Junior Kindergarten Program Funding 2017-2018

Education, Culture and Employment February 23, 2017

Overview

1. Funding of the Education System 2. Delivery of Junior Kindergarten 3. Inclusive Schooling 4. Aboriginal Language and Culture Based Education 5. Student Transportation 6. After School Programming 7. Infrastructure 8. Conclusion

Funding of the Education System

• The Government of the Northwest Territories establishes the amount of funding for public education annually using the school funding formula to allocate these funds to Education Authorities.

• The funding formula provides financial resources for the operation of the JK - Grade 12 system by using enrolment data and average teacher salaries collected from schools and applying this information to the formula to ensure equitable allocation across the NWT.

• In any given year, funding to Education Authorities is based on their enrolments. As a result, they are required to manage their staffing complement on a yearly basis to adjust to enrolment changes.

Delivery of Junior Kindergarten

• The implementation of Junior Kindergarten in the remaining 13 communities in the NWT is expected to cost $5.1 million. This amount is fully funded.

• The original rollout in the 19 (now 20) communities costs approximately $1 million. This amount was funded through a reduction in the staffing tables.

• Additional one-time costs will be provided to include the purchase of equipment and resources to support expansion to deliver the JK program, as well as renovations to existing infrastructure.

• The $5.1 million has been included in the 2017-18 Education Authority contributions and it is the expectation that they budget to this revised allocation.

Delivery of Junior Kindergarten Enrolments

• The cost of Junior Kindergarten dependent on enrolment levels. • The 2017-18 contribution amount is based on enrolments from

September 2016. • The total enrolment in 2015-16 was 8,116. The new enrolment figures in

2016-17 sees an increase of approximately 526 new students to 8,642 and can be attributed to: – 447 new Junior Kindergarten students. In communities with JK, the enrolment is based

on students enrolled and for communities without JK we used an estimate that is based on 90% of current Kindergarten figures.

– 79 new FTEs are a result of a natural increase in students. These FTE’s cost approximately $1.3 million and the Department will be seeking new funding to cover these increased costs.

• If enrolment in a community increases by 8% or more and there is at least a 10 student increase, the Department will provide extra funding mid-year for extra teaching staff.

Delivery of Junior Kindergarten Enrolments

2016-17 Enrolments

2_500.00

210.90

2,000.00

78.80 116.00 1,500.00

54.90 1,000.00

(4.00) (28. 70)

(3.50) (2 .50) 500.00

BEAU COMM DEHCHO TLICHO SAHTU SSLAVE YK#1 YCS DETIAH NDILO

• 16-17 • 17-18

Government of Gouvernement des

Northwest Territories Territo ires du Nord-Ouest

Delivery of Junior Kindergarten Salaries

• The average salary calculations are based on the education authority’s staffed positions as of October 1 of the prior year

• There are 724 overall positions. • For all administration positions and UNW positions (369 positions), the

salary is the midpoint step of the range that the position was evaluated at. • There are eight steps in a pay range and all positions are funded at step 4

of that particular pay range. • Education authorities receive 21.75% on top of the salary to cover the

employer portion of benefits. – The majority of Departments and Agencies are funded at the mid-point of the pay

range. – The majority of positions in the GNWT are funded below 21.75% for their employer

share of benefits

Delivery of Junior Kindergarten Salaries

145,000

140,000

135,000

1::" 130,000 "' ~ 41 t>l)

1:! ~ ct 125,000

120,000

115,000

110,000

(2,670) (731)

BEAU COMM

Average Salary Comparison (Average Salary x 21.75% benefits+ 1,000training)

3,526 (1,260)

(3,217)

DEHCHO TLICHO 5AHTU 5SLAVE YK#1

• 16-17 • 17-18

2,927

YCS DETTAH

2,411

.... a .... M

"

NDILO

Northwest Territories Territo ires du Nord-Ouest

Delivery of Junior Kindergarten

Education Authority

Ongoing

One Time

Position Additions

Additional JK Students

Beaufort Delta $898,000 $15,000 5.51 60

Commission scolaire 170,000 30,000 1.20 14

Dehcho 67,000 - 0.29 9

Sahtu (114,000) - (0.94) -

South Slave 1,219,000 30,000 8.12 81

Tlicho 636,000 75,000 4.47 52

YK1 1,370,000 60,000 11.91 145

YCS 845,000 30,000 7.35 86

Dettah (30,000) - (0.42) -

Ndilo 32,000 - 0.14 -

TOTAL $5,093,000 $240,000 37.63 447

Inclusive Schooling

• Under the Education Act, the Department is required to fund inclusive schooling at 15% of the overall contributions provided to Education Authorities. We are currently funding at 17.1%, which amounts to an additional $3.8 million annually.

• Children entering JK will have access to existing supports and resources within the school. The specific needs of JK students will be met through the school-based support teams already in place.

• JK students are funded at a student/teacher ratio of 12:1, taking into account the increased supports that this student population may need.

