Our Vision: ONE STUDENT AT A TIME Our Mission: LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS

• School Plans
  • Carpenter High
  • Dorintosh
  • Ernie Studer
  • Gateway Elementary
  • Glaslyn Central
  • Goodsoil Central
  • Green Acre
  • H.Hardcastle
  • Hillmond Central
  • J.H.Moore Elementary
  • Jonas Samson Junior High
  • Jubilee Elementary
  • Lakeview Elementary
  • Lashburn High
  • Maidstone Composite High
  • Marsden Jubilee
  • Marshall
  • Neilburg Composite
  • Paradise Hill
  • Pierceland Central
  • Ratushniak Elementary
  • St. Walburg
  • Turtleford Community
•  

Section 1:  Context

A) Introduction

The 2008-2009 Continuous Improvement Plan has been developed within the context of a rural school division set in a large piece of geography in Saskatchewan’s mid-west.  The division provides learning opportunities for nearly 5000 students in its 24 schools found in 17 communities which range in size from very small hamlets to a large community with over 5000 residents.

B) Governance

Through the Education Act, the Minister of Learning has vested in the Board the power and authority to govern the Division.  Accordingly, the mandate of the Board is to provide the students of the Division with learning opportunities delivered within the context of the Board’s vision, mission, values and guiding principles. Policy Governance, as interpreted by Leroy Sloan is the model used in Northwest School Division.

C) Division Mission, Vision, Values and Guiding Principles

Early in its mandate the Board of Education developed mission and vision statements and embraced a set of Core Values and Guiding Principles.

Mission
Laying the foundation for success

Vision
One student at a time

Values
Success is achieved through commitment to these values:
• Honesty – an absence of falsehood and no lack of complete     
  disclosure
• Loyalty – everybody has an obligation to affirm the Division
• Personal/Professional Growth – a continual commitment to
  continuous improvement
• Stewardship – resources of the organization are used only for the
  Organization and not for personal gain

Guiding Principles
We are committed to:
• The pursuit of excellence based upon high expectations for all
• The principle of being student-centered
• Accountability toward each other as individuals, schools,
  communities and governing bodies
• A culture of mutual respect, trust and understanding
• The highest standards of integrity and honesty
• Inclusiveness as the celebration and acceptance of all people
• Collaborative and cooperative relationships with all stakeholders

D) School and Grade Configurations

Schools vary in size from under 50 to approximately 500 students.  Grade configurations also vary widely as dictated by the educational needs of the students and the size of community served.  These configurations include the following nine patterns:

The range of school sizes and varying grade configurations present both challenges and opportunities.

Student Demographics

E) General Program Overview

The  schools of the Northwest offer instruction in all provincially required areas of study as well as a diverse selection of options.  The professional staff have welcomed and embraced the curricular renewal initiatives brought forward by the Ministry of Education.  In all schools curriculum outcomes are buttressed by co-curricular and extracurricular activities.  At the secondary level these activities are rich, wide-ranging and extensive including out of province and international field trips.

Beyond the provincial curriculum, our schools offer a number of locally developed courses to meet the needs of our students.  The Leadership Academy, anchored out of one of our smaller high schools, provides exemplary evidence of a creative approach to locally developed options where a credit course in Leadership is offered to 44 students from across the division.

Pre-Kindergarten programs are offered in four of our communities.  French, French Immersion and Cree language instruction are provided where interest warrants offering these programs.

Secondary students have access to Modified, Alternative and Functionally Integrated Programming.  Schools in three communities offer transition programming for at-risk students or students who have been unsuccessful in navigating upper middle-years or secondary level programs.  These programs are placed strategically in the North, Central and South areas of the division to optimize access.

In addition to providing learning opportunities for students through our school-based programs, the Division anticipates delivering programming to 10 forms or approximately 250 to 300 non-resident students during the 2008 – 2009 school- year through its Distance Education initiative.

