Ontario school boards must report PD day activities, student attendance under new rules

School boards will be required to publicly report their teacher professional development sessions, one of the first mandates handed down by Ontario’s education minister under legislation giving him greater control over boards.

Minister Stephen Lecce says the first set of regulations as part of recently passed Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act will help “refocus” boards on academic achievement and life and job skills.

Boards will be required to post PD day details on their websites, including the content, presenters and resources shared with educators.

The new regulations will also require boards to report regularly to the ministry on a number of student achievement benchmarks, from attendance rates to the number of students participating in at least one job skills program.

The president of Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation says it’s one thing for the province to try to boost learning outcomes in core academics.

But Karen Littlewood says without programs or support to back them up, and the money it will require, those priorities are little more than a target.