• In order to accommodate concerns associated with inclusive schooling, the Department has put on hold the full implementation of the Inclusive Schooling Directive. This means we have delayed the hiring of the team of specialists. What this means for education authorities is that the $1.3 million originally planned to be used for this team in the Department will remain within the school system.

Aboriginal Language and Culture Based Education

• JK students being added to the system will have access to this whole school ALCBE programming, like all other students.

• JK students will benefit from whole school programming that celebrates

Aboriginal languages and culture, which integrates the foundational documents of Dene Kede and Inuuqatigiit as the Aboriginal way of teaching and learning.

Student Transportation • School transportation is currently part of the funding formula and is calculated based on

the number of students, average school size, a community distance factor and the living cost differential.

– Community enrolment x Northern Cost Index x Weighting Average School Enrolments x $62 x Community Distance Factor

• The following communities receive funding based on cost, not formula, because the students are bussed between communities:

– Dettah – Behchokö – Enterprise – Hay River Reserve

• As mentioned previously, the funding formula is a funding allocation tool. • Historically, the cost of bussing has exceeded the funding provided through the formula.

However, education authorities have the discretion to re-allocate the funding they receive.

• Bussing of younger students will likely mean more expensive transportation contracts. As a result, the department will be working with Education Authorities to review the formula.

After School Programming

• ECE provides funding to licensed after school program providers through the Early Childhood Program (ECP) funding.

• ECE increased the ECP attendance-based funding rates effective October 1, 2016.

• This funding is intended to offset costs for operating these programs; parents pay a user-fee, as well.

• The type of after school programming available will depend on the community needs and programming available. YWCA in Yellowknife is an example of a program that is considering expansion of their program to include 4 year olds.

After School Programming

• Four-year old children in JK are considered school aged children under the NWT Child Day Care Act and the ratios for those children under the Act will apply.

• The ratio is 1:9 for 4 year olds in a day home or daycare setting and 1:10 for school age children (including 4 year olds) in an after school program.

• ECE’s regional Early Childhood Consultants work with the programs to ensure that younger children are grouped in settings that are age-appropriate to ensure the safety of all children.

Infrastructure Funding • The Department has completed a survey of the requirements for

infrastructure changes to schools in order to accommodate four year old children. These renovations will occur over the next three years with priority being given to those areas that are critical to JK programming.

• As we near implementation of these renovations and refine the scope of the various projects, our estimates will change. Our preliminary estimates indicate $3.135 million will be required over three years to accommodate these changes. ECE will seek this funding through the normal capital planning process.

Infrastructure Funding 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20

Mangilaluk - Tuktoyaktuk Range Lake North - Yellowknife K'alemi Dene - N'diloAngik - Paulatuk JH Sisson - Yellowknife Alexis Arrowmaker - Wekweeti

Harry Camsell - Ft Smith Inualthuyak - Sachs Harbour Mildred Hall - YellowknifeJB Tyrrell - Hay River Moose Kerr - Aklavik KakisaEcho Dene - Ft Liard Chief Albert Wright - Tulita Louie Norwegian - Jean Marie RiverEast Three - Inuvik Kaw Tay Whee - Dettah Chief Sunrise - K'atlodeeche

Chief T'Selehye - Ft. Good Hope Chief Paul Niditchie - TsiigehtchicCharles Yohin - Nahanni Butt Colville Lake

Helen Kalvak - Uluhaktok Chief Julius - Fort McPhersonMezi - Whati

Lutsel K'e

Communications Activity • The first phase of communications focused on partner and stakeholder

engagements, working with: Divisional Education Councils District Education Authorities Early Childhood Program Operators Northwest Territories Teachers’ Association.

• Partners and stakeholders received full packages in English and French with JK information, including presentation, fact sheets, questions and answers, information booklets and hotline information.

• Engagements with communities on implementation were ongoing between May and December 2016.

Communications Activity • The next phase focuses on the community level: Actions underway for parents, caregivers, educators and general public

include: • Section on ECE website, including research, pertinent articles,

supporting publications, resources, hotline information • A Day in JK Video – to run in theatres, social media • Toolkit for parents and caregivers – including Booklets: JK/K Parent

Booklet and JK/K Curriculum; Fact Sheets; Hotline information; Questions & Answers

• Social media postings – Right from the Start Facebook page • Radio – Hotline information • Continued dialogue with partners and stakeholders.

Conclusion • Training for JK/K Teachers:

– The Department will continue with monthly webinars to address teachers’ needs and provide regular opportunities for discussion and collaboration. To date, some topics have focused on play-based learning, assessment and reporting, Indigenizing education, and the Early Development Instrument (EDI).

– Current teachers across the North will be provided training on Tuesday May 16 through to Friday May 19, 2017 in Yellowknife.

– New teachers hired for the 2017-18 school year across the NWT will be provided training in the Fall of 2017 (exact dates to be determined) in Yellowknife. This training is intended to capture new employees and those who could not attend in May.

– All costs will be covered by the Department.

• Region specific training will be provided upon request by the Education Authorities

• Training on the appropriate and consistent use of the Early Development Instrument tool for all JK/K staff will be provided in Yellowknife in the Fall 2017.