isbn 0-7778-7996-4 (print) · isbn 0-7778-7996-4 (print) 1 sincerely, dave cooke ann vanstone peter...

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ISBN 0-7778-7996-4 (Print)

1

Sincerely,

Dave Cooke Ann Vanstone Peter Cameron Rémi Lessard Betty Moseley-Williams Mearl Obee Arlene WrightCo-chair Co-chair Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner

November 19, 1998

Dear Minister,

The Education Improvement Commission is pleasedto present its third report, The Road Ahead – III: A Report on the Role of School Councils.

The recommendations in this report are tied to theeducation reforms and recommendations set outin our previous reports. They are meant to informthe development of regulations and policy direc-tives of the Ministry of Education and Trainingthat deal with school councils and parentalinvolvement in education, as well as the policies ofschool boards, schools, school councils, and otherpartners in Ontario’s education systems.

Since the Commission was established in April1997, parents and other members of the publichave demonstrated to us that they have a high levelof interest in this topic. They have shared theirviews and sought our opinions, expressing a strongdesire for clarification of the role of school councils.

In our formal preparations for this report, wereviewed school councils in Ontario and other jurisdictions, as well as current Canadian and

international research on the role of school coun-cils. We also issued a discussion paper, The FutureRole of School Councils, which contained six ques-tions designed to frame our consultations with the public and members of the education communityon this topic:

• How can parents, communities, and school councils best contribute to a child’seducation?

• What should school councils be doing?

• How can school councils ensure that they represent their communities?

• What should be the relationships among theschool council, the staff, the principal, thedistrict school board, and the community?

• What kinds of support do school councils need?

• What makes an effective school council?

We received over 1,800 written responses to ourdicussion paper, reflecting the views of approxi-mately 16,000 people. We met with provincialassociations that have an interest in this topicand held public consultations in 22 communities,

in which over 2,000 people participated. In addi-tion, we received public input at speaking engage-ments and meetings, and from on-line chatgroups, letters, and phone calls. Throughout, itwas clear that the vast majority of people whoshared their views with us were parents of chil-dren in Ontario’s schools. School councils are animportant opportunity for them to participate intheir children’s education, and they have shownhow much they care.

The strong interest in this topic shown byOntarians affirms our own enthusiasm for, and the government’s commitment to, parentalinvolvement in education.

While this report is based on what we heard par-ents and others say, our recommendations and ourresponses to members of the public throughout the consultation process have also been guided by our personal experience with and knowledge ofOntario’s education systems.

We commend this report to you and look forwardto continuing to work with you.

LETTERof Transmittal

A school council should be a

relationship forged through

common goals, with the focus

on the betterment of the

child’s education.

– School council

chair,

Southwestern

Ontario

2

Our purpose in this report is to identify a meaningful role for school councils,one that encourages and facilitates theinvolvement of parents in their children’s education.

In its December 1994 report, For theLove of Learning, the Royal Commissionon Learning recommended the establish-ment of “school-community” councils.Our consultations and dialogue with thepeople of Ontario have convinced us thatthe level of parental and communityinvolvement in education has increasedover the past few years. Our commitmentto an influential role for parents andother community members in the educa-tion of Ontario’s children has beenstrengthened. We are convinced thatschool councils can play a particularlyimportant role in focusing the province’seducation systems on students.

This is our third major report, and itcontinues the process we have undertak-en of clarifying a vision of education forOntario. Our discussions with Ontariansover the last year and a half have con-firmed our belief that they want:

• an education system that focuses onstudents;

• an understanding of how the vari-ous education reforms relate to oneanother;

• a vision of where education is heading; and

• a road map of how to get there.The recommendations in this report

are based on what we learned during anextensive research and consultationprocess. (The appendices and bibliogra-phy contain more information about thatprocess.) We wish to thank everyone whoresponded to the discussion paper, madesubmissions on the subject, and attendedour consultation sessions. Your commentswere important and valuable.

Like our earlier reports, this onestrives to provide a vision and a roadmap—in this case, one that will guidethe Ministry of Education and Trainingand Ontario’s district school boards,principals, school councils, and parentsin the development and implementa-tion of school councils that have aworthwhile and substantive role to playin the education of our children. Themodel of school councils that we sug-gest through our recommendations isnot intended to be set in stone. Theactivities and operations of councils areevolving and will continue to evolve.

This document is a report to theMinister of Education and Training con-taining recommendations about schoolcouncils. It is not a policy directive. The

Ministry of Education and Training’sPolicy/Program Memorandum (PPM)No. 122, School Board Policies on SchoolCouncils, sets out the mandate of schoolcouncils and the minimum require-ments for their composition and opera-tion. PPM 122 remains in force until itis revoked.

PPM 122 provides good direction,but it became apparent to us that toofew members of the education commu-nity know or understand its content.Many of the frustrations experiencedby school councils stem from this lackof understanding. PPM 122 is repro-duced in appendix B of this report, andwe urge readers to review it. Despite itsconsiderable merits, however, PPM 122lacks the accountability measures thatwould ensure its policy directives arefollowed. In addition, many of thosewho participated in our consultationrequested that aspects of the memoran-dum be clarified, particularly the sec-tion on the roles and responsibilities ofschool councils. Our recommendationsaddress these issues.

No policy directive, however, willreplace a common will to make schoolcouncils succeed. In the end, it is parents,students, school council members, princi-pals, school employees, board administra-tors, and trustees, working in a collabora-tive and supportive manner, who willmake school councils work.

T h e R o a d A h e a d — I I I

1. INTRODUCTION

Education in Ontario is a partnership of theprovince, school boards, and school com-munities. Education reforms have shiftedsome of the responsibilities, but each part-ner still has an important role to play. To beeffective, the partners must collaborate. Tounderstand the role of school councils, andto consider changes to that role, it is neces-sary to understand the responsibilities ofeach partner.

The Provincial Level

The Ministry of Education and Training isresponsible for establishing what studentsmust know at each grade level and upongraduation. The ministry is in the processof establishing a uniform province-widecurriculum, bringing greater consistency tothe programmes offered in elementary andsecondary schools. The ministry is alsoresponsible for providing equitable fundingto district school boards so that expecta-tions for students can be achieved, and forestablishing the accountability measuresthat will ensure expectations are achieved.

The Education Quality andAccountability Office (EQAO) and theOntario College of Teachers (OCT) alsohave important provincial-level responsibil-ities: the EQAO for monitoring and assess-ing student achievement and other indica-tors of the effectiveness of education in

Ontario, and the OCT for teacher certification, teachers’ professional develop-ment, and teaching standards.

Together, these bodies determine andmonitor the consistency that Ontariansdemand from their education systems.

The School Board Level

Boards of trustees establish the overallpolicy direction for their schools. Theyare responsible for ensuring that thestandards established by the ministryare achieved by students in their juris-dictions. They are also employers whoare responsible for employing sufficientand capable staff, and for providingappropriate compensation and a fair andjust work environment.

In the past year, Ontario’s schoolboards have undergone considerablechange in a massive amalgamation exer-cise. Some boards are newly created. Allhave had to rethink past practices. Twoimportant considerations are the consider-ably larger geographical areas for whichmost boards are responsible, and the reduc-tion in the number of trustees. Anothercatalyst for change, one that has affectedall trustees and educators, is the increasedpublic demand in recent years for account-ability and the consequent refocusing ofeducation resources on the classroom.

During our consultations on schoolcouncils, we were asked if the role ofschool boards is diminishing. Weresponded by saying, as we have said inour earlier reports, that we support astrong, continuing role for boards. Boardsof trustees are democratically elected andensure equity of programme and serviceto students throughout a district. Schoolcouncils cannot replace school boards.

The School Community Level

School principals and staff are responsi-ble for planning and delivering pro-grammes that will enable their studentsto meet or exceed acceptable levels ofachievement. While operating withinministry and board policies, schoolsreflect and respond to the culture andpriorities of their local communities.These communities are often diverse.When the phrase “school community”is used in this report, the idea of diverse“communities” is implicit.

While the primary responsibility ofschools is to deliver effective programmes,education reforms have had a significantimpact on the way principals, teachers,and other school staff carry out their roles.Many school boards have increased theauthority of schools in their jurisdictionsto make decisions, within board policy,about programme delivery, school organi-zation, and school budget setting. In addi-tion, principals are expected to work in

School boards and school

councils are two educational

partners that can mutually

support and reinforce one

another in ways that are

beneficial to both.

– Ontario Catholic

School Trustees’

Association

3A R e p o r t o n t h e R o l e o f S c h o o l C o u n c i l s

2. THE CONTEXTof School Councils

4

consultation with their staffs, parents, stu-dents, and communities in reaching deci-sions. School councils have a vital role toplay as partners in this collaboration.

Table 1 provides a detailed outline ofthe current responsibilities of the provin-cial, board, and school community levels.This table also appeared in our previousreport, The Road Ahead – II: A Report on theRole of School Boards and Trustees. Follow-ing the table, we discuss the compositionand operation of school councils.

The Current Role of SchoolCouncils

The Education Act requires school boards to“establish a school council for each schooloperated by the board” (section 170 (1),paragraph 17.1). School councils are advi-sory bodies: they may provide advice tothe principal and, where appropriate, tothe school board. They are composed ofparents, who form the majority, as well asthe principal, a teacher, a non-teachingstaff member, a student (mandatory at thesecondary level, optional at the elementarylevel), and community representatives.

Parent, student, and staff membersare elected by the groups they represent.Community members are appointed bythe council. As representatives of aschool’s community, councils provide aforum for discussion about, and a valu-able source of advice on, issues thataffect their schools.

Ministry of Education and TrainingPolicy/Program Memorandum (PPM) No.122, dated April 12, 1995, School BoardPolicies on School Councils, sets out themandate of school councils and the mini-mum requirements for their compositionand operation. (See appendix B for thefull text of PPM 122.)

The Minister’s memo that accompa-nied PPM 122 called for a review of thepolicy after three years. Given the magni-tude of the changes that have occurred ineducation in Ontario, the review is partic-ularly timely.

Some school councils in Ontario arestill in their infancy, while others arealready significant partners in educa-tion. In many communities, the evolu-tion of school councils has been guidedby sound board policies, supportiveadministrators, and training pro-grammes. In others, their developmenthas been hampered by a lack of clarityabout their mandate and limited co-operation from school and boardadministrators and trustees. During ourconsultations, we observed that, sinceboards were amalgamated in January1998, harmonization of policies hasdiminished the level of parentalinvolvement in some boards.

Our recommendations are aimed atensuring that all parents and schoolcouncils in Ontario become effective col-laborators in the education process.

Parental Involvement in Education

Parental involvement in schools has along and distinguished history. Formany years, parents have participatedin their children’s education throughhome and school associations, parent-teacher associations, and other parentgroups. We applaud the valuable workof these groups.

But parental involvement in educa-tion does not necessarily mean participa-tion in a formal organization. Parentsplay the first and most important role intheir children’s education. By helpingwith homework, asking about the day’sevents, and expressing interest, care, andguidance, parents are the primary factorsin their child’s success. Parents, students,and other community members also con-tribute to and enhance classroom learn-ing by acting as mentors, classroom andlibrary helpers, and fundraisers.

The roles described above are criti-cally important to the success of stu-dents and schools. Our recommenda-tions urge school councils to take astrong leadership role in encouragingand facilitating parental and communi-ty involvement in schools.

Parents are the most vital and

influential teachers of their

own children.

– Ontario English

Catholic Teachers’

Association

Our school council works well

because we have a great

principal.

– Parent,

Northeastern

Ontario



Ministry of Education and Training

Education Quality and Accountability Office

Ontario College ofTeachers

Trustees

Directors of education

School principals

School councils (at present)

• articulates vision of education for Ontario• sets province-wide direction, including what

students will know at each grade level• provides sufficient and equitable funding to

school boards

• measures and communicates the achievementsof students, schools, and school boards

• establishes and implements standards for certification, teaching practice, and professionaldevelopment

• accredits faculties of education

• articulate board’s vision for education• develop policies based on vision and provincial

policy• set budgets and goals; monitor policy and

student achievement• provide equity of programme for students

throughout board

• implement board policies• hold schools accountable for the achievement

of students• provide support and direction to schools• manage school board organization

• act as instructional leaders • lead and manage schools• ensure effective programmes are in place

• advise their school principal and, if requested,their school board

• the people of Ontario

• the people of Ontario throughits board of directors

• the people of Ontario,through its governing council

• the people of their community• the people of Ontario

(through the Ministry ofEducation and Training)

• the board of trustees

• the director of education

• local school community

• excellence in student achievement• effective and efficient use of public

funding allocated for education

• effective monitoring and reporting ofstudent achievement and indicators

• ensuring excellence in the teachingprofession in Ontario

• excellence in student achievement• effective and efficient use of allocated

funding

• achievement of goals set by boardand ministry

• academic achievements of their students

• implementing board policies in theirschool

• advice that reflects community

Who ... Does What ... Accountable to ... For ...

