school improvement planning: a handbook for principals, teachers

Contents

Letter from the Commissioners ................................................................. 3

1. Introduction ........................................................................................... 5

2. What Areas Should Be Considered for Improvement? ................... 9

3. Who Are the Partners in School Improvement Planning? ............ 11

4. How Do We Begin? ............................................................................. 17

5. How Do We Create a Plan? ............................................................... 39

6. How Do We Implement the Plan? .................................................... 47

7. How Do We Evaluate the Results? ................................................... 51

8. How Do We Keep Up the Good Work? ........................................... 55

Endnotes ...................................................................................................... 57

Appendices:

Appendix A: School Improvement Planning Project ..................... 59

Appendix B: Sample School Improvement Plan ............................ 61

Appendix C: Characteristics of an Effective Principal .................. 75

Appendix D: Understanding the Expectations and AchievementLevels in the Ministry of Education’s Curriculum Documents ...... 79

Appendix E: Sample Parent Survey ................................................. 85

Appendix F: Sample Text for a Pamphlet That Principals Can Send to Parents with a Copy of Their School’sImprovement Plan ............................................................................ 91

Appendix G: Additional Resources .................................................. 95

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SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING HANDBOOK

This handbook contains several pieces of information, including forms, thatpeople who are developing a school improvement plan will find useful duringthe planning process. These items are listed below.

Each piece of information listed is available as a separate item on the CD-ROMversion of the handbook—as both an HTML and a PDF file. In this print versionof the handbook, these items are flagged with a CD-ROM icon.

The items in the list below that are marked with asterisks (*) are also availableon the CD-ROM in word-processing formats (both Word and WordPerfect) sothat schools may adapt them to their individual needs. Consult the CD-ROMfor more information. (Please note that the CD-ROM may not work on olderMacintosh computers.)

Each piece of information is also available as a separate, downloadable itemfrom the Education Improvement Commission’s website, http://eic.edu.gov.on.ca.

The items are as follows:

• Priority for Enhancing Curriculum Delivery (pages 20 to 23)

• Priority for Improving the School Environment (pages 24 to 31)

• Priority for Increasing Parental Involvement (pages 31 to 37)

• * Characteristics of Effective Schools (figure 2, pages 27 to 31)

• * Types of Parental Involvement (figure 3, pages 35 to 36)

• * How Do We Involve Parents? (figure 4, page 37)

• * School Improvement Planning Chart (template for figure 5, page 39)

• Sample School Improvement Plan (appendix B, pages 61 to 73)

• Understanding the Expectations and Achievement Levels in the Ministry ofEducation’s Curriculum Documents (appendix D, pages 79 to 83)

• * Sample Parent Survey (appendix E, pages 85 to 90)

• * Sample Text for a Pamphlet That Principals Can Send to Parents With aCopy of Their School’s Improvement Plan (appendix F, pages 91 to 94)

• The Road Ahead – III: A Report on the Role of School Councils (November 1998report of the Education Improvement Commission)

• The Road Ahead – IV: A Report on Improving Schools Through GreaterAccountability (April 2000 report of the Education ImprovementCommission).

EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT COMMISSION

Letter from theCommissioners

November 2000

The Education Improvement Commission (EIC) is an arm’s-length agency ofthe Ontario Ministry of Education. It was created in 1997 to oversee a smoothtransition to a new system of education governance for the publicly fundedelementary and secondary school systems in Ontario. It reports to and makesrecommendations to the Minister of Education.

In January 1998, school boards in Ontario were reorganized. Seventy-two new dis-trict school boards were established. Many of the previously existing boardswere amalgamated, some new boards were created, and some boards remainedmuch as they had been before this date. One important outcome of the reor-ganization was the establishment of a new system of French-language boardsthat now spans the entire province.

Four distinct school board systems now exist in Ontario:

• English-language district school boards

• English-language Catholic district school boards

• French-language district school boards

• French-language Catholic district school boards.

These four distinct and equal systems share common goals and responsibilities,while the French-language and Catholic systems simultaneously protect andpromote the cultural, linguistic, and religious values that are central to theirindividual purposes.

In 1999, as part of our mandate, we undertook a progress review of all 72 boardsin the province.1 In The Road Ahead – IV: A Report on Improving SchoolsThrough Greater Accountability, published at the end of the review, we statedour view that “the development and implementation of a comprehensiveaccountability framework is the single most important factor that would have thegreatest impact in improving our education system and student achievement.”2

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We concluded that we need:

• better information about our students’ performance

• better information about the factors that affect this performance, and

• an increased focus on improvement planning at the provincial, board, and schoollevels.

In an earlier report, The Road Ahead – III: A Report on the Role of School Councils, wehad recommended that all schools develop and publish annual school improvement plans,and that the planning process include a meaningful role for school councils and parents.3

To contribute to this goal, the Commission worked with 10 schools in the province todevelop and pilot a school improvement planning process that includes parents.4 Basedon this experience, we offer this handbook as a practical, “how-to” guide to schoolimprovement planning.

We express our sincere thanks to the principals, teachers, parents, students, and coor-dinators involved in the pilot projects. They have played a most important part in thedevelopment of this handbook.