2. Division Priorities and Goals
In line with the vision and mission statements, the Board set broad or overarching goals as outlined below:

Overarching Division Goals
       
       Accountability - To develop and define measures of accountability
       Governance - To govern through strategic board governance aligned to meet our needs
       Capacity Building - To develop strategies for board development and learning
       Communication - To develop an effective communications strategy with all stakeholders
       School Community Councils - To establish working relationships with local school communities through the development of School Community Councils

• Parents
• School Community Council Members
• Teachers
• In school Administrators
• Senior Administrators
• Representatives of the various agencies who serve the communities within the school division boundaries.

  Without diminishing the importance of or the support for the priorities of the previous year (Literacy Interventions and Programming for Diversity) the Board established two priorities for the 2008-2009 school year as follows:

  • Improved Achievement in Mathematics
  • Increased Parental Engagement

  Priorities for Administrators

  To achieve the Board’s student outcome goals, administrators focus efforts primarily in two areas:
  • Staff recruitment, retention and development through a broad range of strategies
  • Improvement of instruction

     

    Alignment of Priorities

    
    

     

    I. Achievement

    A. Literacy

    Rationale:

    Reading, writing and mathematic skills are essential to achieving success in all subject areas.  The NWSD has established math and literacy skills as priorities for the school division.  Literacy is currently in a maintenance priority, while math as a priority is new to the division.

    Philosophical Underpinnings:

    • All children are capable of acquiring literacy skills.
    • Literacy skills are essential skills for communication and success in all subjects.
    • The division focus for assessment is on the strands of writing and reading which are the key expressive and receptive strands in English Language Arts.
    • The four cornerstones of an effective literacy program are:
      • Effective classroom instruction in a balanced ELA program and an actualization of the ELA curriculum.
      • Effective literacy interventions – ERI, Read to Succeed, Reading Recovery, Spec. Ed. Interventions, Orchestrating Success for Reading etc..
      • Structured Home Reading Program in elementary grades
      • Independent Reading time for students

    Our Target: Maintain Student Achievement in Literacy and Literacy Intervention

    Our Actions:

    1. Early Reading Intervention and Training and Reading Comprehension Training
    2. Literacy Staffing (8.4 staff)
    3. Development of Baseline Data for all students in reading and writing

    Our Measures:

    S.M.A.R.T. Goals for Actions:

    1. ERI Program and Training

    Specific:  Training will be available each year for teachers from grades 1-3 for Early Reading Intervention (ERI).  This will be the Division’s primary intervention method.

    Measureable:   Each school with primary grades will have at least one teacher trained in ERI, with possibly 2 or 3 trained over a number of years.  Data is collected each year from all of the schools to measure the effectiveness of this intervention.  Typical growth for students in this program has been to increase 8-10 levels in a 13 week cycle.

    Attainable:  Yearly training will ensure capacity within each school and across the division.  Resources from Marie Clay’s intervention model are provided for each participant.  Funding was provided for leveled reading books for each school.  Maintenance and replacement of these books is the responsibility of each school.

    Realistic:  Past years would indicate that 12-15 teachers are trained each year, and this appears to adequately compensate for teachers leaving schools and leaving the division.

    Timely:  Research indicates that intervention for reading in the first three years of schooling is the most successful.  Yearly training will ensure that trained staff is available to provide this timely intervention strategy.

         2.  Literacy Staffing

    Specific:  Each school has been allocated staff for literacy intervention for students struggling with reading. 

    Measureable:  Schools are asked to report each year on their literacy programming and its effectiveness.  Data is collected centrally each year on students who have received literacy intervention.

    Attainable:  The board of education has endorsed and approved continued support for staff for literacy intervention for each school.  This is above and beyond the classroom component allocation. 

    Realistic:  Principals are responsible to ensure that allocated literacy time is used in the manner to which it is intended.  Reporting on literacy intervention success will be a component of the school Learning Improvement Plan.