At

the

pro

vin

cial

lev

elA

t th

e sc

ho

ol

bo

ard

lev

elA

t th

e lo

cal

sch

oo

l le

vel

Table 1: Education Accountability Framework

6

Guiding Principles

The following principles guided our discus-sions on the future role of school councils:

Put students first.All education reform must focus on whatis best for students. Changes in educationare driven primarily by the demand forexcellence and accountability at all levelsof the education system. Given this prin-ciple, we asked, how can school councilsbest contribute to student learning? Howcan they be an effective part of theaccountability framework?

Parents and members of the school com-munity are entitled to open communica-tion with school and board staff, partic-ipation in their children’s school, andan opportunity to influence decisionsthat affect their children’s education.The public education systems belongand are accountable to all members ofthe community. Parents and communitymembers have a right to know how welltheir school is doing and what actionswill be taken to improve student perfor-mance, to contribute to the school’sdevelopment and improvement, and tobe consulted about and receive feedbackon decisions that affect their childrenand their school.

Parents are a valuable resource.Parents know their children best. Asnoted earlier, they are their children’s firstand most important teachers. They arealso excellent sources of informationabout the local community, its resources,priorities, and needs.

Education in Ontario is a partnership of the province, district school boards,parents, and local school communities.This partnership is essential, given, onthe one hand, the need for consistentprovince-wide standards and, on theother hand, Ontario’s size and diversity.Education reforms have shifted responsi-bilities, but each partner continues tohave important roles to play.

Catholic and French Ontarians haveconstitutional and Charter rights thatmust be honoured in any educationreforms undertaken in this province.Section 93 of the Constitution Act, 1867,guarantees Ontario’s Catholics the right to govern their own education. Section 23of the Canadian Charter of Rights andFreedoms provides a similar guarantee toFrench-language rights holders in Ontario.The province recognizes these rights byproviding for four distinct, publicly fundedschool board systems: English-language,

English-language Catholic, French-lan-guage, and French-language Catholic. Inconsidering the role of school councils andmaking our recommendations, we also rec-ognize these rights. Members of schoolcouncils must carry out their responsibili-ties in accordance with the constitutionaland Charter rights of the publicly fundedsystem in which they serve.

Meeting the Needs of Parents

We strongly believe that a high level ofparental involvement in education willbenefit students and the entire educationsystem. Our discussions with parentsacross the province indicate that, to playan effective role, they need certain basicinformation about their child’s education.We believe they are entitled to this infor-mation and to opportunities to influencetheir child’s educational progress.

RECOMMENDATION 1: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingdevelop a bill of parents’ rights thatconsolidates the parents’ rights alreadyset out in legislation, and adds, as aminimum, the rights to:

• accurate, detailed, and timely infor-mation about their child’s progress;

• thorough information about theperformance of their local school;

• information about how they cansupport their child’s educationalprogress; and


Parents have a right to speak

out and be informed.

– School council

member,

Southern Ontario

3. THE FUTURERole of School Councils

School councils are a struc-

tured setting for schools

and parents to work together

to improve the quality of

education.

– School council

member,

Eastern Ontario


• opportunities to provide input intotheir child’s educational programme.

Purpose of School Councils

Research indicates that school councilsare more effective if they are given amandate that is clear and meaningful.1

Many school councils in the provincehave been hampered by a lack of clarityabout their purpose.

As we asked in our discussion paper,what should school councils be doing?What is their ultimate purpose? Theanswer to these fundamental questionsaffects everything else that we may rec-ommend about the mandate, composi-tion, and operation of councils.

The background statement of PPM122 indicates that school councils wereestablished to increase the level of parentaland community involvement in the edu-cation of Ontario’s young people. But isthis their purpose? Given that the focus ofeducation reform is to improve pro-grammes and increase accountability forstudent achievement, we believe that thepurpose of school councils is to improvestudent learning, and that parental andcommunity involvement is one of themeans of achieving this purpose.

RECOMMENDATION 2: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingstate that the purpose of school coun-cils is to improve student learning.

Influence of School Councils

How can school councils influence stu-dent learning—that is, the level of studentperformance and achievement? How canthey carry out their role most effectively?

Research on the effectiveness of schoolcouncils in Ontario and elsewhere suggeststhat, to date, their impact has fallen shortof the expectations set for them.2 However,school councils are relatively new bodies inalmost all jurisdictions. Moreover, while agrowing number of jurisdictions are encour-aging their school councils to focus on stu-dent learning, the councils were not alwaysset up for that purpose. Most were estab-lished for other reasons, including reducingcosts and streamlining governance struc-tures. Therefore, research studies were notdesigned to assess their effectiveness ininfluencing student learning.

Our consultations and the responses toour discussion paper indicate that Ontario’sexperience is mixed. In many places in theprovince, school councils run smoothlyand influence the delivery of education intheir schools. In others, council membersexpressed frustration with the differingviews of their role held among themselves,and by administrators, trustees, and theMinistry of Education and Training.

Much discussion has focused onwhether councils should be advisory innature or whether they should have decision-making powers.

Most of our respondents do notwant decision-making authority. Theyequate it with governance or manage-ment decisions made by principals,supervisory officers, and directors of edu-cation—ordering classroom supplies, hir-ing and firing, negotiating contractswith employees. They do not wish totake on these responsibilities, nor do webelieve they should.

But they also expressed frustration withthe current advisory role of councils, feelingthat school and board administrators donot listen to their advice. They want coun-cils’ advice to influence decisions made atthe school and board levels.

We believe the terms “advisory” and“decision-making” have clouded the issue.

Our consultations have convinced usthat parents and other members of schoolcouncils want to have meaningful inputinto decisions. They want to be able toinfluence decisions that will have animpact on their children and their localschool. We support this role and functionfor school councils.

Many boards and principals nowencourage and support a high level ofinput from their school councils and par-ents. Others do not. Some actively avoidseeking advice. We believe all school coun-cils and parents deserve to be consulted—by their local schools, their boards, and theMinistry of Education and Training—aboutkey decisions that will have a direct impact

8

on the education of their children. Later inthis report, we outline specific areas onwhich we think the ministry, boards, andprincipals should consult school councils.

RECOMMENDATION 3: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingchange its procedures so as to inte-grate school councils into its policydevelopment and implementationprocess for those issues that fall withinthe responsibilities of school councils;and that the new procedures includeadequate timelines for consultation, aswell as feedback to school councils ondecisions made and rationales for decisions made.

RECOMMENDATION 4: That schoolboards and principals change their pro-cedures so as to integrate school coun-cils into their policy development andimplementation processes for thoseissues that fall within the responsibili-ties of school councils; and that thenew procedures include adequate time-lines for consultation, as well as feed-back to school councils on decisionsmade and rationales for decisions made.

Within ministry and board policies,school councils have considerable flexi-bility and authority. We recommendthat, for the purposes of clarification,these areas be specified.

RECOMMENDATION 5: That the Ministryof Education and Training clarify thatschool councils are responsible for:

• electing a chair of their councilfrom among their members whoare parents;

• appointing community members to their council;

• establishing their bylaws and oper-ating procedures (how to conductmeetings, etc.);

• determining the content and methods of their communications;

• determining how to spend thefunds allocated to them to coverthe cost of their work; and

• determining how to spend, withinboard policy, all funds they have raised.

In addition to determining how tospend funds allocated to them for theirwork and funds they have raised, schoolcouncils should have direct influenceover the expenditure of a discretionaryportion of their school’s budget. This por-tion would enable councils to address thepriorities they have established for theirschool. In making this recommendation,we do not intend that councils have theauthority to approve major expenses likeroof repairs or boiler replacements.

RECOMMENDATION 6: That schoolboards identify a discretionary portionof each school’s budget for the school

council’s consideration; and that prin-cipals bring discretionary-spendingrecommendations related to this portion of the budget to their schoolcouncils for the councils’ considera-tion and approval.

Activities of School Councils

As we noted in our introduction, someschool council members and school andboard administrators could benefit fromcloser attention to the provisions of PPM122. For example, the memorandum listsmatters on which school councils mayprovide advice to principals and schoolboards. It introduces the list by stating that“A school council will provide advice...onany of the matters listed below that thecouncil has identified as priorities...” (ouremphasis). But we repeatedly heard thatPPM 122 mandated “too many topics.”

We also saw many examples of boardpolicies that limited the responsibilities ofcouncils to less than the minimumrequirements set out in PPM 122. Forexample, some boards modified councils’role to provide advice on the “localschool-year calendar” to read “school-yearcalendar of events” (our emphasis).

While a closer reading of PPM 122might have avoided some of the frustra-tions experienced by school councils, prin-cipals, and school board administrators, werecommend that the ministry clarify theroles and responsibilities of councils.

I hear over and over again

that parents do not want to

manage their schools or the

board. They simply want to

contribute in order to enrich

the lives of their children.

– Trustee,

Southwestern

Ontario


If the objective of school

councils is to allow parents to

play a collective and effective

role in the life of the school,

their involvement has to be

meaningful.

– la Fédération des

associations de

parents franco-

phones de l’Ontario


RECOMMENDATION 7: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingclearly outline the roles and responsi-bilities of school councils in keepingwith the recommendations of thisreport, and ensure that council, school,and board practices are consistent withthose roles and responsibilities.

PPM 122 requires principals andboards to consult school councils “onany of the matters listed...that the coun-cil has identified as priorities.” Councilsneed not take on every role or responsi-bility listed in PPM 122; they can settheir own priorities. During our consul-tation, many people reminded us that,although they are willing and eager tobecome involved, they have limited timeand energy to devote to council activi-ties. Councils should act in accordancewith the priorities they have set. If theyare unable to tackle every issue listed ordo not wish to respond to every issue onwhich they are consulted, they shouldnot feel they are neglecting their duties.

Many school councils are involved ina range of worthwhile activities in addi-tion to those set out in PPM 122, such asfundraising and co-ordinating schoolevents. These activities are appropriate,but we encourage school councils to keeptheir fundamental purpose in mind andfocus on those activities that willenhance student learning.

RECOMMENDATION 8: That schoolcouncils focus their activities on thosethat will improve the learning of thestudents in their local school.

Information Needed by SchoolCouncils

To work effectively, school councils, likeeveryone else, need information, direc-tion, and the appropriate tools. We haveaddressed the need for clarification of thepurpose of school councils and their rolesand responsibilities. Some of the otherareas in which they need guidance arediscussed below.

In addition to the parent represen-tatives on school councils, whoseimportant role is emphasized through-out this report, the principal, student,staff, and community representativesalso have specific roles to play. Theseroles should be understood by all mem-bers of the council.

Principal: Principals are designatedmembers of councils. PPM 122 requiresprincipals to facilitate and assist with thework of school councils. Among otherrequired roles, they must support thecouncil’s activities, seek its advice inappropriate areas, and act as a resource.Their collaboration is essential to a coun-cil’s success. We support the roles set outfor principals in PPM 122.

To work effectively with schoolcouncils, principals need special skills. In

chapter 5, we make recommendationsfor principals’ training requirements.

Student representative: Under PPM122, each secondary school’s councilmust have at least one student represen-tative selected by the school’s students;student representatives are optional atthe elementary level.

Because students and student achieve-ment are the focus of education reforms, astudent voice is essential on school coun-cils. Many students play leadership rolesin their schools, contributing to a widevariety of aspects of student life. They canbe particularly effective in campaignsagainst drug use, violence, and racism,and their energy level can be inspiring.

School staff: Under PPM 122, eachcouncil is required to have a teacher mem-ber elected by members of the school’steaching staff and a non-teaching staffmember elected by non-teaching staff.

Teachers and other staff are impor-tant resources who know the school andstudents intimately. They can informcouncil discussions about school issuesand also communicate council’s concernsand plans back to the groups they repre-sent. Their care for and knowledge of theschool and its students make their inputinvaluable.

Community members: Because thesemembers are the council’s links with thebroader, and often diverse, communityserved by a school, they can help it

10

respond to the community’s concerns.They can offer individual expertise, andcan identify resources in the communitythat the school can use to set up mentor-ing programmes, student placements, andso on. They have a special role to play incommunication and liaison.

