FNMI COLLABORATIVE
NETWORKS WORKSHOP
Data based decision making
PROFILE
Schools in Lethbridge, Taber, Coaldale, Picture
Butte and Pincher Creek
 FNMI student population primarily in
Lethbridge and Pincher Creek
 Total student population of 4300 students
 550 to 600 FNMI students (13 – 15%)

Of those, roughly 160 are bussed from two reserves,
funded by INAC
 450 or so reside in Lethbridge and are provincially
funded

HISTORICALLY…

Native Education Liaison
Partnership
 Stand-alone programming 1995
 Ab Ed’s new funding framework



FNMI per pupil grant totally allocated to FNMI education
since 2004
At this point the decision was made to verify
statistically the “state of affairs” that existed with
FNMI student learning in our Division
HISTORICALLY…

2004
In 2003 an FNMI education task force was struck
within the school division to encourage input from
school communities regarding FNMI education
within the jurisdiction
 In 2004 the task force made its recommendations.
Most were subsequently duplicated by the ACOL
recommendations

COLLABORATIVE DECISION MAKING
2004: Principals decided to use FNMI project
plans to guide and communicate initiatives
within each of their schools, and to provide the
framework for accountability
 2005: beginning of FNMI worker meetings
 2005 Attendance is brought to the table
 Gathering of statistics begins
 Creation of electronic tools on-going
 FNMI PAC recommends that monies set aside for
a resource centre be instead used for resiliency
programming to address student attendance

MONTHLY FNMI WORKER MEETINGS
This group monitors, advises, and makes
recommendations to the PAC and to senior
administration.
 Often, recommendations to PAC come from this
group. (i.e. extent and impact of absenteeism on
learning results, identified parental engagement
as important, etc.)

FOCUS AND DECISIONS ON ATTENDANCE
DRIVEN BY STATISTICS
Summary of FNMI student absenteeism
Elementary student summary:
Average absence: 13.59%
Total student count:
317
Count absent over 10%:
count absent over 20%:
count absent over 30%:
163
85
31
Junior High student summary:
Average absence: 19.19%
Total student count: 140.00
Count
count
count
count
absent
absent
absent
absent
over 10%:
over 20%:
over 30%:
over 40%:
94
57
25
16
Senior High student summary:
Average absence: 22.01
Total student count: 131.00
Count
count
count
count
absent
absent
absent
absent
over 10%:
over 20%:
over 30%:
over 40%:
93.00
59.00
31.00
16.00
On reserve:
Off reserve:
17.21%
12.81%
percent
percent
students who make up
students who make up
students who make up
51.42%
26.81%
9.78%
of elem. FNMI students
of elem. FNMI students
of elem. FNMI students
On reserve:
Off reserve:
22.69%
17.93%
percent
percent
students who make up
students who make up
students who make up
students who make up
67.14%
40.71%
17.86%
11.43%
of
of
of
of
On reserve rate:
Off reserve rate:
students who make up
students who make up
students who make up
students who make up
27.46
18.75
70.99%
45.04%
23.66%
12.21%
FNMI Jr.
FNMI Jr.
FNMI Jr.
FNMI Jr.
H.
H.
H.
H.
students
students
students
students
H.
H.
H.
H.
students
students
students
students
percent
percent
of
of
of
of
FNMI Sr.
FNMI Sr.
FNMI Sr.
FNMI Sr.
FOCUS CHANGE