    Timely:  Yearly funding for literacy allows school to forward plan and develop successful programs which can be enhanced and fine tuned each year.

        3.  Development of Baseline Data for all students in reading and writing

    Specific:  The focus of our baseline data will be in the areas of reading and writing. 

    Measureable:  There will be three forms of assessment from which to establish baseline data:  the CAT4, Provincial AFL and ERI intervention data.

    From the large scale assessments, focus will be on the following for baseline data:

    CAT4:

    1. Reading
    2. Writing Conventions

    AFL:

    1. Reading
    2. Writing

    Attainable:  The AFL baseline data and targets have been set for reading and writing and are included in the tables at the end of this document.  CAT4 baseline data will be set and targets established once reports arrive.  Baseline data for ERI has been set and targets established and are included at the end of this document.

    Realistic:  The CAT4 and AFL are already a part of our assessment expectations.  Individual schools are able to measure their targets and results against division data and national and provincial norms.

    Timely: The first CAT4 data will be available in the late fall of 2008.  Existing benchmark AFL data for reading for the NWSD is available from the 2007 assessment. New AFL data on writing is available in the fall of 2008.  ERI data and benchmarking was in 2007.

    1. Norm Referenced:

    By June 2010, 75% of NWSD students will be on average above grade level as measured with the CAT 4 assessment in the following areas:

    • Reading
    • Writing Conventions

    2. Criterion Referenced:

    The following represents baseline data from 2007:

    READING – PROVINCIAL AFL

    By June 2009, 85% of students will achieve at the Adequate level and 50% of students will achieve at the Proficient level in the targeted areas as measured with the provincial Assessment for Learning data.  Reading is being viewed as largely a maintenance area by the division.

    Values in Red indicate targets met for 2009. The white lines indicate the provincial levels.
    

  
  

  
  

   

  WRITING – PROVINCIAL AFL

  The following represents baseline data from 2008:

  By June 2010:     A minimum of 75% of students will achieve at the Competent level and a
                               minimum of 25% will achieve at the proficient level in all writing
                               areas.  AFL data for writing is a new and writing priorities appear to be
                               most needed at the elementary level.
  

  

  

   ERI (Early Reading Intervention) 

  Early Reading is being viewed as largely a maintenance area.  Targets for ERI are as follows, based on students being in daily sessions for a 13 week cycle:

  • an increase of 8-10 instructional levels
  • 40% gain in word identification
  • Increase of 2 ½ stanines in writing vocabulary
  • An increased score of 6 in the ability to segment.

  DATA 2006 - 2008

  	Average Time in Program	Average Pre and Post Instructional Level Gains	Pre and Post Letter Identification (54)	Pre and Post Word Test %	Pre and Post Writing Vocabulary Stanine	Pre and Post Sounds (37)
  2006-07	13 weeks	Gain 10 Levels	Pre 49.9 words Post 53.5 words	Pre - 47.3%  Post - 84.3%	Pre – 3.54  Post – 6.11	Pre – 27.3 Post – 35.2
  2007-08	14 weeks	Gain 11 Levels	Pre 49.7 words Post 53.2 words	Pre - 56.9% Post - 88.56%	Pre - 4.8 Post - 7.00	Pre - 29.9 Post - 35.4
  	Average number of Students Served	Pre and Post Segmenting (22)	Pre and Post Rhyme Detection (20)	Pre and Post Book Knowledge (26)
  2006-07	122	Pre – 14.0 Post – 20.2	Pre - 18.1 Post -  19.6	Pre – 24.0 Post – 25.9
  2007-08	129	Pre - 16.2 Post - 20.6	Pre - 17.43 Post - 19.6

  
  

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  
  

  Baseline Grade Equivalency Data from 2008 and 2009 CAT Scores - Reading

  

  Baseline Grade Equivalency Data from 2008 CAT Scores - Writing Conventions

  

  B. Mathematics

  Rationale:

  Mathematics, reading and writing abilities are essential skills that impact learning in all subject areas. The NWSD has established mathematics as a priority for increasing student achievement. A three year plan has been put in place which includes establishing a division focus for actualizing curriculum, improving instruction, developing authentic assessments and increasing mathematic resources in the school.
  