The ministry, boards, and principalsshould all consult school councils, but ondifferent topics. For example, the ministryshould consult them about curriculumchanges and provincial report cards;boards should consult them about theselection criteria for principals; and prin-cipals should consult them about schoolholidays and the scheduling of extracur-ricular activities.

Later in this report, we make recom-mendations about the specific topics onwhich we feel boards and principalsshould consult councils, and a mecha-nism through which the ministry couldconsult them.

Councils also need backgroundinformation on the school and its pro-grams, and specific information abouthow they can carry out their duties. Therecommendations below outline theinformation, direction, and tools thatwe believe school councils need fromthe ministry, boards, and principals inorder to work effectively.

RECOMMENDATION 9: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingprovide school councils with the fol-lowing, all clearly stated:

• a statement of the purpose ofschool councils;

• descriptions of the roles that eachrepresentative on a school coun-cil—parent, student, communitymember, principal, teacher, andother staff member—can and, inthe case of the principal, will playin fulfilling the council’s work,including the contributions thateach representative can make;

• a list of substantive topics onwhich councils are to be consulted;and

• a statement of procedures such asthose described in recommendation3 that will ensure councils havetime to provide input and theirinput is considered.

RECOMMENDATION 10: That princi-pals and school boards provideschool councils with the following,all clearly stated:

• thorough, up-to-date informa-tion about the school and board,including student achievementon provincial tests and the

results of other assessments ofthe school, its students, and the board;

• a list of substantive topics onwhich councils are to be consultedor for which they are to haveresponsibility;

• procedures and mechanisms coun-cils can use to consult and commu-nicate with all parents and thecommunity in general;

• a statement of procedures such asthose described in recommendation4 that will ensure councils havetime to provide input and theirinput is considered;

• copies of the school council hand-book for each member;

• conflict resolution strategies; and• a code of conduct.

The last three items in recommenda-tion 10 are discussed in greater detail inchapter 5.

School council members and theadministrators who work with them alsoneed training. We also address this issuein chapter 5.

Before I can be a better parent

or a better council member,

I need better information.

I need to know how my kids

are doing and what’s going

on in their school. And I’ve got

to get that information in a

way that I can understand,

and I’ve got to get it while it’s

still useful.

– Parent,

Southwestern

Ontario


School councils could be a

way to try to involve more

parents and community mem-

bers in the life of the school,

not just those few who sit on

the school council.

– Canadian Union of

Public Employees


Improving student learning is an importantgoal, but how can school councils best sup-port it? We recommend three main areas ofresponsibility or “vehicles” that we believewill allow school councils to make a majorcontribution to this goal: fostering parentaland community involvement in education;participating in the school improvementplanning process; and influencing decisionsmade by principals, school boards, and theMinistry of Education and Training.

VEHICLE 1: Fostering Parental andCommunity Involvement in Education

RECOMMENDATION 11: That schoolcouncils take on a clear and substantiverole in fostering parent and communityinvolvement in the school, and thatthey work in consultation with theirprincipals to build partnerships andworking relationships with social ser-vice agencies, recreation departmentsand facilities, community and churchgroups, businesses, and industries.

As we have noted, research shows theimportance of parental involvement in theirchildren’s education.3 We believe communi-ty involvement is important too. The 1994report of the Royal Commission on Learn-ing envisaged school councils as focusing on

the development of school-community part-nerships. PPM 122, in its list of topics onwhich school councils may provide advice,includes some that are directly related toschool-community partnerships. However,our review of current school council prac-tices indicates that the fostering of parentaland community involvement in the schoolhas not been a priority to date.

PPM 122 gives increased parentalinvolvement as the rationale for establishingschool councils, but it focuses on the partici-pation of parents who are members of thecouncil. We believe that all members ofschool councils can encourage and supportgreater parental and community involve-ment in schools. Initiatives and activitiesthey can undertake include the following:

• arranging parenting programs(examples include topics such asreading to your child, helping withhomework, and effective discipline);

• conducting outreach activities thatextend to all members of the commu-nity, such as the small towns and vil-lages served by a school, Aboriginalmembers of a school community, andminorities in urban centres (examplesof outreach activities include offeringchild care services during councilmeetings, translating key resourcematerials, and developing

partnerships with church groups andwith community associations thatrepresent cultural minorities);

• recruiting additional volunteers(examples of recruitment strategiesinclude directly inviting individualsto participate in council activities,appointing community memberswho will help ensure that councilmembership is balanced and repre-sentative of the community, anddeveloping a committee structurethrough which the number of peo-ple participating in council activitiesis increased); or

• drawing community resources intothe school and creating partnershipsthat make the best use of communityand school resources (examples ofthese activities include arranging touse public or church facilities, work-ing with local social agencies andbusinesses, requesting the help ofcultural groups’ mentors, and askingcommunity members to share theirprofessional expertise and parentstheir personal experiences in support-ing their own children’s learning).

VEHICLE 2: Participating in theSchool Improvement PlanningProcess

In The Road Ahead – II: A Report on theRole of School Boards and Trustees, we recommended that boards be required

4. THREE VEHICLESto Improve Student Learning

12

to demonstrate the accountabilitydemanded by the public by publishingschool board report cards, which wouldreport on their performance in meetinglocally established priorities. Since TheRoad Ahead – II, and as a result of ourongoing consultations, our thinking onthis issue has evolved, as the followingrecommendations indicate.

RECOMMENDATION 12: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire all principals, in consultationwith their school councils, to publishand distribute annual school profiles thatinclude statements about the school’svalues and priorities and statisticalinformation about the school and itscommunities (number of students, cul-tural makeup, socioeconomic level, etc.).

RECOMMENDATION 13: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire (1) all principals, in consultationwith their school councils, and (2) allschool boards, through their directors ofeducation, to publish and distribute annu-al report cards that report on their perfor-mance and the achievement levels of theirstudents, including results measured byprovincial tests and other indicators.

RECOMMENDATION 14: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire (1) all principals, in consultation

with their school councils, and (2) allschool boards, through their directors ofeducation, to develop, implement, moni-tor, and evaluate annual improvementplans; that the plans be based on ananalysis of the information in theirreport cards; that the plans reflect theacademic and other expectations estab-lished by ministry and board policy; thatschool plans be informed by theimprovement goals of their boards andvice versa; and that the plans include aformal process for measuring and report-ing progress towards improvement goals.

RECOMMENDATION 15: That supervi-sory officers hold principals account-able for preparing and distributingschool profiles and school report cards,and developing, implementing, moni-toring, and evaluating school improve-ment plans; and that boards of trusteeshold their directors of educationaccountable for preparing and distrib-uting board report cards, and develop-ing, implementing, monitoring, andevaluating board improvement plans.

Most principals and boards alreadyhave an improvement planning processin place, whether it is called by this oranother name, but the process varies con-siderably across the province. This vari-ance is both inevitable and desirable, tothe extent that it reflects the diversity of

the province and the differing prioritiesof boards and individual school commu-nities. However, there needs to be greaterconsistency in both the process followedand the data measured.

Common procedures and formats forschool profiles, report cards, andimprovement plans would allow educa-tors, parents, students, and the public toassess their own school’s progress overtime. It would also allow them to reviewthe progress of their own school in thecontext of the performance of otherschools that have similar profiles, in theirown areas and across the province.

School councils must be included in theschool improvement planning process toensure that the priorities of the communityare reflected in the school’s plans. Schoolcouncils are valuable resources. They repre-sent the views of parents, students, commu-nity members, and staff, and they knowtheir school communities well. They shouldtake an active role in the communication ofinformation, staying in contact with mem-bers of the community to ensure that theyare well informed and that their input isrequested, conveyed, and respected.

Recognizing that the principal has theformal responsibility for improvementplanning, school councils should also par-ticipate in the development and monitor-ing of the plan. By reviewing school andoverall student achievement and makingrecommendations for improvement,

The primary focus of school

councils should be participa-

tion in the conception of the

school improvement plan and

its evaluation.

– School board

administrator,

Southeastern

Ontario


We do not want or need to be

consulted on every issue—only

on major issues and issues

that matter.

– Parent,

Southeastern

Ontario


councils can help keep schools focused on student achievement, and therebyincrease parental and community confi-dence in the province’s schools.

The following recommendation out-lines our minimum expectations for theinvolvement of school councils in theschool improvement planning process.However, we do not want this process tobecome static. We encourage collaborationamong boards, principals, and school coun-cils to ensure that plans are in keeping withprovincial standards, board policies, andlocal priorities, and that they are imple-mented, monitored, and communicated toparents and the local community effectively.

RECOMMENDATION 16: That schoolboards and principals develop proceduresto integrate school councils into theschool improvement planning process,and that their integration include, as aminimum, the following elements:

• adequate timelines;• access to the previous year’s

improvement plan and its results;• access to overall school results on

provincial tests, as well as resultson other indicators;

• access to the results of otherschools within the board’s jurisdic-tion and across the province;

• input into the determination of the goalsand strategies to be included in theschool improvement plan for the year;

• access to the final school improve-ment plan, as well as a rationalefor the goals and strategies selected;

• at least two brief oral or writtenprogress reports from the principalat school council meetings, with anopportunity to respond and makesuggestions; and

• input into the annual report on theschool’s progress in meeting itsimprovement plan.

As we stated in recommendation 14,schools should ensure that their plansreflect the goals of boards, and boardsshould ensure that their plans reflect theneeds and goals of individual schools. Inmaking their plans, boards, through theirprincipals, should solicit and consider theinput of the school councils in their juris-dictions. School boards now cover largergeographical areas with a smaller numberof trustees. The contributions of schoolcouncils will help them maintain impor-tant links to every school community intheir jurisdiction. Councils’ involvementin board plans, however, will be lessdirect and extensive than in school plans.

RECOMMENDATION 17: That schoolboards develop and implement aprocess for ensuring that school coun-cils are involved in the development,monitoring, evaluation, and reportingof board improvement plans.

VEHICLE 3: Influencing DecisionsMade by Principals, School Boards,and the Ministry of Education andTraining

PPM 122 sets out a list of the “roles andresponsibilities” of school councils—matterson which they may offer advice—if theyhave identified these subjects as priorities.We support councils’ providing advice onthese matters, but both the topics and theconsultation processes require clarification.

During our consultation we heard alot of confusion about the list: Is it acomprehensive list on which councilsmust advise? Can they advise on topicsthat are not on the list? Can they adviseboards and the ministry too, or shouldthey stick to the local school level?

To clarify the issue, we propose that theMinistry of Education and Training identifya list of topics on which principals andschool boards must seek the input of schoolcouncils. Individual school boards maychoose to enhance this list with additionalsubjects. Individual school councils maychoose to submit their views on any othermatter that they have identified as a priori-ty. As we said in the previous chapter, coun-cils may choose not to respond to requests onissues that are not priorities for them.

This approach provides a measure ofprovince-wide consistency, while allowinglocal flexibility to reflect the diversity oflocal needs across the province. It places

14

the onus for seeking input on administra-tors and trustees, and allows individualschool councils the freedom to respondto these requests according to their ownpriorities and energies.

Table 2 summarizes the topics onwhich we believe principals and schoolboards must seek the advice of schoolcouncils. It is not intended to replacethe list of roles and responsibilities in PPM 122, but to enhance them. Some ofthe topics in table 2 have been addressedearlier in this report; others will beaddressed in chapter 5. Appendix Cexpands on each of the consultation topics set out in table 2.

We emphasize that we do not expectschool councils to be involved in day-to-day management or operational matters,but rather that principals and boards con-sult councils as part of the school andboard policy and planning processes.

RECOMMENDATION 18: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire principals and school boards toseek the advice of school councils onthe issues identified as mandatory intable 2 of this report, and on additionalissues that individual boards havedetermined to be priorities.

At any time, school councils may provide advice on issues that they havedetermined are priorities.

The school council can serve

to unite the school community

around the common goal to

which all can aspire: an

improved student learning

environment.

– Ontario Parent

Council


*Recommendation 16, earlier in this chapter, recommends that school councils be extensively involved in schoolimprovement planning processes.

School councils must be consulted on ... By By (but need not respond) principals school boards

Local school-year calendar: scheduling holidays and the beginning and end of school years

School and board codes/policies on student behaviour

Programme and curriculum priorities

School organization

School and board policy on field trips

Preparation of the school profile

Preparation of school and board improvement plans *

Preparation of school and board report cards

Selection criteria for principals

Performance appraisals of principal, superintendent, and director of education

School and board budget priorities

Capital-improvement plans

Naming of schools and other board property

School-community communication strategies

Methods of reporting to parents and the community

Extracurricular activities in the school

School-based services and community partnerships related to social, health, recreational, and nutrition programmes

Co-ordination of local services for children and youth

Community use of school facilities

School closures and the twinning of schools

School boundaries

Other issues identified as priorities by boards and/or school councils

X X

X X

X X

X

X X

X

X X

X X

X

X

X X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X X

X

X

X X

Table 2: Consultation with School Councils

A month might seem like a

long time, but when you’re

seeking opinions from parents

and the rest of the community,

two months sometimes isn’t

enough.