The information was presented to both the Division’s
learning leadership team and to Parent Advisory
Committee
As a result, the Parent Advisory Committee asked the
Board to re-allocate “Parent Resource Centre monies” to
student resiliency as a first step in addressing one aspect of
FNMI student learning.
FNMI worker was hired to coordinate on-going data
collection and analysis for use by schools, and to support
school administrators in the planning and implementation
of school based FNMI project plans for improvement of
FNMI student achievement
We began producing data collection tools to provide a
continuous flow of information to principals to assist in
decision making
FNMI PROJECT PLAN TEMPLATE
School:
Date:
Name of FNMI project:
Details and scope of project: (please include number of FNMI students served)
Accountability
4.1: First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) students
demonstrate a high level of academic success
Briefly describe how your project
addresses the School Division’s goal
4 outcomes:
FNMI workers provide academic
support for Gr.1-6 FNMI
students. Also, family support is
provided by FNMI worker.
4.2: Improve success and program completion rates
for FNMI students (FNMI graduation rates)
Data: What relevant data will be used to assess success of initiatives:
(All schools track and report achievement / diploma exam results specifically for FNMI
students. Please indicate additional data to be gathered for assessment of success)
Financing: Outline how FNMI funds will be used to address Goal 4:
IMPROVED DATA GATHERING AND ANALYSIS
WAS INTRODUCED FOR FNMI ATTENDANCE TO
INFORM PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS
School Name…
FNMI student attendance record
2009-2010
Total attendance days for the month:21
20
18
Average operation:
0.5
4
4.5
6.5
Student 3
4
2.0
Student 4
4
Student 5
4
Student 6
June
4
Student 2
May
Studednt 1
19.67 days
19.3%
8.5
7.0
Very-Low
Declined Significantly
Concern
27.1%
7.0
Very-Low
Declined
Concern
30.5%
5.5
4.0
Low
Declined
Concern
19.5%
7.0
7.0
0.0
Very-Low
Improved Significantly
Concern
23.7%
0.0
0.0
0.0
Very-High
Maintained
Excellent
0.0%
4
0.5
8.5
7.5
Very-Low
Declined Significantly
Concern
28.0%
Student 7
4
1.0
3.0
4.0
Intermediate
Declined Significantly
Issue
13.6%
Student 8
4
0.0
0.5
0.0
Very-High
Maintained
Excellent
0.8%
Student 9
4
0.0
6.5
1.5
Intermediate
Declined Significantly
Issue
13.6%
Student 10
4
0.5
5.0
0.0
Intermediate
Improved
Good
9.3%
Student 11
4
3.0
3.5
2.0
Intermediate
Maintained
Issue
14.4%
Student 12
4
6.5
14.5
17.5
Very-Low
Declined Significantly
Concern
65.3%
Student 13
4
0.0
6.0
1.5
Intermediate
Declined Significantly
Issue
12.7%
Student 14
4
1.0
5.0
0.0
Intermediate
Improved
Issue
10.2%
Student 15
4
2.0
7.5
5.5
Very-Low
Declined Significantly
Concern
25.4%
Student 16
4
2.5
3.5
1.0
Intermediate
Improved
Issue
11.9%
Student 17
4
3.5
0.5
0.0
Intermediate
Improved Significantly
Good
6.8%
Student 18
4
1.0
4.5
1.0
Intermediate
Maintained
Issue
11.0%
Student 19
4
2.0
5.0
0.5
Intermediate
Improved
Issue
12.7%
Apr
Absent:
Mar
Overall
Feb
Im provem ent
Jan
Attendance
Dec
Nov
Grade
Absenteeism:
Oct
Nam e:
Sept
Student Absentee days for the m onth of:
R.P. Y/N
IMPROVED DATA GATHERING AND ANALYSIS
WAS INTRODUCED FOR FNMI ATTENDANCE TO
INFORM PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS
Holy Spirit Catholic Schools
FNMI student attendance record
2009-2010
** FNMI attendance tracker: Grades 1 - 9
Name:
Attendance
Improvement
Overall
Absentee Rate
School 1
School 2
School 3
School 4
School 5
etc
Low
Declined Significantly
Concern
Very-Low
Maintained
Concern
Low
Declined
Concern
Low
Declined
Concern
Very-High
Maintained
#N/A
16.8%
22.3%
19.3%
17.9%
0.0%
Intermediate
Declined
Concern
15.2%
Holy Spirit Catholic Schools
LEADING TO PAC AND OUR WORKERS TO
ASK OTHER QUESTIONS:
How do our students perform compared to the
general population in our Division in view of our
attendance data? (capacity building, adaptive,
and responsive)
 Do some schools succeed better than others with
attendance and PAT results? (collaborative,
responsive)
 How do PAT results relate to attendance
statistics?

SO, MORE DATA GATHERING AND
MANAGEMENT TOOLS WERE DEVELOPED
Dis-aggregation of FNMI learning results for
PAT and Dip exams
 Month by month monitoring of attendance for
FNMI students to help determine a focus for
resiliency programming
 Most recently, student performance profiling
 Information is shared and discussed internally
between FNMI workers in the Division, and also
brought to the principals’ table for discussion and
awareness

