What Growing Success Means to Secondary

1. What Growing Success Means to Secondary

2. Agenda • Overview of the policy document • Fundamental Principles • Assessment • Learning Skills & Work Habits • Evaluation • Reporting • Supports for Students

3. Growing Success Policy • The purpose of the new assessment, evaluation and reporting policy document is to: • update, clarify, consolidate, and co-ordinate policy; • achieve fairness, transparency, equity, and consistency across the province in the assessment, evaluation and reporting of student learning. • The new policy document supports the government’s three core priorities for education: • high levels of student achievement; • reducing gaps in student achievement; • increased public confidence in publicly funded education.

4. Overview • Flip through the document • Identify the chapters • Look at the organization • Have post-it’s ready to flag the document as we move through the sections

5. Structure of the Document • Two parts: • Policy • Statements based on research • Context • Information for teachers • Material put in context

6. Fundamental Principles • Look at the fundamental principles at your table. With your group, discuss what that principle looks like for teachers, students and reporting.

7. Fundamental Principles Seven fundamental principles. Teachers use practices and procedures that: • are fair, transparent, and equitable for all students; • support all students, including those with special education needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (English or French), and those who are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit; • are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students; (ie.DI) …cont’d

8. Fundamental Principles • are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the school year or course and at other appropriate points throughout the school year or course; • are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning; • provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement; • develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning.

9. Performance Standards & Achievement Chart • Criterion-referenced assessment and evaluation • No changes to Achievement Charts • Content standards = Learning Goals in student language • Success Criteria = Performance Standards in student language • Make these transparent to students

10. Assessment • For learning: (pg 31) • Is used by teachers and students to determine what students already know and can do with respect to the knowledge and kills identified in the overall and specific expectations. • Does not generate marks • Can be assessed by students and peers

11. Assessment • As learning: (pg 31) • Is used by students to provide feedback to other students, monitor their own progress, make adjustments and set individual goals. • Peer assessment • Self assessment • Students providing descriptive feedback or responding to teacher descriptive feedback.

12. Assessment • Of learning: (pg 31) • Is used by the teacher to summarize learning at a given point in time. • Generates a mark • Is solely the responsibility of the teacher • Does not include peer or self evaluation

13. For Assessment As Of

14. For Assessment As Of

15. Learning Skills and Work Habits in Grades 1 to 12 • Six learning skills and work habits: • Responsibility • Organization • Independent Work • Collaboration • Initiative • Self-regulation • Emphasized on all progress report cards and provincial report cards

16. Learning Skills & Work Habits • Using the handout of Learning Skills and Work Habits provided, roll the die at your table. • Discuss with your group, how the corresponding skill is exemplified in your content area.

17. Learning Skills and Work Habits in Grades 1 to 12 • For example, what would responsibility look like in the mathematics classroom if sample behaviours for Responsibilityare that the student: • fulfils responsibilities and commitments within the learning environment; • completes and submits class work, homework, and assignments according to agreed-upon timelines; • takes responsibility for and manages own behaviour.

18. Learning Skills and Work Habits in Grades 1 to 12 • …evaluation of learning skills and work habits, … should not be considered in the determination of a student’s grades. • Growing Success (see page 10) provides clarification and examples of when it is not possible to separate the evaluation of the development of the learning skills.

19. Professional Judgement(as defined by Growing Success, pg 152) • Know the policy and the context. • In professional practice, judgement involves a purposeful and systematic thinking process that evolves in terms of accuracy and insight with ongoing reflection and self-correction.

20. Professional Judgement • Where in your teaching would you need to use “professional judgement” as defined by Growing Success? Talk to your neighbour.

21. Evaluation • The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. • Evidence for evaluation: observations, conversations and student products. • Wherever possible, under the supervision of the teacher.

22. Evaluation • Flip through pages 38-46 • Evidence • Determining a Report Card Grade • Percentage mark below 50% • “I”: Insufficient evidence • Late and missed assignments • Context

23. Evaluation • Code “I” for Grades 1-10: • may be used in a mark book and/or on a student’s report card, including the final report card, to indicate that insufficient evidence is available to determine a letter grade or percentage mark. • For the report card, teachers will use their professional judgement to determine when the use of “I” is appropriate and in the best interests of the student. For example: • the student has enrolled in the school very recently; • there were issues or extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control, such as protracted illness, that affected his or her attendance and/or ability to provide sufficient evidence of achievement of the overall expectations.

24. Evaluation • Late and Missed Assignments • The Growing Success policy document (see page 43) provides a number of strategies that, when it is appropriate in the professional judgement of teachers, may be used to help prevent and/or address late and missed assignments. • One strategy is deducting marks for late assignments, up to and including the full value of the assignment.

25. Reporting Student Achievement • Continuous Communication • communication with parents and students about student achievement should be continuous throughout the year: conferences, portfolios of student work, interviews, phone calls, checklists, and informal reports. • Communication about student achievement should … encourage students to set goals for learning, help teachers to establish plans for teaching, and assist parents in supporting learning at home.

26. The Provincial Report Card • Provincial Report Card, Grades 9-12 • Issued twice per semester in semestered schools and three times per year in non-semestered schools • SHSM box indicates the student is taking the course as a credit towards a Specialist High Skills Major • The French box indicates that the student is receiving instruction in French for the course • Page 3 or 4 of the Provincial report card details what the learning skills mean and the criteria for which they were assessed.

27. Credit Recovery • Credit recovery is designed to help regular day school students meet the expectations of a course they have completed and have received a failing grade. • Credit recovery is one of several options to be considered for a student who fails a course. • Students may only recover the credit of the actual course failed

28. Credit Recovery • To ensure the integrity of the recovered credit, the student must demonstrate achievement of all of the overall expectations for the course. • Students in Grades 9 and 10 who receive an “I” on their report card may be considered for credit recovery. • The assessment and evaluation practices used for credit recovery must be consistent with ministry and board policies.

29. ELL • If the student receives a modified program for ESL needs, the ESL box should be checked. • If they are receiving accommodations only…do not check the box.Ex. Reducing the complexity of writing required.

30. IEP’s • If the expectations of the course have been modified (ie. reduced in number or complexity) to meet a students IEP, the IEP box must be checked. • Accommodations should always be provided but do not result in the box being checked.

31. E-Learning • One of a number of opportunities for students to earn credits.

32. Development of Board Policies Individual boards will work collaboratively with their schools and communities to develop policy for dealing with: • Late and missed assignments for evaluation • Cheating and Plagiarism • Lower limit of the range of percentage marks below 50% (Grade 9 – 12)

33. Trillium/SIS • Trillium users across the Province have received Growing Success and are making adjustments to the technical reporting process

34. Resources www.edugains.ca Look for “AER GAINS” icon

35. Contacts • MaryJane McNamara, Central Co-ordinating Principal • Tara Cook, Instructional Leader • Anthony Meli, Instructional Leader