Ontario is a large and diverse province. Whatever else a school improvement planningprocess needs to be, it clearly needs to reflect the unique issues and characteristics of each school community, including the unique needs of the Catholic and French-lan-guage systems. We know that boards, schools, and improvement planning teams willwant to modify the material and processes outlined in the handbook to reflect their owncharacteristics and local circumstances.

We encourage these kinds of modifications, confident in the knowledge that improve-ment in student performance is much more likely if schools and their communities setout in an organized, focused, inclusive, and public way to plan to improve.

Our hope is that this handbook represents a significant contribution towards this goal.

Dave Cooke Ann VanstoneCo-chair Co-chair

Peter Cameron Rémi LessardCommissioner Commissioner

Betty Moseley-Williams Arlene WrightCommissioner Commissioner

Introduction1

All schools want their students to succeed. But schools can only make alasting difference when they focus onspecific goals and strategies for change.School improvement planning is aprocess through which schools set goalsfor improvement, and make decisionsabout how and when these goals willbe achieved. The ultimate objective ofthe process is to improve studentachievement levels by enhancing theway curriculum is delivered, by creatinga positive environment for learning,and by increasing the degree to whichparents5 are involved in their children’slearning at school and in the home.

What is a school improvement plan?A school improvement plan is a roadmap that sets out the changes a schoolneeds to make to improve the level ofstudent achievement, and shows howand when these changes will be made.

School improvement plans are selec-tive: they help principals, teachers, andschool councils answer the questions“What will we focus on now?” and“What will we leave until later?” Theyencourage staff and parents to monitorstudent achievement levels and otherfactors, such as the school environment,

that are known to influence studentsuccess. With up-to-date and reliableinformation about how well studentsare performing, schools are better ableto respond to the needs of students,teachers, and parents.

A school improvement plan is also amechanism through which the publiccan hold schools accountable for studentsuccess and through which it can measure improvement. One of the firststeps—a crucial one—in developing animprovement plan involves teachers,school councils, parents, and othercommunity members working togetherto gather and analyse informationabout the school and its students, sothat they can determine what needs tobe improved in their school. As the planis implemented, schools continue togather this kind of data. By comparingthe new data to the initial informationon which the plan was based, they—and the public—can measure the suc-cess of their improvement strategies.

Real change takes time. It is importantthat all partners understand this as theyenter into the school improvementplanning process. Incremental improve-ments are significant, and they shouldbe celebrated, but they do not constitutelasting change. School improvement

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plans are therefore best designed asthree-year plans:

• year 1 is taken up with the planningprocess

• year 2 is the first year of implemen-tation

• year 3 is the year in which imple-mentation continues.

During initial deliberations, or as timegoes on, schools may wish to extendtheir plan for additional years to ensurethat they maintain their focus and reachtheir goals. In any case, school improve-ment plans should be considered work-ing documents that schools use to monitor their progress over time and to make revisions when necessary toensure that the plans stay on course.

In developing their school’s improve-ment plan, the principal, staff, schoolcouncil, parents, and other communitymembers work through a variety ofactivities focused on three areas of priority: curriculum delivery, schoolenvironment, and parental involvement.For each of these areas, schools establishthe following:

• a goal statement

• performance targets

• areas of focus

• implementation strategies

• indicators of success

• time lines

• responsibility for implementingstrategies

• checkpoints for status updates

• opportunities for revisions.

Appendix B contains a sample schoolimprovement plan.

About this handbookFor school improvement planning to be successful, it must involve all schoolpartners. When we refer to “schools” in this handbook (“schools should …”),we mean the entire school community.The principal, as the person responsiblefor administering the school and forproviding instructional leadership, isultimately responsible for improvementplanning. But the entire school commu-nity should be actively involved in allstages of the process: planning, imple-menting, monitoring, and evaluatingprogress. We have therefore written this handbook for principals, teachers,school councils, parents, and othercommunity members who participatein the process.

The handbook is intended to be a prac-tical guide for schools that are alreadyinvolved in the improvement planningprocess, as well as those that are justbeginning. Chapters 2 and 3 describethe areas that should be considered forimprovement and the roles that variouspartners can play in making the processa success. Chapters 4 through 8 outlinestep-by-step activities that help schoolsdevelop their first school improvementplan, implement it, evaluate its success,and revise it to ensure continuousimprovement. The appendices provideadditional resources.

Each school and school community has unique needs and characteristics.Schools may find, as they work throughthe handbook, that they want to modifysome of the premises, steps, and activi-ties to ensure that their final planreflects their specific needs.

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For example, the sections on effectiveschools and the role of the principal donot reflect the centrality of the Catholicchurch and faith in the work and goalsof schools in the Catholic systems.Catholic school boards will want towork with their Church, their parishes,and members of their Catholic commu-nity to ensure that the materials andactivities used to develop improvementplans reflect their purpose.

Similarly, French-language boards willwant to work with members of theFrench cultural community to adaptsections of this handbook so that theyadequately reflect the important rolethat schools in the French-language systems play in preserving and strength-ening French language, culture, andinstitutions.

Diversity is evident in a multitude ofother situations across the province.Schools in multilingual, multiculturalsettings face certain challenges uniqueto their settings, while schools in isolatedparts of the province face a completelydifferent set of challenges.

