Education and Early Childhood Development

The mission for New Brunswick public schools is to have each student develop the attributes needed to be a lifelong learner, to achieve personal fulfillment and to contribute to a productive, just and democratic society.

Strategic Communications (Branch)

The role of the Communications Branch is to provide public awareness of departmental programs, policies and services.

The branch is responsible for: advising the minister and senior managers on communiations issues; communication strategic planning; news release, speech, pamphlet and brochure writing/proofreading/editing/design services; coordinating news conferences; public awareness campaign development; responding to requests from media outlets; media relations support; media monitoring; managing the department's web pages; print, broadcast and web advertising; providing ministerial support and coordinating activities related to the Legislative Assembly.

The Communications Branch reports directly to the Deputy Ministers.

Special Project Team (Branch)

Provide comprehensive recommendations to government to improve quality education and early childhood services within our fiscal realities. As part of this project, they will be leading multi-disciplinary teams from the department and the districts to contribute to this Renewal Project.

Policy and Planning (Branch)

The Policy and Planning Division is divided into two branches: Policy and Legislative Affairs and Corporate Data Management and Analysis. The Division is responsible for policy development, analysis and advice, legislative proposals, governance issues, legislature support and coordination, corporate strategic planning, administration of the Protection of Personal Information Act and Right to Information Act, copyright, statistical information, data gathering instruments, project management, surveys, accountability tools and performance indicators.

Policy & Legislative Affairs (Unit)

The Policy and Legislative Affairs Branch ensures the Department has an appropriate legislative and policy framework in place by developing new policy and legislative proposals, interpreting policy and legislation for school districts, and providing policy advice. They also ensure that departmental plans are implemented strategically and effectively, provide reports on departmental initiatives, and on the progress of publicly-stated goals and targets. The Staff administers the Protection of Personal Information Act and Right to Information Act, addresses educational copyright issues, and prepares the Minister and Deputies for the Legislature to ensure a corporate and coordinated approach to intergovernmental and interdepartmental relations.

Corporate Data Management and Analysis Branch (Unit)

The Corporate Data Management and Analysis Branch ensures the Minister and Deputies have sound and timely student and staff-level data on which to base decision-making. This is achieved by: putting in place appropriate electronic information systems and databases, developing and updating key achievement standards and performance indicators, developing and administering data gathering instruments, and developing and producing reports and other accountability tools.

The Branch provides statistical information regarding different aspects of the NB education system, including pupil enrolment, pupil-educator ratios, high school course enrolment, home and independent schooling enrolment, Part 2 staff FTEs and absenteeism, First Nations enrolment, projections, French second language, numbers of classes and class size, graduation trends and rates, dropouts, ratios, etc. The Branch audits the raw data and prepares official figures that are shared internally and externally.

The Branch participates in inter-provincial statistics projects, with the aim of developing timely and relevant indicators. The Branch also participates in other projects to improve the reliability and efficiency of data collection and analysis.

The Branch works closely with the Policy and Legislative Affairs Branch of the Policy and Planning Division to ensure that data supports and informs policy development.

Secteur des services éducatifs francophones (Division)

The Educational Services Division is responsible for the operation of the major components of the Francophone school system, encompassing curriculum development and implementation for primary and high school, professional development, and student services, including special education, school psychology, services for students with sensory impairments, positive learning environment, guidance counselling, and student life. It also verifies students’ learning and coordinates and administers various evaluation programs in the schools.

The Division is also responsible for the Francophone school system’s educational, budgetary, and administrative planning, which involves maintaining close contact with the province’s five Francophone school districts. In addition, the Division ensures liaison with the District Education Councils (DECs) through the Provincial Forums, which are organized to facilitate the sharing of information and to encourage consultation between the Minister and the District Education Councils. It assumes responsibilities for the development of various educational projects in cooperation with other departments and various organizations and agencies at the provincial, regional, national, and international levels.

The five Francophone superintendents work with departmental staff on pedagogical issues.

Conseils d'éducation de district (Council)

District Education Councils (DECs), consisting of publicly and locally elected members, are responsible for implementing provincial education policy and for establishing the direction and priorities for the school district and for making decisions as to how the districts and schools are operated. DECs, with their superintendent, develop education and expenditure plans, implement programs, services and provincial policies, and establish local policies to best meet the needs of their district.

