1. Growing Success-Making Connections

2. Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community
Overview
1. Making Connections between Growing Success and the BIP
2. Guidelines for Comments
3. Sample Comments
4.Updated P/PR for A & E
Focus on the link between the BIP (assessment/ feedback) and growing success… The Progress Report is our first opportunity provincially for a focus on assessment for learning… and our A &E policy and procedure was revised based on the new Growing Policy document…
Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community 2

3. Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community
Linking the BIP to GS
The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning -Growing Success, p. 50
Strategy #2 in the BIP: OCDSB Strategy #2: To improve student achievement through a focus on ongoing assessment and feedback
Focus on the link between the BIP (assessment/ feedback) and growing success… The Progress Report is our first opportunity provincially for a focus on assessment for learning…
Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community 3

4. Descriptive Feedback
The progress report card is designed to show the development of a student’s learning skills and work habits during the beginning of the school year, as well as a student’s general progress in working towards the achievement of the curriculum expectations.
The progress report focuses on assessment for learning and assessment as learning in the first weeks of the school year. It does not focus on assessment of learning. It is descriptive rather than evaluative.

5. Parental Engagement
“The Progress Report cards are intended to become a central part of rich discussions with students and their parents in the context of proactive interviews or conferences that will help establish a positive tone for the remainder of the school year.”
(Growing Success, p. 66)
Parental engagement is a a key focus in both Growing Success and the BIP…the Progress Report and the conferences will enable communication to our parents early in the term to address student needs, discuss plans and learning goals…

6. Professional Judgment
How students feel about themselves as learners and whether they enjoy learning and strive for excellence are closely related to their teachers’ professional skills both in differentiating instruction and assessment in helping students understand how they can improve.
Teachers create environments in which all students feel valued and confident and have the courage to take risks and make mistakes. In their important professional role, teachers show students that they care for them, and model a love of learning that can deeply influence their lives.
Teachers’ professional judgments are at the heart of effective assessment, evaluation, and reporting of students achievement.
(Growing Success, p. 8)
PJ is

7. Professional Collaboration
Professional collaboration involves teachers and administrators in discussions regarding student outcomes. Professional collaboration among educators allows for school-wide practices to be consistent within and across schools.

8. Getting Started…
When writing comments, consider the following questions:
Where is the student now? (What are their strengths and areas of difficulty?)
What does the student need to do to improve? (Next steps?)

9. Guidelines for Progress Report
In preparation for the reporting of student progress, please ensure that teachers are aware of the following important guidelines.
Beginning in the fall of 2010, teachers will use the progress report to show a student’s development of the learning skills and work habits, as well as a student’s general progress towards the achievement of the curriculum expectations in each subject/strand where instruction has taken place.
Note: N/A is to be checked where there has been no instruction for a subject/strand.
Teachers are expected to use the comment box to provide information on the progress of every student.
The language used in the comment box should be clear and written for the intended audience – the parents and students.
It is the expectation that every student receives comments on areas of strengths and next steps for improvement in subjects/strands and learning skills. In particular, it is expected that students who are identified as “progressing with difficulty” in a subject/strand, or “needs improvement” in a learning skill/work habit, will require a more fulsome comment for this subject, strand or skill.
Note: The comments for strengths and next steps may be made in reference to a single subject/strand or a cluster of subjects/strands, particularly if these subjects have been taught in an integrated manner.
Although it is not necessary to comment on all subjects/strands, teachers are strongly encouraged to comment on areas where there has been a significant amount of instructional time.
The progress report card format can not be modified.

10. Language (p. 64 Growing Success)
Use language that parents will understand
Provide parents with clear, precise, and meaningful feedback
Avoid wording that simply repeats the language of the curriculum expectations or the achievement chart
Teachers are encouraged to use personalised comments instead of a prepared set of standard comments

11. Criteria to Consider when Selecting Progress Indicator
Students who are Progressing Very Well are progressing in relation to:
Students who are Progressing Well are progressing in relation to:
Students who are Progressing With Difficulty are progressing in relation to:
Knowing the learner (e.g. ESL/ELD Stage, IEP)
Curriculum expectations (e.g. learning goals, success criteria, achievement chart categories)
Evidence of learning (e.g. student work samples)
Professional Judgement

12. Progress Report Sample Comments
Created with input from teachers (both instructional coaches and classroom teachers)
Classroom teachers who participated represented all three divisions at the elementary level and many of the program options (Reg English, EFI, MFI etc)
Note that in the samples, all subject areas have been commented on. The reason for this was to show sample language for comments in the various subject areas.

13. Activity re Progress Report Cmments
You have been provided with sample comments.
Please review these to note the difference in these comments as compared to prior report cards.

14. Sample A: Grade 1 Regular English Student
Integrated comment. Teacher entered in all in the language area.
The following samples were created with both central instructional coaches and will class teachers representing all three divisions at the elementary level. These are not exemplars but rather examples that can be used as a started point.
SUBJECTS listed at titles to make it easy for parents to see which subject area is being referred to.
NA box clicked for the arts’ subjects not instructed.
Teachers added names at end of comments as teacher names are not listed on progress report.

15. Sample B: Grade 2 EFI Student
Don’t forget to ensure FRENCH boxes are checked for all areas instructed in French.
Teachers integrated some comments where appropriate

16. Sample C: Grade 3 ELL (modified) Regular English
Ensure that ESL/ELD boxes are checked for areas that are modified.
Revised information from MOE- no RIDER statements for ELLs

17. Sample D: Grade 4 MFI Student
The first sentence of the language comment ideally should refer to a strength so that parents read a positive first
Teacher chose to integrate science and dance comment as well as English language and French

18. Sample E: Grade 6 EFI Immersion
Strengths and Next Steps clearly shown in this example

19. Sample F: Grade 7 Regular English

20. Revised A&E Policy/Procedure
Policy/procedure were revised to reflect content of Growing Success policy document
You have been provided with copies that show the changes to the documents.
ACTIVITY: Please review the changes in the procedure and we will discuss these in a group (impact on practices/ what needs to be communicated).