Alberta Initiative For School Improvement (AISI) Cycle II

The Edmonton Catholic School District is very pleased to take part in the new 3 year (2003 - 2006) AISI funding cycle that will enable the district to continue its focus on improving teaching and learning. Based on the success of the projects undertaken over the past three years and the learning acquired from these projects, the school district is about to initiate projects that will transfer the learning to new areas and add to our understanding of the teaching and learning process. Our new projects will include:

Improving Secondary Math & Science Results
Improving ESL Teaching and Learning Strategies
Site-Based Technology Integration Program
Early Language Literacy K-3
Backward Design: Assessing for Understanding
High School Completion Strategies
District Exams in Math and Language Arts (English & French)
Teaching Exceptional Learners in the Inclusive Setting
Enhancing Learning and Student Achievement Through a Visual and Performing Arts Project

Improving Secondary Math and Science Results

Upon the request of our Superintendent to improve the Diploma results in mathematics and science in our District, a number of initiatives have been under taken to achieve this goal. In mathematics, a professional development opportunity to deepen a teacher's understanding and learning of high school mathematics was offered in the form of a course. During the Math 10/20 Pure course, the teachers examined in depth the principles, content and pedagogy of the new Pure Mathematics programs. The teachers also learned new strategies that would help them to improve students' achievement in mathematics.

The mathematics consultant and a group of teachers also developed a common exam for Math 10 and 20 Pure and Applied. A formal analysis of these exams was not done due to monetary reasons. However an informal analysis of mean and standard deviation was performed.

The main area of concern for the science consultant was the Science 30 results. The consultant arranged for the Science 30 teachers to attend an inservice facilitated by John Dradder, the Science 30 Exam Manager for the province. The teachers were taught how the test is designed and they were given a number of strategies to improve their results. The teachers were invited to be on Item Development Committees and were invited to participate in the marking of the Science 30 exams. The consultant also gave all his department heads a listing of the websites the government uses to develop questions for the Diploma Exams.

Learning Support Services, the curriculum and instruction department at Edmonton Catholic Schools, seeks to continue and to improve the development of common district exams in Mathematics 10 and 20 pure and applied. It also seeks to develop a common district exam in Physics 20, Chemistry 20, and Biology 20. A common exam in Science 10 and 20 will not be developed because the Science 10 curriculum will change in September 2004. However, a professional development plan will be developed for Science 10 teachers to align their teaching with the Program of Studies, as well as showing them practical ways to implement the strategies learned in AFL. The teachers will be taught different methods to assess their students.

It is our belief that student achievement, as reflected by the results of these common exams, will improve over time and we hope to see this reflected in the analysis of trends over time. We anticipate improvement also on provincial diploma exams of students in Math and the Sciences at the 30 level.

We also believe that through this project, teachers will work more effectively towards the alignment of curriculum, increasing their focus on actual programs of study. Administrators, teachers, and consultants (the district) will better be able to identify areas for growth and provide appropriate scaffolds for students through the robust analysis of data.

An effective professional development support program is also an integral part of the implementation process. We believe that this project must effectively link with most other Edmonton Catholic AISI proposals and district priorities by making a direct effort to interweave the multiple initiatives. Districts normally respond to growth and change by intentionally offering a variety of approaches to teaching and learning. Therefore, in order to prevent what Fullan so aptly coined "multiple initiatives colliding", we believe that part of our strategic planning must be include communication and purposeful linking between all relevant programs.

Improving ESL Teaching and Learning Strategies

Building capacity to improve teaching and learning strategies for English Language Learners involves thirty-six schools and eighty- four content area teachers and resource facilitators/ESL teachers over a three year period.

• Set criteria that these schools must meet to participate in the project will be included in the invitation. Evidence that ESL student learning and achievement is a school priority with administrative support will be crucial.
• Recent research on brain functioning as it relates to working with limited-English children in the classroom states that planning reflectively and strategically will provide teachers with a basis on which to structure a positive learning environment for students to succeed. The professional development model of this project will use current research, study groups, mentoring modeling and coaching to assist teachers in making informed decisions about practice and programming that effectively meet the needs of ESL students at their school.
• Developing a District ESL protocol that reflects new standards and procedures for reception/assessment/benchmarks will provide the district with consistent reception/programming process.
• Lead teacher will provide on site support in assisting teachers with implementing skills, and strategies by mentoring and coaching.
• Parent program will provide immigrant parents with a basic understanding of how our school system works, what expectations the school has for their children, how a second language is acquired and what they can expect from the school system.

Site-Based Technology Integration Program

This project would be an expansion of the Site Based Technology Integration Program currently being offered by Educational and Administrative Technology Services. Presently the program consists of one Technology Teacher Leader assigned to a school site for approximately a 3 week period to work with the entire staff and student population. The Teacher Leader role is to assist teachers with the development and implementation of a multidisciplinary project using technology. The expansion of this program would include an increase in the number of facilitators available to work with school sites. Two additional teacher leaders would be required to provide this program to schools in our district over a three year cycle. An annual follow up program would also be part of the cycle to ensure that integration continues.

