Gill Elementary - School District #70
2011 Accountability Contract
School and Community Context
The student population at Gill Elementary comes from a diverse rural and urban background. Currently,
there are 229 students enrolled, K through 5, with approximately 20% having aboriginal ancestry. Gill
Elementary is a warm and inviting building. We are proud of our school’s emphasis on daily physical
activities as well as a well established extra-curricular athletics program. We feel that both have a strong
influence on our students academic and social achievements.
The purpose of this document is to give an overall analysis of the Reading, Writing, and Social
Responsibility data collected from 2010. Our School-Based Professional Development has been framed
using an inquiry model. This has guided the format utilized to write this document. The conversations our
school team had were engaging and focused. We knew that we needed to focus on writing as a school. In
addition, we knew that we continued to be concerned with the overall social responsibility of students.
The process of inquiring begins with gathering information and data. Effective inquiry is more than
just asking questions. A complex process is involved when individuals attempt to convert
information and data into useful knowledge. Useful application of inquiry learning involves several
factors: a context for questions, a framework for questions, a focus for questions, and different
levels of questions. Well-designed inquiry learning produces knowledge formation that can be
widely applied.
Reading Summary of Results from 2010
Key indicators of student success continue to be derived from summative and formative assessments that
are based on provincial performance standards. Analysis of June 2010 reading data indicates that our
overall target goal of 85-100% of students meeting expectations in Goals 1 and 1A was met. We are
pleased with the results of 171/191 (90%) of students meeting reading expectations. This is compared to
the fall pre-assessment of 136/191 (71%) of students meeting reading expectations. Highlights from the
data analysis include:
65% of Grade 1 exceeding expectations, 84% of Grade 2 and 86% of Grade 3 students were
meeting or exceeding reading expectations based on District Benchmark results.
It should be noted that 37% of all students exceeded grade level reading expectations in Spring
2010.
In 2009-2010, 5/6 (83%) of Aboriginal students in the grade 4 and 7/9 (78%) of the grade 5
cohort fully met or exceeded expectations. As a whole, 28/40 (70%) of Aboriginal students met
or fully met reading expectations.
Intermediate reading assessments indicated that 25/32 (78%) of grade 3 students exceeded
expectations, 29/36 (81%) of our grade fours met expectations and 35/36 (97%) of our grade fives
met expectations.
Our IEP 1701 students on modified programs showed growth within the targets of their individual
educational plans. Progress is monitored through portfolios, anecdotal information, completed
work assignments and informal tests that target letter, word and number recognition.
Recommendations for 2010:
Continue to utilize Filemaker Pro as a database for tracking student performance
Continue to work toward 100% of students showing improvement in their reading skills
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Assessment results will form the basis for curricular instruction, budgeting for materials
and resources, collaborative planning, and ongoing professional and staff development.
Continue to monitor program and results for 1701 students.
Continue to monitor students reading results but exclude reading as a school improvement
goal
Writing Summary of Results from 2010
Writing skills, for all grades, were assessed using the B.C. Performance Standards. Analysis of the
writing indicates student achievement may improve through a focus on the use of paragraphs to indicate a
change in topic, providing lead in and concluding sentences, and using a variety of sentence structures.
Spelling skills, grammatical accuracy and sentence construction appeared to be relatively strong.
Data indicates 64/191(34%) of students minimally met to not yet meet standards in the spring.26 of
those students were Aboriginal students. This is an area of concern for the staff
32/36 (89%) grade five students were meeting expectations in the spring
There is a strong group of aboriginal writers in grade four and five
Qualitatively we were are not seeing language rich and engaging writing from our students
Recommendations:
Continue with fall and spring school wide writes.
Continue to collect and file student writing samples for use in future years (students and staff).
Continue to support teacher professional development related to writing.
Continue to include the writing performance standards in classroom instruction.
Adopt an inquiry model for on School based Professional Development days and staff meetings
Collaborate with other schools within our District and outside the district
Inquiry Question #1
How will we successfully collaborate to meet the diverse writing needs and interests of our Gill
Students?