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT TEST DISAGGREGATION OF DATA – WRITERS ONLY
Holy Spirit Catholic Schools
Grade 3: Language Arts ...:
Math ………...….:
Grade 6: Language Arts....:
Math ………....…:
Science ….........:
Social ………..…:
Grade 9: Language Arts ...:
Math ………..…..:
Science ………...:
Social …………..:
Excelle
nce
course name
Accept
able
SUMMARY
school year
Writers
FNMI dis-agregated data for the
School:
8
8
23
24
24
23
0
0
0
0
62.5
62.5
47.8
20.8
33.3
56.5
0.0
0.0
4.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
Total % achieving acceptable …: 42.7%
Total % achieving excellence …: 0.9%
Raising performance by 1 % requires an increase of :
1
exams.
Enter individual exam scores below: (see student profiles)
Grade 3
L. A
Grade 6
Math
L.A.
Math
Grade 9
Science
Social
L.A.
Student Name:
(OPTIONAL)
60
75
62
43
49
26
35
12
24
13
41
48
49
60
12
15
19
7
25
13
18
15
17
27
9
14
26
15
25
Math
Science
Social
DIS-AGGREGATED DATA USED TO CREATE A
PICTURE OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE
FNMI Students Meeting Standard: PAT Exams
Holy Spirit Catholic Schools
2006 - 2007 School year
Five year summary
Data below based upon students writing
Summary of overall results reported for school year …….>
20022003
Total % of students meeting acceptable standard ……..……...…...…:
Total % of students meeting standard of excellence …..………..……:
3
20052006
70.2%
3.1%
62.0%
5.2%
20062007
49.8%
5.1%
Holy Spirit Catholic Schools
"Big Picture" analysis of growth trend over 4 years.
Acceptable Standard
2
20042005
52.8%
1.9%
Holy Spirit Catholic Schools
1
20032004
4
"Big Picture" analysis o growth trendover 4 years.
Standard of Excellence
1
2
3
4
ACHIEVEMENT DATA
Holy Spirit Catholic Schools
2008 - 2009 School year
** In all cases, comparing the "full cohort" of the general population with the "writers only" of the FNMI population.
For PATs written last June:
Button 2
Acceptable Standard:
Gr. 3:
L. A.
Math
General: 86.5% 80.0%
FNMI:
78.4% 59.5%
Gap:
-8.1% -20.5%
L.A.
81.9%
71.4%
-10.5%
GradI 6:
Math Science
74.7% 79.1%
47.5% 46.2%
-27.2% -32.9%
Social
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
L.A.
81.6%
40.0%
-41.6%
GradI 9:
Math Science
64.4% 74.8%
15.0% 36.4%
-49.4% -38.4%
Social
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
Standard of Excellence:
Gr. 3:
L. A.
Math
General: 16.9% 18.5%
FNMI:
5.4%
8.1%
Gap:
-11.5% -10.4%
L.A.
19.0%
2.4%
-16.6%
GradI 6:
Math Science
13.2% 22.7%
0.0%
7.7%
-13.2% -15.0%
Social
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
L.A.
18.8%
0.0%
-18.8%
GradI 9:
Math Science
17.5% 19.3%
0.0%
4.5%
-17.5% -14.8%
Social
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
Acceptable Standard:
Standard of Excellence:
100.0%
30.0%
90.0%
25.0%
80.0%
20.0%
70.0%
15.0%
60.0%
10.0%
50.0%
5.0%
General:
FNMI:
0.0%
FNMI:
L. A.
Math
L.A.
Math
Science
Social
L.A.
Math
Science
Social
40.0%
General:
30.0%
20.0%
Gr. 3:
10.0%
GradI 6:
GradI 9:
S
S
M
L
S
S
M
L
M
L
0.0%
Results for 2008 - 2009 School year
Results for 2008 - 2009 School year
ATTENDANCE CALCULATOR
Years missed calculator
Enter the student's grade level: 7
Enter student's rate of absenteeism
23.0
(%):
At this absenteeism rate, this student would miss:
Overall from grade 1 to 12:
From now on:
2.8
1.4
years of school
years of school
Should this absentee level be at this rate over all 12 years, this student would write grade 12 exams with a grade
9.2 education.
m now, should this continue for the next
5 years, this student would at best write gr. 12 exams with a grade 10.6 education.
PROGRAMMING IMPLEMENTATION OVER
TIME
Three year education plan (TYEP) – Board
introduced a 4th goal: FNMI students will
achieve at the same rate as non-aboriginal
students while respecting their history and
culture.
 For the previous 5 years, the school’s principal
and staff developed an FNMI project plan for the
academic year, and reported to senior
administration
 An FNMI program coordinator was put in place
to support and assist in the implementation of
the site based FNMI project plans under the
supervision of the Associate Superintendent.

PROGRAMMING IMPLEMENTATION OVER
TIME
FNMI programming funds were dedicated to
funding site based project plans while central
programs were kept to a minimum: orientation,
awards, PD and FNMI PAC costs
 New teacher FNMI orientation was implemented
in response to task force and ACOL
recommendations
 Data collection, and how this data correlates with
research findings elsewhere (effects of poverty on
teaching and learning, AISI results on best
practices, research by C.D. Howe Institute on
best practices, etc.

