Education

Annual Report 2010-2011

CONTENTS

4 Preface 5 Minister's Accountability Statement 6 Message from the Minister 8 Management's Responsibility for Reporting 9

Results Analysis
10 12 13 14 15 19 93 Ministry Overview Review Engagement Report Performance Highlights Financial Highlights Performance Measures Summary Table Discussion and Analysis of Results Ministry Revenue and Expense by Function

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Financial Information
98 99 101 Financial Information Contents Consolidated Financial Statements Auditors Report

169 Other Information

171 176 177 223 Ministry Funding Provided to School Jurisdictions Statement of Remissions, Compromises, and Write-Offs Summary of School Jurisdictions Financial Information Alberta Teachers Retirement Fund Board Financial Statements

2010-2011 Education Annual Report

Preface

The Public Accounts of Alberta are prepared in accordance with the Financial Administration Act and the Government Accountability Act. The Public Accounts consist of the annual report of the Government of Alberta and the annual reports of each of the 24 Ministries. The annual report of the Government of Alberta contains Ministers accountability statements, the consolidated nancial statements of the Province and The Measuring Up report, which compares actual performance results to desired results set out in the governments strategic plan. This annual report of the Ministry of Education contains the Ministers accountability statement, the audited consolidated financial statements of the ministry and a comparison of actual performance results to desired results set out in the ministry business plan. This ministry annual report also includes: the financial statements of entities making up the ministry including the Department of Education and the Alberta School Foundation Fund, for which the Minister is responsible, the individual financial statements of the school jurisdictions presented in summary form as of their fiscal year end, August 31, 2010, in the Other Information section, other financial information as required by the Financial Administration Act and Government Accountability Act, either as separate reports or as a part of the financial statements, to the extent that the ministry has anything to report, and financial information relating to accountable organizations and trust funds, which includes the Alberta Teachers Retirement Fund and school jurisdictions in the public education system (public, separate and Francophone regional authorities and charter schools).

2010-2011 Education Annual Report

Ministers Accountability Statement

The ministrys annual report for the year ended March 31, 2011, was prepared under my direction in accordance with the Government Accountability Act and the governments accounting policies. All of the governments policy decisions as at June 10, 2011 with material economic or scal implications of which I am aware have been consideredin the preparation of this report.

Original signed by Dave Hancock, Q.C. Minister of Education

2010-2011 Education Annual Report

Message from the Minister

Since 2008, the ministry has been working to develop a policy framework to guide the transformation of Early Childhood Services to Grade 12 education in Alberta into one that focuses on opportunity, fairness, citizenship, choice and diversity. In June 2010, the Inspiring Education Steering Committee released a report built on extensive consultation with Albertans. The report stressed that engaged thinking, ethical citizenship and entrepreneurial spirit are the three qualities and abilities that must be fostered in every student. In addition to setting out these qualities and abilities, the Steering Committees report outlined education policy shifts required to support a new vision for education, and the guiding principles that will help shape the future of education in Alberta. It also examined the broad implications for governance and leadership in education. In June 2010, the ministry released the Inspiring Action on Education discussion paper. From July to October the public was engaged in online discussions using Transformation Guides and through the integrated use of social media. A Ministers Forum on Inspiring Action was held in October 2010 with over 100 participants from across the education sector, as well as representatives from community and business organizations. The feedback at this forum complemented the perspectives of the thousands of Albertans who contributed to Inspiring Education. Based on feedback from the Inspiring Action online engagement and the Ministers Forum, the ministry completed a draft Education Act for tabling in the Legislature. Alberta Education also moved forward on creating a truly inclusive education system in which all children have the opportunity to succeed to the best of their abilities. The ministry began this process by implementing the recommendations contained in the Setting The Direction Framework. These included providing improved learning and teaching resources, more professional development for teachers and educational assistants, and developing a regional service delivery model that would provide wrap around services to support all students. Alberta Education continues to work with its partner ministries, Health and Wellness, and Children and Youth Services, to implement these recommendations. The Early Child Development Mapping Initiative is providing a better understanding of the relationships between childrens development and the support and resources available in their communities. By understanding what inuences healthy child development, government, families and communities can work together to ensure our young children are provided with the kinds of experiences that support positive preschool development. The initiative is also gathering information about local facilities, programs and services available for young children. Families, school authorities and communities can then use the information to build the best possible programs, facilities and services to help young children develop to their full potential. Positive progress is being made in implementing the Memorandum of Understanding for First Nations Education in Alberta, developed by the Government of Alberta, the Government of Canada and the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs of Alberta. Work has begun on four priority areas including:

