Program Standing Committee - Simcoe County District School Board
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION PROGRAM STANDING COMMITTEE PUBLIC SESSION MEETING AGENDA – Wednesday, April 8, 2015 To commence following the Human Resources Standing Committee Meeting – Georgian Room 1. Approval of Agenda 2. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest 3. Presentations/Delegations - Nil Item for Decision 1. Revision to Policy No. 4315 – Student Activity Fees (PRO-D-1) Paul Sloan 1. Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) Presentation with Bruce Rodrigues, CEO, EQAO (PRO-I-1) Anita Simpson 2. Math Action Plan: Numeracy Supports 2014-2015 (PRO-I-2) Anita Simpson 3. Technology Integration in Classrooms (PRO-I-3) Anita Simpson Items for Information Correspondence - Nil Other Matters Notices of Motion for Next Meeting Adjournment DISTRIBUTION Trustees Superintendents NOTICE: Public Standing Committee meetings are video-recorded and made available for public viewing. REPORT NO. PRO-D-1 APRIL 8, 2015 ________ TO: The Chairperson and Members of the Program Standing Committee FROM: Superintendent of Education SUBJECT: REVISIONS TO POLICY 4315 – STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES 1. Background Policy No. 4315 – Student Activity Fees was first adopted by the Board on June 14, 1995. The most recent version (August 24, 2011) is attached as APPENDIX A. 2. Current Status Proposed revisions to Policy No. 4315 are attached as APPENDIX B. These revisions are reflected in the proposed final version of the policy, APPENDIX C. RECOMMENDATION That the Program Standing Committee recommend that the Board approve the revisions to Policy 4315 – Student Activity Fees, as set out in APPENDIX C of Report No. PRO-D-1, Revisions to Policy 4315 – Student Activity Fees, dated April 8, 2015. Respectfully submitted by: Paul Sloan Superintendent of Education April 8, 2015 REPORT NO. PRO-D-1 APPENDIX A APRIL 8, 2015 Simcoe County District School Board SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS 4300 STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES 4315 1. Rationale Every student has the right to attend a school, where they are a qualified resident pupil, without payment of a fee. In general, there should be no fees charged for day-school programs. The costs of materials and activities for elementary and secondary education are provided to schools by the Ministry of Education and should be reflected in school operating budgets. When schools choose with the support of the school community to offer enhanced or optional programming, parents may be asked to contribute resources in the way of time, money or materials to support these programs or activities. While no student should be excluded from participating in any school activity or event based on the ability to pay, some activities or events may require some recovery of the cost for participation. Fees may be appropriate in cases where schools choose to offer enhancements or supplementary learning materials beyond the core curriculum. Where fees are appropriate, they should be minimized as much as possible, with the goal of supporting student participation in programs and activities regardless of individual economic circumstances. 2. Policy It is the policy of the Simcoe County District School Board that fees for learning materials and activities in day-school programs may be charged according to the guidelines set out in this policy. 3. Definitions 3.1 Student Activity Fees Student activity fees are voluntary amounts that are used to supplement a student’s school experience through materials and activities such as student agendas, student recognition programs, yearbooks, extracurricular activities, school dances, or theme days. 3.2 Enhanced Programming and Materials Enhanced programming and materials are voluntary enrichments or upgrades to the curriculum or co-curricular activities beyond what is necessary to meet the learning expectations for a particular grade or course. REPORT NO. PRO-D-1 APPENDIX A - 2 APRIL 8, 2015 ________ SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS 4300 STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES 4315 Page 2 Where students choose not to access these enhanced programs or materials, alternatives must be available as essential course materials required to meet the learning expectations of the course or grade. These are to be provided at no cost. 3.3 Optional Programming Optional programming refers to voluntary courses or activities that students normally choose to attend through an application process, with the knowledge that these programs are beyond the core curriculum. 3.4 Co-curricular Activities Co-curricular activities or materials are defined as those related to the regular school day program. 3.5 Extra-curricular Activities Extra-curricular activities are defined as those that are outside of the regular day-school program. 4. Guidelines 4.1 Program Determination The principal of the school is charged with the responsibility of providing appropriate educational programs within the policies and program requirements of the Ministry and the Board. Decisions regarding activity fees and enhanced and optional programs and materials, will be made at the school level by the principal in consultation with the appropriate staff and the School Council. 4.2 Funding With the support of the school community, a school may wish to offer programming and materials beyond what is necessary to meet the learning expectations of a particular grade or course. In these situations, it may be appropriate to collect a fee to offset the additional costs. 4.3 Fees The SCDSB follows the identified best practices with the development of board-wide policies for fees for learning materials and activities. REPORT NO. PRO-D-1 APPENDIX A - 3 APRIL 8, 2015 ________ SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS 4300 STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES 4315 Page 3 4.4 Accountability to the School Community Fees should reflect the actual cost of the services or materials being provided to the student. A transparent accounting of the amounts collected and expenditures allocated must be made available to the school community. Members of the school community should be consulted in the development of a school’s fees schedule and made aware of the use of the student fees. Fee schedules for the upcoming school year should be made widely available to the school community as set out in SCDSB policy 4315. 5. The Director of Education is authorized to establish the administrative procedures necessary to the implementation of this policy. APPROVED JUNE 14, 1995 REVIEWED SEPTEMBER 2003 REVISED AUGUST 24, 2011 REPORT NO. PRO-D-1 APPENDIX B APRIL 8, 2015 SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS 4300 STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES 4315 1. Rationale Every student has the right to attend a school, where they are a qualified resident pupil, without payment of a fee. In general, there should be no fees charged for day-school programs. The costs of materials and activities for elementary and secondary education are provided to schools by the Ministry of Education and should be reflected in school operating budgets. The school may only charge reasonable fees which are in compliance with the Ministry of Education guidelines. Students will be able to participate in school activities and access resources regardless of personal financial barriers. When schools choose, with the support of the school community, to offer enhanced or optional programming, parents may be asked to contribute resources in the way of time, money or materials to support these programs or activities. While no student should be excluded from participating in any school activity or event based on the ability to pay, some activities or events may require some recovery of the cost for participation. The dignity of every student and parent/guardian will be respected in the school fee collection process. Collection methods must afford reasonable expectations of privacy for students and parents/guardians. A respectful practice for discreet identification of students/parents who may be experiencing financial hardship must be clearly communicated by the school. Fees may be appropriate in cases where schools choose to offer enhancements or supplementary learning materials beyond the core curriculum. Where fees are appropriate, they should be minimized as much as possible, with the goal of supporting student participation in programs and activities regardless of individual economic circumstances. 2. Policy It is the policy of the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) that fees for learning materials and activities in day-school programs may be charged according to the guidelines set out in this policy. REPORT NO. PRO-D-1 APPENDIX B - 2 APRIL 8, 2015 SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS 4300 STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES 4315 Page 2 3. Definitions 3.1 Student Activity Fees Student activity fees are voluntary amounts that are used to supplement a student’s school experience through materials and activities such as student agendas, student recognition programs, yearbooks, extracurricular activities, school dances, or theme days. 3.2 Enhanced/Enriched Programming and Materials Enhanced programming and materials are voluntary enrichments or upgrades to the curriculum or co-curricular activities beyond what is necessary to meet the learning expectations for a particular grade or course. For example, in some performance and production courses (e.g. music, woodworking, art), students may wish to use a superior product or consumable, in which case they may be asked to pay the additional cost of the upgrade. Where If students choose not to access these enhanced programs or materials or activities, alternatives must be available as essential course materials required to meet the learning to enable students to demonstrate achievement of the curriculum expectations of for the course or grade. These are to be provided at no cost. 3.3 Optional Programming Optional programming refers to voluntary courses or activities that students normally choose to attend through an application process, with the knowledge that these programs are beyond the core curriculum. 3.4 Co-curricular Activities Co-curricular activities or materials are defined as those related to the regular school day school program (e.g. field trips, speakers, dance instructors, in-class field trips). 3.5 Extra-curricular Activities Extra-curricular activities are defined as those that are outside of the regular day-school day school program (e.g. sports or music competition). REPORT NO. PRO-D-1 APPENDIX B - 3 APRIL 8, 2015 SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS 4300 STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES 4315 Page 3 4. Guidelines 4.1 Program Determination The principal of the school is charged with the responsibility of providing appropriate educational programs within the policies and program requirements of the Ministry and the Board. Decisions regarding activity fees and enhanced and optional programs and materials, will be made at the school level by the principal in consultation with the appropriate staff and the School Council. 4.2 Funding With the support of the school community, a school may wish to offer programming and materials beyond what is necessary to meet the learning expectations of a particular grade or course. In these situations, it may be appropriate to collect a fee to offset the additional costs. 4.3 Fees The SCDSB follows the identified best practices with the development of board-wide policies for fees for learning materials and activities. 4.4 Accountability to the School Community Fees should reflect the actual cost of the services or materials being provided to the student. A transparent accounting of the amounts collected and expenditures allocated must be made available to the school community. Members of the school community should be consulted in the development of a school’s fees schedule and made aware of the use of the student fees. Fee schedules for the upcoming school year should be made widely available to the school community as set out in SCDSB policy 4315. 