Professional Learning Day - reading assessment data scan

This is the first year that we have embarked on our School Story in the area of literacy.  We have a vibrant School Story staff committee that met in June and September to plan for ways of working with staff to improve reading comprehension in our students.

During the second week of school, all classroom teachers assessed their students using the Learn 38 Pillars of literacy rubric and reading selection. We discussed the importance of using this data to plan for effective reading instruction this school year.  

During the September 22nd Professional Learning Day, we met with all staff to work on our literacy school story goal.

First, in a community building activity, we shared our favourite children's books to model love of reading and to inspire our students to read.  

Our classroom teachers then collaborated in their grade level groups with their resource teachers to analyze the reading assessment data they collected earlier. They used these guiding questions while looking at their class data:

Guiding questions:

• What stood out to you when doing the assessment?
• Were there unexpected outcomes from some of your students?
• Where are students having success?
• Where are students being stretched?
• What percent of your class is in the proficient range? Extending? Developing? (Does this change by grade?)
• Are we addressing all aspects of reading development in our current teaching practice?
• What are school-wide trends that we are noticing?
• Is the data at face level giving us enough detail to infer where to go next?

We then proceeded to discuss next steps: using the data to plan for instruction and the available supports and resources for staff.  Our teacher librarian presented books for each reading strategy in the library that the teachers can use to teach their classes.  

We also looked at the resources in Learn 38.  One of our teaching staff presented on Pillars of literacy and gave examples of reading comprehension pillar resources available.

We then brainstormed school wide celebrations of literacy for the year:

We will have a Literacy Assembly on Oct. 20^th. At this assembly, each class will share their literacy goal. When a class achieves their literacy goal, they will receive the coveted ‘Books and Chips’ prize, where they will select a book for their class library (also a scrumptious snack).

Teacher rotation, where teachers change classes and share a literacy passion with a new group of students.

School-wide Read Aloud, where all teachers are reading to students at the same time just before recess each day.

Winter Performance: Stories by the Fire

Next steps include our class review meetings in November when we will look at the assessment data for each division and determine resources and supports needed to improve reading comprehension for our students.  We are also interested in the school wide trends evident in the data.