By GREG NIKKEL of the Weyburn Review
The students, parents, staff and administrators of the Weyburn Comprehensive School are about to embark on a school effectiveness study, to show where the school could improve and to celebrate its successes.
The Comp board of trustees met with one of the leaders of the study, Pat Renihan, a professor teaching graduate studies for the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Saskatchewan, on Monday evening, and heard an explanation of the process.
Earlier on Monday evening, Renihan met with any interested parents who wanted to know more about the study, a meeting which was attended by only six parents.
"It's a snapshot view of the way your school is working," said Renihan. He and a team of observers from the university will come to the Comp on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 15 and 16, to meet with students, parents and staff.
During the effectiveness study, the observers will conduct an on-site visit with a walk-through of the facility, surveys and focus groups with students selected at random, surveys sent out to all parents along with randomly-selected parents for a focus group, and interviews with all staff members, explained Renihan. The study organizers typically receive back around 50 to 60 per cent of the survey forms sent out to the parents.
"They may not necessarily want to or can respond to all the questions. At the back of it, we ask them to give the school a grade, and when we receive the responses we collate the information from there," he said.
As for the students, Renihan said they seem to do much better in focus groups than one-on-one, as the presence of peers helps them to open up to make comments about their school.
Renihan said the study is not meant as a forum for complaints or for isolating negative comments, but is to identify the areas the school is doing well in and areas where school life can be improved.
"I think it's a really good process and a constructive one. The more they get into it, the better the outcome I think you'll be proud of," said Renihan. After the interviews and surveys are collected, he will return on March 2 to present a rough draft of the report to the board, and will later present it to the staff and parents at a public meeting, tentatively set for March 16.
The Comp board was informed that they will have a new representative from the Weyburn Central School Division, as Lionel Wanner of Midale will now replace Dan Vandenhurk of Midale, joining Donnett Elder of Fillmore.
The board was told enrolment in the remedial math class, Math 21, reached 30 students, so they had to split the class into two. As a result, teacher Blake Johnson has had his contract upgraded from 84 per cent to full time.
Principal Ken Larson advised the school is now facing pressure in their English 30 modified class with a number of students identified as needing help. He said the problem is the classes were scheduled back in May, but six students enrolled who qualify for the 31 level, creating the pressure.
The Grad Class of '99 has taken a vote of students and parents, and selected Saturday, June 26 as graduation day, a change from the Wednesday date of the past few years. The same three venues will go on as before, including the tea, exercises and supper and dance, but decisions haven't been made yet as to the timing of these events.
Larson reported that the first semester went well, with report cards issued on Tuesday. In the final exams written last week, the exemption list was the longest yet, at 340, with the failure rate at one of the lowest levels ever, with 63 students who failed one or more classes. There were 441 students who applied for exemptions from writing final exams, but a number were not allowed to be exempted due to their work in class or their performance in the subject area.
Larson said when he first came to the Comp as the vice-principal there were 120 students who failed; this year's number of 63 is down 20 from last year. He also noted that enrolment as of February is up quite a bit from a year ago, standing at 532 students compared to 506 in February of 1998.
The board also approved a number of new policies and upgraded policies. Some of the policies only needed a few words changed to be modernized, while others are brand new to the school, including a harassment policy and one dealing with appeals related to the placement or program of a student with a disability.
The harassment policy deals with any objectionable conduct, comment or display by a person that offends or humiliates another person, and covers the school's staff as well the students and volunteers in the school.
Education director Ed Kolybaba said very little feedback came into the office from staff who reviewed this new policy, indicating not much was needed to be changed.
The other new policy sets out the guidelines to resolve disagreements which may arise as to the placement or program for a special needs student. This would include students with physical disabilities, such as visual or hearing impairment, or those with learning disabilities, behavioural disorders, intellectual disabilities or multiple disabilities.
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