  Philosophical Underpinnings:

  • All children are capable of learning mathematics.
  • The Inquiry Approach is recognized as an important instructional approach in mathematics education.
  • The processes identified by the Ministry of Education Curriculum (communication, visualization, connections, mathematical reasoning, technology, problem solving, mental mathematics and estimation) are critical components of learning mathematics.
  • Problem solving should be integrated into all of the strands and is not taught as a separate unit of work.
  • Students should be able to represent mathematical ideas and concepts pictorially, concretely and symbolically.
  • The effective use of manipulatives is key to mathematics education.

  Our Target:  Increase Student Achievement in Mathematics

  Our Actions:

  1. Curriculum Implementation
  2. Resources
  3. Instruction
  4. Assessment/ Development of Baseline Data

  S.M.A.R.T. Goals for Actions:

  1. Curriculum Implementation

  Specific: K-9 teachers who instruct math will receive the new math curriculum guides and support documents and will receive a one day workshop. This will be lead by the math curriculum implementation team, the math catalyst teachers, the Resource-Based Learning Consultant, and the Superintendents of Curriculum and Instruction
  Measurable: 100 percent of K-9 math teachers will receive the documents and attend the workshops
  Attainable: Availability of the documents is dependent on the Ministry of Education meeting their proposed release timeline
  Realistic: The workshop schedule is set and part of the 2008-09 professional development calendar
  Timely: K,1,4,7 teachers received the curriculum guides, support documents, and workshops in the fall of 2007. All grade 2,4,5,6,8,9 teachers will receive the one-day workshop in the fall of 2008.  Grade 2,5,8 teachers will receive curriculum guides and support documents in the fall of 2008 and Grade 3,6,9 teachers will receive curriculum guides and support documents in the fall of 2009.  School principals are responsible for ensuring staff attend the workshops and that new staff are provided with the updated documents.

  2. Resources

  Specific: All K-6 teachers will receive a Prime (Nelson Math) kit and a two day workshop on implementation.  All K-9 classrooms will receive at least one primary resource (Nelson, Pearson, or McGraw Hill). An additional recommended resources list will be created and will include: Teaching Student Centered Mathematics – John A. Van de Walle – Pearson and Mental Math in Primary, Elementary and Middle Grades – Jack Hope
  Measurable: School principals are responsible to ensure all K-6 teachers attend curriculum and Prime workshops
  Attainable: The workshop schedule is set and part of the 2008-09 professional development calendar. Key note speakers for Fall Inservice and Convention on math topics have been contracted

  Realistic: NWSD has established a Prime instruction team and Doug Duff has been contracted to lead all sessions. Centralized “seed” money for purchasing of core math resources in place for 2008-09
  Timely: Prime Training is scheduled for January 29 and April 1, 2009. Grades K,1,2,4,5,7,8 classes will have their primary resource in place by the fall of 2008. Grades 3,6,9 classrooms will have their primary resource.

  3. Instruction

  Specific: All K-9 math teachers will receive support from math catalyst teachers in helping develop and enhance instructional strategies.  Target areas include numbers and operations and problem solving strategies
  Measurable: Four math catalyst teachers have been hired in geographic regions.  Catalyst teachers have received the Prime training and will attend math curriculum workshops from the Ministry of Education.  Further development of catalyst teachers will be provided through attendance at the University of Saskatchewan’s “Comprehension in Mathematics” workshop in August 2008, as well as through various videos and publications on current trends in math instruction
  Attainable: Catalyst teachers will collaborate with principals to ensure consistent scheduling. Administrator training for effective math instruction through Prime
  Realistic: Funding for catalyst teachers, training, resources and travel expenses has been budgeted
  Timely: Math catalyst teacher training was initiated in May 2008.  The four teachers will be initiating work with K-9 teachers in the fall of 2008

