1. Growing Success and Assessment
Presented By: Jane Brouse

2. Agenda Overview of Growing Success Report Card changes
Interactive Activity
Assessment Changes
Wrapping it ALL up
Introduce self
|Review the agenda
I will be beginning with the document, we will do a quick overview... the chapter reviews can be found on the wikispace
The reason for this is to align our assessment practice to the document to remain current and cutting edge We will be looking at and taking apart how our assessment practice can lead to student success for all our learners.
key to successful teaching is assessment we need to have effective assessment strategies and tools in place to help us guide or teaching
we need to align our assessment practice to curriculm and planning
program decisions are made based on our assessment practice

3. Growing Success
The “Growing Success” document has been developed and distributed for implementation by the Ministry of Education. 
At the core of the “Growing Success” document are seven fundamental principles to ensure that assessment, evaluation, and reporting are valid and reliable, and that they lead to the improvement of learning for all students:
This new document was rolled out in June and with it came a whole new reporting schedule. Inservicing on this document occurred on the September PA day before school started
-ask how many have read the document? (maybe)
At the core of the document are the seven fundamental principles that make sure that assessment and evaluation are valid and reliable and will lead to student success which of course is really the main goal in teaching

4. Growing Success
The “Growing Success” document has been developed and distributed for implementation by the Ministry of Education. 
At the core of the “Growing Success” document are seven fundamental principles to ensure that assessment, evaluation, and reporting are valid and reliable, and that they lead to the improvement of learning for all students:
This new document was rolled out in June and with it came a whole new reporting schedule. Inservicing on this document occurred on the September PA day before school started
-ask how many have read the document? (maybe)
At the core of the document are the seven fundamental principles that make sure that assessment and evaluation are valid and reliable and will lead to student success which of course is really the main goal in teaching

5. The Seven Fundamental Principles
To ensure that assessment, evaluation, and reporting are valid and reliable, and that they lead to the improvement of learning for all students, teachers use practices and procedures that:
are fair, transparent, and equitable for all students;
support all students, including those with special education needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (English or French), and those who are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit;
are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students;
are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the school year or course and at other appropriate points throughout the school year or course
As we read through these seven principles it really isn't anything new... they really target the same expectations for assessment that have always been in place,
Assessment needs to be fair and equitable for all students, teachers need to support all students and meet their learning needs, we want to meet the curriculum expectations and differentiate our instruction to meet the interests and learning styles of all, we need to use ongoing and varied assessment tools and strategies, and we need to communicate to parents and students what the learning goals are and we can do this through the use of rubrics, checklists, conferences and observation
(flip slide)
The three principles that have moved from best practices to expectations are that we will use learning goals and success criteria in our lessons and units, we provide ongoing descriptive feedback and we will develop students' self assessment skills
These will be what we will focus on throughout our session today

6. The Seven Fundamental Principles
are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning;
provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement;
develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning

7. Reporting on Student's Strengths in Learning
The following references to the curriculum documents need to be taken into consideration:
Overall Expectations
Fundamental Concepts
Big Ideas
Subject – Specific Processes
Categories of Knowledge and Skills (achievement charts)
When we begin to think about planning and programing for our students we want to be thinking about the following components
We need to report on the overall expectations but we want to closely examine the specific expectations so we can really dissect or take apart those expectations. We want to look at the big ideas and cluster the expectations in order to maximize our teaching. So often teachers complain that they can't cover the expectations but if we cluster expectations we are able to cover so much more. Often when I work with teachers and we take a critical look at the expectations, they are amazed at how much we are actually covering!
From the curriculum expectations we then really want to make a list of the fundamental concepts, skills and strategies that we need to be teaching. This is starting to sound a lot like backward design planning. We need to think about where we want to end up, what skills, concepts and strategies do we need to put in place, what explicit teaching or input lessons need to be in place before the students are ready to demonstrate their learning.
When we think in terms of assessment we are then going to turn to the achievement charts to assist us in creating our assessment tools (rubrics, checklist, check rics, observation, anecdotal

8. Learning Skills

9. Learning Skills and Work Habits
Six learning skills and work habits:
Responsibility
Organization
Independent Work
Collaboration
Initiative
Self-regulation
Emphasized on all progress report cards and provincial report cards
One change to the learning skills and work habits section is that we have moved from 9 to 6. Collaboration is new and under that umbrella fall some to the other learning skills. We know that students need to develop their learning skills and work habits in order to be successful in school and in life
This list of learning skills and work habits have been put together based on research done by the Ministry of Education and in consolidation with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and the Conference Board of Canada
These are the skills that are deemed important for success in the working world. This impacts teachers in that this will really help teachers when we are reporting to parents because we can stress the importance of developing these skills and work habits within the student and let parents know that these choices or changes are based on research. Parents need to realize the impact the lack of development of these skills have on their children and this might actually be something that works in our favour.