RESULTS…
FNMI student participation rates for writing
PAT exams increased while results decreased
(more students wrote, but were not necessarily
better prepared to write than before)
 At the high school, students increasingly entered
academic courses, but achievement results
decreased (more students took the “30’s” rather
than the “33’s”, but fewer passed)
 Awareness levels increased dramatically with
administrators, and to a lesser degree, our
teachers regarding the imbalance in results for
FNMI students when comparing attendance and
achievement

PARTICIPATION RATES ON PAT’S BY FNMI
STUDENTS OVER TIME:
Year
PAT participation
rate
Overall results
(writers only)
2004-2005
59.8%
69.4%
2005-2006
76.7%
62%
2006-2007
79.5%
49.8%
2007-2008
79.2%
47.9%
2008-2009
87.8%
49.3%
"Big Picture" analysis of five year growth trend.
Acceptable Standard
80.0%
60.0%
40.0%
20.0%
0.0%
1
2
3
4
5
COMMUNICATIONS

All the while, budgets, efforts, theories and
results were communicated to schools and to
parents through the PAC …
EXAMPLE OF COMMUNICATION OF LEARNING
RESULTS TO PAC, SCHOOLS, PARENTS
Percentage of students achieving acceptable standard
HSCS
Grade 3
Grade 6
grade 9
FNMI
L. A. --
86.2
75.9
Math --
81.6
69.2
L.A. --
81.9
74.3
Math --
70.8
30.5
Science -
74.4
42.9
Social -
76.1
44.5
L.A --
83.3
51.9
Math --
66.8
26.9
Science -
74.8
44.0
Social -
76.4
40.0
Gr. 3
100.0
90.0
80.0
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
Gr. 6
Gr. 9
HSCS
FNMI
EXAMPLE OF COMMUNICATION OF PROGRAM
FUNDING TO PAC, SCHOOLS, PARENTS
Budgeted item:
Revenue:
Provincial revenues
Expense:
Balance:
516,557
4 FNMI workers: sal. + veh
516,557
-199,049
317,508
FNMI orientation
-3,000
314,508
FNMI worker PD
-4,000
310,508
Awards/heritage
- 6,500
304,008
FNMI parent adv.
-3,125
300,883
-14,320
286,563
Central budget:
Resiliency progs (Inc. F&ST)
School based programming
Totals:
516,557
-286,563
0
-516,557
0
BUT, OVERALL RESULTS OVER TIME
…were not improving. In spite of very good effort
by our schools, we were not satisfied with the
results. Impact to attendance was minimal (2%
+-), PAT results declined as participation rates
increased, and parents were not participating to
our satisfaction
AFTER 5 YEARS, IT WAS EVIDENT SOMETHING
NEEDED TO CHANGE
Formation of steering committee (principals)
 Centralized control of FNMI funds
 Stand-alone FNMI project plans discontinued,
and principals included these in the school’s
continuous improvement plans
 AISI project cycle 4 heavily weighted to
improvement of FNMI results
 Strong emphasis placed on parental engagement
by many schools – especially those with
significant FNMI student populations

RESILIENCY
We currently have Jamie Medicine Crane on staff
dedicated to FNMI education for the Division.
- program coordination
- FNMI history and culture integration across
curriculum
- Student resiliency (addressing childhood belief
systems one by one and in groups)
- Seven FNMI education assistants work one on
one with students, support classroom teaching
and provide liaison between school and home
PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT
AISI cycle 4 heavily vested with goals for
improvement of FNMI achievement within the
Division
- Parental engagement through a social focus
at Children of St. Martha
- Parental engagement through an academic
focus at Father Leonard Van Tighem School
(Pyramids of intervention)
- Parental engagement through invitation
 Parental engagement through collaboratives at
CCH (Alberta Education pilot project with Bobbi
Palynchuk)

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
CONTINUES
Attendance tracking
 PAT and Dip result analysis
 Since the FNMI per pupil grant is dedicated to
improving FNMI student learning results, the
associated budget is presented to parents
annually through PAC
 AISI funds are now being used to address
learning issues
 Parental engagement efforts are informed by
data collection and analysis