Secondary schools play different rolesand face different challenges than ele-mentary schools. In addition, secondaryschools have not yet completely imple-mented the new curriculum. Becauseour pilot projects in school improvementplanning were all with elementaryschools, we may have overlooked conditions or factors that secondaryschools will want to take into accountin their improvement planning.

We anticipate that each school will adaptthe processes in this handbook to itsown needs. In several parts of the text,we have noted where such modifica-tions would occur.

All district school boards should takethe initiative and work with staff,school councils, parents, and communityrepresentatives to develop guidelinesthat will help schools modify their plansto reflect the unique cultural, linguistic,religious, and other demographic features of their school communities.

A CD-ROM version of this handbook isbeing distributed to each school in theprovince, along with the print version.For the convenience of those involvedin school improvement planning, severalpieces of information from the text ofthe handbook, including forms, havebeen reproduced on the CD-ROM asseparate items. Some of the items areavailable in word-processing formats(both Word and WordPerfect) so thatschools can alter them to suit their individual needs. These pieces of infor-mation are also available as separate,downloadable items from theEducation Improvement Commission’swebsite, http://eic.edu.gov.on.ca. A completelist of these items appears on page 2 ofthe handbook.

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Together we caneffectively makethe changes needed to improve studentperformance.

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What Areas Should BeConsidered forImprovement?

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The overall objective of school improve-ment planning is an enhanced level ofstudent achievement. To effect realchange, however, the process needs tofocus on specific priorities.

Student performance improves whenteachers use curriculum-delivery strate-gies that specifically address the needsof their students, when the school envi-ronment is positive, and when parentsare involved in their children’s education.In planning improvements, therefore,schools should establish one priority ineach of these three areas—curriculumdelivery, school environment, andparental involvement. In effect, theplanning process involves answeringthe important questions: “What will wefocus on now?” and “What will weleave until later?”

Curriculum deliveryCurriculum is the foundation of theeducation system. The Ministry ofEducation has published curriculumpolicy documents that set out expecta-tions for student learning in each gradeand subject area. “The expectations…describe the knowledge and skills thatstudents are expected to develop and todemonstrate in their class work, ontests, and in various other activities onwhich their achievement is assessed.”6

The policy documents also containachievement charts (“rubrics”) thathelp teachers assess the level of eachstudent’s achievement in relation to theexpectations. “The achievement levelsare brief descriptions of four possiblelevels of student achievement. Thesedescriptions, which are used along withmore traditional indicators like lettergrades and percentage marks, areamong a number of tools that teachersuse to assess students’ learning.”7

To set a goal for improving the way curriculum is delivered, principals,teachers, school councils, parents, andother community members participatingin the improvement planning processmust understand the expectations setout by the ministry and how well thestudents in their school are achievingthose expectations.

Strategies to help schools set a curriculumdelivery goal are described beginningon page 20.

School environmentEffective schools share a set of charac-teristics that add up to an environmentthat fosters student achievement.8 Bysetting goals to improve a school’senvironment, principals, teachers,school councils, parents, and other

community members can make theirschools more effective places in whichto learn.

Highly effective schools share the following characteristics:

• a clear and focused vision

• a safe and orderly environment

• a climate of high expectations forstudent success

• a focus on high levels of studentachievement that emphasizes activi-ties related to learning

• a principal who provides instruc-tional leadership

• frequent monitoring of studentprogress

• strong home-school relations.9

In assessing the effectiveness of theirown school environment, schools andtheir improvement planning partnersmay wish to add to the seven character-istics described above. For example,schools in the Catholic systems willwant to extend this list to reflect theCatholic vision of the learner, the pas-toral priorities of the local parish, anddiocesan priorities. Schools in theFrench-language systems will want toconsider their role in enhancing students’understanding of French language, culture, and institutions, as well as thecentral role their school plays in theculture of their community.

Strategies to help schools evaluate and seta goal for improving their environmentsare described beginning on page 24.

Parental involvementResearch tells us that parental involve-ment is one of the most significant factors contributing to a child’s successin school. When parents are involved intheir children’s education, the level ofstudent achievement increases. Studentsattend school more regularly, completemore homework in a consistent manner,and demonstrate more positive attitudestowards school. They also are morelikely to complete high school.10

Parental involvement helps a child succeed in school and later in life. Toensure parents are informed about andinvolved in their children’s education,schools must foster partnerships withparents. Because parental involvementis one of the most significant factors ina child’s success, it is crucial that allschools set a goal in their improvementplans for increasing it.

Strategies to help schools understandthe needs of parents in their communitiesand set an improvement goal in this areaare described beginning on page 31.

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We are finally onthe same team.

Who Are the Partnersin School Improvement

Planning?

3

Everyone involved in or interested inthe operation of schools has a role toplay in the improvement planningprocess. District school boards andsuperintendents of education playimportant roles in setting directions andin supporting and monitoring schoolimprovement plans. The most importantwork, however, takes place within theschool community itself. As we said inchapter 1, an effective school improve-ment plan results when principals,teachers, school councils, parents, andother community members work as ateam to establish priorities, set goals forimprovement, implement strategies toachieve those goals, and evaluateprogress.

In this chapter, we describe who shouldbe involved in school improvementplanning, and outline the roles eachshould or could carry out at each stageof the process.

