- News Releases
EDMONTON, AB — November 18, 2024 — A report released today by the Auditor General of Alberta provides Alberta’s school authorities with findings that can improve their performance reporting to enhance accountability for results.
The work of the Auditor General examined a sample of school authority annual reports from 2021-2022 to see if the reporting reflects the characteristics of effective performance reporting. The report focuses on overall observations in the sector rather than reporting on, and making recommendations to, each individual authority. It does not include examining the processes applied by school authorities to prepare their annual report.
Effective performance reporting has seven key characteristics to create a meaningful and complete picture on whether goals were achieved, what value was gained for the money spent, and what changes to make to generate more value. The seven characteristics are reporting critical areas of performance; performance measurement and variance analysis; significant information; integration of financial and non-financial information; lessons learned; credible information; and comparative information.
The report found that authorities’ annual reporting on some of these key characteristics could be improved. Improvement can be made by providing more information on:
- areas critical to authorities’ success
- integrated financial and non-financial information that explains what their results mean—what were the reasons for their results and what were the related costs
- the lessons learned which will affect setting future targets and outcomes
“School authorities should provide complete information on how the education of children is being managed. Meaningful annual performance reporting is a critical accountability tool to show this is being done effectively,” said Auditor General Doug Wylie. “Authorities need to show in their public performance reporting that they are delivering results in areas critical to the authority, how they measure those results, and at what cost.”
School authorities we examined include public, separate and francophone school boards, chartered schools, and accredited funded private schools. They are governed by a board of trustees or directors, and they are accountable to students and their families and taxpayers to deliver high-quality education.
An Analysis of Annual Performance Reporting by School Authorities is available at www.oag.ab.ca.
-30-
For more information, please contact:
Cheryl Schneider, Executive Director, Engagement and Communications
Mobile: 780-399-0554 | Telephone: 780-422-8375
Email: cschneider@oag.ab.ca
Stay up to date on our latest news by subscribing to our mailing list.