The ICT outcomes are designed to be achieved within core curriculum subject areas. The Site Based Technology Integration program is designed to assist teachers in the development and implementation of an ICT integrated curriculum project of their choice. Teachers receive professional development on how to create lesson and unit plans using technology which would provide them with many of the prerequisite skills required to work with students. Our Telus Learning Connection Lead Teachers would support this program by providing the hands-on professional development sessions in the area of Effective Internet Searching and Web Quest development.

Once in the lab, the Teacher Leader would initially model the instruction using technology and the teacher, along side their students, would witness the dynamics of instruction in a lab setting. During the program, the Teacher Leaders would move from model to coach and the teacher would move from observer to instructor so that the teacher has opportunity to deliver instruction using technology with the support and guidance of the Technology Teacher Leader.

In order to ensure that integration continues after the site has participated in the program, a follow up program would be included to provide continued support and coaching for the teachers. Teacher Leaders would return to the schools a minimum of 3 times during the year after the conclusion of the program to share resources and to continue to plan with teachers as well as coach instruction. Education and Administrative Technology Services would continue to staff one facilitator after the three year AISI cycle.

Early Language Literacy K-3

This proposal is an action plan in response to the superintendent's directive in Teaching and Learning in Language Literacy.

The existing situation that gave rise to this proposal began six years ago with the Early Literacy Initiative from Alberta Education . This inspired a group of consultants and administrators to design an intervention project that developed teacher capacity in teaching and learning by working with at-risk readers.

When the ELI funding was extended in 2000, an Early Learning Focus group was assembled that included teachers, administrators, consultants and Alberta Education. This task force looked at the future directions for early learning in Edmonton Catholic Schools by examining current research and data in the areas of:

• school improvement (Hill and Crevola)
• literacy teaching (Richard L. Allington)
• change culture (Michael Fullan and Assessment For Learning Project in Edmonton Catholic Schools)

Two major issues emerged from this focus group:

• An Early Reading Intervention program based on sound research is important to sustain our struggling readers - a commitment to the Reading Recovery program was then founded.
• A professional development series in the area of good first teaching and assessment for ALL children was needed for K - 3 teachers. A framework was developed for Edmonton Catholic Schools that would support teachers in taking a systematic approach in maximizing literacy teaching and learning.

Implementation of the above two factors needed support through a school-site leadership position, called the Site-Literacy Coordinator. This role is multi-faceted and is to work with the school admin team in supporting the teachers in their journey of understanding the model for effective literacy instruction and help lead the establishment of a professional learning community.

Even with the very best classroom teaching, a significant proportion of students fail to make satisfactory progress. Early intervention is essential to enable these students to catch up quickly to their peers. Without timely and effective intervention, these students continue to fall further and further behind in their schoolwork and experience diminished self-esteem and increased alienation from schooling. There is a narrow window of opportunity to assist these students; the research literature indicates that efforts to correct such problems beyond third grade are largely unsuccessful.

Backward Design: Assessing for Understanding

The Backwards Design: Assessing for Understanding project will impact 77 Edmonton Catholic Schools; it will become an integral part of teaching and learning experiences in Divisions II and III social studies and language arts programs as it encourages teachers to work more effectively towards the alignment of curriculum, increasing their focus on standards as set by the programs of study. Administrators, teachers, and consultants will better be able to assess student understanding through the use of authentic performance-based assessments and the collection of evidence of student learning over time.

Teachers will create units of study based on Alberta program standards for social studies and language arts, directed at uncovering key understandings in curriculum and are focused around essential questions that drive inquiry. Each unit must use a performance task as evidence of student learning demonstrating a combination of outcomes, accompanied by a rubric stating criteria for success up front. Clearly identified knowledge and skills will be addressed throughout the unfolding of the performance task. A range of other assessment evidence (i.e., informal checks for understanding, observations, dialogues, quizzes, tests, academic prompts) will be used throughout the course of the unit to provide ongoing feedback and enhance the formative assessment collection.

Through the metacognitive practices of self-reflection and self-assessment students will learn to monitor and articulate their understanding and achievement. Students will also come to recognize the relationship between teaching and testing and better performance.

This project purposefully links to other district AISI proposals and, through the direct efforts of Learning Support Services staff, every effort will be made to correlate the multiple initiatives.

High School Completion Strategies

AISI High School Completion Project Slideshow
AISI High School Completion Project Powerpoint

Identification of Problem
Although different studies generate varying data about high school completion rates, depending upon the methodology used to assess what constitutes a high school graduate, all studies point to at least 20% of the student population that does not complete their high school within the conventional 3- year time frame. For that group, a significant number of students will drop out of school before reaching their third year in high school or will not have accumulated the credits necessary to graduate or will not complete specific courses identified as part of the high school diploma.

