Policy/Program Memorandum No. 113

Issued under the authority of the Deputy Minister of Education

Introduction

The Ministry of Education is committed to the integration of computer technology into the curriculum for the purpose of providing learners with enriched learning experiences, individualized instruction, and the acquisition of skills that will allow them to use the technology effectively and with confidence. In order to help boards achieve this goal, the ministry will provide additional funds for the purchase of hardware and software and for professional development, and is developing a policy document outlining expectations for integration. Changes in funding procedures will also be implemented.

Funding for Hardware and Professional Development

During 1991, an additional $5.0 million will be allocated to boards through the Recognized Extraordinary Expenditure grants for the acquisition of Grant-Eligible Microcomputer Systems and supporting peripherals (such as printers and videodisks) and for the professional development of teachers. This amount brings the funding for this initiative to a total of $40.9 million for 1991.

Funding for Software

In 1991, $4.9 million will be allocated for the acquisition of English-language and French-language software. Some of this money will flow to boards through transfer payments, while the remainder will be used by the ministry to purchase provincial licences on behalf of school boards and to meet other educational needs. Software that is acquired as the result of provincial licensing will be distributed to school boards free of charge through the Ontario Educational Software Service.

The ministry will continue to convene the Ontario Software Acquisition Program Advisory Committee, which comprises school board representatives. The mandate of this committee is to liaise with boards for the purpose of identifying software needs, to negotiate with software distributors to obtain discount prices, and to recommend software to the ministry for provincial licensing.

School boards should ensure that the software that they purchase reflects Canadian culture and values and is congruent with Ontario curriculum goals and policies. More details on the software funds will be forthcoming from the Centre for Curriculum Resources and Technologies.

Integration of Computers Across the Curriculum

As stated in Policy/Program Memorandum No. 91, February 2, 1987, students should be given opportunities to use computers in a variety of activities, such as drawing, writing, composing, exploring, calculating, analysing, role-playing, and accessing information resources. This can be accomplished through the use of word processors, simulation programs, graphics editors, sound editors, spreadsheets, database managers, multimedia approaches, videodisks, and telecommunications media. Students should explore the ways in which network configurations can provide a medium of communication and collaboration with peers and teachers both within and outside the school. Students should come to see the computer as an integral part of everyday life.

Boards are expected to establish and maintain a base of computers and software, as well as provide support for teachers, so that all students can be provided with the opportunity to acquire and maintain computer skills by using a variety of computer applications in all subject areas and in all grades. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, students should have opportunities to use computers for a minimum of 2.5 hours per week to acquire and maintain computer skills. This cross-curricular use of computers requires one computer for every ten students, and it should be the long-term goal of school boards to acquire sufficient hardware and software to meet this need.

Policy Document on Computers Across the Curriculum

A policy document on the use of computers across the curriculum will be released in the autumn of 1991. This document will outline goals and expectations and will provide assistance to boards in developing plans and implementation strategies.

New Funding Procedures

In October 1991, school boards will be required to submit a report to the Minister in which they outline the extent to which computer technology is currently being used in the classroom. Then, early In 1992, boards will submit a comprehensive planning report to the Minister in which they will state short-term goals for 1992-93 and long-term goals for 1997. These reports will include information on acquisition of hardware, software, and peripherals; provision of professional development; integration of the use of computers in the curriculum; and development of support systems. Beginning in 1993, boards will submit annual progress reports, which will include plans for the next year. Funding will be contingent upon the submission and approval of these reports.

The format for these reports will be developed in consultation with board representatives beginning in April 1991.

Fiscal responsibility will be a central concept in these board planning and progress reports. The planning reports should reflect the importance of accountability and give details of the ways in which this accountability will be achieved. In addition, school boards will be audited at random. These audits, which will be conducted by the regional offices, will be somewhat similar in nature to the transportation and enrolment audits.

To assist boards in the planning process, a guide to completing the reports will be released in October 1991 and will be sent with the report forms.