2010-2011 Education Annual Report

 establishing an Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Centre undertaking a comparative funding analysis identifying ways to address issues related to tuition/service agreements developing a data sharing protocol. In addition, the First Nations, Mtis and Inuit (FNMI) Education Partnership Council has approved an action plan for ensuring FNMI students are ready and able to learn, engaging parents and families to support children and youth, and focusing on teacher education. A Working Group with representatives from the Ministries of Education, Advanced Education and Technology, and Aboriginal Relations; Treaties 6, 7 and 8; the Mtis Nation of Alberta; and the Mtis Settlements General Council has begun implementing the action plan strategies. The inquiry team looking into concerns over student learning outcomes and matters related to governance at Northland School Division has completed a year-long review. This review involved local school committee members, school division staff, administration, teachers, parents, students, and the local community. The inquiry team released a report in January 2011 urging Northland to implement an improvement strategy that focuses on three central priorities: English and Aboriginal language and numeracy development improving student attendance strengthening parental engagement with schools by improving communication and trust. I have established a team to address the question of community engagement how we create and build the Northland's communities value for education and engage them in addressing the issues identied in the inquiry. I am pleased to be able to report that Albertas students continue to rank among the best in Canada and the world based on the results of the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Alberta students placed second in the world in reading and scientic literacy, and eighth in mathematical literacy. In reading, the major focus of the 2009 PISA study, Alberta students achieved the highest average score in Canada. Internationally, Albertas reading literacy results were among the very highest-scoring nations, second only to Shanghai-China and tied with South Korea, Finland, and Hong Kong-China. While I am pleased that Alberta has continued to rank high globally, we have seen some decline in our reading and mathematical literacy scores. Through Inspiring Action, Alberta has identied literacy and numeracy as areas of primary importance and will continue to develop and implement programs such as our Provincial Literacy Framework. I have every condence that our education system will continue to be one of the best in the world. We will achieve that goal through the transformation of our system into one that will better meet the needs of the 21st century student. Parents, students, teachers, administrators, trustees and the general public all have a role to play in achieving the transformation our education system requires.

Original signed by Dave Hancock, Q.C. Minister of Education

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2010-2011 Education Annual Report

Management's Responsibility for Reporting

The Ministry of Education includes: the Department of Education the Alberta School Foundation Fund the Alberta school jurisdictions. The executives of the individual entities within the ministry have the primary responsibility and accountability for the respective entities. Collectively, the executives ensure the ministry complies with all relevant legislation, regulations and policies. Ministry business plans, annual reports, performance results and the supporting management information are integral to the governments scal and business plans, annual report, quarterly reports and other nancial and performance reporting. Responsibility for the integrity and objectivity of the consolidated nancial statements and performance results for the ministry rests with the Minister of Education. Under the direction of the Minister, I oversee the preparation of the ministrys annual report, including consolidated nancial statements and performance results. The consolidated nancial statements and the performance results, of necessity, include amounts that are based on estimates and judgments. The consolidated nancial statements are prepared in accordance with Canadian public sector accounting standards. The performance measures are prepared in accordance with the following criteria: Reliability Information agrees with the underlying data and the sources used to prepare it. Understandability and Comparability Current results are presented clearly in accordance with the stated methodology and are comparable with previous results. Completeness Performance measures and targets match those included in Budget 2010. As Deputy Minister, in addition to program responsibilities, I am responsible for the ministrys nancial administration and reporting functions. The ministry maintains systems of nancial management and internal control which give consideration to costs, benets, and risks that are designed to: provide reasonable assurance that transactions are properly authorized, executed in accordance with prescribed legislation and regulations, and properly recorded so as to maintain accountability of public money; provide information to manage and report on performance; safeguard the assets and properties of the Province under ministry administration; provide Executive Council, the President of Treasury Board, the Minister of Finance and Enterprise and the Minister ofEducation information needed to fulll their responsibilities; and facilitate preparation of ministry business plans and annual reports required under the Government Accountability Act. In fullling my responsibilities for the ministry, I have relied, as necessary, on the executive of the individual entities within the ministry.

Original signed by Keray Henke Deputy Minister June 10, 2011

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2010-2011 Education Annual Report