10. Learning Skills and Work Habits
To the extent possible, the evaluation of learning skills and work habits, apart from any that may be included as part of a curriculum expectation in a subject or course, should not be considered in the determination of a student’s grades.
The Growing Success policy document (see page 10) provides clarification and examples of when it is not possible to separate the evaluation of the development of the learning skills and work habits from the evaluation of the achievement of the curriculum expectations in the determination of a student’s grades.
Teachers are expected to report of learning skills and work habits separately from the curriculum expectations. These are separated because student’s development with respect to the learning skills and work habits reflects the critical role they play in a student’s achievement of the curriculum expectations. Information about a student’s development of these skills and habits also provides a strong indication of the student’s development as a self-directed learner.
These are often an important contributing factor of student success
It is interesting to note that the learning skills have moved to the front page of the progress and report card.

11. Learning Skills and Scales
Teachers will use the following letter symbols to report on students’ development of the six learning skills and work habits: E – Excellent, G – Good, S – Satisfactory, N – Needs Improvement.
We don`t assign marks to the learning skills but instead using a rating scale. Within the document there is a clear outline or definition of what each of the learning skills and work habits are (Appendix 2) and the report card program provides information for each of these

12. Evaluation Elementary Report Cards and Progress Reports:
Progress Report ~ End of November
First Report Card ~ end of February
Second Report Card ~ end of June
There are still three report cards. The progress report is new and it goes home at the end of November. Parent teacher interviews or three way conferencing occurs at this time and the discussions are based on the progress report. The first report card goes home at the end of February and then the final report card goes home at the end of June. Since this is the first time through this process, it will be interesting to see how things go after the first report in Feb. Many teachers are expecting parents to request interviews again. Especially in light of the fact that the November progress report does not include any marks.

13. General Changes to the Elementary Report Card (Grades 1 – 8)
There will be one progress report and two report cards issued each school year.
Media Literacy is a strand of English and is reported within that subject area.
The course title for English has been changed to Language
Native Language has been added as a subject area but will only be used when available in the school.
There will be one progress report and two report cards issued each school year.
Media Literacy is a strand of English and is reported within that subject area. It was a subject on its own up until now
The course title for English has been changed to Language
Native Language has been added as a subject area but will only be used when available in the school.

14. Evaluating the Development of Learning Skills and Work Habits for Grades 1 to 12
Evaluation
The separate evaluation of the achievement of the curriculum expectations and the development of the learning skills and work habits provides students and parents with information specific to each type of achievement. It also clearly and accurately identifies a student’s strengths and the areas in which improvements are needed.
This isn`t really a change the fact that learning skills and curriculum expectations are reported on separately. The document does address the fact that the learning skills and work habits should not be factored into determining a student`s grade but unfortunately that is sometimes a huge contributing factor.

15. Interactive Activity Table Talk: Look at the progress report.
Read through the pamphlet.
At your table, discuss the three categories.
What are your thoughts regarding these categories? What challenges can you see arising from these?

16. Progress Report Purpose of the Elementary Progress Report
New this school year is the introduction of the Elementary Progress Report. The Elementary Progress Report is designed to show a student’s development of the learning skills and work habits during the fall of the school year, as well as a student’s general progress in working towards the achievement of the curriculum expectations in all subjects. Strands are not reported on individually.
The overall look of this progress report is different from the report card because the Learning Skills are first and the box is the same size as the subject box for all of the subjects. This section is expected to be written in full sentences and outlining student needs and next steps.