5. The Director of Education is authorized to establish the administrative procedures necessary to the implementation of this policy. APPROVED JUNE 14, 1995 REVIEWED SEPTEMBER 2003 REVISED AUGUST 24, 2011 REVISED APRIL 22, 2015 REPORT NO. PRO-D-1 APPENDIX C APRIL 8, 2015 ________ SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS 4300 STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES 4315 1. Rationale Every student has the right to attend a school, where they are a qualified resident pupil, without payment of a fee. In general, there should be no fees charged for day-school programs. The costs of materials and activities for elementary and secondary education are provided to schools by the Ministry of Education and should be reflected in school operating budgets. The school may only charge reasonable fees which are in compliance with the Ministry of Education guidelines. Students will be able to participate in school activities and access resources regardless of personal financial barriers. The dignity of every student and parent/guardian will be respected in the school fee collection process. Collection methods must afford reasonable expectations of privacy for students and parents/guardians. A respectful practice for discreet identification of students/parents who may be experiencing financial hardship must be clearly communicated by the school. When schools choose, with the support of the school community, to offer enhanced or optional programming, parents may be asked to contribute resources in the way of time, money or materials to support these programs or activities. While no student should be excluded from participating in any school activity or event based on the ability to pay, some activities or events may require some recovery of the cost for participation. Fees may be appropriate in cases where schools choose to offer enhancements or supplementary learning materials beyond the core curriculum. Where fees are appropriate, they should be minimized as much as possible, with the goal of supporting student participation in programs and activities regardless of individual economic circumstances. 2. Policy It is the policy of the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) that fees for learning materials and activities in day-school programs may be charged according to the guidelines set out in this policy. 3. Definitions 3.1 Student Activity Fees Student activity fees are voluntary amounts that are used to supplement a student’s school experience through materials and activities such as student agendas, student recognition programs, yearbooks, extracurricular activities, school dances, or theme days. REPORT NO. PRO-D-1 APPENDIX C - 2 APRIL 8, 2015 ________ SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS 4300 STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES 4315 Page 2 3.2 Enhanced/Enriched Programming and Materials Enhanced programming and materials are voluntary enrichments or upgrades to the curriculum or co-curricular activities beyond what is necessary to meet the learning expectations for a particular grade or course. For example, in some performance and production courses (e.g. music, woodworking, art), students may wish to use a superior product or consumable, in which case they may be asked to pay the additional cost of the upgrade. If students choose not to access these enhanced materials or activities, alternatives must be available to enable students to demonstrate achievement of the curriculum expectations for the course or grade. These are to be provided at no cost. 3.3 Optional Programming Optional programming refers to voluntary courses or activities that students normally choose to attend through an application process, with the knowledge that these programs are beyond the core curriculum. 3.4 Co-curricular Activities Co-curricular activities or materials are defined as those related to the regular day school program (e.g. field trips, speakers, dance instructors, in-class field trips). 3.5 Extra-curricular Activities Extra-curricular activities are defined as those that are outside of the regular day school program (e.g. sports or music competition). 4. Guidelines 4.1 Program Determination The principal of the school is charged with the responsibility of providing appropriate educational programs within the policies and program requirements of the Ministry and the Board. Decisions regarding activity fees and enhanced and optional programs and materials, will be made at the school level by the principal in consultation with the appropriate staff and the School Council. REPORT NO. PRO-D-1 APPENDIX C - 3 APRIL 8, 2015 SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS 4300 STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES 4315 Page 3 4.2 Funding With the support of the school community, a school may wish to offer programming and materials beyond what is necessary to meet the learning expectations of a particular grade or course. In these situations, it may be appropriate to collect a fee to offset the additional costs. 4.3 Fees The SCDSB follows the identified best practices with the development of board-wide policies for fees for learning materials and activities. 4.4 Accountability to the School Community Fees should reflect the actual cost of the services or materials being provided to the student. A transparent accounting of the amounts collected and expenditures allocated must be made available to the school community. Members of the school community should be consulted in the development of a school’s fees schedule and made aware of the use of the student fees. Fee schedules for the upcoming school year should be made widely available to the school community as set out in SCDSB policy 4315. 5. The Director of Education is authorized to establish the administrative procedures necessary to the implementation of this policy. APPROVED JUNE 14, 1995 REVIEWED SEPTEMBER 2003 REVISED AUGUST 24, 2011 REVISED APRIL 22, 2015 REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 APRIL 8, 2015 TO: The Chairperson and Members of the Program Standing Committee FROM: Superintendent of Program and Innovation SUBJECT: EDUCATION QUALITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE (EQAO) PRESENTATION WITH BRUCE RODRIGUES, CEO, EQAO 1. Background Every school year from the end of May to the beginning of June, all students in Grades 3 and 6 participate in the Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics – Primary and Junior Divisions conducted by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO). These assessments reflect student learning through all of the primary and junior grades in the aforementioned areas. In January and June of each year, students in Grade 9 who are enrolled in applied and academic mathematics courses participate in the Grade 9 Mathematics Assessment. This assessment is based on the curriculum expectations associated with each of these courses. The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), written in March of each year by all Grade 10 students, is a graduation requirement that is based on the curriculum expectations in Grade 9. Students who are unsuccessful on their first attempt have additional opportunities to retake the OSSLT in following years. Students may also meet the literacy requirement by successfully completing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC), after one unsuccessful attempt on the OSSLT. At the October 8, 2014 Program Standing Committee meeting, Report No. PRO-I-1, Results of the 2013-2014 Provincial Assessments, was shared and discussed with trustees (APPENDIX A). School and system improvement actions designed to address the 2013-2014 results were presented to the Board of Trustees at the same meeting October 8, 2014 in Report No. PRO-I-2, Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement and Well-Being 2014-2015 (APPENDIX B). 2. Current Status A new Board of Trustees was sworn in on December 1, 2014, and many questions regarding the assessments administered by EQAO were raised. Questions submitted by trustees were answered, and the answers were shared amongst all trustees electronically. REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 APRIL 8, 2015 – 2 3. Next Steps Bruce Rodrigues, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EQAO was invited to attend a Program Standing Committee, and is pleased to be attending the Program Standing Committee Meeting on April 8, 2015 to provide trustees with greater insight into the assessments developed and administered by the EQAO. 4. Report Status This report is provided for information. Respectfully Submitted by: Anita Simpson Superintendent of Program and Innovation April 8, 2015 REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 APPENDIX A APRIL 8, 2015 ____ APPENDIX A – Pages 1 to 14 EDUCATION QUALITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE (EQAO) PRESENTATION WITH BRUCE RODRIGUES, CEO, EQAO REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 OCTOBER 8, 2014 TO: The Chairperson and Members of the Program Standing Committee FROM: Superintendent of Education SUBJECT: RESULTS OF THE 2013-2014 PROVINCIAL ASSESSMENTS 1. Background From May 26 to June 6, 2014, Grade 3 and 6 students across Ontario participated in the Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics - Primary and Junior Divisions conducted by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO). These assessments reflect student learning throughout all of the primary and junior grades. In January and June of 2014, Grade 9 students enrolled in applied and academic mathematics courses participated in the Grade 9 Mathematics Assessment. This assessment is based on the curriculum expectations in these courses. The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) is a graduation requirement and is based on the curriculum expectations in Grade 9; in 2014 the test was written on March 27. Students who are unsuccessful on their first attempt have opportunities to retake the OSSLT in subsequent years. At the discretion of the principal, students may instead meet the literacy requirement by successfully completing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC), following one unsuccessful attempt on the OSSLT. EQAO posted school and board results for the Primary and Junior Reading, Writing and Mathematics Assessments on their public website (www.eqao.com) on September 17, 2014. School and board results for the Grade 9 Mathematics Assessment and the OSSLT were posted by EQAO on their public website on September 24, 2014. This report provides an overview of the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) and provincial results for 2013-2014. 2. Primary and Junior Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics Primary Assessment Results Over the past five years, the percentage of SCDSB students at or above the provincial standard on the primary assessments has continued to improve, with a 4% increase in reading and a 9% gain in writing. Provincial results have also improved in reading and writing. SCDSB mathematics results, however, have fluctuated during this time and were 1% lower in 2014 than five years earlier. Provincial results have gradually dropped over the same period as well. These trends are shown in the graphs on the following page. At the time of the assessment, 3424 SCDSB students were enrolled in Grade 3 with 98% of these students participating. REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 OCTOBER 8, 2014 – 2 Results for Primary Division Reading: Students At or Above the Provincial Standard 100% 80% 65% 62% 68% 65% 2009‐10 2010‐11 67% 66% 70% 68% 69% 70% 2011‐12 2012‐13 2013‐14 60% 40% 20% 0% SCDSB Results for Primary Division Writing: Students At or Above the Provincial Standard 100% 80% Province 67% 70% 73% 73% 2009‐10 2010‐11 74% 76% 74% 77% 76% 78% 2012‐13 2013‐14 60% 40% 20% 0% SCDSB Results for Primary Division Mathematics: Students At or Above the Provincial Standard 100% 80% 2011‐12 Province 69% 71% 69% 69% 2009‐10 2010‐11 67% 68% 69% 67% 68% 67% 2012‐13 2013‐14 60% 40% 20% 0% SCDSB 2011‐12 Province REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 OCTOBER 8, 2014 - 3 Gender Results Consistent with provincial trends over the past five years, girls have outperformed boys in reading and writing. For the SCDSB in 2014, 11% more girls than boys met the standard in both reading and writing, as shown in the graph below. Girls and boys have generally achieved similarly in mathematics provincially and in the SCDSB; however, in 2013-2014 girls in the SCDSB achieved 5% higher than boys. Results for Primary Students At or Above the Provincial Standard by Gender 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 100% 80% 82% 75% 70% 73% 64% 61% 2013‐14 2009‐10 60% 71% 69% 69% 71% 2013‐14 2009‐10 2013‐14 66% 60% 40% 20% 0% 2009‐10 Reading Writing Female Male Mathematics Special Education Results Over the past five years, there have been improvements in the percentage of SCDSB students with special education needs or an Individual Education Plan (IEP) meeting the provincial standard. Results for these students have improved 14% in reading and 11% in writing as shown below. There was a 1% gain in mathematics over this period.1 Results for Primary Students with Special Education Needs (excluding gifted) At or Above the Provincial Standard 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 100% 80% 58% 57% 60% 40% 47% 33% 40% 47% 45% 37% 37% 38% 2009‐10 2013‐14 27% 33% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2013‐14 Reading 2009‐10 2013‐14 Writing SCDSB 1 Mathematics Province The major gain in primary mathematics results occurred between 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 when there was a 12% increase in the percentage of SCDSB students with special education needs or an IEP who met the provincial standard. REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 OCTOBER 8, 2014 – 4 These gains in student achievement were made at the same time as the percentage of students with special education needs (excluding gifted) or an IEP increased to 24% of SCDSB’s Grade 3 students, up from 21% in 2009-2010. Provincially, 