Rationale: Gill staff use various strategies to teach and assess writing. Teachers have expressed the need
for some common approaches to how we instruct, assess, and support writers from Kindergarten to grade
5. Teachers have also expressed the need identify and use some common strategies and language when
engaging students in writing. We want to be able to identify how best to utilize what we know and
understand about writing so that students are better served. We have identified general areas that may
assist us relating to organizational structures and consistent instructional approaches (including
assessment and resources).
In September 2009, teaching staff established writing as our focus for the 2010 and 2011 school years.
Our Essential Questions
What are the qualities of an exemplary writers’ workshop?
What are our core beliefs about what our student writers need?
School District No. 70 (Alberni)
Excellence in Education
Page 3
How can teachers support students with their writing skills?
Our Core Beliefs
Student Writers Need:
To feel safe, respected and valued
Inspiration—the details of life are significant... sights, sounds, smells, emotions
Mistakes are opportunities for learning
Time: Scheduled time, time to revise, time to share, time to celebrate
Language rich environment and Exposure to stories and genre
Knowledge that writing is a process/continuum
Talk time/sharing time
A belief in themselves as writers
Honor your own writing and the writing of others
Recommendations For Gill:
Establishing a common language for writing and assessment
Celebrate at monthly assemblies/newsletters
Once a week “Olson’s Authors” Sessions
Buddy Writing
Set Time For Writing
Exploring Best Practices
Seeing each other teach/model
Embed time for collaboration
Money for books and organizing the collection and keeping it fresh
Six Trait Resources
Music Illustration
Technologies (e.g. Websites for publishing writing)
Strategies and Structures
Continue with samples of student writing from all children to be included in school newsletters
and in local paper to give students a reason for writing.
Two school wide writes will be scheduled, one in November, one in April and student results
analyzed. Collaborative meetings using collaboration dollars scheduled after each session.
We have administered school wide writing assessments in the Fall and Spring
We have purchased and provided professional learning resources for teachers
School District No. 70 (Alberni)
Excellence in Education
Page 4
Inquiry Question #2
How do we increase students’ sense of social responsibility and positive school behaviour?
Rationale: Overtime the number of students with severe behaviour challenges has increased at Gill
Elementary often having a dramatic impact on the school as a whole. Responding more effectively to
high-needs students requires a context of a strong positive school climate as well as consistent and
strategic response routines. Baseline office referral data shows 234 recorded office referrals in 2008/2009
and 147 in 2009/2010. We were able to identify the Grade 4 group as having a higher number of referrals
compared to other grades. The PAC notes there are some challenges that we feel the school is facing this
year. We are pleased with the decrease in office referrals.
Essential Questions:
How do we contribute to the classroom and school community?
How do we solve problems in peaceful ways?
How do we value student diversity?
How do we exercise democratic rights and responsibilities?
How do we nurture our students so they can be successful emotional and academically?
Structures and Strategies:
Consult with other schools that are utilizing a Total Learning Centre
Establish and staff a Total Learning Centre
Communicate the purpose and guidelines of the use of the TLC room with staff and parents
Continue the Effective Behavioural Support System
Continue tracking results for 2010/11
Pay particular attention to the Grade 4 students monitoring their progress and providing timely
interventions.
Monitor progress of specific high needs students identified in 2009/10
Students with a high number of office referrals will be referred to School-Based Team
Provide opportunities for students to participate in socially responsibly ways;
o Gr. 5 Leadership (lunch monitors, recycling, meaningful work around the school)
o Classroom Buddies with younger classes
o Choose some community initiatives to support (Children’s Hospital, SPCA, Variety Club
Telethon)
Continue to review data at staff /PAC meetings to determine if school-wide response is required
Ensure individualized behaviour plans are in place for high needs students, that they are
monitored closely and there is a timely response to changing needs
Provide additional supervision for high-needs students
Provide access to supports such as social stories, coaching for social skills etc.
Continue to utilize the District Behavioural Support Team when necessary
School District No. 70 (Alberni)
Excellence in Education