Literacy

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

Listen Learn Live

Review and reflect on critical data to identify areas of need. 

  • Use Screeners and diagnostic assessments 
  • Teachers feedback on process and results 
  • Student voice

Support literacy for all students with instructional practices and resources that reflect the science of reading. 

  • Build awareness and capacity around new Language Curriculum

Provide learning and faith formation opportunities that support every person in their lifelong journey to full attainment of the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations. 

Use research and experts to identify and implement best practice. 

  • Right to Read Recommendations
  • Evidence based research on teaching reading.

Review and revise curriculum resources to increase diversity and better reflect the demographics of DCDSB’s student population.

  • Develop equity approaches in the classroom (CPPR, UDL, DI). 

Focus on Catholic Social Teaching across the curriculum. 

  • Live the Catholic Social Teaching Dignity of the Person and Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable by ensuring students with the most needs get the most support by implementing tiered instruction/intervention approach.

Strategies and Actions - Literacy

Identify and support students K-3 with tier one instruction (e.g. direct phonemic instruction) and tier two Instruction (i.e. one-on-one or small groups) in word recognition skills 

Implementation:

  1. June 2023 – Hire 6 Literacy Intervention Teachers (LIT) 
  2. 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.
  3. November/December 2023 - LIT staff will analyze data and identify priority classrooms for targeted intervention.
  4. December 2023/January 2024 – intervention teachers deployed for first round with targeted instruction on identified reading gaps at identified priority schools/classrooms. 
  5. March/April 2024 – intervention teachers deployed for first round with targeted instruction on identified reading gaps at identified priority schools/classrooms. 
  6. June 2024 - LIT staff will measure impact of intervention on student learning. 

Intended Impact:

  • Specialized Intervention Teachers are trained in intervention instructional strategies. 

  • 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.

Provide professional development to build awareness with all Primary educators of the effectiveness of evidence-based screening tools and build educators’ capacity to use results to inform instruction for students in Kindergarten to Grade 2

Implementation:

  1. Summer Reading Institute 
  2. Professional Development Day Sessions 
  3. Modelling of Universal Reading Screeners
  4. Sharing of Excellence Professional Learning Series
  5. Lunch and Learns 
  6. Literacy Consultants 
  7. School Based Inquiry Projects (LIFT funding)
  8. Intervention teachers working one-on-one and with small groups in classrooms 
  9. DCDSB Literacy Website
  10. 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). 

Provide Resources to Support Reading Intervention

Implementation:

  1. University of Florida Literacy Intervention (UFLI) resource purchased for all K-3 classrooms. 

  2. Educators in Gr K-3 provided with Universal Reading Screeners training on Professional Development days. 

  3. Program Support Teachers provided with training on tier 2 intervention resources

  4. Addition of Reading Screeners to the Board Assessment Framework. 

  5. DCDSB Literacy Website and EDSBY structured literacy group for educators to collaborate and access resources for the Science of Reading.

Intended Impact:

  • Educators will begin to use evidence-based resources and tools to increase student reading benchmarks.

Provide professional development to build awareness of the expectations and changes in the new Language Curriculum

Implementation:

  1. Summer Reading Institute 
  2. Professional Development Day Sessions 
  3. Program Support Teacher Meetings 
  4. Family of Schools - Training for Principals and Vice-Principals
  5. Sharing of Excellence Professional Learning Series
  6. Lunch and Learns for Staff Professional Development
  7. ONLit Website 

  8. 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.

Develop a system leadership literacy committee to facilitate ongoing implementation of the new curriculum and culturally responsive and relevant pedagogical tools and resources 

Implementation:

  1. Three meetings (November 2023, February 2024, and May 2024).
  2. Recommendations will be sought from the committee on resources, supports and professional development for staff in the implementation of the new curriculum. 
  3. Develop Reporting Guidelines for the new curriculum.


Intended Impact:

  • Educators are supported through a multi-year professional development implementation plan for the new curriculum.