Parent Involvement

Glossary for Parents

Searching for information?  Want an explanation?  Need clarification? 

Look no further than Rainbow Schools at a Glance: A Glossary for Parents.

This is another step in our efforts to provide parents with a better understanding of the school system.  It contains brief descriptions of the many programs and services available in Rainbow Schools.

Alta Centre Secondary
The Alta Centre is an alternative program for secondary school students (ages 14 to 16) who are having difficulty succeeding in the regular school setting.  Its ultimate goal is to enable students to develop the skills that will allow them to reintegrate into their home school to complete their studies.

Alternative Program Elementary
This program gives students in Grades 6 to 8 an opportunity to develop personal, interpersonal and academic skills that, in the past, have prevented them from succeeding in a regular school program.  Students will develop skills that will lead to their reintegration into regular academic programs.

Arts Education Program
Sudbury Secondary School’s extensive Arts Education Program allows students to study drama, visual arts, film studies, vocal music, instrumental music and dance.  Students in this program also learn to build important life skills including self-confidence, discipline and teamwork.

Best Start
Seamless entry from child care into school gives children the best start. Contact the Rainbow school nearest you to find out more about child care programs being offered at area public schools, including before and after school programs and JK alternative programs.

Bilingual Trades Program
The Bilingual Trades Program at Chelmsford Valley District Composite School is designed to meet the increasing demand for trades education in a bilingual environment.  This program prepares students for college, training programs, apprenticeships and the workforce.

Character Education
An integral part of the curriculum in Rainbow Schools, character education builds good citizens, encouraging students to become positive and productive members of our global society.  Character education complements the Board’s Discipline Policy, which promotes respect, responsibility, honesty, teamwork, fairness and more.

Continuing Education
Rainbow District School Board offers free credit courses to any students over 20 years of age and older who have been out of high school for at least one semester.  Students enrolled in Night School or Adult Education can earn two high school credits in approximately six weeks.

Co-operative Education
In the Co-operative Education program secondary students divide their time between the school and the workplace, spending at least half the day with an employer in the community.  Cooperative education prepares students for the challenges of tomorrow and enables employers to help develop the workforce of the future.

Core French
Offered daily as part of the regular English program in Rainbow Schools, Core French develops basic communication skills in French and an understanding of the nature of the language.  The Core French program offers students a valuable educational experience and the opportunity to develop a basic usable command of the French language that can be expanded through further study or contact with French-speaking people.

Director of Education
As the administrative leader of the Board, the Director of Education is responsible for advising the Board on policy and operational matters and ensuring effective and efficient operation of all school board business.  The Director also ensures that the Ontario curriculum and related policies are implemented.

Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO)
An arm’s-length agency of the provincial government, EQAO provides parents, teachers and the public with information about student achievement.  EQAO also makes recommendations for improvement that educators, parents, policy-makers and others in the education community can use to improve learning and teaching.

English Program (EP)
The English Program is exclusively in English and includes a Core French component.  Students study basic French for a limited period of time daily.

French Immersion (FI)
French Immersion, which provides a balance of English and French classroom instruction in Rainbow Schools, immerses students in the French language, including cultural experiences.  The French Immersion program provides students with the skills they need to communicate in a second language and thereby to enhance their ability to perform effectively and meet with success in a rapidly changing global economy.

Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC)
The Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) determines if a student should be identified as an exceptional pupil, and, if so, the placement that will best meet the student’s needs.  Once identified as an exceptional pupil, an IPRC review meeting takes place annually. Additional IPRCs can be scheduled upon the request of the school or the parent/guardian after the placement has been in effect for a period of three months.

Individual Education Plan (IEP)
An Individual Education Plan is developed for each student who has been identified as exceptional by an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) within 30 school days of the student’s placement in a special education program.  The IEP is reviewed and updated annually at the beginning of each school year.

An IEP is a written plan.  It is a working document that describes the strengths, needs and the specific educational expectations of an exceptional pupil.  It outlines the special education program and services required to meet that student’s needs, and how the program and services will be delivered.  It also indicates how a student’s progress will be monitored.

International Baccalaureate Program (IB)
This internationally recognized two-year comprehensive program encourages critical thinking and research skills and promotes service as part of the learning process.  The IB program is available at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School to all students who have the required commitment, ability, interest and time to devote to the program.

Junior and Senior Kindergarten
 The Rainbow District School Board’s Junior and Senior Kindergarten programs allow children to participate in activity centres where they are encouraged to explore and solve problems in groups or on their own. Children enrolled in JK and SK programs also have the opportunity to socialize, develop motor skills, understand spoken and written words and grasp number concepts.

Learning to 18
Offered at Cambrian College, the Learning to 18 alternative program is for students, aged 16 to 18, who have difficulty succeeding in a traditional school setting.  Students benefit from small classes and individualized curriculum in a more intimate setting.  This program encourages students to stay in school or find viable employment.

Literacy Enriched Activity Program (LEAP)
The Literacy Enriched Activity Program was designed by the Rainbow District School Board to enhance reading, writing and speaking skills at an early age.  This unique program provides intensive literacy learning for children in full-day Senior Kindergarten.

Ontario College of Teachers (OCT)
The Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) allows teachers to regulate and govern their own profession in the public interest.  Teachers who want to work in publicly funded schools in Ontario must be certified to teach in the province and be members of the College.

