The Halton District School Board is committed to every student.
We will
● inspire and support learning;
● create safe, healthy, inclusive and engaging environments
● provide opportunities for challenge and choice
● prepare students for success
We value and respect
Relationships
therefore, we will
● build and maintain partnerships
● demonstrate cooperation, collaboration and compassion
● communicate effectively
● align our words and actions
● acknowledge and appreciate diversity
Responsibility
therefore, we will
● measure and report results
● use resources effectively
● respond to demographic needs
● operate in an open and transparent manner
● model sound environmental practices
● make timely and informed decisions
● promote social responsibility
Ingenuity
therefore, we will
● foster creativity, innovation and initiative
● identify, develop, share and implement exemplary practices
● establish responsive practices to address divergent learning needs
● recognize ideas, efforts, and results
Multi Year Plan: 2012-2016
STUDENTS
Goal 1
Every student will be socially engaged in their school and intellectually engaged in their learning.
Targets
 By 2016 the Halton District School Board graduation rate/completion of program will be 85% (a rise from the current 81%).
 By 2016, elementary students will report an average score of 8.9/10 and secondary students 7.8/10 of feeling accepted and valued by their
peers and others at school as measured by the Tell Them From Me Survey (a rise from 8.5/10 and 7.4/10).
 By 2016, secondary students will report an average score of 7.0/10 on the Tell Them From Me survey measure of Relevance (a rise from
the current 5.7/10).
Strategies 2014-2015
 Schools will use Tell Them From Me (TTFM) data to assess engagement and inform their School Self-Assessments.
 Research department will provide a summative analysis of system School Self Assessment (SSA). This analysis will be used by schools as
part of their District Review process throughout the year.
 The 2014-2015 e-Learning course selection will increase to 40 courses and 57 sections.
 Increase the number of teachers using blended learning by training more teachers in Desire to Learn (D2L) and Blended Learning
 Expand blended learning, inquiry and innovation projects to further engage students.
 System work on self-paced learning and applied learning will be shared with administrators and teachers.
 Contextual Learning activities will continue to expand in elementary grades.
 Continue the Re-engagement Strategy to bring students back into our system
 Employ the GOAL program to prevent students from dropping out
o
2012 -2013 number of GOAL Students 26 ; 2013 -2014 number of GOAL Students 42
 Host Student Engagement Conferences to validate student identities and provide a forum for student voice
o
Making the Change Student Conference - workshops for students in grades 7 - 12. Workshops themes include: Ability, Faith, First
Nations, Métis and Inuit, Gender, Race/Culture, Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity, Socioeconomic Status, Bullying Prevention, and
Social Justice Leadership.
o
GSA Conference - safe and positive space for students and staff to learn and engage in workshops addressing LGBTQ issues and
the intersection/relationship with other equity lenses.
o
We Are Here Student Conference - Promote self-identification program for students of First Nation, Metis and Inuit heritage.
o
Friends for Life Program - Professional training for Child and Youth Counsellor Staff to facilitate Friends for Life Progam in
elementary
Goal 2
Every student will realize their potential through an integrated and coordinated system of supports and resources.
Targets
 By 2016, 12% of Grade 3 student will achieve level 4 in reading on the EQAO provincial assessment (a rise from 8%).
 By 2016, 74% of all Grade 3 boys will achieve level 3 in Reading on the EQAO provincial assessment (a rise from 66%).
 By 2016, 70% of Grade 6 students will achieve level 3 or 4 in mathematics on the EQAO provincial assessment. (a rise from 64%)
 By 2016, the cohort analysis of junior and intermediate EQAO scores in Math will show value added.
 By 2016, all students completing alternative curriculum will demonstrate value added growth on their individual program outcomes.
 By 2016, all staff will implement the Board’s alternative curriculum and assessment strategies for students not completing Ontario
curriculum.
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2014 - 2015 Strategies
 Increased emphasis on math interventions and provide resources for remediation..
 Continued implementation of system math plan E.g. Institutes and learning sessions, support for Math AQ courses, expansion of coaches,
expansion of Dreambox.
