SCHOOL LEARNING AND IMPROVEMENT PLANNING (SLIP)
DIALOGUE GUIDE:School
Reflection – February 2021
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Dear School Staff,
This is a guide for dialogue and reflection
on each area of the Board Learning Improvement Plan (BLIP) and to support learning
and planning during the pandemic. Each
Board SMART goal was identified in 2018 with the timeline of achieving it by
June 2021. Under each area of focus, you
will find questions for dialogue regarding your school to help inform
planning. Please reflect on these
questions as an entire school staff and provide one response to represent the
voice of your school by February 26,
2021. As part of the improvement cycle, schools
will be asked to review and revisit their plans toward the end of the school
year.
Note: some of the questions are only relevant for elementary or
secondary and may not apply to your school.
There are three parts to this SLIP Dialogue Guide: 1) BLIP Areas of Focus, 2) Learning During the Pandemic and 3) School Learning Improvement Plan.
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YOUR SCHOOL:
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Msgr. John Corrigan
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PART ONE: BLIP
AREAS OF FOCUS
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Following team reflection, for each BLIP Area of Focus, please
indicate the overall status as follows:
Green On target: On track
Yellow Monitor: On track but requires
additional support
Red Action required: Not on track and
requires further action
If yellow or red has been
identified, then describe next steps.
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A.
Home, School and Parish: Nurturing our Catholic Community
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BOARD SMART GOALS
Initiatives that promote Catholic
values
·
By June 2021,
there will be increased engagement in initiatives that promote Catholic
values.
School-parish connection
·
By June 2021, there
will be increased engagement in initiatives that strengthen school-parish
connections.
(SEF 6.1-6.4)
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Team Reflection
a.
How has my
school:
·
participated in
culminating celebrations (e.g., The Toronto Catholic Family Film Festival,
Parish Family Day, and Spotlight on Your School), in support of the Pastoral
Plan?
·
encouraged
staff and student engagement in faith development with a focus on the Pastoral
Plan and the year of “we Become”?
·
participated in
in-services that focus on Nurturing Our
Catholic Values?
·
promoted and implemented
initiatives and strategies that foster a strong home-school-parish
connection?
b. How has staff participated in days of reflection or retreats?
c. How has staff made
explicit connections between monthly virtues and school related activities?
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1.
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Our overall STATUS for Home,
School and Parish: Nurturing our Catholic Community is: Green Yellow Red
If yellow or red, identify next steps:
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To participate in in-services that focus on Nurturing Our Catholic
Values
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B.
Curriculum,
Teaching and Learning: A Focus on Assessment Practices
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BOARD SMART GOALS
Student Achievement
·
By June 2021, student achievement in literacy and numeracy will improve.
Assessment for, as and of learning practices
·
By June 2021, assessment for, as and of learning practices will be more
targeted and promote a more culturally responsive approach to addressing
student learning needs.
(SEF 1.1-1.7; 4.1-4.7)
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Team Reflection
a.
What assessment
tools are we using to identify student learning needs in Literacy and
Numeracy (e.g., classroom assessments, Knowledgehook dashboard, Zorbits
dashboard, teacher anecdotal observations)?
b.
For elementary schools: Has our school implemented the new Math Curriculum (Grades 1 –
8)?
c.
Research has shown that students are more likely to succeed when they
see themselves reflected in school culture and the curriculum. Has there been a focus in culturally responsive pedagogy in various
curricular areas? What does it look like?
d.
How has our
school implemented evidence-based strategies (e.g., Growth Mindset, Graphic
Organizers, Thinking Classroom, etc.)?
e.
How have we
identified specific sub-groups within learning groups and planned appropriate
and timely interventions (e.g., ELL, Special Education, Students ‘at risk’)?
f.
Is our school
equipped to use online tools to support student learning? How?
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2.
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Our overall STATUS for Curriculum, Teaching and Learning: A Focus on
Assessment Practices is: Green Yellow Red
If yellow or red, identify next steps:
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PD days to
learn how to use online tools to support student learning (ie. Knowledgehook)
PD days to
learn new Math Curriculum with Math Dept. staff
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C.
Pathways,
Planning and Programming: Student Engagement and Well-being
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BOARD SMART GOALS
Pathways Programming
·
By June 2021, there will be an increase in the level of participation
in Pathways Programming.
Student engagement and well-being
·
By June 2021, there will be an increase in usage of online tools (All About Me, myBlueprint) that
promote student understanding of themselves as learners.
·
By June 2021, there will be improvement in students’ perception of
themselves, their self-image.
·
By June 2021, there will be increased or continued participation in
Mental Health and Well-being initiatives (e.g., “Stop the Stigma”)
(SEF 5.1-5.4)
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Team Reflection
a.
How has our
school implemented strategies to promote Mental Health and Well-Being?
b.
How has our school
highlighted the contributions of role models and champions from racialized
and other marginalized communities as a way to promote the university pathway,
as well as other career pathways where they are under-represented?
For Elementary:
c.
How have we
worked with central board staff to:
·
promote All About Me in primary/junior grades?
·
ensure that all
Grade 8 students have access and opportunity to complete the myBlueprint Exit survey?