17% of students had special education needs in 2013-2014. Over the past five years, the exemption rate for SCDSB students with special education needs has continued to decline, from approximately 11% in 2009-2010 to 7% in 20132014. For the past four years, fewer SCDSB Grade 3 students with special education needs have been exempt than is the case across Ontario. Provincially, the exemption rate averaged 14% in 2009-2010 and 10% in 2013-2014. First Nation, Métis and Inuit Results In 2008-2009, EQAO began giving school boards the option of submitting information regarding students’ self-identification as First Nation, Métis or Inuit (FNMI). This has allowed EQAO to provide boards with an annual report of results for self-identified students. The SCDSB began submitting self-identification data to EQAO in 2009-2010. The graph below provides the primary results of FNMI students in the SCDSB in 20092010 and in 2013-2014. Provincial results for FNMI students are also displayed. Results for FNMI Primary Students At or Above the Provincial Standard 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 100% 80% 60% 69% 55% 42% 47% 52% 55% 64% 51% 60% 50% 53% 47% 40% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2013‐14 2009‐10 Reading SCDSB FNMI 2013‐14 Writing Province FNMI 2009‐10 2013‐14 Mathematics While there has been some fluctuation in SCDSB results over the past five years, SCDSB’s primary results for FNMI students have consistently surpassed provincial results with the exception of reading in 2013-2014. It is important to note that the number of SCDSB FNMI students has ranged from 75 to 96 on the primary assessments since 20092010; therefore, the results should be interpreted with caution. Junior Division Results Over the past five years, SCDSB junior assessment results have improved 7% in reading and 11% in writing, while provincial results have also shown improvement. SCDSB’s mathematics results demonstrate two years of slight gains after a drop that occurred in 2010-2011; however, after a 3% decline in achievement in 2013-2014, SCDSB’s mathematics results are now 6% lower than five years ago. Provincial mathematics results have gradually declined over the past five years as well and are now 7% lower REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 OCTOBER 8, 2014 - 5 than they were in 2009-2010. The graphs below summarize these five year trends for the SCDSB and the province. In 2013-2014, 3521 SCDSB students were enrolled in Grade 6 with 99% participating in the junior assessments. Results for Junior Division Reading: Students At or Above the Provincial Standard 100% 80% 73% 72% 72% 74% 2009‐10 2010‐11 73% 75% 76% 77% 80% 79% 2011‐12 2012‐13 2013‐14 60% 40% 20% 0% SCDSB Province Results for Junior Division Writing: Students At or Above the Provincial Standard 100% 80% 63% 70% 73% 68% 65% 74% 70% 76% 74% 78% 60% 40% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2010‐11 SCDSB 2011‐12 Province 2012‐13 2013‐14 Results for Junior Division Mathematics: Students At or Above the Provincial Standard 100% 80% 60% 55% 61% 58% 58% 50% 49% 52% 57% 49% 54% 40% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2010‐11 2011‐12 SCDSB Province 2012‐13 2013‐14 REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 OCTOBER 8, 2014 – 6 Gender Boys in the SCDSB are continuing to close the achievement gap in reading and writing compared to girls. Boys’ writing results improved 12% over five years; in that same period, girls’ results improved 8%. In reading, boys’ results improved 8% and girls’ results increased 7%. Over the past five years in mathematics, girls have outperformed boys in both the province and the SCDSB by an average of 4%. The SCDSB results are illustrated below. Results for Junior Students At or Above the Provincial Standard by Gender 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 100% 80% 85% 78% 84% 76% 76% 68% 64% 60% 52% 58% 53% 52% 47% 40% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2013‐14 2009‐10 Reading 2013‐14 Writing Female 2009‐10 2013‐14 Mathematics Male Special Education Over the past five years, there have been improvements in the percentage of SCDSB students with special education needs or an IEP who have achieved the provincial standard on two of the three junior assessments. Results for these students have improved 14% in reading and 18% in writing, but have dropped 3% in mathematics as shown in the following graph. The drop in mathematics results for students with special education needs or an IEP was the same as the overall decline in achievement for all SCDSB Grade 6 students. Results for Junior Students with Special Education Needs (excluding gifted) At or Above the Provincial Standard 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 100% 80% 60% 40% 52% 38% 47% 44% 46% 34% 26% 31% 21% 24% 18% 19% 2009‐10 2013‐14 20% 0% 2009‐10 2013‐14 Reading 2009‐10 2013‐14 Writing SCDSB Province Mathematics REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 OCTOBER 8, 2014 - 7 As was the case in the Primary Division, the percentage of students with special education needs (excluding gifted) or an IEP has increased over the past five years, from 22% in 2009-2010 to 25% in 2013-2014. In 2014, across the province, 21% of Grade 6 students had special education needs. There has also been a continued reduction in the percentage of SCDSB students with special education needs or an IEP who were exempt, from approximately 13% in 20092010 to 5% in 2013-2014. SCDSB exemption rates are now slightly lower than the provincial rates which averaged 11% in 2009-2010 and 7% in 2013-2014. First Nation, Métis and Inuit Results The graph below provides the results for FNMI students in the SCDSB in 2009-2010 and in 2013-2014. Provincial results for FNMI students are also displayed. While there has been some fluctuation in SCDSB results over the past five years, SCDSB’s results for FNMI students have consistently surpassed provincial results, with the exception of writing in 2013-2014. Over the past five years, the number of SCDSB FNMI students has ranged from 80 to 105 participating in the assessments. As with the primary FNMI results, these results should be interpreted with caution. Results for FNMI Junior Students At or Above the Provincial Standard 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 100% 80% 70% 64% 60% 65% 58% 50% 57% 61% 49% 43% 36% 40% 38% 33% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2013‐14 2009‐10 Reading Writing SCDSB FNMI 3. 2013‐14 2009‐10 2013‐14 Mathematics Province FNMI Grade 9 Mathematics Assessments Academic Program Results Since 2009-2010, there has been a 3% increase in achievement on the academic mathematics assessment, with 83% of SCDSB students now meeting or exceeding the provincial standard, as shown in the graph below. There were 2199 SCDSB students enrolled in academic mathematics in 2013-2014, with 99% of students participating. REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 OCTOBER 8, 2014 – 8 Results for Grade 9 Academic Mathematics: Students At or Above the Provincial Standard 100% 80% 82% 81% 83% 81% 84% 82% 84% 83% 85% 2009‐10 2010‐11 2011‐12 2012‐13 2013‐14 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% SCDSB Province Gender Over the past five years, the achievement gap favouring boys has gradually declined from 5% in 2009-2010 to 1% in 2013-2014, as shown in the graph below. 100% 80% Results for Grade 9 Academic Students At or Above the Provincial Standard by Gender 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 84% 83% 82% 77% 60% 40% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2013‐14 Female Male Special Education Six percent (6% provincially) of SCDSB students enrolled in academic mathematics had special educational needs (excluding gifted) or an IEP, up 2% since 2009-2010. Over the past five years, the achievement of SCDSB students with special education needs or an IEP has increased from 74% to 81% of students meeting the provincial standard, as shown in the following graph. REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 OCTOBER 8, 2014 - 9 100% 80% Results for Grade 9 Academic Students with Special Education Needs (excluding gifted) At or Above the Provincial Standard 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 81% 74% 74% 72% 60% 40% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2013‐14 SCDSB Province First Nation, Métis and Inuit Results Academic mathematics results for SCDSB’s FNMI students have varied over time and were 2% lower in 2013-2014 than five years previously. The number of SCDSB students is small, ranging from 24 to 46. Results for FNMI Grade 9 Academic Students At or Above the Provincial Standard 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 100% 80% 72% 67% 71% 65% 60% 40% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2013‐14 SCDSB FNMI Province FNMI Applied Program Results Since 2009-2010, there has been a 3% increase in achievement on the applied mathematics assessment, with 47% of SCDSB students now meeting or exceeding the provincial standard, as shown in the graph below. Provincial trends are also included. There were 1310 SCDSB students enrolled in applied mathematics courses, with 97% taking part in this assessment. REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 OCTOBER 8, 2014 – 10 Results for Grade 9 Applied Mathematics: Students At or Above the Provincial Standard 100% 80% 60% 44% 40% 44% 42% 46% 44% 45% 44% 47% 47% 2010‐11 2011‐12 2012‐13 2013‐14 40% 20% 0% 2009‐10 SCDSB Province Gender The SCDSB gender gap favouring boys has fluctuated from a high of 7% for two of the past 5 years to 3% currently, as shown below. 100% Results for Grade 9 Applied Students At or Above the Provincial Standard by Gender 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 80% 60% 47% 40% 48% 45% 40% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2013‐14 Female Male Special Education In applied mathematics, 33% of SCDSB students had special educational needs (excluding gifted) or an IEP (37% provincially) in 2013-2014. For the SCDSB, this represents a 4% increase compared to 2009-2010. In 2013-2014, 38% of SCDSB students with special education needs or an IEP met the provincial standard, up 2% compared to 2009-2010. These results are shown in the following graph. REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 OCTOBER 8, 2014 - 11 100% Results for Grade 9 Applied Students with Special Education Needs (excluding gifted) At or Above the Provincial Standard 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 80% 60% 40% 36% 39% 38% 33% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2013‐14 SCDSB Province First Nation, Métis and Inuit Results Applied mathematics results for FNMI students are shown in the graph below. Applied mathematics results have improved in four of the past five years and were 21% higher in 2013-2014 than five years previously. As was the case for academic mathematics, the number of SCDSB students in applied mathematics is small, ranging from 35 to 53. Results for FNMI Grade 9 Applied Students At or Above the Provincial Standard 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 100% 80% 60% 40% 46% 35% 30% 25% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2013‐14 SCDSB FNMI 4. Province FNMI Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test Results for Participating First Time Eligible Students (FTE) On the OSSLT, 79% of the SCDSB students who wrote the test for the first time in 2014 were successful, up 1% compared to 2012 and 2013. Over the past five years results have ranged from 78% to 83%. Provincial results have fluctuated as shown below. In 2013-2014, 3818 SCDSB students were eligible to write the OSSLT for the first time, with 92% participating (93% provincially). Deferrals accounted for 5% of students in the REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 OCTOBER 8, 2014 – 12 SCDSB and across the province. A further 3% of SCDSB students were absent (2% provincially). Results for FTE Students Who Were Successful on the OSSLT 100% 83% 84% 80% 83% 2009‐10 2010‐11 78% 80% 82% 78% 82% 79% 83% 60% 40% 20% 0% 2011‐12 SCDSB 2012‐13 2013‐14 Province Gender Consistent with the five year provincial trend, girls in the SCDSB have outperformed boys during this time. These results are shown in the graph below. 