Programmes d'études et de l'apprentissage (Branch)

The main task of the Instructional Services Branch is to define the goals and objectives of the instructional programs taught to students attending the province’s Francophone public schools. The branch is responsible for provincial coordination of curriculum development and implementation, design of online courses, professional development, and student services (guidance counseling, special education, school psychology, students with sensory impairments, positive learning environment) at all levels.
• It is also responsible for providing the various stakeholders at both the provincial and local levels with information about the degree of success of learning and teaching in New Brunswick’s Francophone public schools.
• The Instructional Services Branch analyses the instructional resources available on the market and recommends the ones best suited to support the delivery of the curricula prescribed by the Minister.
• The branch is responsible for developing, administering, and marking the elementary-level provincial exams and the high school completion exams, which are compulsory in order to obtain a high school diploma.
• The branch develops policies or programs relating to the evaluation of learning, of teachers, of school principals, of the mentoring program for new teachers, and of schools.
• The branch also coordinates educational projects in cooperation with other provincial government departments and other partners, such as the Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training (CAMET), the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), the Association canadienne d’éducation de la langue française (ACELF), the University of Moncton and l’Association des enseignantes et enseignants francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick (AEFNB).
• It also ensures coordination and administration of national and international learning evaluation programs in the province’s Francophone schools.

École communautaire, du leadership et de la technologie (Branch)

Community schools, leadership and Technology including the development and delivery of online courses, ICT integration, portal development and educational guidance.

Mesure et évaluation (Branch)

The Assessment and Evaluation Branch is responsible for providing the various stakeholders at both the provincial and local levels with information about the degree of success of learning and teaching in New Brunswick's Francophone public schools.

The branch is responsible for developing, administering, and marking the elementary-level provincial exams and the high school completion exams, which are compulsory in order to obtain a high school diploma. It also ensures co-ordination and administration of national and international learning evaluation programs in the province's Francophone schools.

The branch also develops policies, guidelines and programs relating to the evaluation of learning, of teachers and of school principals.

Teacher Certification (Branch)

The Teacher Certification Branch evaluates all applications for teacher certification in the New Brunswick public school system. This includes out-of-province and out-of-country applications by correspondence or by direct contact.

Other duties and responsibilities include the issuance of regular local permits and Principals' Certificates, evaluation of work experience for salary purposes, approval of university courses for upgrading purposes, liaison with provincial universities. NBTA, AEFNB, NBTF and school districts, compliance with provisions of the Education Act, Regulation, Policy, Teachers' Collective Agreement and the Teacher Mobility Agreement.

The Branch is also involved in the review and implementation of changes related to Teacher Certification of the Regulations, membership on the Minister's Advisory Committee on Teacher Certification and Teacher Education Coordinating Committees, preparation of briefing notes for senior management, drafting letters and making recommendations to the minister in the matters of suspension or revocation of teachers' certificates.

Educational Services (Anglophone) (Division)

The Educational Services Division, in collaboration with stakeholders and partners, is responsible for:

• developing the Provincial Education Plan;
• defining student outcomes and achievement standards;
• determining what is taught to students in kindergarten through grade 12;
• providing the framework for effective instructional practice, supports and professional development;
• measuring and improving system effectiveness; and
• collaborating with other service providers to effectively deliver interdisciplinary educational programs and services.

In April 2007, the Division was restructured into three sub-divisions: Educational Programs and Services; Improvement Planning; and Strategic Initiatives. New or reconfigured responsibility areas of note are: improvement planning, community schools, professional development, international education and an Innovative Learning Fund.

Curriculum Development and Implementation K - 12 (Branch)

Curriculum Development staff identifies the goals and learning expectations of the instructional program for public schools. Learning specialists develop and maintain curricula in all subject areas and evaluate practices and instructional resources. Curriculum documents identify expected learning outcomes, instructional strategies, assessment tasks and resources to support learning.

E-Learning (Section)

E-Learning specialists ensure that information and communication technology (ICT) is used effectively to enhance learning and to expand the range of courses offered and their availability to all students. International partnerships enhance the e-Learning agenda by creating opportunities for students and educators to learn in a global environment.

Student Services (Branch)

Student Services learning specialists set standards for and facilitate inclusive education programming, including supports for the continuum of learner needs, and guidance, stay-in-school/at-risk and enrichment programming. They develop guidelines and supports for Positive Learning Environment initiatives and work with districts to improve school success for groups of students whose needs are currently not well met, such as Aboriginal and English second language students.

Assessment and Evaluation (Branch)

The responsibilities within Assessment and Evaluation include monitoring student achievement through provincial examinations and monitoring school effectiveness through a school review process. The objective of both is to improve teaching and learning and to keep the public informed about the educational system's general health. Provincial assessments function as a reasonable and cost-effective gauge of an individual student's or school's overall achievement.

The Assessment and Evaluation Branch is responsible to report large-scale assessment results to the Minister of Education. Data and information from large-scale provincial, national and international assessments are obtained for the purposes of public accountability and improving programs and services.