– School council

chair,

Southwestern

Ontario


RECOMMENDATION 19: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingitself seek, and require principals andschool boards to seek, the advice ofschool councils on the developmentand review of any policies relating toschool councils and other forms ofparental involvement in education.

Consultations are pointless unless thetimelines are adequate and the advice isconsidered. In the end, the ministry, boards,and school principals are responsible formaking decisions, but accountability mecha-nisms must ensure that the advice of schoolcouncils is taken into account. Decisionmakers must communicate their decisionsand the rationale for their decisions tothe councils. Councils are entitled to learnwhat happened to their advice. Recommen-dations 3 and 4 address this issue.

We point out that many schools andboards have already adopted the practicesdescribed above. Some boards, for exam-ple, require principals to give school coun-cils a written response to any written rec-ommendation submitted by the council.Some limit this requirement to advice thatis not taken. These practices ensure thatcouncil members are kept informed aboutdecisions affecting their school. They alsoincrease council members’ understandingof the various perspectives principals mustconsider in reaching decisions. We suggestthat a response and rationale is also

appropriate in those cases where schoolcouncils have submitted written, unso-licited suggestions for change.

Among the consultation topics listedin table 2 are the selection criteria forprincipals.

RECOMMENDATION 20: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire school boards, in establishingselection criteria for principals, to con-sult school councils about the qualitiesthey seek in a principal, given the specific needs of their schools.

RECOMMENDATION 21: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire school boards to include parentmembers of school councils on theirappropriate selection committees forprincipals.

We recognize that recommendation21 will be implemented differently in largeboards than in small ones. For example, aboard with a large number of schoolsmight invite parent members of schoolcouncils to sit on the principal selectioncommittees for each school or family ofschools. A board with a small number ofschools might invite parent members to siton teams selecting a pool of principals forthe board’s jurisdiction. We were sorry tolearn that, after amalgamation, manyboards discontinued parental involvement

on these committees. Parents have a vitalinterest in these selections, and theirinvolvement should be mandated.

We believe school councils shouldalso have an opportunity to influencedecisions made by the Ministry ofEducation and Training and other provin-cial bodies like the Education Quality andAccountability Office and the OntarioCollege of Teachers. At present, theOntario Parent Council (OPC) providesthis type of input to the ministry.

RECOMMENDATION 22: That the Ministryof Education and Training restructurethe Ontario Parent Council (OPC) into a provincial body that represents theprovince’s school councils; that the neworganization consist of parents elected byschool councils; that the membership berepresentative of all four publicly fundedsystems, as well as the geographic regionsof the province; and that the ministry andits agencies seek the advice of the restruc-tured OPC on those issues that fall withinthe responsibilities of school councils.

The new organization must not belarge and bureaucratic; it must not replicateschool boards or other administrative struc-tures that exist at present. It should havetwo roles: providing advice to the Ministerof Education and Training, as described inthe recommendation, and helping schoolcouncils share best practices.

If school councils are unable

to successfully encourage par-

ticipation of the entire com-

munity, they will be unable to

execute their mandate fully.

– Parent,

Central Ontario

16

In this chapter, we address some keyissues and problems faced by schoolcouncils in trying to fulfil their mandate,and relate some of the successful proce-dures they are using to get the job done.

Space does not permit us to cover indetail all of the issues on which peoplecommented during our consultations.However, appendix D contains, in tableform, an extensive review of what weheard about the provisions of PPM 122during our consultation, as well as ourown responses and suggestions on eachissue. We hope this detailed informationwill be of use to the ministry in establish-ing policy relating to school councils, andto boards and school councils in estab-lishing their procedures.

Community Representation

PPM 122 directs that school councils berepresentative of parents, students, schoolstaff, and the community. Most schoolcouncils have a full complement of mem-bers, but some have had difficulty attract-ing and retaining community members orgetting certain segments of the communi-ty involved.

School councils must represent theinterests and values of the entire communi-ty. To do this, their membership must reflectthe community or communities they serve.

RECOMMENDATION 23: That princi-pals and school councils be jointlyresponsible for ensuring that schoolcouncil membership is representativeof the school’s entire community orcommunities.

To represent the community, theprincipal and school council membersmust conduct outreach activities aimed atattracting parent and community mem-bers from all groups in the community,including visible minorities, Native peo-ple, people with disabilities or the physi-cally challenged, and people from socio-economically disadvantaged areas. In addi-tion, they should balance representationfrom parents of students at various gradelevels and divisions within the school.

Beyond persuading people who repre-sent different aspects of the communityto act as school council members, coun-cils should also solicit their assistance oncouncil committees and encourage theirparticipation in other volunteer activitiesat the school.

We have dedicated a considerableamount of time to this issue and gatheredexamples of effective outreach strategies.They include consulting and seeking theassistance of cultural mentors in the com-munity, asking community members to

participate in specific projects or ad hoccommittees, meeting in barrier-freevenues, providing child care during meet-ings, organizing transportation pools, andseeking community members fromamong seniors. Individual parents mayrequire translation assistance to ensurethey are able to participate. Exemplarypractices in this area include councilsseeking volunteer translators to help outand council members partnering withparents to provide translation services.

We acknowledge that communityrepresentation is a challenge and thatmany school councils are working hard tomeet it. Where councils are unsuccessfulin recruiting representatives of a certainpart of the community, we urge them totake care to consider the views of thesegroups in their work.

Council Membership

During our consultations, we heard frompeople who oppose allowing teachers andother school board employees to sit asparent members of school councils. Thesepeople fear that the presence of boardstaff will tip the balance of representationaway from parents and towards the inter-ests of the board or staff unions.

Others, including teachers and boardstaff, argue that board employees shouldhave the same rights as other parents toparticipate in the education of their chil-dren, including sitting on school coun-


5. OTHER KEY ISSUES


cils. They point out that, if no controlsare in place, members of any special inter-est group could attempt to dominate acouncil.

In the fall of 1998, we asked theMinister of Education and Training, as aninterim measure, until we had consultedmore widely, to clarify the intent of PPM122. The Minister subsequently wrote aletter to school boards on this matter.

We have now studied the issue thor-oughly. We support council membershipsthat are balanced in favour of parents andthat are structured so as to avoid takeoverby special interest groups. However, wealso understand the desire of teachers andother board staff to exercise their rights asparents. Their concern for their children’seducation is no less than the concern ofother parents.

Later in this chapter, we recommenda code of conduct for school councilmembers, which will go a long waytowards ensuring that anyone who sits asa parent member of a council will act as a“parent.” In addition, we sought andreceived specific assurances from theOntario Teachers’ Federation (OTF), itsaffiliates, and other unions representingboard staff that they also oppose mem-bers of school councils representing spe-cial interests. In a letter to theCommission, OTF said, “The pursuit ofindividual or group interests would onlyserve to deflect a school council from its

primary purpose of ensuring that childrenget the best education possible.”4

RECOMMENDATION 24: That boardemployees be eligible for election to theposition of parent representative on aschool council, except for the council ofthe school at which they work and sub-ject to declaring their position and/oraffiliation when running for election.

RECOMMENDATION 25: That teachersand other board employees not be eligi-ble to serve as chairs of school councils.

Communication

Communication is a challenge for manycouncils. Some school council membersdo not receive the information they needto carry out their responsibilities; othersreport being inundated with information.The preparation and maintenance ofschool council membership lists is a prob-lem, hampered by inconsistencies fromschool to school and board to board onsuch procedures as the timing of elections.In many regions councils experience diffi-culty in contacting one another. In somecases, members of the school’s communityare not aware of the council’s activities.

These problems are linked to issuesaddressed earlier in this report. Becausethe councils are new and their mandatehas been unclear, many people do not

know what to share or with whom. Inmany schools, uncertainty has been com-pounded by a lack of financial and othersupport for effective communication.

We did hear of effective communica-tion practices, such as principals invitingschool councils to contribute to newslet-ters and correspondence sent home toparents (for example, to provide notice ofcouncil meetings); information about thecouncil’s activities being included on aschool information phone line or postedon a school or council web site; andschools providing councils with space todisplay their materials, as well as spacewhere parents and community membersvisiting the school can meet.

PPM 122 states that “all meetings [ofthe school council] shall be open tomembers of the school community,” andwe support this requirement.

In many boards, representatives ofschool councils meet on a regular basis toshare information and best practices, andto attend workshops on such topics ascommunication strategies. Such meetingscan be held by representatives of all schoolcouncils in a board or a family of schools.

We support recent initiatives of theMinistry of Education and Training aimedat ensuring that school councils receiveinformation intended for them. Problemsstill exist in some boards, however, andthe initiative should be reinforced andapplied to both boards and principals.

18

RECOMMENDATION 26: That schooland board administrators ensure thatcorrespondence and other materialintended for school councils is passedalong to the councils.

RECOMMENDATION 27: That theschool newsletter and other schoolcommunication devices at the localschool level include information sub-mitted by the school council, includingthe names of members, the council’sgoals for the year, the dates of upcom-ing meetings, and any other materialthat the council deems appropriate andthat is consistent with the provisions ofthe council’s code of conduct.

RECOMMENDATION 28: That, wherefeasible, school councils, with the assis-tance of administrators, organize regu-larly scheduled regional forums for thepurposes of sharing best practices andholding workshops on effective com-munication strategies and other topicsrelated to fulfilling their mandate.

Training

Training programs were put in placewhen school councils were initiated in1995, but with the large turnover inmembership, many newer council mem-bers have not experienced this training.Similarly, the school council handbookprepared by the ministry includes excel-

lent material, but most parents andmembers are unaware of it. Someboards, however, offer exemplary train-ing programs.

All members of school councils, notjust chairs, require training to ensureeffectiveness and continuity in the coun-cils’ activities. Training topics includerunning meetings, setting priorities,resolving conflicts, reaching consensus,understanding communication tech-niques, building teams, and developingand implementing outreach strategies. Ata more basic level, council membersrequire information sessions on school,board, and ministry procedures and prior-ities. We realized during our consultationthat many committed parents and com-munity members, especially recent immi-grants, have no idea how education worksin Canada.

Training programs must also be cost-efficient. Some of the effective trainingpractices we heard about include the“train the trainer” model, co-operationamong several boards or collaborationwith community groups in offering train-ing programs, and the use of telecommu-nications techniques.

RECOMMENDATION 29: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingensure that school councils are provid-ed with support for the training needsof their members.

RECOMMENDATION 30: That theschool council handbook prepared bythe Ministry of Education and Trainingbe revised, reissued, and distributed toall school boards and school councilmembers, and that it include trainingrecommendations for council members.

Conflict Resolution

Training in conflict resolution will helpcouncil members sort out their differ-ences, but some conflict may be unavoid-able. School boards, in consultation withtheir school councils, should establish aconflict resolution process before prob-lems occur.

RECOMMENDATION 31: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire school boards to establish, inconsultation with their school councils,a conflict resolution process for thecouncils in their jurisdiction.

We respect the differences amongboards in the province, and anticipatethat they and their councils will maketheir own determinations of how toresolve such conflicts. As we noted in ourintroduction, a common will to succeed isvital to the effectiveness of a school coun-cil. Most council members will want toresolve their conflicts internally. Wherethey are unable to do so, they could havethe options of then requesting the


The principal can make or

break a school council.

– School council

member,

Northwestern

Ontario


involvement of their superintendent,director of education, or trustees.Whatever the conflict resolution process,if it fails, an appeal mechanism isrequired.

RECOMMENDATION 32: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingdevelop a list of independent mediatorsjointly approved by the school boardassociations and the restructured OPCreferred to in recommendation 22, andthat it appoint a mediator from this listto assist school councils that are unableto resolve conflicts internally orthrough their boards’ conflict resolu-tion process.

Code of Conduct

We have stated our belief that the pur-pose of school councils is to improve stu-dent learning. To keep all council mem-bers focused on this purpose, no singleinterest must dominate the council. Wealso referred earlier to some people’s fearsthat teachers sitting on councils as par-ents could dominate the council, butother possibilities exist, including domi-nation by a specific cultural, political,philosophical, or business interest.