 Increased emphasis on building teacher capacity to respond to student thinking in mathematics.
 Increased support through ESL sections to close the achievement gap on EQAO assessments for students with ELL needs
 Student Work Study Teachers will continue to support schools in moving students from Level 3 to Level 4 in Mathematics
 Provide training on Alternative Curriculum to Secondary Teachers and Administrators
 Continue to monitor IEPs for success in Alternative Curriculum areas in elementary and begin to monitor in Secondary
 Continue to implement teacher survey for Elementary and initiate survey for Secondary to monitor teacher implementation of alternative
curriculum
 Specialized training to occur for all Itinerant Teachers and align work with multi-year plan and School Effectiveness Framework (SEF)
 Increased emphasis on “Learning For All” strategies to support all learners
 Special Education Learning Resource Teachers will continue to work with Speech Language Pathologist to support early language
development/emergent literacy skills for primary (K-1) students
 Continue to monitor efficacy of programs (Early Language Development Classes (ELDC), Communication classes) and placements
(Primary Language Classes (PLC), Learning Disability (LD), Life Skills (LS), Behaviour Resource Class (BRC)) to meet specific learning
needs in Elementary and (Life Skills, Centre) High School
 Provide Summer Assistive Technology (AT) Camps to provide more students with greater access to the curriculum
 Student Services will support schools in planning and implementing thoughtful and purposeful transitions into, through, and out of
school.
Goal 3
Every student will learn in a safe and inclusive school environment.
Targets
 By 2016, elementary students will report an average of 8.7/10 of feeling safe at school (a rise from 8.3/10).
 By 2016, secondary students will report an average of 8.6/10 secondary of feeling safe at school (a rise from 8.2/10).
 By 2016, the number of elementary students who report experiencing moderate or severe bullying in the TTFM survey will decrease by
5% points (currently 25%).
 By 2016, the number of secondary students who report experiencing moderate or severe bullying in the TTFM survey will decrease by 4%
points (currently 18%).
Strategies 2014-2015
 Implementation of Mental Health Strategy
o
Increase mental health literacy in students, staff and families
o
Outline the pathways to care of services available within the HDSB and Halton community
o
Making explicit connections of social emotional skill development throughout the Ontario curriculum, Developmental Assets,
Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS), Restorative Practices and Culturally Responsive Teaching through collaboration of Student Services,
Safe and Inclusive Schools and School Programs
o
Students creating messaging and branding "for students by students" to highlight mental health information and resources
 SafeTalk Training (Suicide Prevention Training) for preparing staff, families and students over 16 to identify persons with thoughts of
suicide and connect them to suicide first aid resources.
 Host a Mental Health Student Champions Conference: 2 students per school attend central event co-sponsored with New Mentality
Youth Group: Disable the Label Conference
 Host the 2nd Annual Mental Health Symposium for school Mental Health Champion Teams
 Implement the program Kids Have Stress Too into Kindergarten classes across the board
 Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training for 30 social workers
 Purchase of Psychiatric Consultation time for use with our Mental Health And Attendance Review Committee or through Multi-Disciplinary
Teams
 Make Mental Health information available in all schools in a public area through the installation of a Mental Health rack with information
brochures
 Begin an exploration and research process to open a First Nation, Metis and Inuit ‘welcome centre’ to support Halton youth, and to
promote Aboriginal education.
 Implement and monitor new resources: Bullying Prevention and Intervention Guide, Progressive Discipline Guidelines, Board Bullying
Prevention and Intervention Strategy, Online Bullying Reporting Tool, ‘Whole School Approach to Positive School Climate’.
 Support schools to use the Student, Staff and Parent responses from TTFM surveys to assess achievement of Safe and Inclusive Schools
goals to engage student voice.
 Complete a gap analysis of Safe & Inclusive Schools work to promote our HDSB Equity Lenses to reflect areas for growth in resource
development, agency partnerships and support and professional development.