District school boardsDistrict school boards help set directionand provide support for the schoolimprovement planning process. Theyshould:

• establish vision and mission state-ments for the board and boardimprovement plans, and communi-cate them to schools so that schoolscan use them as a context for theirimprovement planning

• encourage school councils, parents,and other community members (for example, in the Catholic systems, the parish) to participate in the development of board andschool improvement plans

• establish policies to ensure thatschool councils, parents, and othercommunity members have mean-ingful roles to play in developing,communicating, monitoring, andevaluating school improvementplans

• support the development of teamand leadership skills for schoolcouncil members through training,conferences, and forums (and, inthe Catholic systems, retreats)

• implement mechanisms to holdsuperintendents of education andprincipals accountable for progresstowards the goals set out in schoolimprovement plans.

It is also imperative that boards under-stand, through annual reports fromsuperintendents, the goals being set by the schools in their jurisdictions.Boards can incorporate common schoolgoals into their own strategic plans andallocate resources in ways that meet thecommon needs and priorities of theirschools.

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SuperintendentsSuperintendents must encourageschools in planning improvements,facilitate their strategies, and monitoreach school’s success. They should:

• develop a thorough understandingof the nature and characteristics ofeach school

• ensure professional development andtraining opportunities are availableto school staff, school council mem-bers, parents, and other communitymembers to help them developeffective improvement plans

• support school councils, parents,and other community members inbecoming full partners in theimprovement planning process bycommunicating with them regularly(for example, attending meetings ofschool council chairs)

• use principals’ meetings to provideprincipals and vice-principals withprofessional development opportu-nities and to model strategies (forexample, teamwork) that principalscan use in the improvement planningprocess

• ensure that principals and staffreceive the information (for example,the board’s strategic plan) and theresources (for example, professionaldevelopment opportunities) theyneed to carry out the improvementplanning process

• ensure that schools use accurateand comprehensive information (forexample, student achievement data,summaries of responses to parentsurveys) in developing their plans

• provide support to principals whenand where needed as schools imple-ment their plans

• provide opportunities and venuessuch as the following for schools towork together to resolve problemsand share best practices:

– regional or family-of-schoolsmeetings

– newsletters

– electronic discussion groups

• work with staff development personnel to ensure that their work increasingly focuses on helpingschools achieve their improvementgoals

• review school improvement planswith principals regularly, andrequest regular updates on imple-mentation of the plans.

PrincipalsPrincipals are the key players in theschool improvement process. They playa wide variety of roles to ensure thatthe improvement plan and its imple-mentation are successful. One of theirmost important responsibilities is toensure that improvement plans reflectthe characteristics of their own schooland its community.

In Ontario’s Catholic education systems,for example, principals, superintendents,and teachers should work in partnershipas faith leaders to ensure that schoolimprovement plans reflect Catholic beliefsand values. In the French-language systems, principals should ensure thatimprovement plans maintain the school’sfocus on celebrating and enhancing students’ understanding of French language, culture, and institutions, andthat the plans recognize the central rolethat the school plays in francophonecommunities.

In general, principals’ roles in schoolimprovement planning fall into threemain categories, as follows:

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I believe that all part-ners in the educationof children must havea clear understandingof their roles andmust be committed to making a schoolimprovement planwork. I am convincedafter having beenpart of the planningprocess that this willhappen.

Communication

Principals should:

• clearly explain the school improve-ment planning process to staff,school councils, parents, and othercommunity members

• help staff, school councils, parents,and other community membersunderstand their role in the processand invite them to participate

• provide the community with aschool “profile” detailing the natureand characteristics of the school

• ensure that everyone involved in theprocess receives regular communi-cations about the improvement planand the school’s progress

• communicate the final school planto all members of the school’s community.

Professional development

Principals should:

• encourage staff to lead the develop-ment and implementation of the plan

• provide leadership and professionaldevelopment/training opportunitiesto staff, school council members,parents, and other communitymembers involved in the process,and support them in developingand implementing the plan

• establish professional developmentgoals with staff that focus on thegoals and strategies in the schoolimprovement plan

• ensure that professional developmentactivities that focus on achievingthe school’s improvement goals arepart of every staff meeting.

Leadership

Principals should:

• develop and circulate a parent survey to provide parents with anopportunity to describe their feelingsabout the school and the ways inwhich they would like to be involvedin their children’s education, andensure that parents have adequatetime to respond to the survey

• tally the results of the parent surveyand provide it to those involved inthe planning process to help themdetermine the goal for enhancingthe level of parental involvement

• regularly collect classroom informa-tion on student achievement, usethis information in discussions withteachers about adjusting andimproving their teaching strategies,and ensure that this information isalso used by those developing theschool improvement plan

• lead school improvement planningmeetings of staff, school councils,parents, and other communitymembers

• regularly assess staff’s implementa-tion of the school improvement plan

• provide support and ongoing professional development for staffmembers as they pursue the strate-gies set out in the plan

• ensure that the school budget reflectsand supports the plan’s goals andimplementation strategies

• continually gather information onstudent achievement and communi-cate it to the school’s community aspart of the plan’s monitoring andevaluation process.

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Last but not least, principals shouldlead their school and its community incelebrating successes achieved in thepursuit of the school’s improvementgoals.