RECOMMENDATION 33: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingestablish a code of conduct for schoolcouncil members; that the code

include, as a minimum, the followingelements:

• a focus on student learning andwhat is otherwise best for studentsin the school,

• the need to keep in mind the values and priorities of the entirecommunity,

• privacy of information provisions,and

• safeguards against control by spe-cial interests;

that these standards be reflected inschool board policies and school coun-cil handbooks; and that school councilsestablish their own codes of conductbased on the ministry code and boardpolicies.

Excellent examples of school councilcodes of conduct already exist in someparts of the province.

Effectiveness of School Councils

We have already stated that we believe PPM 122 to be an excellent document, butthat it requires measures to ensure effec-tive implementation of its provisions. Thefollowing recommendations are madewith these requirements in mind.

RECOMMENDATION 34: That schoolcouncils monitor and assess their owneffectiveness by seeking feedback fromthe school community.

RECOMMENDATION 35: That schooland school board report cards report onthe performance or effectiveness ofschool councils, with councils havinginput into the report.

RECOMMENDATION 36: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingensure that a formal, province-widereview of school councils takes place inthree years.

In making this recommendation, weacknowledge that not all school councilswill be able to achieve the standard envis-aged by this report in the next three years,and that many are already beyond it.

Accountability of Principals,Superintendents, and Directors of Education

Research is clear that the principal is thekey to establishing and maintaining aneffective school.5 Our consultation hasconvinced us that principals are also vitalto school councils achieving success.

School councils can support studentlearning best if their relationship withtheir principals is one of trust and mutualrespect. Principals in turn must be sup-ported by supervisory officers—superin-tendents and directors of education—whoare committed to successful councils. Theskills necessary to this chain of supportneed to be enhanced at all levels. We have

20

already made recommendations withrespect to the training of school councilmembers, and we now turn to the train-ing of principals and other key board staff.

RECOMMENDATION 37: That theOntario College of Teachers ensure thatcertification courses for principals andsupervisory officers address the skillsrequired to: manage change collabora-tively; create an inviting school envi-ronment; consult and communicatewith parents and the public; work withdiverse interest groups to reach consen-sus; negotiate; and build partnerships.

RECOMMENDATION 38: That schoolboards include in their in-service train-ing and professional developmentcourses for principals and supervisoryofficers the skills described in recom-mendation 37.

The nature of performance appraisalsis changing. Many companies now seekthe views of clients and staff in evaluat-ing the performance of their executives.Similarly, many boards now seek theobservations of parents, students, andstaff to inform their own assessment ofthe performance of their administrators.

In chapter 4, we recommended thatschool councils play key roles in the selec-tion process for principals. We also believethat their views should be sought by

superintendents conducting performanceappraisals of principals, and by boardsevaluating the performance of superinten-dents and directors of education.

RECOMMENDATION 39: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire school boards, as part of their evaluation policies and procedures, toseek the opinions of parent and com-munity representatives on school coun-cils, as one source of feedback on theperformance of principals, superinten-dents, and directors of education.

RECOMMENDATION 40: That one of thecriteria in the performance appraisals ofprincipals, superintendents, and direc-tors of education be their ability to cre-ate an environment that is inviting toparents and the community.

We recognize that boards are likely touse different processes to solicit the viewsof school councils on the performance ofprincipals than for supervisory officersand directors. However, it is importantthat boards establish processes, and thatthey consult school councils as theseprocesses are being developed or revised.

Funding Support

Our consultations made it clear that, tofunction effectively, school councils needfunding and other resources to support

communication and training and to con-duct their meetings. We repeatedly heardthe following messages: that funding sup-port for councils must not come fromfunding allocated to classrooms; that theportion of funding allocated to councilsmust be clear; and that funding supportfor councils must be “new money,” albeita limited amount.

RECOMMENDATION 41: That theMinister of Education and Trainingaddress the issue of funding and otherresources for school councils.

We also heard many examples ofschool councils co-operating with theirschool administration, local businesses,agencies, local facilities, and other schoolsand school councils to keep costs down.Examples of such economies includeinserting council communications intothe school newsletter to save separatemailing costs, providing councils withaccess to the school’s computers andInternet service, and collaborating withother school councils to arrange for guestspeakers and workshops. We urge coun-cils to continue seeking creative, imagina-tive solutions to funding issues and econ-omize wherever possible.

Legal and Financial Liability

During our consultation, members ofschool councils and the public expressed


Ongoing training for council

members is essential. We need

some ideas about how to run

effective meetings, how to

recruit people from the

community, and so forth.

– Parent,

Southern Ontario


concern about the legal liability of coun-cils and the individuals who sit on them.Uncertainty surrounding this issue is lim-iting or deterring the participation ofsome parents and community membersin school councils.

The legal advice we received is thatschool councils and their members arecovered by their board’s general liabilityinsurance, providing they are actingwithin the scope of ministry directivesand board policy. But we were also asked:What if members are involved in activi-ties beyond the “minimum require-ments” described in PPM 122? Thisreport’s clearer description of the role ofschool councils will help alleviate theproblem, but our legal advice is that, inaddition, board policy should specifythat school councils and their individualmembers are covered.

RECOMMENDATION 42: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingdirect school boards to ensure that theyhave adequate liability insurance cover-age for school councils to carry outtheir responsibilities.

We also heard concerns with respectto the handling of money raised by schoolcouncils: Who is liable if these funds aremisappropriated? Laws are already inplace to deal with this situation, but, in

addition, each school board should have apolicy that specifically sets out proceduresrelated to the handling of money andshould ensure that school council mem-bers understand these policies.

RECOMMENDATION 43: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingdirect school boards to review theirpolicies on the handling of money andclarify them for school councils andother parent groups.

The provisions of boards’ policies andinsurance coverage should not be obsta-cles to the effectiveness of school councilsworking within their mandate. If changesare needed for councils to carry out theirrole, they should be implemented.

22

This report outlines a meaningful role forschool councils, one that encourages andfacilitates the involvement of parents intheir children’s education. Our recom-mendations are based on an extensiveresearch and consultation process, andguided by a set of principles, the first ofwhich is “Put students first.”

This document does not replace theMinistry of Education and Training’sPolicy/Program Memorandum (PPM) No.122, School Board Policies on SchoolCouncils. PPM 122 sets out the mandateof school councils and the minimumrequirements for their composition andoperation. It remains in force until theMinister of Education and Trainingdirects otherwise.

Education in Ontario is a partner-ship of the province, school boards, andschool communities. School councilshave a vital advisory role to play in thispartnership, primarily at the level oftheir local school, but also with respectto the decisions made by boards and the province.

During our consultation, many par-ents, school council members, and othersin the education community expressedconfusion about the purpose of schoolcouncils. Because the focus of educationreform is to improve programmes andincrease accountability for studentachievement, we believe that the funda-mental purpose of school councils is toimprove student learning.

We suggest three “vehicles” throughwhich councils can make significant con-tributions to this goal:

• vehicle 1: by fostering parental and community involvement in education;

• vehicle 2: by participating in theschool improvement planningprocess; and

• vehicle 3: by influencing decisionsmade by principals, school boards,and the Ministry of Education andTraining.

We make several recommendationsaimed at ensuring school councils havean impact in these areas.

We also address, and make recom-mendations on, other issues that weheard about during our consultations:community representation on schoolcouncils, council membership, communi-cation, conflict resolution, a code of con-duct, funding, and financial and legal lia-bility. We recommend training for schoolcouncil members, and for the principals,superintendents, and directors of educa-tion with whom they work.

We also recommend that schoolcouncils have input into selection criteriafor principals, and into the performanceappraisal process for principals, superin-tendents, and directors of education.Finally, we recommend that councils bemonitored for effectiveness and that theybe reviewed in three years.

Our recommendations, however, andministry policies cannot replace a com-mon will to make school councils suc-ceed. In the end, it is parents, schoolcouncil members, principals, school staffmembers, board administrators, andtrustees, working in a collaborative andsupportive manner, who will makeschool councils work.


School councils develop well

when parents are clear about

their roles and the goals of the

council... when there is

encouragement for parents to

become involved... and when

they have access to profession-

al development for their

participation.

– Kenneth

Leithwood, Doris

Jantzi, and

Rosanne Steinbach,

“Do School Councils

Matter?” 7.

6. SUMMARY


Appendix A:LIST OFRECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendation 1: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingdevelop a bill of parents’ rights thatconsolidates the parents’ rights alreadyset out in legislation, and adds, as aminimum, the rights to:

• accurate, detailed, and timelyinformation about their child’sprogress;

• thorough information about theperformance of their local school;

• information about how they cansupport their child’s educationalprogress; and

• opportunities to provide input intotheir child’s educational programme.

Recommendation 2: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingstate that the purpose of school coun-cils is to improve student learning.

Recommendation 3: That the Ministryof Education and Training change itsprocedures so as to integrate schoolcouncils into its policy development

and implementation process for thoseissues that fall within the responsibilitiesof school councils; and that the newprocedures include adequate timelinesfor consultation, as well as feedback toschool councils on decisions made andrationales for decisions made.

Recommendation 4: That schoolboards and principals change their pro-cedures so as to integrate school coun-cils into their policy development andimplementation processes for thoseissues that fall within the responsibili-ties of school councils; and that thenew procedures include adequate time-lines for consultation, as well as feed-back to school councils on decisionsmade and rationales for decisions made.

Recommendation 5: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingclarify that school councils are respon-sible for:

• electing a chair of their councilfrom among their members whoare parents;

• appointing community membersto their council;

• establishing their bylaws and oper-ating procedures (how to conductmeetings, etc.);

• determining the content andmethods of their communications;

• determining how to spend thefunds allocated to them to coverthe cost of their work; and

• determining how to spend, withinboard policy, all funds they haveraised.

Recommendation 6: That school boardsidentify a discretionary portion of eachschool’s budget for the school council’sconsideration; and that principals bringdiscretionary-spending recommenda-tions related to this portion of the bud-get to their school councils for the coun-cils’ consideration and approval.

Recommendation 7: That the Ministryof Education and Training clearly out-line the roles and responsibilities ofschool councils in keeping with therecommendations of this report, andensure that council, school, and boardpractices are consistent with those rolesand responsibilities.

Recommendation 8: That schoolcouncils focus their activities on thosethat will improve the learning of thestudents in their local school.

Recommendation 9: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingprovide school councils with the

following, all clearly stated:• a statement of the purpose of

school councils;• descriptions of the roles that each

representative on a school coun-cil—parent, student, communitymember, principal, teacher, andother staff member—can and, inthe case of the principal, will playin fulfilling the council’s work,including the contributions thateach representative can make;

• a list of substantive topics onwhich councils are to be consulted;and

• a statement of procedures such asthose described in recommenda-tion 3 that will ensure councilshave time to provide input andtheir input is considered.

Recommendation 10: That principalsand school boards provide schoolcouncils with the following, all clearlystated:

• thorough, up-to-date informationabout the school and board,including student achievement onprovincial tests and the results ofother assessments of the school, itsstudents, and the board;

• a list of substantive topics onwhich councils are to be consultedor for which they are to haveresponsibility;

APPENDICES

24 T h e R o a d A h e a d — I I I

• procedures and mechanisms coun-cils can use to consult and commu-nicate with all parents and thecommunity in general;

• a statement of procedures such asthose described in recommenda-tion 4 that will ensure councilshave time to provide input andtheir input is considered;

• copies of the school council hand-book for each member;

• conflict resolution strategies; and• a code of conduct.

Recommendation 11: That schoolcouncils take on a clear and substantiverole in fostering parent and communityinvolvement in the school, and thatthey work in consultation with theirprincipals to build partnerships andworking relationships with social ser-vice agencies, recreation departmentsand facilities, community and churchgroups, businesses, and industries.

Recommendation 12: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire all principals, in consultationwith their school councils, to publishand distribute annual school profiles thatinclude statements about the school’svalues and priorities and statistical infor-mation about the school and its com-munities (number of students, culturalmakeup, socioeconomic level, etc.).

Recommendation 13: That the Ministryof Education and Training require (1) allprincipals, in consultation with theirschool councils, and (2) all school boards,through their directors of education, topublish and distribute annual report cardsthat report on their performance and theachievement levels of their students,including results measured by provincialtests and other indicators.

Recommendation 14: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire (1) all principals, in consultationwith their school councils, and (2) allschool boards, through their directors ofeducation, to develop, implement, mon-itor, and evaluate annual improvementplans; that the plans be based on ananalysis of the information in theirreport cards; that the plans reflect theacademic and other expectations estab-lished by ministry and board policy;that school plans be informed by theimprovement goals of their boards andvice versa; and that the plans include aformal process for measuring andreporting progress towards improve-ment goals.