100% Results for FTE Students Who Were Successful on the OSSLT by Gender 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 87% 85% 79% 80% 73% 60% 40% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2013‐14 Female Male Special Education Twenty two percent (22%) of SCDSB students (18% provincially) had special educational needs (excluding gifted) or an IEP, up 4% for the SCDSB since 2009-2010. SCDSB results for students with special education needs (excluding gifted) or IEPs have improved 1% since 2009-2010 as shown in the following graph. REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 OCTOBER 8, 2014 - 13 Results for FTE Students with Special Education Needs (excluding gifted) Who Were Successful on the OSSLT 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 100% 80% 60% 54% 47% 51% 48% 40% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2013‐14 SCDSB Province First Nation, Métis and Inuit Results The graph below illustrates the percentage of FNMI students who were successful on the OSSLT in the SCDSB and across the province. In 2013-2014, 70% of FNMI students in the SCDSB were successful, up 12% compared to 2009-2010and exceeding the province by 8%. The number of SCDSB students who wrote the test for the first time has ranged from 50 to 82 over the past five years. Results for FTE FNMI Students Who Were Successful on the OSSLT 2009‐10 vs. 2013‐14 100% 80% 70% 66% 62% 58% 60% 40% 20% 0% 2009‐10 2013‐14 SCDSB FNMI 5. Province FNMI School and System Improvement Actions to Address the 2013-2014 Results Specific actions to address the EQAO results presented in this report are provided in the October 8, 2014 Program Standing Committee Report PRO-I-2, entitled Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement and Well-Being 2014-2015. This plan includes an ongoing focus on actions to improve literacy results and an intensive focus on mathematics with specific actions that will: inspire positive math mindsets deepen our focus REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 OCTOBER 8, 2014 – 14 customize support for each student/school. An updated Multi-year plan to support the learning and achievement of First Nation, Métis and Inuit students is presented in the October 8, 2014 Program Standing Committee Report PRO-I-4, entitled First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education Multi-Year Plan. An updated multi-year plan to support the students with special education needs will be brought to the Program Standing Committee in January 2015. 6. Report Status This report is provided for information. Respectfully Submitted by: Anita Simpson Superintendent of Education October 8, 2014 REPORT NO. PRO-I-1 APPENDIX B APRIL 8, 2015 ____ APPENDIX B – Pages 1 to 11 EDUCATION QUALITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE (EQAO) PRESENTATION WITH BRUCE RODRIGUES, CEO, EQAO REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 OCTOBER 8, 2014 _ TO: The Chairperson and Members of the Program Standing Committee FROM: Superintendent of Education SUBJECT: BOARD IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND WELL- BEING 2014-2015 1. Background Each school year, the Ministry of Education requires school boards to submit a Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement and Well-Being (BIPSA-WB) outlining the goals of the board and the specific actions that will be taken to address areas of student need through improved learning and teaching. The Ministry continues to support boards in this work through twice yearly visits by a Ministry team which meets with senior administration and central staff. The Simcoe Path and the Ministry’s goals for public education guide the improvement planning process that leads to the updating of this board’s BIPSA-WB. This planning process is also informed by feedback from our school and system leaders and the careful review of evidence related to student achievement. During the 2013-2014 school year, feedback indicated that there was a need to further refine the BIPSA-WB to ensure that all staff see how the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB)’s goals and priorities connect to their own work. To that end, senior administration and centrally assigned system leaders utilize an online School Improvement Planning tool, to ensure that school planning and school level Professional Learning Community (PLC)s are clearly aligned to the School Improvement Planning for Student Achievement and Well Being (SIPSA-WB) and based on evidence of student learning needs within the context of the BIPSA-WB. The online School Improvement Planning tool supports the work of central staff in identifying trends in system learning needs. In September 2014, the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) also provided principals with 26 individualized logins and passwords for use with their staff, in an effort to increase use of the online reporting tool. This improved access will deepen teachers’ ability to identify areas of urgent student need and refine their instructional practice. In the spring of 2014, all principals met and had the opportunity to provide input into the development of the SCDSB’s BIPSA-WB for 2014-2015. This report provides an overview of the 2014-2015 BIPSA-WB (APPENDIX A), the revised Essential Practices K-12 resource (APPENDIX B) as well as the BIPSA-WB needs assessment (APPENDIX C). 2. 2014-2015 BIPSA-WB Central staff have updated the one page poster that highlights SCDSB’s core goals and priorities, and principals received copies of this poster at the Director’s Meeting on August 27, 2014. Communicating our core priorities this way ensures that the BIPSA-WB remains visible throughout the SCDSB for staff, students, as well as parents and community members who may visit our schools. REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 OCTOBER 8, 2014 – 2 This poster supports coherence and alignment and ensures that school staff make direct connections between the priorities of the board and their own day to day work with students. Principals and teachers have received electronic copies of the BIPSA-WB as well as printed copies. To further support the achievement of the goals in the BIPSA-WB, the template schools use to develop the SIPSA-WB has also been redesigned for 2014-2015, based on the newly revised goals. All schools now create their improvement plans using the new electronic SIPSA-WB tool. The electronic tool ensures that School Improvement Teams (SIT) make explicit connections with the School Effectiveness Framework (SEF). The SIPSA-WB template also ensures that the recommendations from the school’s School Effectiveness Framework (SEF) School Support Visit are explicitly addressed in the SIPSA-WB. This year, a new model for the School Effectiveness Framework has been developed in order to provide personalized and precise professional learning opportunities for school leadership teams, which is at the heart of the SEF. Using a variety of data, a select number of schools have been identified and will be supported by the School Effectiveness Lead (SEL). 3. Essential Leadership and Instructional Practices The SCDSB Essential Practices K-12 working document identifies those essential leadership and instructional practices that are expected to be implemented and monitored in all SCDSB schools. These practices include the organization, operations, monitoring and high yield assessment and instructional practices that focus our work to improve learning and teaching. For the 2014-2015 school year, our essential practices have been updated to include new school and classroom level evidence-based practices that are effective in improving learning and teaching, including an emphasis on growth mindset and the importance of developing a positive, inclusive, and supportive classroom and school culture. The updated, electronic version of the SCDSB Essential Practices K-12 document includes supporting resources for each essential practice. All principals and teaching staff have been provided with an updated, electronic version of these resources. 4. Next Steps for 2014-2015 School and System Improvement Actions to Address the 2013-2014 Results Essential to improved student achievement is an intentional focus on student thinking, effective questioning and appropriate use of technologies to engage and support all learners. Global actions for 2014-2015 include: A focus on learning; Identifying priority elementary schools based on their results and providing targeted supports through the School Effectiveness Lead; Supporting specific secondary schools through the work of the Principal, Student Success – School Support Initiative (SS-SSI); Supporting school administrators in using the online tool for school improvement planning that focusses on setting the necessary conditions for establishing an authentic collaborative learning culture for school improvement; REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 OCTOBER 8, 2014 – 3 Ensuring that schools’ collaborative inquiry projects are connected to the SCDSB Essential Practices document and the BIPSA-WB; Connecting schools with similar inquiries supported by central staff; Continuing to monitor the achievement of specific subgroups of students including boys, students with special education needs and students who have self-identified as First Nation, Métis, and Inuit; Increasing the focus on the use of diagnostic assessment to inform planning and instruction; Leveraging digital to engage students and staff; Participating in the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL) international learning lab; year 1 of a 3-year initiative. Supporting the Learning and Teaching of Mathematics In addition to the broadly-based strategies listed above, a plan has been developed to address the SCDSB’s elementary and secondary mathematics results and support achievement of our board numeracy goal. This plan, entitled Focus on Math, is designed to improve our students’ learning, as well as their ability to demonstrate their learning in mathematics. It is based on the understanding that supporting student learning is a collective responsibility between teachers of all grade levels, parents and our community partners. The Focus on Math plan is now posted on the SCDSB’s public website at the following link: http://www.scdsb.on.ca/Programs/Assessment-andCurriculum/Pages/Math-Action-Plan.aspx This plan has identified a number of specific actions in three key areas: Action 1: Inspire positive math mindsets Action 2: Deepen our focus Action 3: Customize support for each student/school Action 1: Inspire positive math mindsets Recent studies are finding that intelligence is dynamic and can be changed with effort. Scientific research tells us that we need to work together as teachers, families and communities to help our students develop positive ‘growth mindsets’ in mathematics. When students and teachers believe they can, with effort, be successful in mathematics, student learning and teacher practice improves. To support our focus on creating growth mindsets in our students and staff we are: Partnering with leading growth mindset and numeracy researchers and educators, Carol Dweck and Jo Boaler from Stanford University, who are currently conducting extensive research that shows how important a growth mindset in mathematics is to both teachers and students; Working with our teachers to ensure they help their students understand that intelligence is not ‘fixed’ and that hard work, determination and consistent effort will help them make improvements in mathematical learning because evidence is showing that students who believe they can improve their skills, and who are supported by teachers and other caring adults who share that belief in them, do exactly that - their scores go up; Emphasizing for parents the importance of developing a growth mindset in their children as well as the messaging they share with their children about math. REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 OCTOBER 8, 2014 – 4 Schools will increase their support for parents to help them better understand how we teach math and how they can help or get help with math at home; The Parent Involvement Committee will offer math sessions for parents as part of its Circle of Learning Parent Academy this year. Information will be available later this fall; School Councils will be provided with resources to support them in spreading this important information about the connection between achievement in math and growth mindsets; Teachers will receive research and resources to support the development of growth mindsets; The central math team will post tips for parents and educators on our blog www.sharingsimcoe.com and website. Parents can subscribe to receive the articles to their email. Action 2: Deepen our focus To support a deepened focus on mathematics learning and teaching: Our September elementary Professional Activity Day will focus exclusively on math at all schools. Our central math team will provide resources to help principals lead the learning at their schools; Schools and the SCDSB Research team will use the data available from EQAO to identify areas where improvement is needed. By identifying which math skills require our attention, we can better ensure that these skills are taught and developed with our students; Secondary math teachers and department chairs will meet at the Education Centre in October for shared learning and planning for improvement; All school Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) established this year will focus on math. PLCs are teams of school staff that come together to focus on an area of urgent student need they have identified at their school; The System Improvement and Monitoring team (SIM), provides leadership for board and school improvement planning. Members include superintendents, principals, Research and Evaluation staff and teacher leaders. This team is chaired by the School Effectiveness Lead and supports senior staff in preparing for regular meetings with Student Achievement Division staff from the Ministry of Education. These meetings focus on the implementation of board plans and the monitoring