Appendix C lists characteristics thateffective principals share. Principals,teachers, school council members, parents, and other community membersmay want to reflect upon these charac-teristics as they consider improvementgoals for their schools. School boardsmay find the list useful in developingprofessional development opportunitiesfor principals. Of course, the character-istics in the list may be modified oraugmented to suit the unique nature of each school.

TeachersSince the ultimate objective of schoolimprovement planning is to improvethe level of student achievement, theperson who has the greatest impact onstudents during the school day—theteacher—plays several critical roles in theschool improvement planning process.

Teachers should:

• actively participate and assumeleadership roles in establishing priorities, setting goals, and formu-lating implementation strategies forthe plan

• work closely with school councilsand parents to implement the plan

• ensure that classroom strategies forimprovement address the needs ofstudents at all levels of learning

• assess students in a variety of waysand develop strategies for improv-ing the level of student achievement

• support the evaluation of the planby providing up-to-date informationon student learning, the schoolenvironment, and parental feedback

• set and pursue professional devel-opment goals that focus on the goalsand strategies identified in the plan.

School councils, parents,and other communitymembersIn June 2000, the Ministry of Educationsignalled its intention to ensure thatparents’ voices are heard in mattersrelated to their children’s education.Through a regulation to be developedunder the Education Act, the ministrywill require that district school boardsand principals seek the advice of schoolcouncils in a number of areas—includ-ing the development of school improve-ment plans—and report back to thecouncils on how their advice has beentaken into account.

We believe that school councils, amajority of whose members are parents,must be actively involved in the schoolimprovement planning process to ensurethat the priorities of the whole schoolcommunity are reflected in the school’splan. Parents and community memberswho are not members of school councilsmay also wish to participate, and shouldbe encouraged to do so.

In partnership with the school’s princi-pal and teaching staff, school councilsshould:

• participate in establishing prioritiesand setting goals and strategies forschool improvement

• regularly encourage parents andother community members (forexample, through school council

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newsletters or at parent meetings)to participate in the improvementplanning process

• review the school’s progress inimplementing the plan with theprincipal

• discuss the plan’s goals and provideupdates on the school’s progress atcouncil meetings and in the council’scommunications with the community

• work in consultation with theschool’s principal to build partner-ships with social service agencies,recreation departments and facilities,community groups, businesses, andindustries to help implement theplan.

In addition, school councils in theCatholic systems should:

• work in consultation with the school’sprincipal to build partnerships withthe parish

• provide leadership in and resourcesfor faith education

• encourage parental, staff, andparish involvement in establishinggood home-school-parish links.

School councils in the French-languagesystems should:

• inform the school’s community aboutFrench-language cultural activitiesthat are available to students andtheir families

• provide the school with resources topromote French-language culturalactivities in the community.

Other school councils may wish tomodify or augment the above list ofroles with other activities that reflectthe unique needs of their schools.

StudentsSecondary school students and studentsin Grades 7 and 8 may also play a partin school improvement planning. Theycould:

• participate in setting goals andstrategies

• help communicate the plan to thestudent body

• communicate the plan to their parents

• participate in strategies to reachthe school’s goals.

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How Do We Begin?4

This chapter describes the first stages of the school improvement planningprocess: creating a school improvementplanning team; assembling and assessinginformation about student achievement,the school environment, and parentalparticipation (that is, the context for the plan); and establishing priorities for improvement through a series ofactivities.

Principals play a crucial role in theseearly stages. They facilitate the forma-tion of a planning team, which will beresponsible for establishing priorities,and they ensure that the informationrequired for effective planning—suchas aggregated report card marks, theresults of assessments conducted by theprovince’s Education Quality andAccountability Office (EQAO), and asummary of responses to the parentsurvey—is collected and made availableto the team.

Forming a school improvement planningteamPrincipals should make every effort toinform teachers, school council mem-bers, parents, and other communitymembers about the improvementprocess in a way that welcomes theirparticipation.

In elementary schools, all teachers,members of the school council, parents,and other community members whowish to participate should be part of theplanning process. Secondary schools,which usually have large teachingstaffs, should ensure that at least onerepresentative from each department is part of the planning team, as well asthe school council, parents, and othercommunity members who want to participate. In addition to offering theirvaluable perspectives and abilities, teach-ers will be able to help other members ofthe team understand data on studentachievement as well as the potentialvalue of and challenges involved invarious improvement proposals.

It is vital that the team be representativeof the school’s community. Principalsshould work hard to persuade parentswho represent a range of the schoolcommunity’s demographic profile toparticipate in the planning exercise.Other members of the community maybe able to offer valuable insights andperspectives, and their participationshould also be encouraged and activelysought out. Principals in the Catholicsystems will want to include parishcouncil members on the team, and prin-cipals in the French-language systemswill want to include leaders from thelocal francophone community.

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I enjoyed workingwith a keen, dedicated group of parents andteachers who represent all levelsof the school.

Finally, secondary school students shouldalso be represented on the planningteam. Principals should encourage theirinvolvement in the process, and perhapsseek out those who are student leaders,urging them to play a role. Principals inelementary schools may wish to involveinterested Grade 7 and 8 students withthe team’s work.

All participants should have a positiveattitude towards the process and under-stand that they must work as a team.