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Implement learning activities and experiences that explicitly promote an awareness and recognition of the strengths of all HDSB Equity
lenses and identities and their intersection with one another.
Continue to build capacity for staff who support for students with behavioural needs, providing specific training to SERTs and Special
Education networks and inviting classroom teachers
Support for school staff in determination of mitigating factors in progressive discipline
Support schools in promoting student independence, with an emphasis on planned fading of “prompts” and intensive support
Goal 4
Every Kindergarten to Grade 3 student will receive intensive guided instruction in reading. Students who do not demonstrate movement
towards their grade level target, will be assessed and supported by a second tier of support.
Targets
 By 2016, 44% of students with special needs will achieve grade level reading skills as evidenced by June PM Benchmark data.
 By 2016, 75% of all Grade 3 students will achieve the provincial standard in reading on EQAO (a rise from 71%).
 By 2016, 100% of elementary principals and teachers will use a comprehensive literacy program incorporating phonemic awareness,
phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
 The Board wide early literacy strategy will use teacher and principal data tracking to ensure students advance to their appropriate reading
grade level at a minimum.
Strategies 2014-2015
 Use the data on teacher institute attendance to expand the focus on in school support and implementation of strategies learned.
 Continue the focus on data tracking and increase training and support in Junior and Intermediate data use.
 Continue training with a focus on how to use the data for instructional decisions.
 Expand the training for Grade 1, 2 and 3 teachers with current and past LLI students.
 4 additional LLI schools may be added dependent upon budget decision.
 Provide a Grade 1 LLI kit to every school, budget decision pending. Program department will train teachers to use the kit to be more
precise in meeting individual student needs.
 Provide July Literacy Institutes for teachers to attend.
 Summer learning program for primary students provided at two school sites
 Continue PM/DRA entries into ESAT and continue principal monitoring of the use of this data to plan targeted student supports.
 Principal will monitor LLI students who do not reach targeted level in 16 weeks and will refer these students to School Resource Team
for careful analysis of possible supports
 Train all K-2 teachers in intervention strategies for reading with a focus on “prompts”
 Special Education Learning Resource Teachers will support schools in building capacity for teachers, and achievement for students, in
emergent literacy
 Speech Language Pathologists will work with schools, and Sp Ed LRTs, to support early language development and increase the level of
speech language interventions.
Goal 5
Every student will receive research-based instructional strategies, differentiated to the needs of students.
Targets
 By 2016, elementary and secondary teachers will understand and implement effective instruction in the following areas:
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direct instruction in Literacy and Numeracy
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teaching through mathematical processes
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differentiated strategies for Student Engagement
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learning goals, success criteria, feedback
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use of high level questioning and critical thinking skills

inquiry-based learning
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over 40 inquiry based projects are presently ongoing in the secondary panel

use of assistive and instructional technologies
Strategies 2014-2015
 In-service SERTs, Self Contained teachers and Admin on IEP Effectiveness based on this year’s system wide review of IEPs.
 Continue training and in school support on mental math strategies, math congress, content learning and growth mindset.
 Continue Associate Director and FOS Superintendent monitoring of SIPSA and SSA
 Deepen levelled literacy intervention (LLI) focus in K-3 classes.
 All grade 4 students will be provided student Dreambox license through CODE funding. This funding will also provide learning
opportunities for grade 4 teachers in the implementation of DreamBox as part of their mathematics program. Inclusion of parent learning
sessions in the Fall of 2014-2015.
 School Programs, Safe and Inclusive School and Student Services will partner to support schools in Collaborative Inquiry work to embed
Culturally Responsive Teaching and Restorative Practices into curricular program and instructional practices.
