Nipigon School Recognized by EQAO

Written by Superior North Catholic District School Board on 01 November 2010

St. Edward Catholic School Receives Dr. Bette M. Stepheson Recognition of Achievement

NIPIGON, ON – EQAO announced that St. Edward Catholic School is one of the 2010 recipients of the Dr. Bette M. Stephenson Recognition of Achievement. This recognition program was established by the EQAO board of directors in 2009 as a tribute to Dr. Stephenson’s lifelong commitment and contribution to education and public service.

As one of the schools profiled in EQAO’s Provincial Report this year, EQAO will honour St. Edward Catholic School for its efforts, over many years, at improving student achievement and for its use of EQAO results to improve student learning.

Below, from EQAO SCHOOL CASE STUDY…

EQAO’s Provincial Elementary School Report

St. Edward Catholic School, in Nipigon, serves 160 students from kindergarten to Grade 8, and 65% of its student population self-identifies as Aboriginal. The majority of St. Edward’s students are bused to school, and a significant number are identified as having special needs. The school population has remained stable despite the current economic downturn, and the school provides assistance to families wherever possible.

To support parents, the school accessed the Parents Reaching Out grant. This grant program offers parents strategies to assist them with academic, behavioural and family issues. Another partnership, with the local health unit, also offers additional programs to support families. Parental support for the school is very strong because parents appreciate St. Edward’s efforts to provide assistance. For example, St. Edward’s operates a breakfast club for all students daily; the school community believes that if students are to be successful, they must start every day with a nutritious meal.

The staff finds that examining EQAO results and classroom data helps them to focus and determine areas for improvement quickly. Once the final results are received, the staff reviews EQAO reports and looks for links to help with decisions for its teaching-learning critical pathways (TLCP). Staff uses the data to help guide the development of the school improvement plan. For example, the data led staff to investigate how students answer open-response questions and demonstrate reading-for-meaning skills. Staff also examines Student Questionnaires and Individual Student Reports to determine what the next steps should be for students with special needs.

In September, the DRA was completed and staff decided that making inferences would become the focus for its first TLCP and they would use EQAO resources to model questions and language. All three divisions focused on the same area but used specific expectations at each level. The staff also accessed the Trillium database to filter and categorize the data further, allowing a more focused examination. Teachers then used the same model to approach the curriculum, with baseline assessments that determined student needs, and developed rubrics accompanied by explicit teaching that culminated with a task assessed through teacher moderation.

In January, formative assessments were completed to monitor student progress and make decisions about next steps. Reflecting on the TLCP process, the staff realized that student work drives instruction and that its teaching practice was constantly evolving through ongoing collaboration. Says Principal Bill Beaucage: “Using our DRA, EQAO and TLCP data to name our at-risk students allows us to track their progress on an ongoing basis. The EQAO resources provide us with model questions and language to develop high-yield strategies that will move our students forward. The teachers are encouraged to engage in active and ongoing dialogue with each other about student work and to try new strategies.”

The board has encouraged new strategies with a focus on mathematical thinking, which the school incorporated into one of its TLCPs. Teachers took advantage of the board’s professional-development sessions, and strategies such as math congress and bansho math were modelled in the classrooms. These strategies involved assigning students to groups to discuss mathematics and how to use different problem-solving strategies. The Ministry also provided sessions throughout the year for teachers to build capacity in this area.

St. Edward Catholic School piloted an early-intervention project in reading in Grade 1, focusing instruction on reading for comprehension. At-risk students were identified using DRA and withdrawn individually or in small groups over a 27-week period. The students worked in a structured program for one half-hour each day. Running records tracked student improvement. The school also had access to a later-literacy teacher, who worked with students needing extra support in the junior and intermediate divisions. Teachers implemented differentiated instruction strategies, and the board provided in-service in differentiated instruction to support the intermediate teachers.

The staff and administration attribute their successes to the positive culture of the school. Last year, it made respect a focus for all staff and students. Staff believed that students would be more willing to participate in an atmosphere where they felt safe and respected. Monthly assemblies were organized to highlight respect and also included other Christian values. Sharing circles, held daily in every classroom, promoted oral language and respect for the opinions of others. As the year progressed, staff observed that students were more confident, resulting in improved behaviour.

Principal Bill Beaucage is proud of the success of his staff and students, stating: “It is important to bring all staff into the conversation to share, collaborate and make decisions. We are a collaborative culture, with shared leadership, bringing our individual strengths and expertise to the table to create a school improvement plan specific to our students. The data we collect and use corroborate the work we have done in determining and delivering effective teaching and learning strategies. Everyone believes that all students can be successful and is committed to providing opportunities that allowstudents to be the best they can be.”

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