Ontario Federation of Home and School Associations (OFHSA)
The OFHSA is a not-for-profit organization representing parents from across the province.  The aim of the Ontario Federation of Home and School Associations is to improve the education system through voluntary parental involvement.

Ontario Provincial Education Network (OPEN)
The Ontario Provincial Education Network (OPEN) is a service of the Ministry of Education, where parents can sign up to receive information about education.  Through OPEN, parents can provide input on educational developments, policies and events.

Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA)
The Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA) represents district school boards and school authorities, serving more than 1.2 million public elementary and secondary students and more than a half-million adult learners across the province.  The OPSBA advocates on behalf of the public school system in Ontario, representing their best interests and needs.

Ontario School Boards’ Insurance and Exchange (OSBIE)
A not-for-profit insurance program, the Ontario School Boards’ Insurance and Exchange represents 89 per cent of the school boards in Ontario.  OSBIE insures member school boards against losses and promotes safe school practices.

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
The Ontario Secondary School Diploma is based on a credit system. Secondary students must earn a total of 30 credits in order to graduate with an OSSD. Eighteen of the credits are compulsory.  The remaining 12 credits are optional.  Students can select from a full range of courses offered.

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test is a graduation requirement administered by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO).  The test assesses the reading and writing skills that students are expected to have learned in all subjects by the end of Grade 9, as outlined in the Ontario Curriculum.

Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP)
This program gives students in Grades 11 and 12 an opportunity to begin a career in a skilled trade while attending secondary school.  The program is designed to introduce students to a career path that will lead to a skilled trade, provide an opportunity to develop trade related competencies and encourage an early start to a well-paid and satisfying career.

Parent Involvement Committee (PIC)
The Parent Involvement Committee provides a forum for School Council representatives in Rainbow Schools to network, share ideas and provide input.  Each School Council appoints a parent member to attend a minimum of one PIC meeting during the school year.

Principals
Principals are responsible for the organization and management of individual schools, including the management of the budget assigned to the school by the school board.  They are also responsible for the quality of instruction at their schools and for student discipline.

Reconnect Program
The Rainbow District School Board’s Reconnect Program gives students who are short of secondary school credits an opportunity to reconnect to school and open doors for their future.

RespectED
Delivered by the Canadian Red Cross, RespectEd: Violence and Abuse Prevention programs promote safe and supportive relationships and healthy communities through education and partnerships.  RespectED has been implemented in the Rainbow District School Board’s secondary schools.

Roots of Empathy
Delivered in partnership with Our Children, Our Future, Roots of Empathy is a character education program offered in the Rainbow District School Board’s elementary schools.  Elementary classes in Rainbow Schools "adopt" a baby who visits the classroom, along with his or her parent and a trained Roots of Empathy instructor, once a month for a full school year.  A number of themes are explored, including meet the baby, crying, caring and planning for the baby.

School Board Policies and Operational Procedures
The Rainbow District School Board, in accordance with provincial laws and school board precautions has implemented a number of board-wide policies and operational procedures.

School Board Trustees
School Board trustees are members of the community elected to direct the delivery of education in the schools of their board. 

School Councils
Made up of parents, educators and community members, School Councils serve in an advisory capacity to the school principal and the Board to promote continued excellence in education, placing the overall interest of students first.

School of Integrated Technology
Located at Lively District Secondary School, this program offers enriched and specialized four-year and two-year programs combining science, mathematics, computer science and technology.

Science Technology Education Program (STEP)
Lockerby Composite School’s Science Technology Education Program (STEP) is designed for students with an interest in business, science, health, medicine or engineering.  With a focus on math, science and technology, STEP keeps pace with the latest trends in science and technology through its laptop learning, tele-robotics, genetics and forensics components.

Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)
The Special Education Advisory Committee advises the Rainbow District School Board on matters related to special education.  Committee members include two Board trustees as well as volunteer representatives from parent and community associations.

Special Education Services
The Rainbow District School Board provides a range of specialized services to support teachers, parents and exceptional students through consultations, system screening activities, assessments and direct instructional support.

Student Success Initiative (SSI)
The Student Success Initiative for students in Grades 7 to 12 builds and enhances opportunities for success based on each student’s interests, abilities and choices.  SSI focuses on four pillars – literacy, mathematical literacy, program pathways (independent living, work, apprenticeship, college and university) and community, culture and caring.

Superintendent of Schools
Appointed by a school board, a superintendent is responsible for the operation of schools and programs within a specified geographic area under the jurisdiction of the board.  A superintendent also addresses the concerns of parents, students, educators, trustees and administrative board staff.

The Education Act
The Act sets out the duties of the various persons or entities responsible for the delivery of education in Ontario.  The Minister of Education is responsible for the administration of the Education Act.

The Minister of Education
Appointed by the Premier, the Minister of Education represents the interests of the ministry at the provincial cabinet. The Minister determines the general direction for education policy in Ontario.

The Ministry of Education
The Ministry of Education administers publicly funded elementary and secondary school education in Ontario.  Under the guidance of the Minister, the Ministry of Education administers the Education Act and any regulations that govern education.

The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
This legislation enables individuals to request access to personal information and general records under the control of institutions covered by the Act, including school boards.  The Act also sets out guidelines to protect the privacy of individuals.

thevirtualschool.ca
Students can complete secondary school credit courses online at thevirtualschool.ca, which connects students and teachers.  This interactive, highly-customized, student-focused learning integrates technology with Ontario Ministry of Education course guidelines.