School Councils & Policy Making – An Overview – Yukon School Councils Fall 2013 Conference Prepared by Yukon Education – Policy, Planning & Evaluation

Policy Making – An Overview Introduction Legislation, Regulation and Policy Policy Development in Yukon Education School Council Policies – jurisdiction School Council Policies – examples What Makes a Good Policy When to Make a Policy…or Not Effective Policy Development Q&A

Legislation, Regulation & Policy Legislation / Acts / Statutes – sets fundamental framework & major policy decisions; made by elected officials. Education Act Regulations – subordinate to legislation; delegation of law-making authority; subordinate to main principles of Act, provides more detail but not major policy decisions. Act is paramount. School Council Election Regulations Rules & Bylaws – procedural aspects within powers of legislation or regulation Education Appeal Tribunal Policy – expresses govt. direction on the management of public affairs; guidance in applying legislation. Not binding legal effect or enforceable under law but binding given govt. direction and authority. More flexible; some discretion in application. School Growth Planning Policy

What is Policy? Refers to plans, positions and guidelines of government which influence decisions by government Many forms and levels: Broad policy stating govt.-wide direction Specific policy for a particular sector or issue-area Operational policy guiding decision on programs Examples – Corporate Health & Safety (Yukon govt. wide) School Growth Planning Policy (dept. wide) FH Collins Attendance Policy (school council)

Policy Development – Yukon Education Formal Process in “Policy Development Process Policy” Deputy Minister Approval Annual Work Plan – Policy Priorities (2013-2014) School Council Input on Policy Development: Policy Advisory Committee AYSCBC Role Yukon Education Website Examples - School Growth Planning Policy, Research in Schools Policy

School Council Policies - Jurisdiction Within the framework of policies issued by Yukon Education under the Education Act: School Boards have the authority to establish policies for the administration, management and operation of their schools (CFSY) s. 116(1) School Councils may establish policies on any matter within their jurisdiction. s. 113(2)(e) School Councils and School Board may establish, modify and approve school rules and other related School Council responsibilities in cooperation with school administration. S. 39(1)

School Council Policies - Jurisdiction Education Act section 113(1) requires that a School Council shall: (d) establish a procedure for resolving disputes between schools, parents and teachers (in consultation with the superintendent, school administration and teachers) (i) establish and attendance policy for students who are enrolled in its school.

School Council Policies- Examples F. H. Collins Secondary School – Conduct Policy, Student Attendance Ecole Whitehorse Elementary – Dispute Resolution Policy Del Van Gorder – Substitute Teacher Code of Conduct Porter Creek Secondary School – General Discipline Policy Others?

Good Policy Making Effective School Council Policies: Are precise Reflect the overall values of the school & community Clearly define the school system’s goals & objectives Are flexible and able to effectively respond to operational issues as they arise Create a shared understanding by clearly defining expectations, roles and responsibilities Envision and measure clear outcomes Are written in plain language and easily understood Are regularly reviewed and communicated Taken from AYSCBC Resource “Resource Document for Policy Development and Review for School Councils”

When to Make a Policy…or Not Critical – understanding the problem that needs to be addressed Defining the Problem or Issue (what) Analyzing the issue, obtaining different perspectives Situating the problem within a context (why) Understanding frequency and scope Support and Resources

Where To Start? Education Act and Regulations Yukon Education Website – Policies School Websites – School Council Policies Dept. Support – Policy, Planning & Evaluation Superintendents, Public Schools

Effective Policy Development High Level Attributes: Leadership Direction & Support Issue Identification Issue Research & Analysis Generation of Options & Solutions Consultation Performance Monitoring

Communicating Policy Importance of communicating policies when developed and updated. Know your audience – plain language Wide-circulation to students, staff and parents School websites, student and staff handbooks Visible and available in the school

Policy Making Resources: AYSCBC Resource Document Manitoba Auditor General – Guide to Policy Development http://www.oag.mb.ca/wp- content/uploads/2011/06/PolicyDevelopmentGuide.pdf Yukon Education Website Yukon Education – Policy, Planning and Evaluation Branch

Questions & Answers