next year's bus service, with a $40 discount available for registrations made before June 30th. Fees for the upcoming school year will remain the same. RVS also transports Calgary Catholic School District students who live in Airdrie, Chestermere and Cochrane.

To register or learn more, click HERE.

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