The evolution of professionalism - Centre for Policy Studies in ...

from Kindergarten to Grade 3, 25 from Grades 4 to 9, and 30 from Grades 10 to 12.
The Bill received fi rst reading in November 2001, but died on the order paper.
Major Themes: School Choice and Accountability
Choice in education is a response to parents wanting more latitude to make
decisions about the programs and schools in which their children would be placed.
Alberta Learning lists a number of school choices for education, including public
schools, Catholic schools, francophone schools, private schools, and charter
schools. Home education, online/virtual schools, outreach programs and alternative
programs are also options. In keeping with the choice concept, the Ministry
removed attendance boundaries in all jurisdictions in 1996. The opening up of
choice has created a market environment for education services, to the concern of
some (Alberta Teachers’ Association, 2002b).
Charter schools have now been in place in Alberta since 1995, with ten such
schools in operation by 2001. Charter schools are non-profi t public schools that are
established to meet the needs of particular groups of students. Advocates support
the schools for their higher levels parental involvement, delivery of specialized
programs, and emphasis on customer satisfaction. Critics suggest they lead to
the “segregation of children” and “social fragmentation” (Alberta Teachers’
Association, 2002a).
Home education is recognized as a parental right under Section 23 of the
School Act (1997, 2000). Home education programs are required to be supervised
by a school board or an accredited private school, although it need not be the
school board for the region in which the family resides. The supervising board is
required to develop a home education policy that includes supervision guidelines
for home education students. Home education students are guided by provincial
learning outcomes and must write Provincial Achievements Tests (PATs) or their
equivalents for Grades 3, 6, and 9 8 . Students may also participate in a blended
program, combining programs delivered and evaluated by a teacher employed by
a school board or an accredited private school with an appropriate home education
program. Home schooling has become a growing choice (Wagner, 1999) for
parents, particularly with the support of the Alberta Home and School Councils’
Association.
The government of Alberta identifi es accountability in education and learning
as an obligation and a responsibility. The three-year plan originally conceived in
1994 has been revised annually as the government addresses areas for improvement.
The three-year plans are linked to provincial plans and the annual report of each
Ministry. Accountability refl ects service (business) reporting as well as fi nancial
reporting. Alberta Learning identifi es their core businesses as basic learning, adult
learning, and apprenticeship and industry training. The framework for accountability
identifi es fi ve key components:
• Setting measurable goals and responsibilities. The government identifi es
three priorities as core businesses: people, prosperity and preservation.
• Planning what needs to be done to achieve goals. Strategies are stated to
achieve outcomes.
38 Section 1: The West