  4. Assessment/Development of Baseline Data

  Specific:   The focus of our baseline data will be in the areas of numbers and operations, number sense and problem solving from K-5 with the addition of pre-algebra and algebra skills from grades 6-9
  Measurable:  There will be two forms of assessment by which to establish baseline data, the CAT4 and Provincial AFL.   Teacher-made, formative, mid-point check-ups will be administered by all teachers in January for essential skills in problem solving, basic facts and computation.
  From the two large scale assessments, focus will be on the following for baseline data:

  • CAT4
  • Mathematics
  • Computation
  • Provincial AFL
  • Grade 5
  • whole numbers
  • fractions
  • computation
  • integrated applications (problem solving)         
  • Grade 8
    • numbers and operations
    • ratio and proportion
    • computation skills
  • algebra
  • integrated applications (problem solving)
  • Grade 11
    • math content skills
    • computation skills
    • integrated applications (problem solving)
    
    
  • From the teacher-made mid-point check-ups, focus will be on:
  • Teams of grade-alike teachers will identify essential learning outcomes for basic facts, computation skills and problem solving with accompanying common assessments.  These teams will meet in early fall
  • Teachers will administer these in January
  • These formative assessments will inform teachers of gaps in student learning to be addressed in the 2nd half of the year.

  Attainable:  Teacher teams were established in the fall of 2008.
  Realistic:  The CAT4 and AFL are already a part of our assessment expectations.  Having teacher teams meet to create essential learning outcomes and assessments was a large task in the fall of 2008
  Timely: The first CAT4 data will be available in the fall of 2008.  Existing benchmark AFL data for the NWSD is available from the 2007 assessment. New AFL data will be available in the fall of 2009.  The teacher identified essential learning outcomes and teacher-made common assessments were made available in November of 2008.

  Our Measures

  Two assessment tools will be used to monitor student achievement.  For more information on comparative results, refer to the attached appendix.

  1. The Provincial AFL results will provide a criterion-based reflection of achievement in the areas of:

              Grade 5 – Math Content Skills (CPR)
                                Math Content Skills (APS)
                               Integrated Applications
                               Estimation Skills
                               Computation Skills
              Grade 8 –Math Content Skills (CPR)
                                Math Content Skills (APS)
                               Integrated Applications
                               Estimation Skills
                               Computation Skills
              Grade 11 –Math Content Skills
                                Integrated Applications
                               Estimation Skills

   

  2.  The CAT 4 results will provide a norm-based reflection of achievement for all grades in the areas of:

                                Mathematics
                                Computation

                                    
  The graphics in the appendix display NWSD results compared to the current Canadian distribution characterized as Above Average (Seventh Stanine or better), Average (Fourth to Sixth Stanine), and Below Average (First to Third Stanine). 5

  AFL Historical Data:

  	2009 Provincial results for Adequate or Higher: Math Content Skills (CPR) 79% Math Content Skills (APS) 43% Integrated Applications 71% Estimation Skills 69% Computation Skills 66%
  	2009 Provincial results for Adequate or Higher: Math Content Skills (CPR) 59% Math Content Skills (APS) 46% Integrated Applications 48% Estimation Skills 49% Computation Skills 73%

  2009 Provincial results for Adequate or Higher: Math Content Skills 60% Integrated Applications 51% Estimation Skills 55%

  CAT4 Data for Grades 1 - 9 Math

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  II. Equitable Opportunities

  The Northwest School Division (NWSD) has a strong committment to equitable opportunities for all students. This includes support for special needs students, First Nations and Metis education and students of all cultures who reside in our communities.

  NWSD has 24 schools in 17 communities. We offer a range of student services and programs. Educational psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and an occupational thereapist work in all of our schools.

