Stay the course, OCDSB staff say

Survey supports keeping elementary alternative program as it is for now

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s elementary alternative program should not be changed at this time, say staff after a survey of demand was completed.

The board operates five alternative elementary schools that operate on principles such as mixed-age classes, an emphasis on co-operation rather than competition, and an approach to the curriculum that “provides a natural progression from whole to parts and stresses the interrelation of all learning and subjects.”

Staff had been directed to provide a report summarizing demand for the program and recommending ways to address the interest “in the most equitable and cost-effective way possible.” As part of that, the board wanted to see how much interest existed in areas that aren’t currently served, such as outside the Greenbelt.

A total of 913 people responded to the survey conducted this past winter, most of whom had a child at a school in the district, staff state in the report.

Of those, 685 responded to a question about whether they were interested in enrolling a child in an elementary alternative program. About 30 per cent said yes, 53 per cent replied maybe and about 17 per cent responded with a no.

Analysis of postal code information supplied by 483 of the people who showed interest in the program indicated that they are spread across the district, with “few areas of significant concentration,” the report states. About 220 expressions of interest came from outside the Greenbelt, a relatively small number given the size of the area, it says.

“(T)he expressions of interest received via the survey are not sufficient to warrant changes to the number and location of the elementary alternative program moving forward. Specifically, the number of respondents expressing an interest is not high enough in any one area of the District to justify adding a new program location,” staff write.

The findings suggest, however, that parents might need more information about the alternative program and what makes it different than other programs offered in the district, the report says.

Staff recommend they continue to work with the alternative school advisory committee “to develop materials/resources that clearly articulate the Alternative Program philosophy and how it differs from other programs.”

Trustees are to discuss the recommendations at a board meeting on Tuesday.