For Secondary:
d. How have we promoted student
participation in the following Pathways Programs:
·
central co-op placements (virtual or face to face)?
·
OYAP opportunities through co-op, OYAP participation, Accelerated OYAP
·
SHSM opportunities
·
SWAC
·
Dual Credits
e. How has our school participated in
centrally organized virtual opportunities to meet SHSM requirements?
f.
How have we
worked with central board staff to:
·
ensure that all
Grade 12 students have access and opportunity to complete the myBlueprint Exit survey?
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3. ![]()
Our overall STATUS for Pathways, Planning and Programming: Student
Engagement and Well-being is: Green Yellow Red
If yellow or red, identify next steps:
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PD days to
learn about All About Me in
primary/junior grades and how to implement
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D.
School and
Classroom Leadership: Professional Learning, Collaboration, and Engagement
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BOARD SMART GOALS
Inquiry-based professional learning, staff collaboration and engagement
·
By June 2021, there will be an increase in inquiry-based professional
learning, staff collaboration and engagement, guided by culturally relevant
and responsive pedagogy.
Staff well-being
·
By June 2021, there will be improved staff well-being as measured by
surveys.
(SEF 2.1- 2.5; 3.1-3.4)
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Team Reflection
a.
How has our
school:
·
engaged in a
cyclical learning process of inquiry: plan, act, observe and reflect, with a
focus on culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy?
·
provided
opportunities for dialogue with colleagues about assessment and responsive (and
diverse/inclusive) teaching/learning strategies?
·
supported a collaborative
approach to addressing diverse student needs?
·
encouraged
teachers to share knowledge and effective evidence-based instructional
practices (through co-planning, co-teaching, mentoring, coaching and
consulting)?
·
encouraged
risk-taking, trying new instructional practices and strategies and developing
a growth mindset?
·
collaborated as
a school team to plan, act, review and monitor progress in meeting student
learning needs?
b.
How has our
school acknowledged and celebrated the achievements, gifts and strength of
individuals and teams?
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4.
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Our overall STATUS for School and Classroom Leadership: Professional
Learning, Collaboration, and Engagement is: Green Yellow Red
If yellow or red, identify next steps:
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With health and
safety on all staff minds, collaboration, co-teaching, consulting etc. has
been hard. Next steps, when TPH protocols
allow, will be to engage in school teams to act, review and monitor student
progress.
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PART TWO: LEARNING DURING
THE PANDEMIC
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Research
findings point to several areas that require focus in support of an effective
distance learning environment to foster student learning and achievement.
Areas that should be addressed include: student engagement,
social-emotional connections, inequities that impact learning, methods of
delivering quality instruction, and the access to and use of technology. As a school team, please reflect on each of
these areas for your school and identify the status at this time. If yellow or red has been identified, then
describe next steps and what supports would help.
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Student Engagement
5. Our status is: Green Yellow Red
a)
If yellow or red,
identify next steps:
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Next steps is
to be able to access technology in school as practice for distance learning
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b) If yellow or red, what
supports would help?
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More technology
in the school (ie laptops) in order to teach students to use them
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Social-Emotional Connections
6.
Our status is: Green Yellow Red
a)
If yellow or red,
identify next steps:
b) If yellow or red, what
supports would help?
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Equity
7. Our status is: Green Yellow Red
a)
If yellow or red,
identify next steps:
b) If yellow or red, what
supports would help?
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Access and use of technology
8. Our status is: Green Yellow Red
a)
If yellow or red,
identify next steps:
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More technology
in the school (ie laptops) in order to teach students to use them
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b) If yellow or red, what
supports would help?
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More technology
in the school (ie laptops) in order to teach students to use them
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Teaching and Learning online (hybrid or virtual)
9. Our status is: Green Yellow Red
a)
If yellow or red,
identify next steps:
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More technology
in the school (ie laptops) in order to teach students to use them
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b) If yellow or red, what
supports would help?
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More technology
in the school (ie laptops) in order to teach students to use them
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PART THREE: SCHOOL LEARNING IMPROVEMENT PLAN
We
are committed to the achievement and well-being of all students. During these unprecedented times, please identify the top two areas of focus for your school that you would like to work on this
school year (one must be in domain of student achievement; e.g., literacy,
numeracy). After considering your school
team discussions based on the reflection questions focused in Parts 1 and 2
above (BLIP Areas of Focus and Learning During the Pandemic), and your
school data (e.g. achievement data,
perceptual data, contextual data, behavioural data, and anecdotal observations), complete
your School Learning Improvement Plan
below.
Identify areas of focus: February 2021
1. STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AREA OF
FOCUS
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Our area of focus is to develop the language
proficiency, from K-8, and to read Math language in order to develop an
understanding to solve word problems in all divisions.
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Refer to SEF Indicators Look-fors to
support school improvement and student success (see Appendix A – page 9 of BLIP Report Back https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/BoardLearningImprovementPlan/Documents/blip-report-back-2019-2020.pdf )
Choose
a total of 2 to 4 SEF Indicators from the following BLIP/SEF components (Assessment
for, as and of Learning;
Curriculum, Teaching and Learning) that will inform your SMART goal:
Assessment for, as and of Learning
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SEF 1.1
Assessment is connected to the curriculum, collaboratively developed by
educators and used to inform next steps in learning and instruction.
o SEF
1.2 A variety of
relevant and meaningful assessment data is used by students and educators to continuously
monitor learning, to inform instruction and determine next steps.