  A: Multi-Cultural Education and Awareness

  Our Actions

• Use of Elders
• Cree Language Instruction
• SCC aboriginal position
• Superintentant for Aboriginal Education
• Partnership with Flying Dust First Nation
• Teacher education program
• Tuition Agreements
• English as an Additional Language
• Character Educational Virtues
• Anti-bullying
• Native Studies
• Wellness and Guidance
• Heritage Fairs
• Continued hiring of aboriginal teachers
• Fostering multi-disciplinary teams
• Cultural Awareness Camp held in conjunction with Meadow Lake Tribal Council

  B. Capacity Building

  Our Actions

• Personal Program Plan Development
• Development of the Adaptive Dimension teaching skills
• Implementation of the Adaptive Dimension
• Professional Development of Impact Profiles
• Resources in Schools
• Lending Library
• Appropriate inclusive education
• Professional Development for Educational Assistants
• Early entrance for students with special needs
• Ongoing recruitment and retention of occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and educational psychologists
• Ongoing development of assistive technology
• Addictions Counsellors
• Teen mother daycare
• Nutrition programs
• FAST program
• Support of Parent Conference organized by Turtleford Community School SCC

  III. Transitions

  Our Target: To equip our students to deal with major transition in their lives.

  Our Actions:

  To identify predictable transitions in the lives of school age children and establish procedures to equip our students to deal with these transitions.

  Northwest School Division has established procedures to facilitate transitions across our Pre-K to Grade 12 system including:

  • Early Entrance, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten
  • Between grades
  • Between schools
  • School-to-work - Career Portfolio Coordinator
  • School-to-Post Secondary - Partnership with North West Regional College 

  Early Entrance to Pre-Kindergarten to Kindergarten
              The process involves parents, students, teachers and school administration

  Between Grades
              Planned communication between teachers and parents. 
              Students with special needs are targeted in a more strategic manner.

  Between Schools
  New students are identified as having unique needs and communication with parents are planned.  Feeder school work closely with receiving schools.

  School-to-Work Transitions
  Addressed through Career Portfolio development, WHMIS and other direct career training, work experience courses, career days, spend-a-day and career counseling.

  Two alternate schools are operated in the division and both are referred to as “Transition Schools.”  One has an extensive partnership with the Ministry of Advanced Education Employment and Labour.

  Transition-to-Post Secondary
  Facilitated through Guidance Counsellors; with Wellness Coordinators being available to all students.   The Northwest Leadership Academy is an excellent opportunity for 40 grade eleven and grade twelve students to gain confidence and skills required to be successful in post-secondary settings.

  IV. Accountability/Governance

  Our Target - Support NWSD priorities in Mathematics and Literacy

  Our Actions - Provide budget dollars to put in place staff and resources.

  Our Measures

  CIF Report
  Expenditures:
  		Explanation:	2007-08		2008-09		2009-10
  	Literacy:
  Staffing		Teachers assigned to literacy initiative = 7.6 FTE	$   456,000.00
  		Teachers assigned to literacy initiative = 8.4 FTE			$   504,000.00		$   522,000.00
  PD		ERI Training	$       2,000.00		$       2,000.00		$       2,000.00
  Resources		Resource center decentralized budgets	$   260,100.00		$   269,600.00		$   280,000.00
  Testing
  TOTALS			$   718,100.00		$   775,600.00		$   804,000.00
  	Math:
  Staffing		Math catalyst teachers = 1.5 FTE			$   102,000.00		$   106,000.00
  P.D.		Math Prime and Leadership Training	$     12,000.00		$     26,000.00
  		Curriculum Inservice	$       5,000.00		$       6,000.00
  Resources		Math - K,1,4,7 implementation	$     79,500.00
  		Math - 2,5,8 implementation			$     79,000.00
  		Math - 3, 6, 9 implementation					$     82,000.00
  Testing		Assessment supplies	$     21,000.00		$     30,000.00		$       27,000.00
  TOTALs			$   117,500.00		$   243,000.00		$     215,000.00