Scheduling meeting times for the plan-ning team that are acceptable to bothstaff and parents may be a challenge.One solution is to organize parallelprocesses, whereby staff meet duringafter-school staff meetings and parentsmeet in the evening. The advantage ofthis arrangement is that it allows moreparents to participate. To ensure that

one group does not make decisionswithout hearing the views of and hav-ing a discussion with the other group,certain teachers could volunteer or bedelegated to participate in both theafter-school staff meetings and theevening parent meetings.

The school improvement planning teamhas the task of analysing data andinformation about the level of studentachievement in the school, the effective-ness of the school environment, and thelevel of involvement of parents in theirchildren’s education. Based on theiranalysis, team members make decisionsabout areas that need to be improved(priorities).

As figure 1 indicates, the planningwork should take place betweenSeptember and January of year 1.

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Time Lines Activities Responsibilities(Year 1)

September Send out parent survey (see Appendix E) Principal

Assemble class profiles (or begin to collect student All staff

work as a basis for developing class profiles)11

October Analyse parent survey Principal

Create school profile Principal/staff

November – Analyse results of EQAO tests for inclusion in Principal/staff

December planning process

Collect student work for class profiles All staff

Analyse report card marks Principal/staff

Establish curriculum delivery priority Entire planning team

January Establish school environment priority Entire planning team

Establish parental involvement priority Entire planning team

Figure 1. Setting Priorities: Time Lines, Activities, and Responsibilities

Parents’ concerns andideas were airedfrom the perspectiveof student improve-ment—we all wereworking towards onecommon goal.

Understanding the contextBefore the planning team begins devel-oping a school improvement plan, allmembers of the team, including parents,must be aware of and understand certainkey pieces of information that schoolboards communicate to staff and thepublic:

• the board’s vision statement

• the board’s response, as set out inits board-wide improvement plan,to the EQAO test results

• the board’s strategic plan, whichsets out its short- and long-termgoals for the district.

In addition, everyone on the planningteam should become familiar with thenature and characteristics of the schooland its community. Many schools create a school “profile” that describesthese characteristics in a way that iseasy to understand. Reviewing theschool profile and discussing each area helps everyone involved in theplanning process understand theschool, and it sets a context for theimprovement plan.

A school profile could include informa-tion about the following:

• student demographics

• enrolment trends

• languages spoken in the home

• the school’s mission statement

• the school’s program priorities

• programs and services offered bythe school (for example, guidanceand library services)

• school facilities

• class sizes

• the rate of student turnover ortransfer

• other relevant information.

Schools in the French-language systemswould use the last category above toinclude information about the relation-ship between the school and localFrench-language cultural organizations.Schools in the Catholic systems wouldinclude information about the linksbetween the school and its parish.Schools in all four systems will have“other relevant information” that willhelp the readers of the profile get anaccurate and complete picture oftheir school.

After gaining an understanding of both the board’s goals and the school’scharacteristics, the planning team isready to begin setting priorities for aschool improvement plan.

Setting prioritiesAs we stated in chapter 2, schoolimprovement plans are organizedaround three key areas: curriculumdelivery, school environment, andparental involvement. The improvementplanning team must establish onepriority in each of these three areas. The following activities will help plan-ning teams establish these priorities.

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Step 1 – Collecting information

The principal must ensure that the planning team has the necessary information to identify which area of the curriculum(for example, mathematics, reading, or writing) is most in needof improvement. He or she must also ensure that the informationcollected is reliable—that is, that it was gathered on the basis ofthe expectations and achievement levels defined by the Ministryof Education. All teachers must understand, and have a commonunderstanding of, the ministry’s policy requirements.

The principal should therefore collect the following informationfor the planning team:

Results of the EQAO’s annual assessments of students inGrades 3, 6, and 10: These assessments are based on theOntario curriculum and achievement levels. The results are public information, and EQAO produces a report on each school.The school report contains a wealth of information that is notavailable elsewhere.

Report card marks: Report card marks must reflect a clearunderstanding of the ministry’s expectations and achievementlevels. Appendix D outlines activities that are designed to helpteachers understand the expectations and generate reliablereport cards. The report card marks made available to the planning team will not, of course, be individual students’ marks,but aggregated marks, by grade and/or by subject.

Class profiles: Class profiles are collections of student work thathave been compiled at specific checkpoints during the year. Wesuggest that November/December, March, and June are appro-priate checkpoints for elementary schools, and the end of eachterm is an appropriate checkpoint for secondary schools. Classprofiles give both teachers and principals up-to-date informationabout student achievement and provide them with a basis fordeveloping teaching strategies for improvement. They also provide principals with a basis for assessing whether teachershave a clear understanding of the ministry’s expectations andachievement levels.

In year 1, schools may not yet have developed class profilesbased on reliable data. It is important, however, that they beginthe process of collecting this data so that they can develop andmaintain class profiles. Appendix D outlines activities designedto help principals and teachers create accurate class profiles.

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Priority for Enhancing Curriculum Delivery

As a parent, the opportunityto sit across from teachersand dialogue about studentachievement has beeninvaluable.

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Results of board-administered, national, and internationaltests: Some schools participate in tests, such as the CanadianTest of Basic Skills, that are given to all students by their board.Other schools participate in national tests, such as those admin-istered by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada,through its School Achievement Indicators Program. Schools mayalso participate in international tests, such as the ThirdInternational Mathematics and Science Study. If a school hasparticipated in such tests, the results provide additional usefulinformation for the improvement planning process.