of student achievement results to permit mid-course corrections. This year, the SIM team’s focus is on building and mobilizing resources to support implementation of the Focus on Math action plan for teachers, students, parents, principals and the community, including school councils and the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC). Superintendents of Education will build instructional and leadership capacity using a family and cross-family of schools model. Additionally, all schools will be provided with release time for collaborative inquiries focussed on math, supported by centrally-trained facilitators. Action 3: Customize support for each student/school There is no 'one-size-fits-all' approach to learning and improvement planning. Teachers will continue to differentiate instruction to ensure they are meeting the individual needs of their learners. REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 OCTOBER 8, 2014 – 5 This means using different teaching strategies and resources with different students based on how they learn best. We use a similar approach to our professional learning: Assessment results help school teams determine starting points and instructional next steps for each student. For some students, this may require a focus on basic skills, which is referred to as “computational fluency”. For others, it may require the ability to apply their skills in new ways, to develop the ability to communicate their thinking or to focus on problem solving; The senior leadership team and central math facilitators also analyze school data to identify schools where extra support may be needed. Members of our central math team will visit schools and work with individual teachers in their classrooms to help identify student needs and implement support strategies; Central staff will also use the data to help determine which strategies or initiatives appear to have had the greatest impact in individual classrooms and schools across the board. These effective practices will be shared with all schools; All central staff have been provided with facilitator training to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills necessary for supporting collaborative inquiries. Supporting the Learning and Teaching of Literacy Skills At the secondary level, all schools are to develop a literacy plan which they will submit to the Principal, Student Success – School Support Initiative (SS-SSI) by October 31, 2014. These school literacy plans are to be based on a review and analysis of students’ needs as evidenced in the OSSLT results. Schools have also been asked to identify the resources and supports needed to assist them in their literacy improvement focus. Once the plans have been submitted, they will be reviewed by the Principal, SS-SSI, in collaboration with the central Student Success Team, to determine how to support the learning and teaching needs identified by each secondary school. Early literacy development sets the stage for lifelong learning. Effective teaching practices focusing on the development of these skills begins with our youngest learners as we build a foundation of oral language in kindergarten students. The Activate Early Learning program as well as Let’s Talk About It provides kindergarten educators with a platform to intentionally plan for and assess student’s early language development. Elementary educators base their language programs around a comprehensive literacy plan that incorporates a balance of shared and modelled, guided and independent reading and writing lessons and activities. Through such programming, instruction is differentiated to meet students at their proximal zone of development and identifies the scaffolds required to move student learning forward. Assessment for, as and of learning is an integral part of the success of a comprehensive literacy plan. PM Benchmark levels have been revised to better reflect setting standards that support moving student achievement forward through the primary grades. The Assessment Entry Tool provides classroom teachers with an opportunity and venue to collect and track data regarding students. A Class Profile, My Classroom Data and the Homeroom Assessment Summary Report allow teachers to select diagnostic results for literacy or numeracy for select students from a specific period of time. In the SCDSB, we share a commitment to ensuring that our students learn to read so that they may read to learn. REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 OCTOBER 8, 2014 – 6 5. Report Status This report is provided for information. Respectfully submitted by: Anita Simpson Superintendent of Education October 8, 2014 BOARD IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND WELL-BEING SUMMARY WORKING DOCUMENT Our Beliefs KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 12 Reach Every Learner: All learners will have access to differentiated instruction and assessment that is responsive to their unique strengths and needs to support high achievement, well-being and learning for life. Closing the Gap: All learners will benefit from experiences and specific interventions that are informed by specific provincial, system, diagnostic and formative assessments, and achievement for specific learner groups, including but not limited to students with mental health concerns, special education needs, First Nation, Métis and Inuit students, English language learners and gender. Gaps in achievement in the following areas will provide a focus for our collective work: Achievement in mathematics, particularly Grade 6 EQAO results; Achievement in literacy, particularly in applied and locally developed English courses and the OSSLT; and Achievement in applied course types. Assessment: All learners will benefit from experiences that are informed by assessment for, as and of learning through observations, conversations and products. Our Goals Community, Culture and Caring If we, as a community of learners, have daily opportunities to contribute to a whole school approach which promotes well-being, high expectations, equity and inclusion, digital citizenship and positive school climate, then all learners will see themselves in the curriculum and the culture of their school and community. Our Priorities Reach Every Learner Growth Mindset Equity and Inclusive Education Character Education Safe and Healthy Schools Student Engagement and Student Voice Parent Engagement Partnership development Restorative practices Code of Conduct Zones of Regulation Closing the Gap One caring adult Mental Health Strategy Student leadership development Bridges Out of Poverty Newcomer Welcome Centre Collaboration with community partners Assessment REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 APPENDIX A OCTOBER 8, 2014 Student Voice School Climate Survey School Effectiveness Framework Self-Assessment Learning and Teaching If we, as a community of learners, have daily opportunities to solve problems, supported by technology-enabled learning environments, essential practices and learning skills, then we will demonstrate creativity, critical thinking and conceptual understanding in learning and life. If we, as a community of learners, have daily opportunities to read, write and communicate using critical literacy skills in technology-enabled learning environments, then we will demonstrate creativity, critical thinking and develop our voice in learning and life. Reach Every Learner Fostering positive relationships in schools Literacy rich environment across all subject areas Inquiry based learning Differentiated instruction Plan based on the principles of Universal Design for Learning Use of virtual, concrete and authentic resources First Nation Métis Inuit Literacy and Learning Baskets Board Leadership Development Strategy Closing the Gap Collaborative inquiry to address student need (PLC, TLCP, Action Research) Implementation and monitoring of Individual Education Plans (IEP) Early Success and Activate Early Learning Gap Closing Junior/Intermediate, Intermediate/Senior After school programs Pathways, Planning and Programming If we, as a community of learners, have daily opportunities to develop and model a growth mindset, learning skills and work habits in technology-enabled learning environments, then we will have an improved understanding of our potential to excel in learning and life. Reach Every Learner Closing the Gap Assessment Differentiated assessment PRIME (number sense) PM Benchmarks CASI Oral Language Assessment (OLA) and Hearing and Recording Sounds (HRS) EQAO (Primary, Junior, Grade 9 Mathematics, OSSLT) French Immersion Dual Credits Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) Cooperative Education (CO-OP) Education and career planning Cross panel collaboration Transition planning (K - Adult) Early identification of students Individualized timetabling for students identified as at-risk Strengths and needs based profiles for students identified as at-risk Specialized Programs Alternative Education Supervised Alternative Learning (SAL) Pathways to Student Success (PASS - Re-engagement 12 & 12+) Adult and Continuing Education: Summer School/Night School/Adult Day School Credit recovery/rescue/salvage Applied Behavioural Analysis Assessment Tracking and monitoring of students identified as at-risk K to 12 Functional Behavioural Analysis Essential Practices K – 12 REPORT NO. PRO‐I‐2 Working Document APPENDIX B OCTOBER 8, 2014 September 2014 Learning, Teaching and Assessment shall be founded in the following documents: Ontario Ministry Curriculum Policy Documents, Ontario Schools Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements, Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting in Ontario Schools Policy Document, School Effectiveness Framework: A support for school improvement and student success, Student Voice/Student Leadership, Learning For All, The Ontario First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education Policy Framework. SCHOOL Aligned School Operations Use of the School Improvement Planning Tool to inform development of the SIPSA‐WB. Share BIPSA‐WB and SIPSA‐ WB with the School Council/School Community School Budget aligned with SIPSA‐WB Management of the SIPSA‐ WBs planning cycle Shared Instructional Leadership Monitoring of SIPSA‐WB through classroom visits Monitor implementation of Ontario Curriculum through Classroom Visits Engagement of School Improvement Team in development and implementation of SIPSA‐WB Development of School Professional Learning norms Goal Setting and Monitoring Setting high expectations based on the belief that all students can learn Completion of the SEF Self‐ assessment Engagement of staff in a Professional Learning Cycle K‐12 with a focus on evidence of student need Creation and implementation of SIPSA‐ WB Use of Data Tools: Student Success Data Warehouse, Compass for Success, My Classroom Data Conducting and Reporting on System Assessments Monitoring of IEPs & Safety Plans to meet individual student needs Programs and Pathways Implementing timely, tiered and targeted interventions delivered in a team approach Education and Career Planning K‐12 and individual pathway plans 7‐12 Community Culture and Caring Equity and Inclusion Practices Commit to Character Digital Citizenship Foundations for a Healthy School Positive School Climate Mental Health Supports Communicating with parents through a variety of media Learning and Teaching Growth Mindsets and a culture of learning Explicit literacy instruction in all curriculum areas 100 minutes of daily Comprehensive Literacy instruction in elementary panel Integration of math processes in all subject areas Minimum of 60 minutes of daily numeracy instruction based on Mathematics Course of Study in elementary panel CLASSROOM Learning Processes Setting the stage for learning (e.g. The First Twenty Days) Literacy rich environment (e.g., word wall, anchor charts, vocabulary lists) Learning Goals and Success Criteria Student Inquiry Bloom’s Taxonomy of Higher Order Questions Accountable Talk Gradual Release of Responsibility Open and Parallel Tasks Technology enabled learning environment Teaching Processes Development of class and learner profiles Purposeful planning to address student need through differentiation Clustering of curriculum expectations Implementation and Monitoring of IEPs Comprehensive Literacy (modeled, guided, shared, independent) 3 part lessons (Minds On, Action, Consolidation) Teaching/learning through mathematical processes Teaching learning skills and work habits Assessment Processes Assessment for, as and of Learning Diagnostic Assessment Cycle of instruction and assessment Descriptive feedback Peer and self‐assessment Moderation of student work Student conferencing Exemplars of student work REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 APPENDIX C OCTOBER 8, 2014 2014-2015 SIMCOE COUNTY DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND WELL-BEING Working Document Updated Sept. 25, 2014 Needs Assessment and Analysis of Data – School Effectiveness Framework District Support Visits School Effectiveness Framework (SEF) District Support Visits continued in 2013-2014 to support schools in their improvement planning and have been completed in all but two elementary