 Program and Student Services will provide teacher and administrative training and support on tiered intervention strategies in mathematics
 Differentiation of Assistive Technology (AT) devices: laptops, ipad, chromebook (plus LiveScribe pens and Smart Boards) to best utilize
student strengths (e.g., kinesthetic, visual, auditory) as well as meet needs (text to voice, voice to text, etc., but also creating visually
uncluttered interfaces (ipad, chromebook); selection of programs/apps with research base indicating significant effect on student
comprehension/expression
 Continuation of “Smart Inclusion” (Smartboards and more) work both with students in self-contained life skills/centre programs and with
students with low-incidence special needs in inclusive classrooms: utilizing strengths in visual/kinesthetic/auditory learning, specialized
software designed to capitalize on those strengths
 Utilization of research-based apps (Proloquo2Go) as a communications system Assistive Augmentative Communication (AAC) for
functionally non-verbal students
 Monitor the use of “Bring It” in the advancement of mathematics
 Signed English training for staff as needed
 Continue to monitor levels of support on IEP to provide opportunities specific to each student’s needs
STAFF
Goal 1
Staff will participate in collaborative, supportive and inclusive working and learning communities focused on innovation and research.
Targets
 By 2016, the Board will approve an Employment Equity Policy.
 By 2016, the principles of Employment Equity as delineated in the Policy will be integrated into the recruitment and promotion practices
of the Board.
 By 2016, schools and departments will have staff participate in a collaborative, supportive, inclusive learning community (PLC) with a
work place environment focused on innovation and research that reflects the principles of equity.
Strategies 2014-2015
 Design and deliver staff learning opportunities to focus on embedding Culturally Responsive Teaching, Developmental Assets,Think Kids
(CPS), Restorative Practices and Developmental Assets (eg. Equity Learning Series to academic and corporate staff).
 Design and implement the Equity Review Tool for policies, procedures and practices to further implement the Equity Strategy and HDSB
Equity and Inclusive Education Policy.
 Use the Equity & Inclusive Education Advisory Steering Committee to support stakeholder consultations and the vetting of Equity
Policies, Procedures, Practices and Programs
 Staff Equity Conference - Our Voices
 System Leader experiential learning (trips, performance and events) aligned with the Equity Lenses for (with focus on sub groups targeted
for monitoring in our BIPSA: students of First Nation, Metis, and Inuit heritage and students with ELL needs).
 Deliver the Canadian Race Relations Foundation - Foundations of Equity program to Principals and Managers focusing on inclusion in
hiring
Goal 2
Staff will support safe, respectful and inclusive relationships with students, staff, families and communities.
Targets
 By 2016, 100% of SIPSAs will reflect the work of Safe School Action Team with staff, students, families and communities to support and
ensure safety, respect and inclusivity with help from system, school, and community leaders
 By 2016, all system leaders will have the opportunity to attend training on inclusive recruitment strategies
Strategies 2014-2015
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Leadership and Family of Schools will continue to provide opportunities for principals to learn more about these strategies and for
principals to share their strategies.
 Ensure all schools have a Safe and Inclusive Schools target in their SIPSAs.
 Deliver staff training for Level 1 and Level 2 Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) protocol. Ensure that each school has a trained
admin and social worker/child youth worker.
 Host the Safe and Inclusive Schools Conference in the fall of 2014.
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Facilitate HDSB Newcomer settlement and engagement strategy (eg. parent evenings, grade 9 orientation events, transition periods)
First Nation Metis Inuit (FNMI) Self Identification information sessions for parents and families.
Develop partnerships with community agencies and organizations to target areas of need to build capacity in support of all HDSB Equity
Lenses (i.e . Ability, Race/Culture, FNMI)
Reach out to, and with, engage families who self identify as First Nation, Metis, or Inuit.
Offer staff training for OCTU/HEDA/MASS and CUPE to increase awareness and effectiveness in working with Newcomer families
(registration and settlement process), students who identify as Trans-Gender, First Nation, Metis and Inuit, and varied abilities (special
education, mental health, student health conditions).
Increase the capacity of our student supervisors through systematic training
Goal 3
Staff will use systemic data to inform actions, and validate decision-making and resource allocation.
