Building Bright Futures

Edmonton Public Schools has provided quality education to its students for over one hundred years. Our District's early visionaries laid the foundation for a school system that is recognized around the world as a leader in public education.

We are the second largest public school district in Alberta, serving approximately 80,000 students in 195 schools. The District employs over 7,000 staff members in schools and central service departments, who are working together to build a bright future for each of our students. We believe every student must be included in the circle of learning, regardless of their backgrounds, needs or abilities.

As a District, we work collaboratively with parents and partners to provide students with the knowledge, skills and self confidence they need to be successful in school and in life. We recognize that our students are individuals with unique needs and interests. To be successful, they need to find their own educational paths, which is why we offer over 30 different alternative programs in multiple sites.

The District is involved in a number of exciting initiatives that support and enhance student learning. They include the following:

• The Board of Trustees approved the establishment of a new District-level foundation last year. The Foundation will open in February 2010 and will play a vital role in promoting education, while supporting current school fundraising efforts.
• To respond to the growing number of students who are new to Canada, the Board passed a motion to create a Transition Centre for immigrant and refugee students and families. Scheduled to open in September 2010, the Centre will offer a program for up to a year and a half to students from K to 12 who need assistance in adjusting to their new country, the Canadian education system and in many cases, a new language.

Setting Priorities

As part of our district's continuing commitment to public education, the Board of Trustees developed the following priorities for 2008-2011:

• To ensure every student is successful in their program of studies, with an emphasis on literacy and numeracy.
• To instill in each student the attributes of citizenship and good character in a learning environment that promotes health, well-being and positive relationships.
• To provide a collaborative, healthy and innovative workplace that recognizes individual contributions and supports opportunities for growth and professional development.

Improving student achievement results and increasing high school completion rates will continue to be our focus as a District.

Over the course of the 2008-2009 school year, we moved forward with this vital work and have a few highlights to share.

One ongoing area of improvement for the District is found in the high school completion data, which was previously released by Alberta Education. Since the Province began reporting five-year high school completion rates in 1999-2000, the District's high school completion rate has increased 10.3 per cent, rising to 74.5 per cent.

When comparing district results to the Province and to the District's own results from last year, district students continue to do well at achieving the standard of excellence on provincial achievement tests and diploma exams. The District also saw gains in the percentage of students achieving the acceptable standard on the Grades 3, 6 and 9 provincial achievement tests. The District remains committed to helping more students achieve the acceptable standard on their diploma exams.

As a District, we are responsible for preparing students to make a smooth transition into the world of work or post-secondary education.

We will continue to strive to provide students with the education they need and deserve and will work closely together to ensure our practices help students achieve to their fullest potential.

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