schools, all secondary schools, and the Barrie Learning Centre. Results continue to show improved but inconsistent instruction and assessment practices. Specifically, there is inconsistent evidence of comprehensive literacy instruction, numeracy instruction through three part lessons, use of the mathematical processes, assessment for, as and of learning, and descriptive feedback. There is also a need for balanced use and interpretation of achievement categories. School support visits showed an emerging focus on student well-being, student voice, growth mindsets and the use of technology enabled environments to accelerate learning. Recommendations have included: enhancing the effective use of gradual release of responsibility; establishing clear learning goals; increasing student involvement in developing, understanding and using success criteria to improve their work; ensuring timely and descriptive feedback tied to the success criteria; providing increased opportunities for accountable student talk; and ensuring consistently differentiated instruction and assessment to meet the needs of all learners. Needs Assessment and Analysis of Data – Primary and Junior Divisions EQAO – Primary Results EQAO - Junior Results Primary EQAO Junior EQAO Over the past 5 years, results have improved 4% in reading and 9% in writing, with results of 69% and 76% respectively. Mathematics results dropped 1% during this period to 68% in 2013-2014. Over the past 5 years, results have improved 7% in reading and 11% in writing, with results of 80% and 74%, respectively. In math, results increased 1% in 2012 and 2% in 2013; however, there was a 3% drop back to 49% in 2013-2014. Gender: Similar to previous years, girls have continued to outperform boys in reading and writing with the following results in 2013-2014: Reading - 75% of girls and 64% of boys met the standard. Writing - 82% of girls and 71% of boys met the standard. Gender: Over the past 5 years, boys have continued to close the achievement gap in reading and writing compared to girls. Boys’ reading and writing results improved 8% and 12%, respectively, over 5 years; girls’ results improved 7% in reading and 8% in writing. 2013-2014 results were as follows: Reading – 85% of girls and 76% of boys met the standard Writing - 84% of girls and 64% of boys met the standard Math – 52% of girls and 47% of boys met the standard. Math achievement has generally been similar for girls and boys; however, for the past two years girls have achieved slightly higher results: Math – 71% of girls and 66% of boys met the standard in 2013-2014. FNMI: While achievement has fluctuated over the past 5 years, SCDSB’s FNMI results have consistently surpassed provincial results in all areas except reading in 2013-2014. In 2013-2014, SCDSB’s results were 47%, 69% and 53% in reading, writing and math, respectively. Special Education: Over the past 5 years, exemption rates have continued to decline for students with special education needs or an IEP (excluding gifted) from an average of 11% in 2009-2010 to 7% in 2013-2014. During this period, achievement has improved 14% in reading, 11% in writing and 1% in math to 47%, 58% and 38%, respectively. ELL: Results for this subgroup of students are not publicly reportable due to the small number of students. FNMI: While achievement has fluctuated over the past 5 years, SCDSB’s FNMI results have consistently surpassed provincial results in all areas except writing in 2013-2014. In 2013-2014, SCDSB’s results were 70%, 57% and 38% in reading, writing and math, respectively. Special Education: Over the past 5 years, exemption rates have continued to decline from an average of 13% in 2009-2010 to an average of 5% in 2013-2014. Over the past 5 years, results have improved 14% in reading and 18% in writing; however, math results have decreased by 3%. ELL: In 2013-2014, results for ELL students were 88% in reading, 88% in writing and 59% in math. However there were only 32 ELL students in 2013-2014. Thus, the results should be interpreted with caution. Results from past years are not publicly reportable due to the small number of ELL students. REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 APPENDIX C - 2 OCTOBER 8, 2014 Needs Assessment and Analysis of Data – Intermediate and Senior Divisions EQAO – Grade 9 Mathematics EQAO – OSSLT Academic Results OSSLT Over the past 5 years, results have increased 3% to 83% of students meeting the standard in academic math courses in 2014. On the OSSLT, 79% of the SCDSB students who wrote the test for the first time in 2014 were successful, up 1% compared to 2012 and 2013. Over the past five years results have ranged from 78% to 83%. 94% of FTE students in Academic English were successful, compared to 52% for students in Applied English and 15% for students in Locally Developed English. Gender: The achievement gap favouring boys has gradually declined from 5% to 1% over the past 5 years; 83% of girls and 84% of boys met the standard in 2013-2014. FNMI: Results for FNMI students have fluctuated over the past 5 years, ranging from 64% to 84% of students meeting the standard. FNMI results were 65% In 2013-2014. Special Education: in 2013-2014, 81% of students with special education needs (excluding gifted) or an IEP met the standard, up 7% since 2009-2010. ELL: Results for ELL students are not publicly reportable due to the small number of students. Applied Results Over the past 5 years, results have increased 3% to 47% of students meeting the standard in applied math courses in 2013-2014. Gender: The gender gap favouring boys has fluctuated from a high of 7% in two of the past 5 years to a low of 2%. In 2013-2014, 45% of girls and 48% of boys met the provincial standard. FNMI: Over the past 5 years, results for FNMI students have improved 21% to 46% of FNMI students meeting the standard in applied math courses in 2013-2014. Special Education: In 2013-2014, 38% of students with special education needs (excluding gifted) or an IEP met the standard, up 2% since 2009-2010. ELL: Results for ELL students are not publicly reportable due to the small number of students Gender: Over the past 5 years, girls have outperformed boys by an average of 10%. In 2014, 85% of girls and 73% of boys were successful. FNMI: In 2013-2014, 70% of SCDSB’s self-identified FNMI students were successful, up 12% over 2009-2010. SCDSB results were 8% higher than the provincial results in 2013-2014. Special Education: 48% of students with special education needs. (excluding gifted) or and IEP were successful in 2014, up 1% compared to 2009-2010. ELL: 43% of ELL students were successful in 2014; however there were a total of 14 students in 2014 and the results should thus be interpreted with caution. Transition Process - Student Success Profile As was the case for the previous three years, Grade 8 teachers’ 20132014 recommendations for students’ Grade 9 courses show a large gender difference with the applied level courses much more likely to be recommended for males than females: Applied English: recommended for 43% of males and 25% of females Applied Math: recommended for 41% of males and 31% of females. REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 APPENDIX C - 3 OCTOBER 8, 2014 Needs Assessment and Analysis of Data – Intermediate and Senior Divisions Credit Accumulation Secondary Graduation Rates 2013-2014 Credit Accumulation Grade 9 – 82% of students earned 8 or more credits (down 1% from 2012-2013) Grade 10 – 72% of students earned 16 or more credits (no change) Grade 11 – 75% of students earned 23 or more credits (up 1%) Graduation Rates The 5 year graduation rate was 75% in 2009-2010, 77% in 2010-2011, 77% in 2011-2012 and 79% in 2012-2013. Note: The 2013-2014 rates will be calculated after Oct. 31, 2014. Gender: Over the past 5 years, girls have maintained an average of 7% higher rate of graduation within 5 years than boys. In 2012-2013, 82% of girls and 76% of boys graduated in 5 years. Rates for 2013-2014 will calculated after Oct.31 2014. Gender: Grade 9 - 87% of girls and 78% of boys earned 8 credits. Grade 10 - 77% of girls and 67% of boys earned 16 credits Grade 11 - 80% of girls and 71% of boys earned 23 credits. FNMI: Grade 9 - 64% of FNMI students earned 8 credits. Grade 10 - 49% of FNMI students earned 16 credits Grade 11 - 54% of FNMI students earned 23 credits. FNMI: 2010-2011 rate – 71% of FNMI students graduated in 5 years 2011-2012 rate – 70% of FNMI students graduated in 5 years 2012-2013 rate – 53%* of FNMI students graduated in 5 years Special Education: Results are in the process of being updated. *Rates for self-identified FNMI students are based on 43 students in 20112012 and 102 students in 2012-2013 and should thus be interpreted with caution. Rates for 2013-2014 will be reported later in 2014-2015 after they have been calculated and shared with the First Nation Education Advisory Circle. Pass Rates Pass Rates. Pass rate trends are summarized in the following table. Course Acad. English Sp. Ed.* App. English Sp. Ed. LDC English** Sp. Ed. Acad. Math Sp. Ed. App. Math Sp. Ed. LDC Math Sp. Ed. 2010-11 96% 96% 87% 86% 86% 88% 95% 94% 86% 80% 86% 88% Grade 9 2011-12 2012-13 97% 97% 91% 94% 90% 89% 88% 88% 87% 87% 88% 87% 97% 96% 92% 94% 89% 89% 86% 83% 90% 90% 90% 90% 2013-14 97% *** 90% *** 91% *** 95% *** 91% *** 89% *** 2010-11 96% 94% 87% 87% 81% 83% 93% 90% 82% 81% 87% 86% Grade 10 2011-12 2012-13 96% 97% 90% 93% 87% 87% 87% 87% 89% 88% 91% 90% 93% 93% 91% 83% 83% 84% 79% 82% 88% 91% 88% 92% *Special Education pass rates exclude students whose sole diagnosis is ‘giftedness’. ** LDC represents Locally Developed courses. *** 2013-2014 Spec.Ed results are in the process of being updated. 2013-14 97% *** 91% *** 88% *** 92% *** 86% *** 89% *** REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 APRIL 8, 2015 TO: The Chairperson and Members of the Program Standing Committee FROM: Superintendent of Program and Innovation SUBJECT: MATH ACTION PLAN: NUMERACY SUPPORTS 2014-2015 1. Background The Simcoe County District School Board has had numeracy at the forefront of the Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement and Well-Being (BIPSA-WB), and numeracy has also been a major focus of School Improvement Plans for Student Achievement and Well-Being (SIPSA-WB). Like last year, the model of professional learning in 2014-2015 continues to focus on the collaborative inquiry cycle which has been proven to have the greatest impact on teacher practice and student achievement. Report No. PRO-I-1, dated October 8, 2014, indicated that over the past five years, mathematics results on the provincial assessments for both the province and this board in the primary and junior divisions have gradually declined. Over the same five year period, results for students writing the Grade 9 Mathematics provincial assessment improved by 3%. Following the release of Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) results in September of 2014, the SCDSB Program and Innovation team developed a comprehensive Math Action Plan designed to deepen the board’s collective focus on improving student learning in mathematics. The plan includes three core goals: inspiring positive mathematics mindsets in students, parents and teachers; deepening our focus on mathematics from JK12; and, customizing support in mathematics for each school and student. On January 21, 2015, the Ministry of Education released its own Math Action Plan which is comprised of seven priorities, all of which are currently embedded in the SCDSB Math Action Plan. 2. Current Status Professional learning in 2014-2015 is focused on engaging all teachers in developing their expertise in mathematics instruction in order to develop a shared sense of ownership and responsibility for improved student achievement (on EQAO testing). In addition to involving all teachers in focused mathematical professional development, the learning takes place over a number of days (typically three), involves a number of schools (usually three) and sometimes crosses panels (both elementary and secondary teachers are involved). Using a strength-based approach, and building on our five-year historical success in literacy, our support for teachers across the system in 2014-2015 is intentional, systematic, and differentiated in order to provide teachers with greater opportunities to engage in professional learning directly related to their specific classroom needs. Included in all our work is an emphasis on growth mindset thinking in learning and teaching mathematics. REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 APRIL 8, 2015 - 2 As a result, a wide range of learning opportunities are being supported in 2014-2015 which include: a) September Professional Activity Day focused exclusively on math; b) Principal/Superintendent Professional Learning Communities (PLC) focused on math; c) School Effectiveness Lead (SEL) support at priority elementary schools; d) Grade 3, 6 and Special Education Resource Teachers (SERT) Numeracy through Innovation inquiries focused on application and thinking tasks; e) Effective Instruction Across the Middle Years (formerly MYCI); f) Supporting specific secondary schools through the Student Success School Support Initiative (SSSSI); g) Balanced Mathematics: Teacher Learning and Leadership Program – Provincial Knowledge Exchange (TLLP-PKE) K-1 and 2-8; h) Special Project at Cundles Heights Public School, Harriett Todd Public School, Port McNicoll Public School, Victoria Harbour Elementary School and Waubaushene Elementary School; i) Advanced Broadband Enabled Learning (ABEL) Connections – cross-district math, science, and technology collaborative inquiry; j) Math Integration through the Arts; k) Ethnomathematics in First Nation, Métis and Inuit Collaborative Inquiries; l) All Secondary and Elementary Grade 7 and 8 Math Teachers Day of Professional Learning; m) Grade 9/10 and SERT Applied Mathematics Initiative; n) Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) Circle of Learning Parent Academy – mathbased workshops for parents/guardians; o) Project for Education Research That Scales Initiative (PERTS) – High School Transition Program to help Grade 9 students become resilient learners by teaching a growth mindset; p) Student Voice and Students as Researchers (STAR); and, q) Additional Learning. a) September Professional Activity Day – Focus on Math In the fall of 2014, all teachers in all schools participated in a day of learning focused on math, supported by central staff and numeracy leaders in our system. Using School and Board Improvement Plans for Student Achievement and Well-Being (SIPSA-WB and BIPSA-WB), teachers disaggregated current EQAO data and reviewed their improvement plans to identify current student learning needs. Our students do very well in basic knowledge and skills like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division (math fluency) and require more support in applying these skills to higher-level problems (problem solving). b) Principal Professional Learning Communities (PLC) Focused on Math All principals attend four professional learning days focused exclusively on math. Two principals from each area of the board, together with their superintendent of education, also attend two, three-day System Implementation and Monitoring (SIM) sessions, organized by the Ministry of Education, that support improved student learning in mathematics. These principals work then with central staff, including Research and Evaluation, to design the four professional learning days for all SCDSB principals. REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 APRIL 8, 2015 – 3 c) School Effectiveness Lead (SEL) Support at Priority Elementary Schools The Board identified nine priority elementary schools for support through the School Effectiveness Framework (SEF) / SEL support model (personalization, professional learning and precision). With mathematics as the focus, school-based teams determined urgent student learning needs through analysis of product, observation and conversation data and established a theory of action statement to guide/direct teacher learning. Collaborative Inquiries were formed to address the school improvement goal and learning was tracked and monitored through the sharing of artifacts which demonstrated evidence of impact. d) Numeracy Through Innovation - Cross-school collaborative inquiry for Grade 3, 6 and Special Education Resource Teachers (SERT) This collaborative inquiry focused on a balanced approach of instruction and assessment inclusive of each of the achievement categories (Knowledge and Understanding, Application, Thinking and Communication). Particular emphasis was placed on thinking tasks as this category represents the greatest achievement gap as identified by both EQAO scores and classroom teachers. A concurrent focus was building upon our collaboration with the Special Education team to support the implementation of targeted cognitive process strategies to support our students with learning disabilities. e) Effective Instruction Across the Middle Years Intermediate teachers in elementary and secondary schools were offered the opportunity to participate in Effective Instruction across the Middle Years (formerly MYCI). These centrally facilitated numeracy inquiries focused on implementation of evidence-informed instructional practices, many of which were shared by peers at technology SLAM sessions held at Mathematics Days of Learning and Mathematics Chairs Meetings. f) Supporting specific secondary schools through the Student Success School Support Initiative (SSSSI) As a partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Education, the School Support Initiative in the Simcoe County District School Board involves 12 secondary schools. The schools were selected based on pass rate trend data in Grade 9 and/or 10 applied compulsory courses. The initiative primarily focuses on mathematics, as identified by data and the administrative team. It also focuses on raising the achievement for students in the courses that are part of the initiative (both pass rate and level changes) and on closing the gap for the board’s First Nation and Métis and Inuit students. The initiative is led by the principal and supported by the SSSSI principal and offers intense differentiated support to build the capacity of the principal as the instructional leader. In order to enhance instructional practices and engagement in the classroom, the Professional Learning Team (PLT) conducts a needs assessment using achievement data to develop a cohort SMART goal. This targeted and strategic SMART goal, developed collaboratively with the PLT, identifies knowledge and skill gaps of the students. The Principal monitors the effectiveness of the classroom teaching and evidence-based instructional strategies on student achievement. The SSSI principal supports the project through the allocation of resources, monitoring the initiative and supporting and guiding the work of team. REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 APRIL 8, 2015 - 4 Currently the data indicates solid gains in terms of pass rates and definite enhancement in classroom practices and student engagement. g) Balanced Mathematics: Teacher Learning and Leadership Program – Provincial Knowledge Exchange (TLLP-PKE) K-1 and Grades 2-8 Seventeen elementary schools participated in each of two Balanced Math projects with the goal of supporting student achievement in math through this differentiated instructional approach. In the first, Balanced Math Mentors from each school participated in a 2-day facilitator and co-planning training session followed by in-school release time with peers to support the implementation of this framework. Mentors have also offered lunch and learns and presented at staff meetings. The second project has focused on the sharing and adaptation of the Balanced Math framework in the Kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms supported by the pedagogical documentation of student learning. As part of this project, each Kindergarten and Grade 1 classroom received an iPad mini to support this documentation. The Canadian Education Association (CEA) recently recognized the work being done in Balanced Math, awarding Kristen Muscat-Fennell and Fieldcrest Elementary School an Honourable Mention for the Ken Spencer Award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. h) Special project at Cundles Heights Public School, Harriett Todd Public School, Port McNicoll Public School, Victoria Harbour Elementary School and Waubaushene Elementary School Central program staff have worked closely with the primary, junior and intermediate teachers at Cundles Heights P.S., Harriett Todd P.S., Port McNicoll P.S., Victoria Harbour E.S. and Waubaushene E.S. with a focus on improving learning in mathematics K-8. They meet regularly (every 4-6 weeks) and have since the fall. i) ABEL learning connections – Math, Science, Technology Collaborative Inquiry Literacy Numeracy Secretariat (LNS) funding through ABEL learning continues to support a cross-district (SCDSB and Hastings Prince Edward County) math, science and technology collaborative inquiry. Teachers come together virtually, co-planning and teaching integrated lessons in math and science, using technology as the accelerator of learning. j) Math Integration Through the Arts- NumerARTSy The purpose of this K-8 board-wide inquiry, focuses on making explicit learning and teaching connections between Math and the Arts in order to support the Math Action Plan, to differentiate instruction and to allow students and staff the opportunity to revisit math concepts through the lens of the arts. By investigating the implementation of a 3 Part Lesson structure (artful thinking) within Arts classes, and making mathematical connections explicit to students. The goal is a positive shift in student attitudes toward math and art, as well as an increased awareness of math as it exists within a variety of real world contexts. k) Ethnomathematics in First Nation, Métis and Inuit Collaborative Inquiries The SCDSB is in its second implementation year of the First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education Collaborative Inquiry. Two teachers from twenty-four schools are learning from a First Nation community member how to bead on a loom. Teachers and students are then pulling the mathematical concepts from their beading patterns. Grade level numeracy, geometry, patterning and measurement skills are being reinforced. REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 APRIL 8, 2015 – 5 Lions Oval Public School and Cundles Heights Public School are participating in a research project with Lakehead University and the Ministry of Education. The SCDSB will be presenting the work of the schools on May 6, 2015 at a Ministry of Education conference. l) All Secondary and Elementary Grade 7/8 Mathematics Teachers Day of Professional Learning In Semester One, all secondary mathematics teachers were invited to participate in a Day of Learning. At these sessions, teachers were exposed to, and invited to share, innovative instructional strategies involving technology and manipulatives, including the use of Google Apps For Educators (GAFE), iPads and Applications (APPS) and a variety of on-line resources. A Day of Learning, of similar format, was also held for Grade 7/8 teachers in preparation for the Effective Instruction Across the Middle Years Initiative. m) Grade 9/10 and SERT Applied Mathematics Initiative This initiative involves the scheduling of a SERT and Regular Classroom Teacher to co-teach a section of Grade 9 or 10 applied mathematics on a full-time basis. Supported by a 4-part Adobe Connect professional learning series led by the Ministry of Education and additional customized support by Program and Innovation, Special Education and Student Success support staff, teachers of these sections learned about instructional strategies proven to be particularly effective for students with various learning disabilities. Participating teachers explored, implemented and shared experiences using a variety of co-teaching models. Schools were allocated one, two or three sections of co-teaching time during semester two, based on school size. n) Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) Circle of Learning Parent Academy As part of our Math Action Plan and commitment to support the learning for all stakeholders, workshop sessions for parents/guardians have been planned and offered through our PIC Circle of Learning Parent Academy. The sessions are facilitated by our central program and innovation team and by leading experts in the field. Make a Difference in Math with a Growth Mindset provided an overview of the impact of mindset on student learning and achievement, especially in math, and helped parents and guardians develop a common, positive language about math. Math 101 – All Parents Can Support Their Children in Math will be led by Trevor Brown, Associate Math Professor at Tyndale University College in April, 2015. In this session, parents will have hands-on a learning opportunity using tools to help children succeed in math. Participants will see how to use the element of surprise and the study of patterns to engage children in learning. o) PERTS Initiative We have continued our unique partnership with Stanford University’s Project for Education Research That Scales (PERTS) Lab to support our Math Action Plan goal of inspiring positive math mindsets. This spring, all students in Grade 9 Mathematics have participated in the High School Transition Program. This program teaches students that the brain is like a muscle and can become stronger by taking on new challenges and putting in effort. Research shows that students who learn this try harder and do better in school. REPORT NO. PRO-I-2 APRIL 8, 2015 - 6 p) Student Voice and Students as Researchers (STAR) This school year, sixty SCDSB Student Voice and twenty SCDSB STAR projects received Ministry approval, some with a specific focus on mathematics. These projects give students an opportunity to take action on their ideas and strengthen student engagement in classrooms and schools. Students attended leadership camp where they further developed their ideas around their focus/action in their schools. On April 16, 2015, five of SCDSB STAR projects have been invited to share their learning with the Ministry through the STAR conference. Both Baxter and James Keating will be sharing their learning in the area of growth mindsets in math. q) Additional Learnings In addition to the professional learning opportunities outlined above, interest in numeracy professional learning resulted in additional supports based on teacher interest across the system: 3. The entire Program and Innovation team has supported Google Apps for Education (GAFE) and technology learning through lunch and learns, after-school workshops, on PA days, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and Inquiries; Several schools have included a Balanced Math focus in their Professional Learning Communities (PLCs); Primary Mathematical Process Posters are now available in French; Information about positive math mindsets and math content areas has been shared with parents through the Simcoe Blog and through other board website updates; and, Our mathematics instructional resource teachers, in additional to other members of our Program and Innovation team, have consistently communicated math messages to peers, parents, the community, and students through Twitter (@scdsbmath), Instagram and YouTube. Next Steps Through the establishment of the new Program and Innovation team for 2014-2015, we now have four mathematics specialists in place to continue specific, targeted and intentional professional learning in numeracy education. Our Math Action Plan, the first in Ontario, has key, core objectives that implement the most current evidence-based practices and strategies and builds on our improved professional learning framework in order to accelerate the learning through the precise use of cutting-edge technological supports. Program and Innovation is currently developing its plan for 2015-2016 and is actively seeking feedback and input from the system. 