This article examines how school trustees (i.e., elected school-board members) conceive of their own leadership role and work with other levels of leadership within school districts. In a mixed-method study, a total of 121 school trustees were surveyed and 12 were interviewed across Ontario. A framework is proposed to better understand the tension…

High profile sexual assault cases by British Columbia elementary school teachers in 2010 revealed BC school boards had "disturbingly inconsistent" child protection policies. As a result of the intense media scrutiny, the BC Ministry of Education required all school boards to reassess and update their policies on reporting suspected child…

In this article, we draw upon notions of occupational professionalism and organizational professionalism to interrogate the complex, and sometimes contradictory, teacher learning practices that characterize educational policy enactment. We apply these understandings to the Growing Success assessment and evaluation policy in Ontario, Canada, and in…

Prepared for a Strategic Education Governance learning seminar, this working paper analyses the ways in which the Dutch government tried to reach overarching goals in education, in a system characterised by a high degree of distributed autonomy of education institutions and the participation of multiple actors, and consequently a government highly…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires state accountability systems to include indicators of "school quality and student success" along with indicators of academic outcomes. The new law provides an important opportunity for states to broaden the definition of student success to include measures of students' social-emotional, as…

This paper explores the relationship between neoliberal ideology and the discourse and practice of education governance reform in Ontario over the last two decades. It focuses on changes in education governance introduced by successive Ontario governments: the NDP government from 1990 to 1995, the Progressive Conservative government from 1995 to…

Across Canada there have been numerous recent examples of incidents where the political and ideological interests of provincial governments have run counter to the mandates of school districts. In this pan-Canadian study, focus groups were conducted with school board trustees and school district superintendents to examine the relationships between…

Among 10 school boards studied in British Columbia, those in districts with higher student achievement and lower costs were considerably more knowledgeable about district programs and practices; had a clearer sense of what they wanted to accomplish, based on firmly held values and beliefs; and engaged in activities that provided opportunities to…

For this study we analyzed the content of school board improvement plans in relation to the Achievement-Indicators-Policy (AIP) model of educational accountability (Nagy, Demeris, & van Barneveld, 2000). We identified areas of congruence and incongruence between the plans and the model. Results suggested that the content of the improvement…

The number of school boards in Canada has been radically reduced over the past 7 years. During this period, governance roles and responsibilities also have been redefined. Since 1995, 9 of Canada's 10 provinces have gone through a consolidation process mandated by provincial legislators, mainly for cost efficiency. (MLF)

Standards for Special Education, amended June 2004 requires school boards in Alberta to identify and deliver effective programming for students with special education needs in grades 1-12. It promotes consistent and enhanced quality of educational practice within the province, so that irrespective of location, students with special education needs…

Discusses the history of educational testing in Canada in the 1990s and the failure of provincial governments to give meaning to school accountability. Uses Winnipeg's Glenlawn Collegiate High School as an example of a school that assessed its own performance honestly by talking to students and graduates, then drew on findings to initiate needed…

In January 1998, 12 francophone school boards were established in Ontario, up from 4 in 1989. This new level of autonomy brings with it the new political reality of accountability. Francophone school boards, in addition to educating students within provincial policies, are responsible for maintenance of French language and culture to ensure…

A 3-year study of the processes used to implement Bill 82 (an amendment to the Education Act that provides more effective education for special needs students in Ontario) was reported. Structured interviews were conducted yearly with 59 regular and special education teachers and 26 principals from 26 elementary and secondary schools under the…

School jurisdiction plans and reports align with and build on Alberta Education's vision, mission, goals and outcomes for the basic education system. They help ensure that the entire learning system is focused on key priorities that meet the educational needs of Alberta students. At the same time, jurisdiction plans and reports incorporate local…