Mr. Speaker, I have a return to Written Question 17-16(5), asked by Ms. Bisaro on February 4, 2011, to the Honourable Jackson Lafferty, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, regarding Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative.
What amount is identified in the 2010-11 budget for the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative?
The amount identified for the Aboriginal Student Achievement, or ASA, Initiative in the 2010-11 budget is $1.3 million.
What amount is identified in the 2011-12 budget for the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative?
The amount identified for the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative in the 2011-12 budget is $1.8 million.
Provide a breakdown of these funds showing
the activities this funding as been / is being / will be used for;
the amount for each activity;
the community(ies) where it will be spent.
Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table Aboriginal Student Achievement 2010-11 and 2011-12 that provides a funding breakdown for this initiative in fiscal years 2010-11 and 2011-12. Funding is provided on a community basis for some but not all ASA activities. In 2010-11, $10,000 per community was allocated for attendance projects.
For 2011-12, funding for new school/community libraries has been identified for potentially five communities. Only communities that do not currently have public libraries and apply for this funding are eligible to receive it. Only after applications have been received and assessed will it be possible to know which communities will actually receive this funding. The allocation shows $38,000 per community for the salary of a part-time librarian; operation and maintenance to enable the school library to also serve as a public library, accessible some evenings and at weekends; $67,000 in total for travel associated with site visits and training; and $298,000 for library materials, and processing and shipping of literacy materials to eligible communities.
How are the activities being evaluated?
The first phase of ASA included attendance projects, a public education campaign on attendance, and cultural orientation for teachers. Overall student attendance in NWT schools is being monitored to evaluate the impact of the public education campaign. Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table Aboriginal Student Achievement Project Proposal 2010-2011, which includes the evaluation form to be completed for each attendance project. The cultural orientation for teachers has been reported on by the school boards and this will continue.
The ASA Initiative Logic Model developed at the start of the initiative forms the basis for the evaluation of the ASA Initiative. Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative Logic Model.
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committee on the review of bills. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