4. Report Status This report is provided for information. Respectfully submitted by: Anita Simpson Superintendent of Program and Innovation April 8, 2015 REPORT NO. PRO-I-3 APRIL 8, 2015 TO: The Chairperson and Members of the Program Standing Committee FROM: Superintendent of Program and Innovation SUBJECT: TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION IN CLASSROOMS 1. Background For the past three years, the Council of Directors of Education (CODE) has supported school boards with pilot project funding to support system learning and research focused on the integration of technology in classrooms supporting 21st Century Learning. During the first two years, our board sponsored several hands-on technology workshops, facilitated classroom sharing and observation opportunities with key teachers and created technology teams in each area called ‘Tech Hubs’. Each fall, central staff have attended the Ministry sharing session to learn what other school boards are doing to support 21st Century Learning and to share our learning with others. In 2014-2015, Tech Hubs evolved to Innovation Hubs and joined the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL) initiative, together with 13 schools in the SCDSB as part of an international learning initiative focused on providing 21st century learners with deep learning tasks. As well as developing teacher leaders who effectively integrate technology into their practice to engage and challenge their student learners, teacher librarians (TL) in the SCDSB were all provided with a green screen, iPad and iPad stand to further their role as leaders in the use of technology in schools. In September of 2014, 1,315 iPads were distributed across all SCDSB schools to further the integration of technology into instructional practices, bringing the total number of iPads in the board to approximately 4,700. In addition to iPads, four schools are also piloting the use of Chromebooks to assess their effectiveness in the classroom. Google Apps For Education (GAFE) were also introduced in the fall of 2014. Within the first three months of releasing this platform to the system, over a half million documents were created in SCDSB schools and 650 Google Hangouts were held. After-school GAFE Café’s were hosted by Program and Innovation staff across the SCDSB, and individual schools were also supported, based on school need. Over 280 teachers registered for these learning sessions with over 900 teachers showing up for the training. 2. Current Status Technology integration has taken an even broader approach during the 2014 – 2015 school year. Central staff have worked to support and, more importantly, to directly build capacity with school staff. A fundamental component of all technology integration initiatives this year is the idea of creating digital leaders through introducing and supporting technology in authentic classroom experiences. Outlined below are some of the many initiatives which are supporting the integration of technology in our system. REPORT NO. PRO-I-3 APRIL 8, 2015 – 2 Innovation Hubs Our Innovation Hubs pursue an inquiry around technology integration by connecting teachers from different schools. Central staff helped members make connections with other schools with the goal being that every school become connected to the Innovation Hub in some way. To date, 86 schools have been connected through a technology inquiry, and central staff continue to encourage connections with these schools through a range of technology projects. Our Innovation Hubs have provided digital leadership in a number of ways. For example, Innovation Hub members have: supported the implementation of Office 365 and Google Apps For Education (GAFE); provided classroom ready resources; promoted awareness about the Learning Management System (LMS), and Desire2Learn (D2L); and, modelled the strong integration of technology into their curriculum and essential practices. New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL) Our work with the NPDL involves 10 elementary schools and 3 secondary schools as well as an NPDL Innovation Hub comprised of 25 K-12 teachers. NPDL is an international partnership consisting of 100 school in 10 countries including; Canada, Finland, Australia, Uruguay, The Netherlands and The United States. The focus of NPDL is on: partnerships between students, parents, teachers and the community; the deep learning goals (Six Cs) of creativity, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, citizenship and character; and, leveraging digital tools and resources to accelerate learning. Our schools are working together, supported by central staff, to deepen understanding of the Six Cs through an authentic purpose and audience for their learning. In November, over 200 students, teachers and parents came together for a Live Learning Lab where we investigated what deep learning means to us and how we can achieve it together. On April 10, 2015, we are coming together again to share our learning and plan next steps. The SCDSB is organizing the Canada Cluster Conference for NPDL which takes place in Hamilton, Ontario, on May 26 and 27, 2015. Google Apps for Education (GAFE) The Program and Innovation team organized a conference to support school staff in the deepening of their use of the tools offered through GAFE. The PUSH Your Learning Conference held at Bear Creek Secondary School on Saturday March 7, 2015 was attended by over 275 educators from the SCDSB as well as staff from the Ministry of Education and other neighbouring school boards. The conference provided another opportunity for our classroom teachers to demonstrate digital leadership by presenting their integration of GAFE and other technologies into their classroom practice. Chromebooks As part of our continuing effort to look for emerging tools and resources to support our students and staff, we have four schools piloting ChromeBooks. One secondary and three elementary schools are testing two models of ChromeBooks in a variety of scenarios from a 1 to 1 whole class approach to a five pack in each classroom. These tools give students and staff quick access to the Internet and specifically the GAFE suite of tools. REPORT NO. PRO-I-3 APRIL 8, 2015 – 3 The findings of these pilots will inform future decisions around ChromeBook and other technology purchases. Teacher Librarians Our Teacher Librarians continue to be instrumental in the support of technology integration throughout our system. Each library was outfitted with a green screen kit which included the green screen, a stand, iPad and tripod. Schools are using these kits to create a variety of media productions across subject areas including art, music, drama, mathematics, history and science, among others. Information Technology Services (ITS) Our ITS department has worked closely with Program and Innovation staff to implement the roll out of AirWatch on the 1,315 iPads the board provisioned in September 2014. AirWatch is a Mobile Device Management (MDM) system that allows the board to centrally manage and support these iPads with app requests and technical support. Schools submit requests for apps to be added to the AirWatch catalogue. These requests are reviewed by the Program and Innovation team to ensure alignment with sound pedagogy and student privacy. AirWatch also allows these iPads to connect automatically to a dedicated iPad Wi-Fi network in schools. As new iPads are added to the system, they will be enrolled in AirWatch giving central staff a more comprehensive view of our inventory. The roll out of these iPads provided us with an opportunity to attach professional learning in a variety of areas, including assessment, mathematics, content creation, blogging and coding. The focus of iPad integration support has been on their use in classrooms and as part of teacher and student inquiries. Advanced Broadband Enabled Learning (ABEL) As part of our work with ABEL – Learning Connections, a team of central and school staff have embarked on a cross-board inquiry with Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board. The goal of their project is focused on creativity, critical thinking and collaboration. The inquiry is looking to remove the “silo effect” of teaching math, science and technology separately; instead, the project makes cross-curricular connections for these subjects in Grades 7 and 8. Through the use of ChromeBooks and GAFE, the team is investigating how these tools can enhance the integration of subject areas and support student and teacher collaboration with student inquiry. Program and Innovation staff have included technology components in many of the other professional learning inquiries involving library staff, regular classroom teachers, new contract and Long Term Occasional (LTO) teachers through the New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) and through mathematics instruction. Program and innovation staff also continue to support technology integration in inquiries and professional learning offered by our Student Success, Continuing Education, Alternative Education, First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education and Special Education departments. 3. Next Steps Technology integration in the SCDSB continues to embrace emerging digital tools and resources to help accelerate student learning and support students in demonstrating their thinking and learning in the classroom and around the globe. Phase 3 of the Innovation/Tech Hub inquiries is continuing, and the Innovation/Tech Hubs will meet one more time in April and May 2015 to share the last round of inquiries and to plan for the 2015-2016 school year. REPORT NO. PRO-I-3 APRIL 8, 2015 – 4 Through the continued support of the Council of Directors of Education (CODE) in the area of integration of technology in classrooms supporting 21st Century Learning, we have two exciting inquiries planned for the fall of 2015: Transforming Assessment through Technology and Leveraging Digital Tools for Deep Learning. The Transforming Assessment through Technology inquiry will focus on educators and students authentically leveraging digital tools to support the collection and analysis of triangulated assessment data so that: teachers will have valid and reliable evidence to support individual learners with customized pathways; students will become more autonomous learners and make their learning visible beyond the school walls; and, parents will have improved access to their child's daily learning and become true partners in the learning process. The Leveraging Digital Tools for Deep Learning inquiry will focus on educators and students authentically leveraging digital tools and resources to engage in deep learning experiences so that: teachers will develop cross-curricular links and connections to the local and global communities; students will develop 21st century learning skills including; collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, citizenship, character and communication; and, parents, students and educators will become active partners in promoting and supporting digital and global citizenship. Plans are currently underway to provide Teacher Librarians with iOgrapher kits and GoPro cameras to enable all schools to more effectively and professionally capture live footage. 4. Report Status This report is provided for information. Respectfully submitted by: Anita Simpson Superintendent of Program and Innovation April 8, 2015
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