Provincial Priority: Achievement of Learning Outcomes in Core Academic Skills
DCDSB Goal: Improve Students’ literacy learning and achievement.
“When students have difficulty learning to read, it can affect their confidence in their academic abilities and overall self-esteem, and lead to significant mental health concerns." (Right to Read Inquiry Report)
Strategic Processes - Literacy
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Listen |
Learn |
Live |
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Review and reflect on critical data to identify areas of need.
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Support literacy for all students with instructional practices and resources that reflect the science of reading.
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Provide learning and faith formation opportunities that support every person in their lifelong journey to full attainment of the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations.
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Use research and experts to identify and implement best practice.
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Review and revise curriculum resources to increase diversity and better reflect the demographics of DCDSB’s student population.
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Focus on Catholic Social Teaching across the curriculum.
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Strategies and Actions - Literacy
Implementation:
- June 2023 – Hire 6 Literacy Intervention Teachers (LIT)
- September - November 2023 - Deploy LITs to all schools to conduct the necessary initial needs assessments using evidence based screeners for Year 2 Kindergarten to Grade 2 students.
- November/December 2023 - LIT staff will analyze data and identify priority classrooms for targeted intervention.
- December 2023/January 2024 – intervention teachers deployed for first round with targeted instruction on identified reading gaps at identified priority schools/classrooms.
- March/April 2024 – intervention teachers deployed for first round with targeted instruction on identified reading gaps at identified priority schools/classrooms.
- June 2024 - LIT staff will measure impact of intervention on student learning.
- Specialized Intervention Teachers are trained in intervention instructional strategies.
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Students are provided with direct intervention resources and strategies from classroom teachers, program support teachers and Literacy Intervention Teachers.
Students will achieve growth in reading benchmarks by June 2024.
Implementation:
- Summer Reading Institute
- Professional Development Day Sessions
- Modelling of Universal Reading Screeners
- Sharing of Excellence Professional Learning Series
- Lunch and Learns
- Literacy Consultants
- School Based Inquiry Projects (LIFT funding)
- Intervention teachers working one-on-one and with small groups in classrooms
- DCDSB Literacy Website
- System Literacy Committee
Intended Impact:
- Educators use evidence-based screeners and diagnostics to identify gaps in foundational reading skills and use these to inform tiered instruction (whole group, small group and individual instruction).
Implementation:
- University of Florida Literacy Intervention (UFLI) resource purchased for all K-3 classrooms.
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Educators in Gr K-3 provided with Universal Reading Screeners training on Professional Development days.
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Program Support Teachers provided with training on tier 2 intervention resources
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Addition of Reading Screeners to the Board Assessment Framework.
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DCDSB Literacy Website and EDSBY structured literacy group for educators to collaborate and access resources for the Science of Reading.
Intended Impact:
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Educators will begin to use evidence-based resources and tools to increase student reading benchmarks.
Implementation:
- Summer Reading Institute
- Professional Development Day Sessions
- Program Support Teacher Meetings
- Family of Schools - Training for Principals and Vice-Principals
- Sharing of Excellence Professional Learning Series
- Lunch and Learns for Staff Professional Development
- ONLit Website
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Align resources, including academic services staffing, with Literacy priorities
- Two Literacy consultants
- Six Literacy Intervention Teachers
- Purchase of resources for literacy support and screening (UFLI, Screeners)
Intended Impact:
- Educators are aware of the key changes to the language curriculum and are using these expectations to instruct and assess student’s literacy skills.
Implementation:
- Three meetings (November 2023, February 2024, and May 2024).
- Recommendations will be sought from the committee on resources, supports and professional development for staff in the implementation of the new curriculum.
- Develop Reporting Guidelines for the new curriculum.
Intended Impact:
- Educators are supported through a multi-year professional development implementation plan for the new curriculum.