Public board passes four-year education plan

The Edmonton Public School Board approved the division's four-year education plan during its last meeting of the school year.

The four-year plan for 2022-26 outlines strategic priorities for the division to support improvement in student growth and achievement. It has three priorities: build on outstanding learning opportunities for all students; advance action toward anti-racism and reconciliation, and promote a comprehensive approach to student and staff well-being and mental health.

A key area of work for the 2022-23 school year will be addressing anti-racism and equity within the division through feedback from students, families, community, and staff, as well as the Anti-racism and Equity Advisory Committee.

Ward G trustee Saadiq Sumar asked during the meeting how student demographic data will play into the second priority of moving toward anti-racism and reconciliation.

Supt. Darrel Robertson said one area of missing data is how students from different communities are doing in school.

“I would point to student achievement, and high school completion, as two indicators of obviously the success of our students,” Robertson said.

“Being able to examine that data through a multitude of lenses that will come out of the extensive demographic information will be incredibly helpful, not only for the division, but I would also say will help to form school plans ultimately as well.”

Robertson said the division will be working with the community and schools to incrementally build an understanding of how the students are doing and what data should be collected.

Another area the division will focus on in the coming year is student and staff well-being and resiliency in response to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.