UCDSB
Trustees with the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) met on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023.
Key items discussed in the public session are as follows.
School Climate Data and Action Items Shared
Superintendent Marsha McNair and Research Officer Dr. Kathleen Moss provided an update to trustees on the most recent actions and outcomes related to the fall student climate survey.
Data was collected from Grade 4 – 12 students in October, with the survey receiving a 60 per cent response rate. Key findings are as follows:
80% feel there is at least one caring adult at school;
76% feel they are able to build friendships with other students;
69% feel they belong at school;
67% feel safe at school; and
64% believe the learning is preparing them for the next step in their learning journey;
In November, groups of elementary and secondary school students were invited to participate in in-person student voice forums to share their thoughts and ideas related to the findings. Students collaborated with staff and other students from other schools on ways they could work towards improving student climate at their own schools. The forums will take place again in May to report on school successes and what they learned.
This student voice program is now called Amplify – Student Voice in Action. Watch a video of the student voice forum: https://youtu.be/TfNSnTT5YSo.
This work aligns with the Director’s Work Plan under Student Culture where we continue to work to enhance student mental and physical health, and sense of belonging.
Update on Parent Document Repository / Electronic Report Cards
Executive Superintendent of Business Services Jeremy Hobbs and Manager of Information Technology Services Jim Guerin provided the Board of Trustees with an update on the electronic report card initiative.
To increase ease of access for parents and guardians, while reducing staff workload and the Board’s environmental footprint, an electronic document repository for parents and guardians is being created. After research and comparison between platforms, the My Family Room (MFR) platform was chosen to build out this new capability. MRF is a familiar platform to most families, with 89 per cent of students already having at least one parent or guardian signed up for the platform.
The project is scheduled to complete requirements and design phases by June 2024, aligning with the 2023-24 Director’s Work Plan success factors.