ATTENDANCE TRACKING CONTINUES
School Name…
FNMI student attendance record
2009-2010
Total attendance days for the month:21
20
18
Average operation:
0.5
4
4.5
6.5
Student 3
4
2.0
Student 4
4
Student 5
4
Student 6
June
4
Student 2
May
Studednt 1
19.67 days
19.3%
8.5
7.0
Very-Low
Declined Significantly
Concern
27.1%
7.0
Very-Low
Declined
Concern
30.5%
5.5
4.0
Low
Declined
Concern
19.5%
7.0
7.0
0.0
Very-Low
Improved Significantly
Concern
23.7%
0.0
0.0
0.0
Very-High
Maintained
Excellent
0.0%
4
0.5
8.5
7.5
Very-Low
Declined Significantly
Concern
28.0%
Student 7
4
1.0
3.0
4.0
Intermediate
Declined Significantly
Issue
13.6%
Student 8
4
0.0
0.5
0.0
Very-High
Maintained
Excellent
0.8%
Student 9
4
0.0
6.5
1.5
Intermediate
Declined Significantly
Issue
13.6%
Student 10
4
0.5
5.0
0.0
Intermediate
Improved
Good
9.3%
Student 11
4
3.0
3.5
2.0
Intermediate
Maintained
Issue
14.4%
Student 12
4
6.5
14.5
17.5
Very-Low
Declined Significantly
Concern
65.3%
Student 13
4
0.0
6.0
1.5
Intermediate
Declined Significantly
Issue
12.7%
Student 14
4
1.0
5.0
0.0
Intermediate
Improved
Issue
10.2%
Student 15
4
2.0
7.5
5.5
Very-Low
Declined Significantly
Concern
25.4%
Student 16
4
2.5
3.5
1.0
Intermediate
Improved
Issue
11.9%
Student 17
4
3.5
0.5
0.0
Intermediate
Improved Significantly
Good
6.8%
Student 18
4
1.0
4.5
1.0
Intermediate
Maintained
Issue
11.0%
Student 19
4
2.0
5.0
0.5
Intermediate
Improved
Issue
12.7%
Apr
Absent:
Mar
Overall
Feb
Im provem ent
Jan
Attendance
Dec
Nov
Grade
Absenteeism:
Oct
Nam e:
Sept
Student Absentee days for the m onth of:
R.P. Y/N
ACHIEVEMENT ANALYSIS CONTINUES
FNMI Students Meeting Standard: PAT Exams
Holy Spirit Catholic Schools
Five year summary
2008 - 2009 School year
Data below based upon students writing
Summary of overall results reported for school year …….>
2004 2005
Total % of students meeting acceptable standard ……..……...…...…:
2005 2006
69.4%
3.1%
Total % of students meeting standard of excellence …..………..……:
Holy Spirit Catholic Schools
2006 2007
62.0%
5.2%
49.8%
5.1%
2007 2008
47.9%
3.1%
2008 2009
49.3%
3.5%
Holy Spirit Catholic Schools
"Big Picture" analysis of five year growth trend.
Acceptable Standard
"Big Picture" analysis of five year growth trend.
Standard of Excellence
6.0%
80.0%
70.0%
5.0%
60.0%
4.0%
50.0%
40.0%
3.0%
30.0%
2.0%
20.0%
1.0%
10.0%
0.0%
0.0%
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
REPORTING TO PARENTS, SCHOOLS
CONTINUES






Budget reports at FNMI PAC meetings
PAT and Dip results (now available through
accountability pillar reports) reported at PAC
Attendance dashboards sent to schools monthly for
each child to assist teachers in planning interventions
AERR reporting of FNMI results (page 68)
Parent satisfaction survey dashboards produced for
each school to inform school staff of local measure
results
Student learning profiles now underway to inform
teachers of students who require intervention / type of
intervention
IN SOME SCHOOLS WE HAVE BEGUN CREATING
LEARNING PROFILES OF STUDENTS TO INFORM
SCHOOL TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS
CORE SUBJECTS ACHIEVEMENT
PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT IS NOW A FOCUS
FOR OUR JURISDICTION






Provision of a community room, including toys,
internet access, social evenings, print information for
parents
Pyramid of intervention
Personal invitation of parents by the child’s teacher
Frequent communication with elementary students’
parents by teachers to discuss “good news”
challenging students (and parents) individually to
align learning and attendance behaviors with
professed goals using all data available
Facing reality as young as possible using that
student’s data
IT TAKES A WHOLE VILLAGE…

In all this, through the data collection, project
plans, allocation of funds, attendance tracking
and the interventions we’ve tried to make a
difference in student learning, the major lesson
learned is?

Only one thing can make a difference

Collaborative relationships….
Because when the child belongs to both the
parent and the teacher and when the parent
and the teacher are in collusion to help the
child succeed through close collaboration,
very few children can fight the wave.

All the other things that we do are tools that inform
and support this one reality
NIITOOHPOOKSO’OP: RELATIONSHIPS
SPRINGBOARDS TO LEARNING
Recognizing
and
responding
to the needs
Integrating
authentic
Resources
Understanding
and
appreciating
Blackfoot
culture
Nurturing
the
relationships
and making
connections