Growing Success-Making Connections

OverviewOverview

Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

1. Making Connections between Growing Success and the BIP

2. Guidelines for Comments

3. Sample Comments

4.Updated P/PR for A & E

Linking the BIP to GSLinking the BIP to GS

Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning -Growing Success, p. 50

Strategy #2 in the BIP: OCDSB Strategy #2: To improve student achievement through a focus on ongoing assessment and feedback

Descriptive Feedback

The progress report card is designed to show the development of a student’s learning skills and work habits during the beginning of the school year, as well as a student’s general progress in working towards the achievement of the curriculum expectations.

The progress report focuses on assessment for learning and assessment as learning in the first weeks of the school year. It does not focus on assessment of learning. It is descriptive rather than evaluative.

Parental Engagement

“The Progress Report cards are intended to become a central part of rich discussions with students and their parents in the context of proactive interviews or conferences that will help establish a positive tone for the remainder of the school year.”

(Growing Success, p. 66)

Professional Judgment

How students feel about themselves as learners and whether they enjoy learning and strive for excellence are closely related to their teachers’ professional skills both in differentiating instruction and assessment in helping students understand how they can improve.

Teachers create environments in which all students feel valued and confident and have the courage to take risks and make mistakes. In their important professional role, teachers show students that they care for them, and model a love of learning that can deeply influence their lives.

Teachers’ professional judgments are at the heart of effective assessment, evaluation, and reporting of students achievement.

(Growing Success, p. 8)

Professional Collaboration

Professional collaboration involves teachers and administrators in discussions regarding student outcomes. Professional collaboration among educators allows for school-wide practices to be consistent within and across schools.

Getting Started…

When writing comments, consider the following questions:

1. Where is the student now? (What are their strengths and areas of difficulty?)

2. What does the student need to do to improve? (Next steps?)

Guidelines for Progress Report

In preparation for the reporting of student progress, please ensure that teachers are aware of the following important guidelines. Beginning in the fall of 2010, teachers will use the progress report to show a student’s development of the learning skills and work

habits, as well as a student’s general progress towards the achievement of the curriculum expectations in each subject/strand where instruction has taken place.

Note: N/A is to be checked where there has been no instruction for a subject/strand. Teachers are expected to use the comment box to provide information on the progress of every student. The language used in the comment box should be clear and written for the intended audience – the parents and students. It is the expectation that every student receives comments on areas of strengths and next steps for improvement in

subjects/strands and learning skills. In particular, it is expected that students who are identified as “progressing with difficulty” in a subject/strand, or “needs improvement” in a learning skill/work habit, will require a more fulsome comment for this subject, strand or skill.

Note: The comments for strengths and next steps may be made in reference to a single subject/strand or a cluster of subjects/strands, particularly if these subjects have been taught in an integrated manner.

Although it is not necessary to comment on all subjects/strands, teachers are strongly encouraged to comment on areas where there has been a significant amount of instructional time.

The progress report card format can not be modified.

Language (p. 64 Growing Success)

Use language that parents will understand Provide parents with clear, precise, and

meaningful feedback Avoid wording that simply repeats the

language of the curriculum expectations or the achievement chart

Teachers are encouraged to use personalised comments instead of a prepared set of standard comments

Criteria to Consider when Selecting Progress Indicator

Students who are Progressing Very Well are progressing in relation to:

Students who are Progressing Well are progressing in relation to:

Students who are Progressing With Difficulty are progressing in relation to:

Knowing the learner (e.g. ESL/ELD Stage, IEP)

Curriculum expectations (e.g. learning goals, success criteria, achievement chart categories)

Evidence of learning (e.g. student work samples)

Professional Judgement

Progress Report Sample Comments

•Created with input from teachers (both instructional coaches and classroom teachers)

•Classroom teachers who participated represented all three divisions at the elementary level and many of the program options (Reg English, EFI, MFI etc)

Activity re Progress Report Cmments

You have been provided with sample comments.

Please review these to note the difference in these comments as compared to prior report cards.

Sample A: Grade 1 Regular English StudentIntegrated comment.

Teacher entered in all in the language area.

Teachers added names at end of comments as teacher names are not

listed on progress report.

NA box clicked for the arts’ subjects

not instructed.

SUBJECTS listed at titles to make it easy for

parents to see which subject area is being

referred to.

Sample B: Grade 2 EFI Student

Don’t forget to ensure FRENCH boxes are checked for all areas instructed in French.

Teachers integrated some comments where

appropriate

Sample C: Grade 3 ELL (modified) Regular English

Revised information from MOE- no RIDER statements for ELLs

Ensure that ESL/ELD boxes are checked for

areas that are modified.

Sample D: Grade 4 MFI Student

Teacher chose to integrate science and

dance comment as well as English language

and French

The first sentence of the language comment ideally

should refer to a strength so that parents read a positive first

Sample E: Grade 6 EFI Immersion Strengths and Next Steps clearly shown

in this example

Sample F: Grade 7 Regular English

Revised A&E Policy/Procedure

Policy/procedure were revised to reflect content of Growing Success policy document

You have been provided with copies that show the changes to the documents.

ACTIVITY: Please review the changes in the procedure and we will discuss these in a group (impact on practices/ what needs to be communicated).