17. Elementary Progress Report
Teachers will check one of the following to indicate progress toward the overall expectations:
✓ Progressing With Difficulty
✓ Progressing Well
✓ Progressing Very Well
In the event that a student did not receive instruction in a subject/strand, the teacher will check the NA box.
The subject box does not give a mark for any of the subjects. Instead teachers use the rating scale and put a check mark in one of the areas progressing with difficulty, progresssing well and progressing very well but the option was to not comment on every subject. It was impossible to do that. The argument was that if a student was progressing well then there wasn`t really a need for a comment. The focus should be on areas of need. The comment bank is still in use but we are moving towards reporting on the learning as opposed to the expectations as we were in the past. This was the cause of great debate at many staff meetings, division meetings and grade like planning sessions. (Lynne`s argument)

18. Evaluating the Development of Learning Skills and Work Habits for Grades 1 to 12
For Grades 1 to 12, two distinct but related aspects of student achievement are evaluated: (1) the achievement of curriculum expectations; and (2) the development of learning skills and work habits.
The two areas that we are reporting on are the curriculum expectations and the learning skills and work habits... this isn`t new but the point being these are two separate areas keeps being driven home by the document!

19. Missing or Late Assignments
Grades 1 to 6:
In Grades 1 to 6, late and missed assignments for evaluation will be noted on the report card as part of the evaluation of the student’s development of the learning skills and work habits. When appropriate, a student’s tendency to be late in submitting, or to fail to submit, other assignments (including homework) may also be noted on the report card as part of the evaluation of the student’s development of learning skills and work habits.
Missing and late assignments are still only to be noted in the learning skills box We are not to be factoring this into the overall mark that the student receives
Our hands are still tied with regard to this... there is some leniency with regard to Intermediate marking but this must be done in consultation with your admin. These decisions are generally based on individual needs and at the principals discretion

20. Late or Missing Assignments, Letter “l” and the Elementary Report Card
In most cases marks will not be deducted from the subject area being reported on.
If a student does not complete enough work for a teacher to determine a letter grade for the report card a teacher may use his or her professional judgment and report an “I” which indicates that insufficient evidence is available to determine a letter grade or percentage mark.
In most cases marks will not be deducted from the subject area being reported on.
If a student does not complete enough work for a teacher to determine a letter grade for the report card a teacher may use his or her professional judgment and report an “I” which indicates that insufficient evidence is available to determine a letter grade or percentage mark.
** This area has has not changed. At the elementary level, we are still expected to grade students based on the work we have and the evidence that we have gathered over time .

21. The Meaning and Use of “R”
The code “R” represents achievement that falls below level 1, and is used in the evaluation and reporting of student achievement in Grades 1 to 8. “R” signals that additional learning is required before the student begins to achieve success in meeting the subject/grade or course expectations. The “R” indicates the need for the development of strategies to address the student’s specific learning needs in order to support his or her success in learning. When appropriate, parents will be consulted in this process.
R`s are generally used for students who need to be identified. This is a requirement to get the next phase in place with regard to the school team
Rs are often used to alert parents of concerns as well
If a student is receiving an R or a D the expectation is that the parents will be notified and aware before the report card goes home.
You won`t give an R without admin approval.
If a child has an IEP they can not receive a R or a D (in most cases)

22. Interactive Activity Look at the sample comments at your table
Consider how the changes will impact reporting in the future
Discuss these changes with
your group.

23. Achievement Charts Purpose
provide a common framework that encompasses all curriculum expectations for all subjects/courses across grades;
• guide the development of high-quality assessment tasks and tools (including rubrics);
• help teachers to plan instruction for learning;
• provide a basis for consistent and meaningful feedback to students in relation to provincial
content and performance standards;
• establish categories and criteria with which to assess and evaluate students’ learning.
(taken from the Language Curriculum, pg. 17)
We know that students need to be given multiple opportunities to show us what they know in a variety of different ways that will demonstrate the full extent of their achievement of the content or curriculum expectations and this needs to occur across all four categories
Student learning needs to be assessed and evaluated in a balanced manner and by balanced it means across the four categories. We don't want to just be looking at the knowledge and understanding, we want to assess their thinking, communication and the application of the expectations
so this means if we are assessing all categories then they all need to be part of the process of instruction and learning and they need to be built into our planning and teaching

24. Categories of Knowledge and Skills
• Knowledge and Understanding: Subject-specific content acquired in each grade/course
(knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding)
• Thinking: The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes
• Communication: The conveying of meaning through various forms
• Application: The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts
These are the categories and we know that they scaffold the learning, beginning with Knowledge and Understanding which is the comprehension and meaning of the concept, skill or strategy, the comes thinking which is based on critical thinking skills. The students need to be able to communicate their thinking and their understanding and apply this is in different ways.

25. Resources
Be sure to check out my Wikispace for further readings and information regarding Growing Success

26. Thank YOU
As always it was my pleasure to come and chat with you this evening!
I hope to see you again in the near future.
Enjoy your evening!
Jane