VI. A Solid Foundation

Although the provinces and territories run their own educational systems, they are working together to develop common goals and programs in various subject areas.

Alberta took an important step in this direction when it began collaborating with Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories on core subject programs. Since 1996, the four Western provinces and two territories have been developing common learning standards in Math, English Language Arts and French.

Grade and School Levels The following grade and school levels are most common in the province. Some school boards have a middle school structure for grades 5 to 8.
Grade	Age*	Division
Kindergarten 1- 6 7- 9 10 – 12	5 years 6 - 12 years 12 - 15 years 15 -18 years	Elementary School Junior High School Senior High School
*Approximately

The Alberta Programs of Study set provincial standards for all subjects and grades. School boards select instructional materials to help students achieve these standards. Programs of study have been established for elementary, junior high school and senior high school students. Students must take certain required courses and may choose optional courses, which vary from school to school. Alberta also has an approved program statement for kindergarten.

Early Childhood Services (ECS) includes kindergarten programs and pre-school programs for children with mild/moderate or severe disabilities. Parents may choose whether or not to send their children to ECS programs.

ECS prepares children for entry into grade 1. ECS programs may be provided through the public school system, private schools or private, non-profit ECS programs. They must meet government regulations and operate with certificated teachers. The provincial kindergarten program statement outlines what children should learn and be able to achieve in kindergarten.

ECS funding is available for children with mild/moderate or severe disabilities. Approved ECS program operators can provide information on funding and age requirements.

Entrance Age Requirements

The law requires all children who are six years old on September 1 to attend school. However, school boards may set their own age requirements for entering school. Many boards allow students to enter grade 1 if they are six years old by March 1 of the following year. Kindergarten entrance is one year less than the age set by the board to enter grade 1.

Required courses: Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art and Music, Health and Physical Education.

Optional courses: Fifteen per cent of instructional time is set aside for optional subjects, such as French, Drama and Religious Instruction. Courses vary from school to school, according to local needs and priorities, and parental input.

Required courses: Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education, Health and Personal Life Skills.

Optional: Schools must offer two provincially authorized optional courses except where instruction in a language other than English is offered. Then only one provincially authorized optional course is required.

Programs vary by district and school. Parents and students should bear students’ future career and study plans in mind when choosing courses. School counsellors can be helpful in this matter.

Post-secondary education (colleges, universities, technical institutions and trade schools) is the responsibility of Alberta Learning.

The school year usually extends from September to June 30 with minor variations from system to system. Some schools are now providing year-round schooling and other alternative timetables, and others start their school year in August rather than September.

Most schools close down for two months of vacation in July and August, as well as two weeks of Christmas/winter vacation and an Easter/spring break.

The number of instructional days may vary from 190 to 200 days. In junior high schools, the majority of courses are offered for the full school year. Optional courses may be rotated on a scheduled basis throughout the year. In senior high schools, courses may be offered for the full school year or on a semester basis (for half the year). Some high schools now offer a quarter-system calendar.

Instructional Hours Per Year

Kindergarten

Elementary & Junior High

Senior High

400 hours

950 hours

1,000 hours

Other programs are available in addition to basic education programs. They vary from one jurisdiction and school to another, depending on local interest, and may consist of a course, sets of courses or an entire program of studies. They include: International and Native Languages, Fine Arts and English as a Second Language programs.

To receive their high school diploma, all students must successfully complete an English 30-level course.

Schools are not required to teach a second language. However, provincial curriculum is available for many second languages. Alberta Learning supports French programs to encourage all students to learn Canada’s other official language. Students are also encouraged to learn other languages.

Instruction is currently provided in 15 languages, other than French, in 40 school boards. Programs vary from district to district and school to school, depending on local interest.

Immersion programs are only offered in French. They are available in more than 160 Alberta schools. Public and separate school boards also have francophone programs, and most schools in the province offer French Second Language programs.

In addition to French, provincially developed language programs are offered in: Blackfoot, Cree, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Spanish and Ukrainian.

Many school boards have developed their own programs. Local language programs include: Arabic, Chinese, Chipewyan, German, Hebrew, Mandarin, Polish and Portuguese. Greek, Hungarian and Swedish are also available locally, but they are not always offered every year.

Many school boards provide bussing for children enrolled in language programs outside their residency area. Alberta Learning will fund this transportation service if it is provided by a board. Boards have
the authority to charge fees to cover these transportation costs.

Patriotic & Religious Instruction and Exercises

Public and separate school boards may require their schools to schedule religious and/or patriotic instruction and exercises. Parents may request that their child be exempt from these.

In grades 1 through 6, students take compulsory courses in Art and Music, and learn dance as part of Physical Education. Many elementary schools also offer Drama as an option.

Students in most junior and senior high schools have access to optional Art, Music and Drama courses. Some schools run programs focused on Fine Arts.

English as Second Language (ESL) instruction is offered to both Canadian-born and foreign-born students by local boards in schools according to need. Some schools offer ESL assistance in both elementary and secondary grades.

ESL programs help students learn English more quickly and adjust to Canadian cultural values, customs and social expectations. Students spend the rest of the time in regular classes. Students may receive ESL instruction for up to three years.

Under the School Act, school boards are required to provide every resident student with an education, including access to special education programs. Students with special needs vary from the gifted and talented to those with mild or moderate learning disabilities and those with severe disabilities. Specialized learning programs provide individual students with the educational opportunities they need. Parents are involved in decisions relating to programs and services for their child.

School boards have their own policies on the programs and services they offer. These include assessment, placement, individualized program planning and health-related support services. Boards also make decisions regarding class size, staffing levels, resources and materials, and funding for special programming.

Bussing: Special Needs Programs

School boards are required to provide transportation for severely disabled students to designated special needs programs. Alberta Learning provides funding for this service.

The policy of Alberta Learning is that students with special needs should be placed in regular classrooms as the first option wherever possible. Decisions about placement are made by school boards in consultation with parents, teachers and students. Ultimately, school boards are responsible for making decisions that serve the best interests of all students.

Assessments are a board responsibility and may be requested by the parent and/or school staff. Referring a child for assessment does not necessarily mean s/he has a long-term special education need. Assessment results are used to develop individualized program plans.

School boards must develop and implement individualized program plans for students identified as having special needs. The plan is a written, working document that outlines the programming appropriate for a child’s specific needs. Parents are closely involved in the development and implementation of the plan.


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