O As professionals within the teaching profession, we recognize our responsibilities to continually analyze our practices in the pursuit of excellence. The education field is in continual evolution. Therefore, we as educators must work together to examine our results and our practices through a continuous school improvement process.

The Transition from School Accreditation to a Learning Community Approach to Continuous School Improvement Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board

Important benefits of CSI Process: O Focus on student achievement O Increased collaboration amongst staff O Contributes to improved student results O Incites evidence-based decision making

CSI -What has changed? O More streamlined, more flexible, more responsive to school community’s needs O Name change – no longer accreditation. Continuous school improvement – CSI O The Principal is the instructional leader – no co- chairs. There can be facilitators or leaders. O Still data-based decision making, but a lot less data. O No external involvement – all supports, feedback and assessment done internally.

CSI -How does it work? O Elementary and Jr. High and High Schools continue to focus on literacy and numeracy. O Schools establish Learning Communities – subject- oriented, grade-level, common interest or need. O Learning Communities analyze data: student work, school-based assessment, Beginning Readers data, provincial assessment results, Achievement Gap Analysis etc. O Based on data analysis, Learning Communities set a goal(s), and strategies to attain the goal(s)

CSI -How does it work? O Sample goal: We are going to increase the reading comprehension level of students. O Length of goal is dependent on the results: Revisit annually O At least 50% of PD time to be provided for Learning Community work. O Opportunities throughout the year for Learning Communities to share with entire staff. O Continue to collect Satisfaction Survey results every 5- years. Set school culture priority based on survey results. O Continue to focus on Race Relations, Cultural Awareness and Human Rights. Report Annually on accomplishments and set annual priority.

What do Learning Communities do? Step 1: O Analyze current practices … What is it we want students to learn? How will we know when they have learned it? What will we do if they haven’t learned it? What will we do if they already know it? O Analyze available data: student work, classroom assessment results, provincial assessment results, reading levels, etc.

What do Learning Communities do? Step 2: Set goals Based on the data, determine a goal. Develop baseline data Establish strategies – 2-3 strategies per year

What do Learning Communities do? Step 3: Continue to collaborate: implement strategies, explore and experiment in classrooms, share, discuss and monitor results. (action research)

What do Learning Communities do? Step 4: Quantitative data– collect data and compare to baseline – Do you see any growth in student achievement? What qualitative data do you have? What are teachers and students doing differently? What are you observing? (“walk-throughs”, professional conversation)

What do Learning Communities do? Step 5: Submit accounting of Learning Community’s activities to Principal, including goal(s), data, results (quantitative and qualitative) Determine whether to continue with goal, enhance goal, or look at another aspect of literacy and numeracy.

What do Learning Communities do? Step 6 O We must support teachers to establish a culture within the school and within classrooms that is conducive to learning and teaching. We cannot ignore the fact that there are many variables that impact on the learning and teaching process. (Provincial Satisfaction Survey) – School Performance Priority O We must support teachers to understand social equity issues such as Race Relations, Cross Cultural Understanding, and Human Rights. – RCH Priority

What do Learning Communities do? Step 7: Annual Report Principal completes Annual Report for school community This is in newsletter format reporting on work and results of Learning Communities.

How do we measure success? Teacher are working collaboratively in Learning Communities monitoring learning, exploring instructional and assessment strategies, setting goals, looking at quantitative and qualitative growth. The Principal will share with representation from Central Office a summary of Learning Community activities and results. Schools demonstrating a culture of continual school improvement will be recognized.