Step 2 – Discussing the information

An open discussion, using all the information about studentachievement that has been collected, allows all partners on theplanning team to assess the school’s strengths and weaknessesin the delivery of curriculum, and determine a priority forimprovement in this area. The two activities described belowwill help participants with this important exercise.

Activity 1A facilitator (the principal or a school board consultant) leads theplanning team in a discussion by asking questions that focus oninformation about achievement. This discussion gives everyonean opportunity to understand the information and its value tothe school improvement planning process, and to participate inthe decision-making process.

The facilitator asks the following questions:

• Is there anything in the student achievement informationthat you do not understand?

• If so, what would you like clarified?

• Is there anything about the information that you find surprising?

• Is there anything that concerns you?

• How does the information fit with your feelings about howthe students at this school are doing?

• Does it seem to differ from what you have experienced inthe classroom or in the home?

• Did our students do as well as we expected them to do?

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• What are some of the differences between the EQAO resultsand the report card marks of our students?

• What explanation can you offer for these differences?

Activity 2The purpose of this activity is to establish the area of priority incurriculum delivery. Participants break into small groups seatedat separate tables in the room, each equipped with a flip chartand markers.

The facilitator asks the groups to articulate the school’sstrengths and weaknesses in curriculum delivery, as follows:

On the basis of the data we have just examined:

• In which areas of the curriculum are our students performingwell? (A possible answer could be “problem solving in mathematics.”) List the answers under the heading“Strengths” on your flip chart.

• In which areas of the curriculum are our students performingpoorly? (A possible answer could be “reading.”) List theanswers under a column entitled “Weaknesses” on anotherpage of your flip chart.

• Why do you think our students are performing poorly inthose areas?

The strengths and weaknesses must be derived from the meas-urable data on achievement that the group has examined.

While the weaknesses will ultimately furnish the priority forimprovement, it is important at this stage to discuss the school’sstrengths as well. A discussion of weaknesses alone could makeparticipants feel that the school is not doing anything well. Bylisting what is done well and posting the information, a positivetone is set for the discussion.

All groups post their strength charts together and their weaknesscharts together. All participants take 5 to 10 minutes to reflecton the charts and to ask each other for clarification. Whileeveryone does not have to agree on each strength and weakness,everyone should understand each one.

Participants then spend a further 5 minutes grouping similarstrengths and similar weaknesses. When this task has been

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accomplished, two lists are developed—one showing all of thestrengths listed by the groups and one showing all of the weak-nesses.

Participants then reflect on the following two questions posedby the facilitator:

• Which of these weaknesses are most important to you?

• Of the most important, which one should be dealt with first?

The facilitator directs the groups as follows:

Think Consider the questions above by yourself. On a sheet ofpaper, record three weaknesses.

Pair Work with the person next to you and jot down yourresponses. Agree on and record three weaknesses.

Share Work with the whole group at your table to combinesimilar weaknesses and finally to choose three agreed-uponareas of weakness.

Each group posts its list of three weaknesses. All participantswork to combine similar weaknesses, and a new, final list ofweaknesses is posted.

Step 3 – Deciding on a priority (dot-mocracy)

The facilitator distributes red dot stickers to the team members.Each member receives a number of dots equal to one third thenumber of weaknesses.

All team members vote, using the stickers, for the areas of curriculum weakness that they believe should be addressed first.Members must use all their dots, but they may not use morethan one dot per weakness.

The weakness with the most dots becomes the priority forenhancing curriculum delivery.

Example:

City Centre Secondary School’s priority for enhancing curriculum delivery is to improve students’ writing skills.

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Figure 2 (see pages 27 to 31) sets out the characteristics ofeffective schools. Research shows that students in schools thatshare these characteristics achieve at high levels.12 Staff andparents can take actions to improve the school environment,even in the face of negative forces. Armed with awareness ofthese characteristics, they should examine the practices of theirown school and identify areas for improvement.

Schools may wish to modify the worksheet in figure 2, which isadapted from an American source, to suit their individual situa-tions. For example, schools in the Catholic systems will want toinclude home-school-parish relations and, where applicable, theschool’s role in promoting the Catholic faith. Schools in theFrench-language systems will want to include the school’s rolein preserving French language and culture in a minority setting.


The principal must collect material that will help the planningteam determine a priority area for improving the schoolenvironment, such as information on the following:

• student suspensions

• student attendance figures, including both “lates” andabsences

• behaviour/conduct, including the frequency and type ofinappropriate behaviour

• homework completion rates

• level of participation in student activities

• kinds of student awards given out

• surveys of staff, students, parents, and other communitymembers on the subject of the school environment.

Many schools will be able to think of other student-related datathat would be useful to the improvement planning process. Forexample, schools in the French-language systems will want todesign surveys to collect data about their students’ involvementin activities and institutions in the local francophone community.Schools in the Catholic systems will want to design parent andstudent surveys about whether and how the school environment

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Priority for Improving the School Environment

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could be complemented or enriched by stronger connections tothe local parish.

The planning meeting that focuses on the school environmentshould allow for individual reflection, as well as small and largegroup discussions. The object is to allow the planning team toestablish a priority that focuses on enhancing the learning envi-ronment, thereby improving the level of student achievement.