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SEF 1.3 Students
and educators build a common understanding of what students are learning by
identifying, sharing, and clarifying the learning goals and success criteria.
o SEF 1.4 During learning, timely, ongoing, descriptive
feedback about student progress is provided based on student actions and
co-constructed success criteria.
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SEF 1.5
Students are explicitly taught and regularly use
self-assessment skills to monitor, improve and communicate their learning
within the context of the Ontario curriculum and/or Individual Education plan
(IEP).
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SEF 1.6 Assessment of learning provides relevant and
meaningful evidence to evaluate the quality of student achievement at or near
the end of a cycle of learning and to determine next steps.
o SEF 1.7 Ongoing
communication about learning is in place to allow students, educators and
parents to monitor and support student learning
Curriculum,
Teaching and Learning
o SEF
4.1 A culture of high expectations supports the belief
that all students can learn, progress and achieve.
o SEF
4.2 A clear emphasis
on high levels of achievement in literacy and numeracy is evident in throughout
the school.
o SEF
4.3 Teaching and learning in the 21st Century is collaborative,
innovative and creative within a global context.
o SEF
4.4 Learning is
deepened through authentic, relevant and meaningful student inquiry.
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SEF 4.5
Instruction and assessment are differentiated in response
to student strengths, needs and prior learning.
o SEF
4.6 Resources for students are relevant, current,
accessible, inclusive and monitored for bias.
o SEF
4.7 Timely and tiered
interventions, supported by team approach, respond to individual student
learning needs, and well-being.
Student
Achievement SMART Goal
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Specific, Measurable,
Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound (SMART) Goal (after considering school
data)
If the students understand what is being asked of them, they
gain confidence in mathematical proficiency.
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Next Steps -
Evidence-based strategies:
To monitor
progress through the assessment and reporting periods to see movement and
growth
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Supports
Needed:
We will work
with the math resource team and then transfer the skills to the students.
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Monitoring
(tools, timeline, staff involved):
Math team check
ins, timeline June reporting period, all school staff
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2.
Other
Area of Focus
Choose
a total of 2 to 4 SEF Indicators from the following BLIP/SEF components (School
and Classroom Leadership; Student Engagement; Programs and Pathways; Home,
School, Parish and Community Partnerships) that will inform your SMART goal:
School
and Classroom Leadership
o SEF
2.1 Collaborative instructional leadership builds capacity
to strengthen and enhance teaching and learning.
o SEF
2.2 Processes and
practices are designed to deepen understanding of the curriculum and refine
instruction to improve student learning and achievement.
o SEF
2.3 Organizational
structures are coherent, flexible and respond to the needs of students.
o SEF
2.4 Job-embedded
and inquiry-based professional learning builds capacity, informs instructional
practice and contributes to a culture of learning.
o
SEF 2.5
Staff, students, parents and school
community promote and sustain student well-being and positive student behaviour
in a safe, accepting, inclusive and healthy learning environment.
Student
Engagement
o
SEF 3.1
The teaching and learning environment
is inclusive, promotes the intellectual engagement of all students and reflects
individual student strengths, needs, learning preferences and cultural
perspectives.
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SEF 3.2 Students’
stated priorities that reflect the diversity, needs and interests of the
student population are embedded in School Learning Improvement Plans (SLIPs).
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SEF 3.3 Students are partners in dialogue and
discussions to inform programs and activities in the classroom and school that
represent the diversity, needs and interests of the student population.
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SEF 3.4 Students
demonstrate a wide range of transferable skills such as teamwork, advocacy,
leadership and global citizenship.
Programs
and Pathways
o SEF
5.1 Comprehensive education and career/life planning
programs meet the learning needs, interests and aspirations of all students and
provide opportunity to complete the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations.
o SEF
5.2 Opportunities
for authentic learning experiences and experiential learning exist in all
classrooms, schools and community programs.
o SEF
5.3 Students,
parents, families, and educators understand the full range of pathways,
programs, options and supports that are available.
o SEF
5.4 Students build on in-school and out-of-school
experiences to further explore and reflect upon their interests, strengths,
skills and education and career/life aspirations.
Home,
School, Parish and Community Partnerships
o SEF
6.1 The School
Council has a meaningful role in supporting learning and well-being and
achievement for students.
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SEF 6.2
Students, parents and community members are engaged and
welcomed as respected, valued partners in student learning.
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SEF 6.3
The school and community build
partnerships to enhance learning opportunities and well-being for students.
o SEF
6.4 Learning opportunities, resources and supports are
provided to help parents support student learning and have productive ongoing
parent-teacher-student conversations.
Other
SMART Goal
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Specific, Measureable,
Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound (SMART) Goal (after considering school
data):
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Next Steps -
Evidence-based strategies:
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Supports
Needed:
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Monitoring
(tools, timeline, staff involved):
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