Targets
 By 2016, all system leaders will be trained on how to effectively use data to inform decision making
 By 2016, 100% of principals will use data and other evidence in literacy and numeracy and safety and well-being to assess literacy and
numeracy instruction in their schools
 By 2016, 100% of primary and junior teachers will understand and use literacy and numeracy data to assess and modify their instructional
and assessment strategies for student achievement
 By 2016 the Board will use comparative provincial data, to reduce the number of lost-time accidents by 5% (currently 1.79%)
Strategies 2014-2015
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More training for Grade 7 and 8 teachers on using data for instructional decisions in literacy. Math Plan includes a focus on the use of data
in mathematics for instructional decisions.
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Survey data is being used to target learning plan for 2014-2015. Training and support on the use of electronic data walls for Grades 4-8 is
planned.
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Promote the use of safe footwear to reduce the number of slip, trip and fall accidents through the publication of a guideline or procedure
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Investigate the Clean Sweep program and the use of Ergonomic equipment to reduce strains and musculoskeletal injuries
SYSTEM
Goal 1
The Halton District School Board will integrate proactive and strategic communications with the Board’s initiatives and achievements in
order to increase public confidence and understanding.
Targets:
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By 2016, all administrators, trustees, managers and project leaders will be provided with resources to assist in determining audiences,
appropriate methods of communication and key messages for all communications initiatives and purposes
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By 2016, all communications plans will include a method of evaluation for short- and long-term monitoring and appraisal to ascertain
success in achieving communication goals
Strategies 2014-2015
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Implementation of priority goals identified from Communications Audit
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Upgrade Boardroom technology
Goal 2
The Halton District School Board will plan, provide and maintain facilities as safe, accessible, comfortable and engaging learning
environments for all students and staff.
Targets:

By 2016, the Halton District School Board will develop an annual maintenance plan to:
o identify a cycle of infrastructure upgrades to reduce the frequency of disruptions to classroom instruction and work environments;
o identify a cycle of renewal to address equity of program functionality in all schools;
o provide functional equity for programs in all schools;
o respond to all items reported by Health and Safety within the regulatory timelines.
Strategies 2014-2015
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Facility Services will continue to monitor and review the nature of disruptions to classroom instruction and act on plans to reduce them.
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continue with the ‘Renewal’ program to upgrade infrastructure.
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act on the approved projects contained in the ‘Close the Gap’ initiative.
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continue to monitor and address Health and Safety issues.
Goal 3
By 2016, the Halton District School Board will provide and maintain a technology infrastructure to engage and support 21st century
learning for all students and staff.
Targets:
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By 2016, WiFi connectivity will be provided in 95% of our portable classrooms, and in 99% of our school building classrooms and all
school libraries (currently 80% and 0%).
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Develop an annual plan that will maximize the efficient use of technology.
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Within the next four years, 60% of our classrooms will be "Bring IT" classrooms (currently in pilot)
Strategies 2014-2015
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Records Management (RM)
o Development and approval of RM Strategy, including on-site records storage capacity and related procedures
o Targeted communication to system regarding new RM processes
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Continue to roll-out annual funding of $2,000,000 in school technology
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22% of Home Room classrooms will be Technology Enhanced (primary grades) or Bring I.T Classrooms
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Further implementation of Digital Citizenship
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Define and move toward mandated Information and Communication Technology (ICT) activities for students at various grade levels
Goal 4
By 2016, the Halton District School Board will optimize the resources and learning environments through innovative program delivery
models and partnerships.
Targets:
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By 2016, the Halton District School Board will development and implement a system innovation strategy.
Strategies 2014-2015
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Continue the monitoring of the Teacher Leadership and Learning Projects (TLLPs) and the Innovation Inquiry Projects. Support project
schools in sharing their evidence of successes within their schools and across the system.
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Revised Fundraising Procedure available for review by the Policy, Bylaw and Governance Committee.
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Staff continue to monitor Ministry direction regarding Corporate Sponsorship parameters and guidelines.
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Pilot Electronic Funds Transfer to selected vendors with a plan for a complete roll-out by the end of 2015.
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Continue to promote community agency relationships to connect families of students with mental health needs with outside agency services