The Lakeland Catholic School District (LCSD) can add a feather to their cap after the release of this year's Accountability Pillar Overall Summary Annual Education Results.
The summary helps schools determine where they are having current successes and areas that may need improvement, so they can provide their students with the best education possible.
The schools within the LCSD scored excellent in safe and caring, with an overall score of 91.2 per cent, slightly higher than Alberta's 89.5 per cent provincial average. Over the past three years, the school has scored well in this category, and has maintained an average of approximately 89 per cent over the past three years.
In the student learning opportunities category LCSD scored another excellent. This category includes program studies, which received 83.1 per cent, education quality, at 90.4 per cent, dropout rate, which is less than one per cent, and high school completion rate, at 89.8 per cent.
Over the past three years, the dropout rate for LCSD schools has decreased, after seeing its highest rate over that time last year, at 1.3 per cent. Provincially, the dropout average is 3.2 per cent, while the high school completion rate provincially is 76.5 per cent.
“We were extremely pleased with those results,” said LCSD board chair Mary Anne Penner. “We have done really well in all areas.”
She continued that in some areas the schools have maintained their scores from previous years.
“We couldn't go any hire… I would say it is outstanding for our district.”
This year, the school district scored good for student learning achievement for grades K-9, with 74.9 per cent of students receiving a PAT acceptable score, and 14.7 receiving an excellence score. When compared with the Alberta average, which shows 73.6 received acceptable and 19.4 received excellence. Provincially, the scores have inceased since last year.
As for the Grade 10 through 12 grades, 82.8 per cent received acceptable on their diploma, while 22.1 per cent received excellence. The diploma exam participation rate, which includes four or more exams, was 70.6 per cent. This is over 15 per cent higher than the provincial average of 54.6 per cent.
In the preparation for lifelong learning, world of work and citizenship category, the district scored good overall, with a transition rate of 63.3 per cent, work preparation of 80.2 per cent, and 85.7 per cent in leadership. LCSD schools were slightly lower in the work preparation category than the provincial average, which is currently at 82.6 per cent.
Parental involvement is also included on the summary, and for LCSD schools, is rated acceptable with 77.9 per cent. This is just three per cent lower than the provincial average, and has remained consistent since last year, with the highest rate three years ago with 79.5 per cent.
Across Alberta, parental involvement averaged 80.9 per cent, which is up .2 per cent from the previous year.
The school has been continuously improving over the years, and received a good rating in this category with a score of 79.9 per cent, up from last year's 75 per cent. Three years ago, the district rated 78.7 per cent.
“I think this means that we are providing our students with the best education possible, and that we are trying to meet their needs and goals so that they can become successful in the world,” said Penner. “I think it means that we are doing a better job at engaging our communities.”
Penner added it is thanks to the professional development and mentoring programs that the schools have scored so well this year by encouraging students to try new things.
“If the staff are thriving, the students are thriving as well.”
