Below you can find a chart which details how the Whytecliff Agile Learning Centres fair against traditional school districts when it comes to vital aspects of education such as accreditation, facilities, and staff.
This comparison is in no way intended to be critical of other schools and instead serves as an illustrative guide of our school and program structure to help you decide if Whytecliff is the right fit for your child.
| Structural Comparison | Whytecliff | Traditional School District |
| Accreditation | BC Min. of Education & CARF therapeutic community model | BC Min. of Education |
| Therapeutic Intervention | Explicit – incorporates broad youth emotional & practical support and after-school support | Education and building-based focus; no broad support |
| Staff | Family/Community/Youth Workers & Teachers | Teachers Aides/Child Care Workers |
| Staff Ratio & Support Provided | Overall educator / student ratio: 1:5 – 1:6 Teacher/student ratio: 1:8 – 1:13 |
Teacher Ratio: 1:23 – 1:30 for 3-8 hrs. weekly per youth by Teacher’s Aide or Child Care Worker and/ or segregation in Social Dev. Classroom for behavioural issues |
| Hours | Flexible – late start and some evenings, weekends | 9:00am to 3:00pm |
| Calendar | September to May extra hours | September to June |
| Open and Closed | Open (for activities) or support provided on non-statutory holidays; shorter winter and spring breaks | Closed during winter and spring breaks |
| Programming: Type | Group-based, emphasizing inter-dependent learning and skill development | Individual-based, emphasizing independent skill learning and development |
| Programming: Focus | Balanced School and community-based learning and growth activities | Mainly School-based learning and activities |
| Structural Comparison | Whytecliff | Traditional School District |
| Facilities | Custom-crafted environments and use of community facilities | Standard facilities; modular facilities receive additional funding |
| Insurance | Additional costs | No direct costs because pro- vided by the BC Government |
| Taxes | Property taxes paid | BC Government pays property taxes |
| Transportation | Included For Majority | Not provided or additional cost |
| Attendance | Greater than 80% | Often Less than 26-50% for the youth who eventually enroll at Whytecliff, but some were not in school for up to two years prior to coming to Whytecliff |
| Reports & Accreditation | Tailored for students’ education and others; maintain CARF Accreditation at additional cost | Standard educational reports and accreditation; no CARF Accreditation |
* Our intention is not to be critical of other schools – but rather, to provide some general comparison for more easily understanding our school and program structure.