Pinewood Elementary School
40 Pinewood Avenue
Cranbrook, BC V1C 5X8
250-426-6201
250-426-6415 (fax)
Scanning:
In discussion with staff members, we feel there is general weakness in area of Literacy across all grades.
What do we, as staff and community, know about our students – their successes and challenges?
The bulk of our students have challenges in the area of Literacy. Our students require a specific focus on interventions and the implementation of teaching strategies that will best meet their specific learning needs. Understanding and addressing their learning challenges will reduce the number of students who have difficulties later in schooling.
Focus:
What does our focus need to be?
What key areas of learning and instruction will we focus on? What is the most important work we can do to improve the success of our students?
We will focus on all areas of Literacy with particular emphasis on Reading and Writing.
-Teachers of Grades 1 through 6 are involved in the Writing Leadership Team with Adrienne Gear or the CR4YR Teams
-Teachers will focus on assessment for learning through the use of a common tool (BC Performance Standards).
-An initial assessment will occur in term one this year where staff cross-graded, summarized, looked for patterns and set instructional goals using BC Performance Standards.
-Staff will have the opportunity to share learning resources at professional development days
-Poetry Month to be planned for the spring
-Teachers will periodically reassess writing and reading instructional goals to see if teaching is making a difference. When students are ready to move on, they will choose a new target area.
Our driving question:
What can each individual teacher do to change their instruction to help students move along the continuum in Literacy?
At this point in the school year, teachers have noted these specific needs:
-Decoding skills
-Fluency for understanding
-Love of reading
-Organization in Writing
-Editing and revising skills
These needs may change as we progress through the year.
Developing a Hunch:
What is leading to this situation for our learners?
Evidence is clear on our class-based assessments of reading and writing, teacher observations as well as FSA and March report card results.
Why are our learners struggling in the area we have chosen to focus on?
Our learners are struggling for a variety of reasons:
-Personal motivation and interest on part of students
-Learned reliance on an adult without effort to attempt independence
-Need for greater parental involvement through home support
-Lack of modeling outside of school
-Lack of access to appropriate, ability linked material outside of school
-The challenges teachers have developing plans to reach the needs of diverse learners
School Based Assessment
Data available upon request
New Professional Learning: How and where can we learn more about what to do?
-Sharing of Strategies (the CR4YR Teamsand Adrienne Gear Writing Team)
-Professional Development days and Professional Learning Rounds for Reading and Writing providing time for teachers to meet for discussion of strategies and assessments
-Accessing District Literacy Teacher for Professional Development, demonstration lessons, cooperative planning and joint teaching
-Purchasing of materials to support instruction
New areas of professional learning for our staff and admin; which is designed to address our area of focus. How will this learning impact our students?
The CR4YR workshops begin at the beginning of November.
The Adrienne Gear Writing Team has already begun to use formative assessment to direct instruction and all staff is looking forward to being learners.
We will be consistently examining and readjusting our instruction throughout the year.
Taking Action: What will we do differently?
What are teachers, staff, and admin going to do in order to create the change we are looking for? When will we start?
-Staff spent the October Professional Development Day discussing the Literacy Programs, sharing resources, looking for common themes and developing a plan for moving forward. Students in Grades 2-6 will be involved in a Fall school-wide write with feedback used to direct instruction. Five out of six teachers are involved in the Reading or Writing teams and will be taking what they learn back to their classrooms to better direct their instruction.
Checking: Have we made enough of a difference?
-Examination of report card Writing and Reading grades at the end of each term in order to track success
-Formative assessments completed periodically by using BC Performance Standards
-Results will also be monitored through:
oStaff Observations
oFSA
oReport Card Results
oSchool-wide Write– Spring with comparison to first term write
How will we know what we are doing works and that we are making a difference with our students? What will we use as a baseline with students? What clear indicators do we have that show evidence of growth?
Evidence includes classroom, school, district and provincial dataavailable upon request.
Communication Strategies: How will we communicate the results and efforts of our inquiry based approach to the school’s community of stakeholders?
-Communicate to students our goals for improvement
-Include information about our goals and strategies in the school newsletter and on the school website
-Update PAC and SPC at meetings
-Include writing and reading as a topic of discussion at each staff meeting and on professional development days where applicable
Leadership/Teamwork Strategies:
Teachers of Grades 1 through 6 are involved in the Writing Leadership Team with Adrienne Gear or the CR4YR Teams.
District: Pinewood’s literary goal is aligned with the District vision to improve student reading and writing skills, which will help to ensure all students are able to graduate and pursue their future aspirations.
District & Parent Involvement: Goals will be shared and discussed with SPC and PAC members and parent input will be encouraged.
Staffsharing occurs during staff meetings and during professional development days as well as through the Professional Learning Rounds.
School Based Team meets weekly to align support services specifically for "at risk" students.
Our Aboriginal Support Worker will work collaboratively with teaching and support staff to provide support for our aboriginal students through in-class support, and pullout programs such as the Homework Club.
Our Student Services teacher will support in classrooms through a co-teaching model.
Action Plan for Student Learning 2014/15
Pinewood Elementary School
Summary of Inquiry Question
Will an increased emphasis on collaborative planning, focused strategies and learning resources impact our student’s academic achievement in the areas of Reading and Writing?
What can each individual teacher do to change their instruction to help students move along the continuum in Literacy?
District Student Achievement Contract 2014/15
Goal #1 – To enable all students to graduate with purpose, options and hope by developing a sense of belonging in all students and enhancing the engagement in learning
Goal #2 – To develop literacy performance by purposefully engaging diverse learners in the process of reading to understand across all subject areas and to improve the knowledge, skills and attitudes in numeracy
School District No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay)
Plan 2014-2015
School:
CERTIFICATION BY SCHOOL PLANNING COUNCIL:
We certify that, to the best of our knowledge, the information provided in this growth plan is accurate and reflects the needs of our school.
______
Parent Member’s Name Signature Date
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Parent Member’s Name Signature Date
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Parent Member’s Name Signature Date
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Teacher Member’s Name Signature Date
______
Student Member’s Name Signature Date
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Principal’s Name Signature Date
Board Authorization
School Plan for ______approved by the Board of Education of School District No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay).
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Board Chair Date
Budget Allocation to support School Goals
2014-2015
Allocation from School Growth Plan and/or Other funds (Operating/Literacy Grants/Network of Performance Based Schools) funds to support implementation of goal strategies/structures.
Goal/Objective / Actions Planned to Support Goal/Objective / Budget Allocation / Funding Source
Literacy / - teacher meetings
0.5 days x 6 / $ 1,050 / School Growth Plan
Awards
- acknowledging positive behaviours / $ 300 / School Growth Plan
TOTAL / $ 1,350