Recommendation 15: That supervi-sory officers hold principals account-able for preparing and distributingschool profiles and school reportcards, and developing, implementing,

monitoring, and evaluating schoolimprovement plans; and that boardsof trustees hold their directors of edu-cation accountable for preparing anddistributing board report cards, anddeveloping, implementing, monitor-ing, and evaluating board improve-ment plans.

Recommendation 16: That schoolboards and principals develop proce-dures to integrate school councils intothe school improvement planningprocess, and that their integrationinclude, as a minimum, the followingelements:

• adequate timelines;• access to the previous year’s

improvement plan and its results;• access to overall school results on

provincial tests, as well as resultson other indicators;

• access to the results of otherschools within the board’s jurisdic-tion and across the province;

• input into the determination ofthe goals and strategies to beincluded in the school improve-ment plan for the year;

• access to the final school improve-ment plan, as well as a rationale forthe goals and strategies selected;

• at least two brief oral or writtenprogress reports from the principalat school council meetings, with

an opportunity to respond andmake suggestions; and

• input into the annual report onthe school’s progress in meeting itsimprovement plan.

Recommendation 17: That schoolboards develop and implement aprocess for ensuring that school coun-cils are involved in the development,monitoring, evaluation, and reportingof board improvement plans.

Recommendation 18: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire principals and school boards toseek the advice of school councils onthe issues identified as mandatory intable 2 of this report, and on addition-al issues that individual boards havedetermined to be priorities.

Recommendation 19: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingitself seek, and require principals andschool boards to seek, the advice ofschool councils on the developmentand review of any policies relating toschool councils and other forms ofparental involvement in education.

Recommendation 20: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire school boards, in establishingselection criteria for principals, to


consult school councils about thequalities they seek in a principal, giventhe specific needs of their schools.

Recommendation 21: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire school boards to include parentmembers of school councils on theirappropriate selection committees forprincipals.

Recommendation 22: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrestructure the Ontario Parent Council(OPC) into a provincial body that rep-resents the province’s school councils;that the new organization consist ofparents elected by school councils; thatthe membership be representative of allfour publicly funded systems, as well asthe geographic regions of the province;and that the ministry and its agenciesseek the advice of the restructured OPCon those issues that fall within theresponsibilities of school councils.

Recommendation 23: That princi-pals and school councils be jointlyresponsible for ensuring that schoolcouncil membership is representativeof the school’s entire community orcommunities.

Recommendation 24: That boardemployees be eligible for election to

the position of parent representativeon a school council, except for thecouncil of the school at which theywork and subject to declaring theirposition and/or affiliation when run-ning for election.

Recommendation 25: That teachersand other board employees not be eligi-ble to serve as chairs of school councils.

Recommendation 26: That schooland board administrators ensure thatcorrespondence and other materialintended for school councils is passedalong to the councils.

Recommendation 27: That the schoolnewsletter and other school communi-cation devices at the local school levelinclude information submitted by theschool council, including the names ofmembers, the council’s goals for theyear, the dates of upcoming meetings,and any other material that the coun-cil deems appropriate and that is con-sistent with the provisions of thecouncil’s code of conduct.

Recommendation 28: That, where fea-sible, school councils, with the assis-tance of administrators, organize regu-larly scheduled regional forums for thepurposes of sharing best practices andholding workshops on effective com-

munication strategies and other topicsrelated to fulfilling their mandate.

Recommendation 29: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingensure that school councils are provid-ed with support for the training needsof their members.

Recommendation 30: That the schoolcouncil handbook prepared by theMinistry of Education and Training berevised, reissued, and distributed to allschool boards and school council mem-bers, and that it include training recom-mendations for council members.

Recommendation 31: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire school boards to establish, inconsultation with their school coun-cils, a conflict resolution process forthe councils in their jurisdiction.

Recommendation 32: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingdevelop a list of independent media-tors jointly approved by the schoolboard associations and the restructuredOPC referred to in recommendation22, and that it appoint a mediatorfrom this list to assist school councilsthat are unable to resolve conflictsinternally or through their boards’conflict resolution process.

Recommendation 33: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingestablish a code of conduct for schoolcouncil members; that the code include,as a minimum, the following elements:

• a focus on student learning andwhat is otherwise best for studentsin the school,

• the need to keep in mind the values and priorities of the entirecommunity,

• privacy of information provisions,and

• safeguards against control by special interests;

that these standards be reflected inschool board policies and school coun-cil handbooks; and that school coun-cils establish their own codes of con-duct based on the ministry code andboard policies.

Recommendation 34: That schoolcouncils monitor and assess their owneffectiveness by seeking feedback fromthe school community.

Recommendation 35: That schooland school board report cards reporton the performance or effectiveness ofschool councils, with councils havinginput into the report.

Recommendation 36: That theMinistry of Education and Training


ensure that a formal, province-widereview of school councils takes placein three years.

Recommendation 37: That theOntario College of Teachers ensurethat certification courses for princi-pals and supervisory officers addressthe skills required to: manage changecollaboratively; create an invitingschool environment; consult andcommunicate with parents and thepublic; work with diverse interestgroups to reach consensus; negotiate;and build partnerships.

Recommendation 38: That schoolboards include in their in-service train-ing and professional developmentcourses for principals and supervisoryofficers the skills described in recom-mendation 37.

Recommendation 39: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingrequire school boards, as part of theirevaluation policies and procedures, toseek the opinions of parent and com-munity representatives on schoolcouncils, as one source of feedback onthe performance of principals, superin-tendents, and directors of education.

Recommendation 40: That one of thecriteria in the performance appraisalsof principals, superintendents, anddirectors of education be their abilityto create an environment that is invit-ing to parents and the community.

Recommendation 41: That theMinister of Education and Trainingaddress the issue of funding and otherresources for school councils.

Recommendation 42: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingdirect school boards to ensure thatthey have adequate liability insurancecoverage for school councils to carryout their responsibilities.

Recommendation 43: That theMinistry of Education and Trainingdirect school boards to review theirpolicies on the handling of money andclarify them for school councils andother parent groups.


Appendix B:

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ANDTRAINING POLICY/PROGRAM MEMO-RANDUM NO. 122

Ministry of Educationand Training

Issued under the authority of the DeputyMinister of Education and Training

Date of Issue: April 12, 1995 Effective: Until revoked or modified

Subject: SCHOOL BOARD POLICIESON SCHOOL COUNCILS

Application: Chairpersons of School Boards and Minority-Language SectionsDirectors of EducationPrincipals of Schools

BACKGROUNDThe government recognizes that theeducation of Ontario’s young people is ashared responsibility involving schools,students and their families, and mem-bers of the community. Parents andguardians have the right, as well as theresponsibility, to participate in the edu-cation of their children, and can con-tribute to their children’s developmentin a wide variety of ways. Other mem-bers of the community, including mem-bers of health, social service, and recre-ational agencies, also offer a wealth ofexperience and expertise that may be ofbenefit to students. Students themselvesmay have some excellent suggestionspertaining to their education. Membersof all of these groups should, therefore,have the opportunity to advise in edu-cational matters.

The Ministry of Education andTraining is committed to encouragingpartnerships that will enhance theeducation of the province’s young peo-ple and foster increased sharing ofinformation about the programs beingoffered by schools. In Ontario, manyschools already have an association orcommittee that enables parents andother community members to provideinput on topics pertaining to theschool’s educational program. Feedbackfrom these committees and associa-tions and from the schools has been

positive and encouraging, and indi-cates that community participationhas been very valuable.

The recent reports of the RoyalCommission on Learning and theOntario Parent Council have recom-mended that all schools be required to establish advisory committees to increase communication betweenschools and their communities and, inthe words of the commission’s report,to enable parents and students toassume “a more responsible and activerole” in education programs and ser-vices within their local community.These reports support similar recom-mendations made over the years byprovincial parent associations.

DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL BOARDPOLICIES ON SCHOOL COUNCILSThe provincial policy on school coun-cils will require school boards andminority-language sections to developpolicies that direct schools in theirjurisdictions to begin the establish-ment of school councils in September1995, and to ensure that a schoolcouncil is in place in all schools byJune 1996. This memorandum outlinesthe minimum requirements for thecomposition and functioning of schoolcouncils that must be included in eachschool board’s or section’s policy.(Henceforth in this document, the

term “school board” includes minori-ty-language sections.)

School board policies shouldenable school communities either toestablish entirely new organizationsas the school councils or to set upthe school councils by adapting exist-ing parent/community associationsor committees so that they conformto the requirements set out in thismemorandum. It is important tonote, however, that school communi-ties may have parent/communityorganizations in addition to theschool councils. The school councilsare not intended to replace suchorganizations, which continue tomake valuable contributions withinthe education community.

School boards are encouraged toinvolve parents in the development ofboard policies on school councils.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FORTHE COMPOSITION AND OPERA-TION OF SCHOOL COUNCILSSchool boards must ensure that thefollowing requirements are included intheir policies on school councils.

1. Membership and Term of OfficeMembers of a school council shallinclude, but not be limited to:

– parents and guardians of studentsenrolled in the school;

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N@@@@@@@L?@@@@@ ?I'@@@@@@@@@f?3@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@0M ?@@@@@ @@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@@h@@@@@@@H ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@ ?@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@@ ?@@@@@@?h7@@@@@@@H? ?@@@@@@@)?@@@@@ V'@@@@@@@@f?V'@@@@@@@@@@@@@(M ?@@@@@ @@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@@h@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@ J@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@5 ?@@@@@@?h@@@@@@@5 ?3@@@@@@@?@@@@@ ?N@@@@@@@@gV'@@@@@@@@@@@@H? ?@@@@@ @@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@@h@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@ ?O&@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@H ?@@@@@@?h@@@@@@@H ?N@@@@@@@?@@@@@ @@@@@@@@g?V4@@@@@@@@@@@ ?@@@@@ @@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@@h@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@ O2@@@@@@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h@@@@@@@? @@@@@@@?@@@@@ 3@@@@@@@hf?@@@@@@@ ?@@@@@ @@@@@@@L J@@@@@@@h@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@ ?O2@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h@@@@@@@? @@@@@@@?@@@@@ N@@@@@@@hf?@@@@@@@ ?@@@@@ @@@@@@@1 7@@@@@@@h@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@ ?O2@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h@@@@@@@? @@@@@@@?@@@@@ ?@@@@@@@hf?@@@@@@@ ?@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@h@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@ ?W2@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h@@@@@@@? @@@@@@@?@@@@@ ?@@@@@@@hfJ@@@@@@@ ?@@@@@ 3@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@5h@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@ W&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h@@@@@@@? @@@@@@@?@@@@@ ?@@@@@@@L?he7@@@@@@@ ?@@@@@ N@@@@@@@L? ?J@@@@@@@Hh@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@hf?W&@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@0M?@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h@@@@@@@? @@@@@@@?@@@@@ ?@@@@@@@1?he@@@@@@@@ ?@@@@@ ?@@@@@@@1? ?7@@@@@@@?h@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@hfW&@@@@@@@@@@@@0Mg?@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h@@@@@@@? @@@@@@@?@@@@@ ?@@@@@@@@?h?J@@@@@@@@ J@@@@@ ?@@@@@@@@L J@@@@@@@@?h@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@hf7@@@@@@@@(M?he?@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h@@@@@@@? @@@@@@@?@@@@@L? ?3@@@@@@@Lh?7@@@@@@@5 7@@@@@ ?3@@@@@@@1 7@@@@@@@5?h@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@hf@@@@@@@@(Yhf?@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h@@@@@@@L ?J@@@@@@@?3@@@@1? ?N@@@@@@@1h?@@@@@@@@H @@@@@5 ?N@@@@@@@@L? ?J@@@@@@@@H?h@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@hf@@@@@@@(Y?hf?@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h@@@@@@@1 ?7@@@@@@@?N@@@@@? @@@@@@@@L?gJ@@@@@@@@? @@@@@H 3@@@@@@@)X W&@@@@@@@5he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@hf@@@@@@@H ?@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h3@@@@@@@L? 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N@@@@@@@@)X?eW&@@@@@@@@ J@@@@@H? ?V'@@@@@@@@)X? ?W&@@@@@@@@(Y?he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@he?3@@@@@@1?hf?J@@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?3@@@@@@@)X?heW&@@@@@@@5?N@@@@@1? ?3@@@@@@@@1?e7@@@@@@@@5 7@@@@@ N@@@@@@@@@)K O&@@@@@@@@@Hhf@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@he?N@@@@@@@LhfO&@@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?N@@@@@@@@)Xh?W&@@@@@@@@H??3@@@@@L ?N@@@@@@@@@L?J@@@@@@@@@H ?J@@@@@5 ?3@@@@@@@@@@6KhfO2@@@@@@@@@@5?hf@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@hf@@@@@@@)X?hW2@@@@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?he3@@@@@@@@)K?gO&@@@@@@@@5???N@@@@@1 3@@@@@@@@)?&@@@@@@@@5? ?7@@@@@H ?V'@@@@@@@@@@@@@6KfO2@@@@@@@@@@@@@(Y?hf@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?h?@@@@@@@hf@@@@@@@@)Kg?O&@@@@@@@@@@@he@@@@@@@? ?@@@@@@?heN@@@@@@@@@@6K?eO2@@@@@@@@@@H??3@@@@@L? V'@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@(Y? J@@@@@5? 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– community representatives;– a student (mandatory in secondary

schools; in elementary schools, atthe discretion of the principal);

– the school principal;– a teacher;– a non-teaching staff member.

