It's not as easy as one, two and three.
The Yellowknife Education District No. 1 school board is planning to enhance their math curriculum for junior kindergarten through Grade 8 after research shows students don't know how to explain their work.
Carole Fullerton presented results from a three-year study on May, 1 following the Yk1 budget meeting. The analysis shows students are becoming increasingly capable of solving math problems but are not able to explain how they found the answer.
The board will roll out a new way for K to 3 students to learn number sense – Grade 4-6 to learn fractions and Grade 7 and 8 to learn algebra. The new curriculum will focus on the language and communication skills needed to solve math problems.
Fullerton said the solution to helping students become more math savvy is having them learn why they are thinking a certain way when solving math equations.
“It's time to stop the insanity,” said Fullerton after quoting Albert Einstein. "We need skills, concepts, they are married together through learning ... our teachers are making a conscientious attempt to use the learning guides but there is a lack of understanding in regard to students learning the language.”
Fullerton will be back in Yellowknife before the 2018-2019 school year to teach the teachers how to apply the new curriculum next year.
Board announces budget projections
The Yellowknife Education District No. 1 board announced their projections for the 2018-2019 budget on May 1. The budget includes a projected $200,000 spending increase for Indigenous education and over $400,000 more for inclusive schooling. With the increase the board projects 64 per cent of their budget will be allocated to schools programs across the district.
Although the budget is estimated to be over $35 million the school board is in a $139,973 deficit.
However, the deficit is wiped out because of extra money in the board's reserved funds. The surplus for the school board is estimated to be $1.3 million.
Board trustee and finance committee chairperson Terry Brookes said it is not alarming the board is in their current state.
“I've been a part of a lot of committee's and I have to tell you being $100,000 over is still a balanced budget,” said Brookes. “I also know in my experiences that the (deficit) will change after we shift money around.”
Brookes said the board applies for funding through many grants and programs during the year to help offset the deficit.
The amount of funding in the grants can be anywhere from a couple thousand to $1 million, he added.
Early education to see attendance increase in 2018-2019
There will be a total of nine junior kindergarten classes in the Yellowknife Education District No. 1 for the 2018-2019 school year.
Three classes will continued to be offered at NJ Macpherson School. The other six will be scattered across the district. The breakdown includes an additional class being added to Range Lake North School, two classes at J.H. Sissons School and two classes at Mildred Hall School.
The projections were announced at the YK1 budget meeting on May, 1.
In total the YK1 district taught 173 new kindergarten students during the inaugural kindergarten school year.
Kindergarten enrollment is expected to rise across the city. YK1 is expecting attendance to rise from in attendance next year. YCS is also expecting an increase from 189 to over 200 students. Currently there are 179 kindergarten students registered in YCS next year but enrolment will carry-over into the summer.
In addition to early childhood education YK1 is thinking about housing a new alternate Montessori program which will put $170,000 into the board's budget.