Richard Deadman, chair of the Ottawa board's alternative schools advisory committee, said Tuesday he is disappointed by the decision.Richard Deadman, chair of the Ottawa board's alternative schools advisory committee, said Tuesday he is disappointed by the decision. (Rebecca Zandbergen/CBC)

A special school program where students don't get provincial report cards should stop being recognized by Ottawa's public school board, a report recommends.

The alternative schools program serving 1200 students at six Ottawa elementary schools is based on seven guiding principles, including an emphasis on cooperation rather than competition and the use of "innovative" teaching methods.

However, it is not substantially different from the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board's regular English program, said the staff report, which will be discussed at a meeting on Jan. 19.

Because of that, staff are recommending that the board eventually drop the designation. Their report suggested that the loss of the "alternative" label won't require any changes at the schools except that they will have to start issuing provincial report cards.

Jennifer Adams, superintendent of curriculum for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, said Tuesday that alternative schools are welcome to continue the teaching practices they have always used even if they lose their alternative schools designation. It is up to their principals to decide in consultation with staff and their community.

The report is a response to the findings of a formal review of the program.

Parents shocked, upset

Richard Deadman, chair of the board's alternative schools advisory committee, said many parents felt the data that the board collected "seemed to point in the exact opposite direction" and are shocked by the recommendation.

"Some parents are upset. Some parents are kind of depressed," he said, adding that he himself was disappointed. His own two daughters are enrolled in alternative schools.

The report said some practices at alternative schools, such as an emphasis on parental involvement, are very good ones that have or should be adopted by others schools.

Rob Campbell, one of 12 trustees on the school board, said if the principles of alternative schools are being recognized as best practices, then the board has a duty to make sure all students can take advantage of them.

7 Principles of Alternative Schools

  1. Cooperation and teamwork are emphasized instead of competition in all aspects of the school.
  2. There is a commitment to innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
  3. There is a balance between student-directed and teacher-directed learning.
  4. Children of different ages are mixed within a classroom.
  5. An integrated curriculum is used.
  6. There is a family-centred school environment wherein parental involvement is a partnership between the home and school.
  7. Assessment and evaluation is ongoing, using multiple strategies which include student self-evaluations.