Many students who have experienced difficulties in grades 10 and 11 find themselves in a situation in grade 12 where they might be able to graduate; however, they are unable to fulfill their graduation requirements because of potential course conflicts within the school timetable. The most often used approach, correspondence, has a completion rate is lower than that of traditional schools. In addition, correspondence school diploma averages have traditionally been well below provincial averages.

Overview of the Solution
A mechanism for identifying potentially at risk students before they begin high school already exists on for Edmonton Catholic Schools. Grade 9 students who may have difficulty completing high school are selected from the student records program, SASI, and displayed on Centreview. Attendance and the failure of two or more core subjects is used as criteria for selecting students. The parameters set to select students can be altered to suit individual school situations and list can be updated through the year to differentiate students who have shown improvement and those who might be entering an at-risk phase. This allows the receiving high school to follow the progress of students as they arrive from grade 9 and follow those students as they move through high school.

Once students are selected, a teacher mentor monitors progress. Failure in courses or the potential to drop out of a course because of poor attendance or academic frustration can be mediated by a replacement course at anytime throughout the year. Edmonton Catholic Schools, through Revelation Online Learning, provides on-line learning opportunities in a number of courses. On-line courses provide flexible alternatives to scheduled classes. If the on-line courses are supported by an in-school staff member, ensuring that goals are set and progress is monitored, the completion of these courses will increase.

District Exams in Math and Language Arts (English and French)

In the spring of 2001, upon the recommendation of Edmonton Catholic School principals and the Superintendent, Learning Support Services struck a District Exams Committee composed of the Assistant Superintendent of LSS, administrators, consultants, and teachers. Their task was to provide direction for the development of common district exams in the areas of language arts (English) and mathematics at grades 2, 5, and 8, in order to support teaching and learning in the pre-Provincial Achievement Test years, grades 3, 6, and 9. Over the past two years, the Committee continues to consider the implications, uses, involvement of stakeholders, effectiveness, measures, and shape of these common district exams.

Under the guidance of consultants (some external), and with the enthusiastic and dedicated participation of numerous elementary and junior high teachers and administrators, our district has been reshaping their assessment philosophy as well as building valid and reliable exams in mathematics and English language arts.

We hope to build on the success we have noted in the exciting professional dialogue regarding curriculum alignment, the development of consistent approaches, the potential of performance-based assessments, the prospect of district marking sessions, and the continued and re-energized focus on student achievement and success.

With the advent of new AISI projects in Alberta , we at Edmonton Catholic Schools are encouraged to now envision a broader scope and application of our common district exams. We anticipate maintaining our focus on grades 2, 5, and 8, and to also include French Language Arts and French mathematics, as well as to go deeper in our re-examination of assessment practices.

Teaching Exceptional Learners in the Inclusive Setting

The goal of this project is to improve the achievement of exceptional students in the mild and moderate categories. The project is designed to help teachers develop attitudes, understandings, and skills to successfully assess and teach exceptional learners in the inclusive setting. These are students who have been coded as 80 (gifted), as well as those who have mild or moderate exceptionalities and have been given one of the code 50 designations. The project will focus on students and teachers.

Focus on Students
Following the Special Education Branch review of services to students in the mild and moderate categories, carried out this spring, it was determined that while many of our practices in IPP development are exemplary, we can improve the service by creating consistent protocols. It was noted by the Special Education Branch that the individual program plans examined in their sample were inconsistent with respect to having observable, measurable short-term objectives, regular reexamination points and parental involvement. It was also noted that we can improve our transition plans so that the IPP is effectively passed on from year to year and division to division. It was also noted that our district needs to develop appropriate and consistent assessment practices for identifying students with mild and moderate needs.

A project goal is to create district standards for IPP development and procedures for more effective transitions.

The first year of the project will focus on code 80 IPP development and then include focus on the code 50 designations in years 2 and 3.

We will conduct research to compare the numbers of students coded with the numbers of individual program plans developed.

The project will also include the development of a web-based IPP (Individual Program Plan) that will become part of the new district reporting instrument.

Focus on Teachers
Students who are coded in the mild and moderate categories may have some of their needs met in a pull-out situation. It is generally accepted that these students have needs that must be met on a more consistent basis than is allowed for in a part-time pull-out program. The major thrust of our planned professional development component of the project will be to increase the capacity of classroom teachers to better serve the needs of mild/moderate students on a daily basis through differentiation of instruction strategies.

Enhancing Learning and Student Achievement through a Visual and Performing Arts Project

This project is new to the new AISI cycle. Louis St. Laurent Junior/Senior High School (designated) and St. Boniface Elementary school (proposal stage) are designated fine arts focus schools in the Edmonton Catholic School District. This designation will give the opportunity for all schools in the district to utilize the human resources and fine arts programming provided in the these fine arts schools.

Teaching music, art, drama and dance is an expert job. To benefit from arts education children need to be immersed in the discipline and practice the art. Teacher expertise is a critical factor in student learning and in providing quality arts programming.

This project will enhance student achievement by inspiring and challenging teachers to improve instruction for pupils and help build capacity at the school level for quality instruction in the areas of music, art, drama and dance.