Parents and guardians shall formthe majority of the council, except inadult day schools, where parent posi-tions shall be held by students. It isexpected that the membership of thecouncil will reflect the diversity of theschool community.

Membership in the school councilshall be determined in the followingways:

– Parents shall be elected by parentsand guardians of students enrolledin the school.

– The chair of the council shall be amember who is also a parent andshall be elected by the council.

– Community representatives shallbe appointed by the council.

– The student representative shall beelected by students.

– The school principal shall be a designated member.

– The teacher representative shall be elected by members of theteaching staff.

– The non-teaching staff membershall be elected by members of thenon-teaching staff.

The term of office for elected andappointed positions shall be one ortwo years, as determined by board pol-icy. Elected and appointed membersmay seek additional terms of office.

There will be no honorarium paidto members of the school council.

2. Roles and Responsibilities of theSchool Councils

School councils are advisory bodies. Aschool council will provide advice tothe school principal and, where appro-priate, to the school board on any ofthe matters listed below that the coun-cil has identified as priorities:

– local school-year calendar– school code of student behaviour– curriculum and program goals and

priorities– the responses of the school or school

board to achievement in provincialand board assessment programs

– preparation of the school profile– selection of principals– school budget priorities, including

local capital-improvement plans– school-community communication

strategies– methods of reporting to parents

and the community– extracurricular activities in the

school– school-based services and commu-

nity partnerships related to social,

health, recreational, and nutritionprograms

– community use of school facilities– local co-ordination of services for

children and youth– development, implementation,

and review of board policies at thelocal levelThe provincial policy will require

that a school board’s policy direct theschool principal and, where relevant,senior staff and trustees of the boardto seek advice from the school coun-cil as part of the process of makingdecisions with regard to the matterslisted above.

In addition to its advisory respon-sibilities, the school council shall:

– establish its goals, priorities, andprocedures;

– organize information and trainingsessions to enable members of thecouncil to develop their skills ascouncil members;

– hold a minimum of four meetingsper year (all meetings shall beopen to members of the schoolcommunity);

– communicate regularly with par-ents and other members of thecommunity to seek their views andpreferences with regard to mattersbeing addressed by the council, andto report on the activities of thecouncil to the school community;

– promote the best interests of theschool community.

3. Roles and Responsibilities ofSchool Council Members

a) ChairThe chair of the school council shall:

– call school council meetings;– prepare the agenda for school

council meetings;– chair school council meetings;– ensure that the minutes of school

council meetings are recorded andmaintained;

– participate in information andtraining programs;

– communicate with the school principal;

– ensure that there is regular commu-nication with the school community;

– consult with senior board staff andtrustees, as required.

b) Council MembersThe members of the school council shall:

– participate in council meetings;– participate in information and

training programs;– act as a link between the school

council and the community;– encourage the participation of

parents from all groups and ofother people within the schoolcommunity.


c) The PrincipalThe principal of the school shall:

– facilitate the establishment of theschool council and assist in itsoperation;

– support and promote the council’sactivities;

– seek input from the council in areas for which it has been assigned advisory responsibility;

– act as a resource on laws, regula-tions, board policies, and collectiveagreements;

– obtain and provide informationrequired by the council to enable itto make informed decisions;

– communicate with the chair of thecouncil, as required;

– ensure that copies of the minutesof the council’s meetings are keptat the school;

– assist the council in communicat-ing with the school community;

– encourage the participation ofparents from all groups and ofother people within the schoolcommunity.

4. The School Board and the SchoolCouncils

Some school boards already includeparents and other members of the com-munity in an advisory role at the board

level. School boards are encouraged tocontinue, or to initiate, this practice.Boards are also encouraged to facilitatecommunication among the schoolcouncils within their jurisdiction.

School boards shall review andrevise their policies on the selection ofprincipals to ensure that the schoolcouncils participate in principal selec-tion. Boards shall also involve repre-sentatives of their school councils inthe revision of these policies.

5. Evaluation and ReportingSchool boards shall develop proceduresfor evaluating the implementation oftheir policies on the establishment andoperation of school councils.

A report on the establishmentand operation of the school councilsshall be included in the annual reportof the director of education of eachschool board.

ASSISTANCE FROM THE MINISTRY

School Council HandbookThe ministry will collaborate withstakeholders to produce a schoolcouncil handbook to assist schoolboards, schools, and school councils.The handbook will contain materialsand information to help boards estab-lish school councils and to assist the

members of school councils in carry-ing out their responsibilities. It will beavailable in September 1995.

Professional DevelopmentThe ministry will work with schoolboards and other organizations andstakeholders to ensure that such pro-grams as the Supervisory Officer’sQualification Program and thePrincipal’s Qualification Program pre-pare school board members and princi-pals for their work with school councils. The ministry will also collab-orate with boards and other stakehold-ers to develop in-service programs andmaterials for school council members.

School Council ForumThe ministry and stakeholder

groups will organize a School CouncilForum in the spring of 1996. This forumis intended to provide opportunities forrepresentatives of school councils andschool boards throughout the provinceto discuss their experiences in setting upand maintaining their councils. It willalso enable members of school councilsacross the province to establish a basisfor networking. Further details aboutthe forum will be provided later thisyear [1995].


Appendix C:TOPICS ON WHICH SCHOOL COUNCILSMUST BE CONSULTED

The material that follows expands onthe consultation topics listed in column1 of table 2, Consultation with SchoolCouncils. Most of the items extend orclarify the existing provisions of PPM122; some add to those provisions.

Local school year calendar: schedul-ing holidays and the beginning andend of school yearsTo help Ontario schools respond to theircommunities, school councils musthave input into the scheduling ofschool holidays and the school year. Forexample, a school with a large Muslimenrolment may wish to ensure thatexams or major projects are not sched-uled during Eid; a school in a touristarea, where families are unable to takevacations in summer, may wish to mod-ify the school year to start in August,with holidays scheduled during the fall.

School and board codes/policies onstudent behaviourPrincipals and boards must involveschool councils in the development oftheir codes/policies of student behav-

iour. Councils can provide valuableadvice on all aspects, including ways toensure safe and violence-free schools.

Programme and curriculum prioritiesPrincipals must consult school councilson the school’s programme priorities,within the context of the provincialcurriculum. Programme areas thatmight be considered in establishing priorities include outdoor educationand French immersion. Boards mustconsult parents and school councils on the development of policies and priorities on curricula and programmes.

School organizationPrincipals must consult councils onsuch aspects of school organization asgrade configurations (e.g., split grades,“family” groupings) and subject deliv-ery (e.g., integration).

School and board policy on fieldtripsPrincipals must consult councils onthe operational aspects of field trips(e.g., funding, amount of student con-tribution, supervision), and boardsmust consult them on field trip policy.

Preparation of the school profileSchool councils are an importantresource in the development of school

profiles, and they must be consultedby principals. A school profileincludes such items as the schoolmotto, crest, a map showing the phys-ical layout of the school, socio-demo-graphic data on the school communi-ty, overall performance levels or testresults of students at the school, andinformation about the school’s staff.See also the next topic and the discus-sion in chapter 4 about school coun-cils’ participation in the improvementplanning process (vehicle 2).

Preparation of school and boardimprovement plansPrincipals must involve school coun-cils in planning how to improveoverall student achievement onprovincial and board tests. Schoolcouncils must also have input intoboard improvement plans. See alsothe topic above and the discussion inchapter 4 about school councils’ par-ticipation in the improvement plan-ning process (vehicle 2).

Preparation of school and boardreport cardsSchool councils must be consulted inthe preparation of school and boardreport cards, including but not limitedto sections that reflect the participa-tion of parents and the effectivenessof the council itself.

Selection criteria for principalsSchool councils have a key role toplay in developing selection criteriafor principals by informing boardsof the qualities they seek in a prin-cipal, given the needs of theirschool. Councils must also haveinput into the development ofboard policies on principal recruit-ment and selection.

Performance appraisals of principal,superintendent, and director of educationSchool council members can offerboards an important perspective onthe performance of their principalsand board administrators. In mostcases, their focus will be on theprincipal.

School and board budget prioritiesSchool councils must have inputinto the development of budgets atboth the school and board level, par-ticularly with respect to the impactof a budget on the school’s andboard’s improvement plans.

Capital-improvement plansSchool councils can help boardsidentify the needs of their schooland community and predict growth,and they can describe the types offacilities needed or preferred.


Naming of schools and other board propertyCouncil members are an importantsource of information on local digni-taries, role models, and local historyand geography, all of which arepotential sources of names for schoolsand other board property. Theirknowledge is particularly valuable inview of the large geographic areascovered by district school boards.

School-community communicationstrategies and Methods of reportingto parents and the communitySchool councils can offer principalsvaluable assistance in the developmentof strategies for communicating with,and methods of reporting to, parentsand the community, particularly withrespect to the discretionary areas ofthe provincial report card.

Extracurricular activities in the schoolAs representatives of parents andthe community, school councilsmust have a voice in determiningextracurricular activities and schoolpolicies on these activities, includ-ing the use of volunteers, timing,and scheduling.

School-based services and communi-ty partnerships related to social,

health, recreational, and nutritionprograms and Co-ordination of localservices for children and youthSchool councils can alert principalsand staff to the needs of the school’sstudents. Through their communitymembers and contacts, councils mayalso be able to facilitate communitypartnerships and co-ordinate servicesin these important areas. They canprovide both support and direction oninitiatives such as child abuse preven-tion and breakfast programs.

Community use of school facilitiesBy providing input into school practices and board policies on thecommunity use of schools, councilmembers can help integrate theirschool into its community.

School closures and the twinning of schoolsBecause the closing or twinning ofschools has a significant impact onschool communities, boards must con-sult school councils before makingthese important decisions and whenrevising board policy on this issue.

School boundariesBoards must consult school councilswhen adjusting the attendance bound-aries of schools, and when developing

or reviewing any policy that affects theattendance rights of students.


Membership• parents and guardians of students enrolled in

school must form majority• community representatives• student representative (secondary school

mandatory, elementary school at discretion ofprincipal)

• principal• teacher• non-teaching staff member

• balance is appropriate • parish representative is important to Catholic

school councils• difficulty recruiting community members in

some areas• need to ensure representation reflects diversity

of community (e.g., socio-economic, ethno-cultural, grades/divisions of students, and various towns and neighbourhoods whose children attend the school)

• roles of student and staff representatives valued,but need to clarify their roles

• need to clarify that elected teaching and non-teaching members limited to one each

• retain current balance, and clarify that electedteaching and non-teaching members are limitedto one each

• include Native representative where local bandor community warrants

• draw community representatives from variety of sources (social service agencies, cultural associations, community groups, businesses,industry, and residents) in keeping with makeupof community

• permit use of community representatives on anad hoc basis

• staff and students to participate fully, includingvoting rights, except where limited by code ofconduct

• all members to focus on what is best for studentsin the local school (put into code of conduct)

• each school council to implement strategies toencourage participation of all local parents

PPM 122 includes, as a minimum: What we heard about it: What EIC suggests:

Appendix D: A REVIEW OF POLICY/PROGRAM MEMORANDUM NO. 122

Table 3: Public Comment and EIC Recommendations Respecting PPM 122Notes: Most of the content of table 3 is covered in the text of this report; some is not. Much of “what EIC suggests” is reflected in specific recommendations.

The purpose of table 3 is: (1) to review PPM 122; (2) to reflect the views we heard during our consultations; and (3) to provide school councils, boards, schools, and staff of the Ministry of Education and Training with suggestions to guide their activities and policies.