The Assessment and Evaluation Branch is responsible for the following activities related to provincial large-scale assessments: test development; security protocols; setting administrative guidelines; establishing and monitoring procedures to allow students with special needs to have equitable access to assessment and examinations; determining methods of scoring and marking; and, releasing and reporting results.

Professional Learning Services (Branch)

Professional Learning Services includes School Education Reviews, professional development and leadership.

Strategic Partnerships (Branch)

The Strategic Partnerships Branch includes Atlantic Education International Inc., community schools, and other business partnerships.

Atlantic Education International (Unit)

Atlantic Education International Inc. is an incorporated body whose mission is to develop,market to, and support successful International Education Partnerships.Programs range from socio-cultural exchanges to the marketing of educational products and services developed within the Province of New Brunswick.To date AEI Inc. has international clients from K-12 through Post
Secondary. In addition, we have found employment for qualified teachers overseas, marketed N.B. developed Distance Education courses,delivered N.B. student exchanges, and coordinated Chinese student placements in our Public Schools, Colleges and Universities.

Teacher Certification (Branch)

Accountability and Quality Assurance (Branch)

The Accountability and Quality Assurance Division will focus on continuous quality and performance improvement, accountability through performance measures, core services and risk management to ensure EECD is delivering quality services in the most efficient and effective way possible.

Corporate Services (Division)

The Corporate Services Division is responsible
for providing efficient support in the areas of
Human Resources, Corporate Relations, Information Systems Services, Finance and Services, Educational Facilities and Pupil Transportation. Services provided to the Anglophone and Francophone public education sectors (K-12) of the Department at both the central office and district level. The Division also provides support to the Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport.

Finance and Services (Branch)

The Finance and Services Branch consists of the following units: Budget and Accounting, School District Financial Services, School District Payroll Services and Administrative Services. The Branch mandate includes budgeting, accounting, effective departmental internal controls, financial reporting of school district operations as well as providing general office and administrative support services.

The Branch promotes accountability and is committed to the continued improvement in the management of financial and administrative support resources.

Central Files (Unit)

internal file system

District Payroll Services (Section)

Processing and distribution of approximately 15,000 payroll cheques for Part II of the Public Service per pay period.

Educational Facilities and Pupil Transportation (Branch)

The Educational Facilities and Pupil Transportation Branch provides districts with support and expertise in the planning and management of educational facilities and the pupil transportation system. The objective is to create a healthy and secure learning and working environment and to ensure a safe and efficient bussing of students.

Human Resources (Branch)

The Human Resources Branch develops, promotes and supports human resource policies, programs and practices that result in a workplace culture that is congenial, nurturing and committed to achieving a standard of excellence in education and all aspects of service delivery.

The branch is responsible for providing comprehensive human resources services to the Department of Education's senior administrators, other central staff, representatives in the public school system and the Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport.

Operations (Unit)

Responsible for recruitment, classification, employment programs, employee evaluation, occupational health and safety, payroll verification for Part II staff, benefits and attendance management.

Organizational Development (Unit)

Responsible for succession planning, career growth and development, employee engagement, employee recognition, competency profiling, the wellness strategy, the Official Language strategy, and the corporate HR strategy.

Labour Relations (Unit)

Responsible for negotiations, collective agreement interpretations, joint union/employer committees, labour management meetings, interdepartmental pension committee, grievances, civil actions as well as various types of complaints (Human Rights, Ombudsman, Harassment, Policy 701, etc).

Information Systems Services (Branch)

The Information Systems Services Branch is responsible for the implementation and support of information technology in the public school system, the Department of Wellness, Culture & Sport and the Department of Education central office. This includes responsibility for the implementation and management of administrative information systems, coordinating the implementation of province-wide information systems with school district technical staff and management of the wide area network (WAN) that connects all schools, districts and central office.

Computers for Schools (Other)

A not-for-profit organization

Early Childhood Development (Branch)

The Early Childhood Services Division is responsible for the planning, design and monitoring of all departmental early childhood programs and services. These include the following programs and services: Prenatal and Postnatal Program, Day Care Services Program, Day Care Assistance Program, Alternative Child Care Program, Services for Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Program, Quality Improvement Funding Support Program for Child Care Facilities, Support Worker Initiative, Communities Raising Children and the Early Childhood Initiatives Program, including Early Intervention Services and Integrated Day Care services.

Early Learning and Child Care (Unit)

The Early Learning and Child Care team is responsible for the program supports and monitoring services as well as the licensing and monitoring of the early learning and child care facilities. These programs include Day Care Services Program, Early Learning and Care Curriculum, Day Care Assistance Program, Alternative Child Care Program, Program, Quality Improvement Funding Support Program for Child Care Facilities, Support Worker Initiative.

Regional Operations - Anglophone Section (Unit)

The regional operations teams are generally responsible for the licensing and monitoring of early learning and child care facilities across the province.