Elections• parents elected by parents and guardians of

students enrolled in the school• student, teacher, and non-teaching staff elected

by respective constituencies• community representatives appointed by council• principal holds designated membership

• general agreement; however...– many council members elected by

acclamation– election procedures (timing, process) vary

greatly across province

• retain current terms and conditions for electionand appointment of members

• require all school boards to include an electionprocess in their school council policies

• hold elections in May or June, with term ofoffice to begin 1 September

Term of Office• one- or two-year terms for elected and

appointed positions• members may seek additional terms

• flexibility of current terms is appropriate; if twoyears were mandatory, many volunteers wouldbe deterred

• one-year terms may lead to heavy turnover andlack of continuity

• retain current flexibility• require councils to implement strategies to

encourage continuity in membership (e.g.,attracting members with younger students,broadening the number of parents involvedthrough subcommittees)

Composition• parents and guardians form majority (except in

adult day schools)• membership to represent diversity of

community

• composition is appropriate• importance of broad community representation

is appreciated, but a major challenge for manycouncils

• concern about ability of councils in residentialschools to include parent and community representatives

• retain current composition and share best practices/strategies in recruiting appropriatecommunity representation

• provide school councils in hospital and otherresidential schools with a mechanism forapproving the establishment of an alternativemodel

Meetings• at least four per year, open to all members of

school community• no honorarium for council members

• most councils exceed current minimum numberof meetings

• many councils have two kinds of meetings:those that are focused on procedural matters,and those that are of public interest

• retain current provisions, including having allmeetings open to the public



Chair• parent member, elected by council • general agreement • retain current provisions

• declare employees of board in which councilexists to be ineligible for election to chair

Roles and responsibilities • advise principal and, where appropriate, board,

on any of the following that the council hasidentified as priorities:– local school-year calendar– school code of student behaviour– curriculum and program goals and priorities– responses of school/school board to achievement

in provincial and board assessment programs– preparation of the school profile– selection of principals– school budget priorities, including local

capital-improvement plans– school-community communication strategies– methods of reporting to parents and the

community– extracurricular activities in school– school-based services and community part-

nerships related to social, health, recreation-al, and nutritional programs

– community use of school facilities– co-ordination of local services for children

and youth– development, implementation, and review

of board policies at the local-school level

• considerable misunderstanding on this matter:some believe the list is too extensive, othersthat it is too prescriptive or limiting

• need for clarification of items on list• need for accountability measure to ensure prin-

cipal/board seeks and considers council’s advice• need for principal/board to report back to

council on decisions reached, and why• add some mandatory items to the list

(e.g., principals/boards must seek council inputon school closures, school improvement plans,and school/board policies on school councils)

• some boards limit the scope of particular provisions

• clarify in ministry policy that principal/boardmust consult on these items and that councilsmay respond according to their priorities

• require boards to include accountability mea-sures aimed at ensuring that principals/ boardsconsult and involve councils and report back on decisions (and provide samples and bestpractices in school council handbook)

• add items as set out in table 2 of this report



Other roles• establish goals, priorities, and procedures• organize training and information sessions for

members• communicate regularly with school community• report on activities

• most councils have established procedures andset annual goals

• many require training and exemplary models,especially for setting, monitoring, and assessingannual goals

• need for ongoing training for all members wasemphasized

• many communicate effectively, but communica-tion practices are inconsistent across theprovince

• cost involved in training and communication isa matter of concern

• members need assistance and clarification on atimely basis (for example, a “1-800-source” ofanswers to questions that arise)

• increase emphasis on fostering parental andcommunity involvement

• implement ongoing training, using a “train the trainer” model, across the province

• prepare, and distribute to all boards, schools,and council members, a school council hand-book and support materials, including exem-plary practices

• establish a network of contacts, both at theprovincial level and in the ministry’s districtoffices, to quickly provide council memberswith information and clarification

Reporting• directors of education to include report on

the establishment and operation of schoolcouncils in their annual reports to the minister

• school boards to develop procedures for evaluating the implementation of their policies on school councils

• little awareness of these provisions• process must be in place in each school and

school board

• reflect activities of councils in school and boardreport cards and improvement plans



Relations between councils• boards to facilitate communications among

their councils• communication among councils varies across

the province, with many exemplary practicesreported and many concerns expressed

• board-wide councils (usually composed of chairsfrom individual councils) exist in about half ofall boards, and their activities range from training and communication to acting as board-wide advisory bodies to the school board

• community associations of councils exist insome areas to co-ordinate council activities andprovide a forum for discussion and training

• board leadership in this area varies• many councils prefer to focus only on their

local school, except for training sessions• concern was expressed that board-wide and

province-wide councils would duplicate some ofthe work of boards and the ministry, and createanother bureaucracy

• hold board-wide/area/regional forums for thepurpose of training and sharing best practices,to be planned by school councils with supportfrom school and board administrators

• permit board-wide associations of councilswhere councils want them

• include best practices in this area in schoolcouncil handbook

• restructure OPC to represent school councils atthe provincial level; to be composed of parentselected from school councils; to be consulted by ministry and other provincial educationagencies on matters related to school councilresponsibilities)


Appendix E:

EIC’S RESEARCH AND CONSULTATIONPROCESS

Note: The following describes the Commission’sformal research and consultation process. Sincethe Commission was established in April 1997, wehave had continuous input from parents andother members of the public on the subject ofschool councils—during discussion periods fol-lowing our speaking engagements, and in letters,e-mail messages, and phone calls.

January – April 1998Conducted preliminary research

• advisory committee composed ofparents, trustees, and principals,provided input into the develop-ment of our research and consulta-tion process

May 1998Released public discussion paper

• invited public to send individualresponses

• invited local groups to organizepublic discussions and send in col-lective responses (Commissionersand staff were invited to attendapproximately 50 of these publicdiscussions.)

May – October 1998Conducted research

• reviewed academic literature andmodels in other jurisdictions

• surveyed district, school boards onschool councils operations

• analysed public responses as theycame in

September 1998Met with provincial stakeholder groups

• parent groups• trustees• teachers’ federations• other school staff unions• students• associations representing super-

visory officers and principals

September – October 1998Met with reference group on barriersto participation on school councils

• identified problems• identified solutions

September – October 1998Held 93 consultation sessions in 22locations across the province

• held focus-group meetings withmembers of the local educationcommunity during the afternoons

• held open “town hall” meetings during the evenings

Communities visited:- Windsor - Kingston- London - Cornwall- Fort Erie - Ottawa- Burlington - North Bay- Kitchener - Sudbury- Barrie - Sault Ste. Marie- Brampton - Timmins- Owen Sound - Hearst- Toronto (4) - Thunder Bay- Oshawa - Dryden- Peterborough - Fort Frances

October – November 1998Completed analysis and wrote report

November 1998Released report


Appendix F:

LIST OF SUBMISSIONS

l’Association des enseignantes etenseignants franco-ontariens

l’Association franco-ontarienne des conseils scolaires catholiques

Canadian Union of Public EmployeesCatholic Principals’ Council of OntarioCouncil for Exceptional ChildrenCouncil of Ontario Directors of

EducationElementary Teachers’ Federation of

Ontariola Fédération des associations de parents

francophones de l’Ontariola Fédération des étudiants du secondaire

francophones de l’OntarioGreek Central Education Liaison

CommitteeLearning Disabilities Association of

OntarioMinister’s Advisory Council on Special

EducationOntario Association of Parents in

Catholic EducationOntario Association of School Business

Officials (meeting; no submissionreceived)

Ontario Catholic School Trustees’Association

Ontario Catholic Supervisory Officers’Association

Ontario Coalition for Education ReformOntario Education AllianceOntario English Catholic Teachers’

AssociationOntario Federation of Home and

School AssociationsOntario Federation of LabourOntario Parent CouncilOntario Principals’ CouncilOntario Public School Boards’

AssociationOntario Public Supervisory Officials’

AssociationOntario School Council InitiativeOntario Secondary School Teachers’

FederationOntario Teachers’ FederationOrganization for Quality EducationOrganization of Parents of Black ChildrenPeople for EducationSomali-Canadian Parents’ Council of

Toronto

The Commission also received written submissions from:Individual parents, community

members, students, and school and board staff

District school boards

Reference group on barriers to participation in school councils (summary of meetings)

Regional and local employee groupsRegional school councils School councils


NOTES

1. Leithwood, Kenneth, Doris Jantzi, and Rosanne Steinbach, “Do School Councils Matter?” 34.

2. Leithwood, Kenneth, and Teresa Menzies, Forms and Effects of School-Based Management: A Review, 24–25.

3. Ross, Peter N., “Parents Make the Difference,” Education Today (September–October 1994), 19–22.

4. Ontario Teachers’ Federation, letter to Dave Cooke and Ann Vanstone, co-chairs, Education Improvement Commission, 15 October 1998.

5. Edmonds, R.R., and J.R. Fredericksen, “Search for Effective Schools: The Identification and Analysis of City Schools That Are Instructionally Effective for PoorChildren,” ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 470 396, cited in Hess, G. Alfred, Jr., School Restructuring, Chicago Style, 116.


GENERAL

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———. School Councils Handbook:Meaningful Involvement for theSchool Community. Edmonton, AB.:Alberta Education, August 1995.

Barlosky, Martin, and Stephen Lawton.School Advisory Councils andConsensus Decision-Making: MakingIt Work, The Quality SchoolsApproach: Developing QualitySchools: Learning Module #1.Toronto: Ontario Institute forStudies in Education, August 1995.

Beare, H. “Different Ways of ViewingSchool-Site Councils: WhoseParadigm is in Use Here?” InRestructuring Schools: AnInternational Perspective on theMovement to Transform the Controland Performance of Schools, editedby H. Beare and W. Lowe Boyd,200–17. Washington, DC: FalmerPress, 1993.

Bolam, Raymond. “School-BasedManagement, School

Improvement and SchoolEffectiveness: Overview andImplications.” In School-BasedManagement and SchoolEffectiveness, edited by CliveDimmock, 219–34. London andNew York: Routledge, 1993.

Caldwell, B.J. “Paradox andUncertainty in the Governance ofEducation.” In Restructuring Schools:An International Perspective on theMovement to Transform the Controland Performance of Schools, editedby H. Beare and W. Lowe Boyd,158-73. Washington, DC: FalmerPress, 1993.

Canadian Home and School andParent-Teacher Federation. EffectiveBeginnings: A Guide to NewPartnerships in Schools. Ottawa:Canadian Home and School andParent-Teacher Federation, 1995.

Chapman, Judith. “Leadership,School-Based Decision Making andSchool Effectiveness.” InSchool-Based Management and SchoolEffectiveness, edited by CliveDimmock, 201–18. London andNew York: Routledge, 1993.

Coulter, Rebecca Priegert. “AnIntroduction to Aspects of theHistory of Public Schooling inOntario, 1840–1990,” 1994. In Forthe Love of Learning: BackgroundPapers for the Royal Commission onLearning, vol.1, 1–19. Toronto: RoyalCommission on Learning, 1995.

Dhingra, Kiran, L. Armstrong, P.J.Harris, and Carl Corter. ParentParticipation in Elementary Schools: AContent Analysis of Ontario SchoolBoard Documents. Preliminaryreport. Toronto: York Universityand Ontario Institute for Studies inEducation, University of Toronto,July 1997.

Heller, Monica, Normand Labrie,Denise Wilson, and Sylvie Roy. Lesconseils d’école et l’évolution de l’éducation franco-ontarienne.Toronto: Institut d’études péda-gogiques de l’Ontario, Universitéde Toronto, septembre 1997.

Hess, G. Alfred, Jr. School Restructuring,Chicago Style. Newbury Park, CA:Corwin Press, 1991.

Leithwood, Kenneth, and TeresaMenzies. Forms and Effects ofSchool-Based Management: A Review.Toronto: Ontario Institute for

Studies in Education, University ofToronto, October 1996.

———. A Review of Research Concerningthe Implementation of Site-BasedManagement. Toronto and St.Catharines: Ontario Institute forStudies in Education, University ofToronto, and Brock University, May 1997.

———. Strategies for ImplementingSchool-Based Management and SchoolCouncils. Toronto: Ontario Institutefor Studies in Education, 1996.

Muir, Elizabeth Savard. “Summaryand Analysis of Recent Literatureon Parental Roles in EducationalGovernance,” December 1993. InFor the Love of Learning:Background Papers for the RoyalCommission on Learning, vol. 2,609–33. Toronto: RoyalCommission on Learning, 1995.

Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia Educationand Culture. Education Act,Chapter 1 of the Acts of 1995–96.Halifax, NS: Nova ScotiaDepartment of Education andCulture, November 1996.

Ontario. Ministry of Education andTraining. School Council

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NOTES