Before the meeting begins, the facilitator should prepare in thefollowing ways:

• Using the responses to the parent survey (see Appendix E),write the strengths of the school as perceived by parents onone piece of chart paper and the weaknesses on another.

• Reproduce figure 2 in the form of handouts for team members.

• Write each of the following characteristics of effectiveschools on a separate piece of chart paper:

– clear and focused vision for learning

– safe and orderly school environment

– climate of high expectations for student success

– high levels of student achievement through an emphasison learning activities

– instructional leadership of principal

– frequent monitoring of student progress

– strong home-school relations.

Activity 1The team breaks into small groups. The facilitator distributescopies of the effective schools worksheet (figure 2), explains theworksheet, and asks participants to discuss it with one anotheras follows:

Think Spend a few minutes quietly reflecting on each of thecharacteristics of effective schools (reflect on the headings,not each item under the headings). Using the worksheet,respond to the questions: “What are we currently doingwell in our school?” and “What are we weak in?”

We all felt a sense ofownership throughoutthe process.

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Pair Turn to the person next to you and discuss how theschool is doing in each area. Choose two areas ofstrength and two areas of weakness. (5 minutes)

Share Discuss your choices with the group at your table, agreeon two areas of strength and two areas of weakness, andpost these selections. The whole team then groups all thestrength charts and all the weakness charts, and combinessimilar strengths and weaknesses. (10 minutes)

Activity 2The team takes time to read the parent responses that are postedin the room. The facilitator then poses the following questions:

• Are the strengths and weaknesses collected from the parentsurvey consistent with the strengths and weaknesses youarrived at today?

• What are the similarities?

• What are the differences?

When these questions have been answered, the facilitator asksparticipants the following questions:

Based on all of the charts around the room:

• What are the three most important characteristics of effectiveschools that our school should work on to enhance studentachievement?

• Which characteristic is most important to work on at this time?

• Will strengthening this characteristic enhance the learningenvironment and improve levels of student achievement atthis school?

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The facilitator distributes red dot stickers to team members.Each person receives a number of dots equal to one third thenumber of weaknesses.

All team members vote, using the stickers, for the areas ofweakness that they believe should be addressed first. Membersmust use all their dots, but they may not use more than one dotper weakness.

The weakness with the most dots becomes the priority forimproving the school environment.

Example:

L’École Jacques-Cartier’s priority for improving the schoolenvironment is to create a safe and orderly school.

Effective schools have … How important is What are we currently this to me? doing well in our school, (1 = low; 5 = high) and what are we weak in?

A CLEAR, FOCUSED VISION FOR LEARNING 1 3 5

Parents, staff, and students helpcreate a vision that is focused onstudent achievement.• The vision is championed by

the principal, vice-principal,and school council.

• An action plan has been created to put the vision intopractice. The action plan isunderstood by all members of the community.

• Staff, parents, and studentswork towards shared goalsthat will improve studentlearning.

• All staff, parents, and studentsare able to answer the ques-tion “What does this schoolcare about most?”

Figure 2. Characteristics of Effective Schools13

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A SAFE AND ORDERLYENVIRONMENT 1 3 5

The school has an orderly, pur-poseful atmosphere, free fromthe threat of physical harm.• A behaviour code emphasizes

respect, self-discipline, posi-tive relationships, and the prevention of inappropriatebehaviour.

• Student discipline is fair andequitable.

• Students of all ages take leadership roles.

• Behaviour policies and expec-tations are understood by andcommunicated to parents, students, teachers, and allstaff.

• Students work together tomaintain a safe school environment.

• Programs are in place toaddress issues such as conflictmediation, bullying, and build-ing healthy relationships.

A CLIMATE OF HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR SUCCESS 1 3 5

Staff believe, and demonstratebehaviour that indicates, that allstudents can learn and succeed.• Teachers’ classroom practices

and language reflect thisbelief.

• Learning expectations areunderstood by all staff, students, and parents.

• All teachers understand anduse a variety of techniques tomeasure and promote studentachievement.

• Parents and staff believe thatschools control the conditionsfor success (e.g., by insistingon high standards).

• Academic success, citizenship,attendance, and other aspectsof positive behaviour are recognized and celebratedschool-wide.

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A FOCUS ON HIGH LEVELS OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 1 3 5

The school emphasizes studentlearning, taking little time foractivities unrelated to learning.Teachers strive to provideenriched learning experiencesthroughout the day.

• Students spend most of theday working on curriculumtasks.

• Classroom instructional time is protected, with announce-ments and other interruptionskept to a minimum.

• Teachers work with oneanother as a team.

• Teachers understand and follow the Ministry ofEducation’s curriculum policydocuments.

• Classroom resources addresscultural diversity.

• Parents and teachers under-stand what homework is andwhy it is given.

• All students are given opportunities to improve academically.

• Students are able to expressthe purpose of their learning.

• All students are given opportunities to succeed.

• Co-curricular activities offerstudents opportunities toachieve success outside of theclassroom.

INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP 1 3 5

The principal is the curriculumleader in the school.

• The principal demonstrates acommitment to accountabilityfor student results.

• The principal observes classroom activities on a regular basis.

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• The principal provides staff,school council members, parents, and other communitymembers with the professionaldevelopment/training theyneed to understand the curriculum and, in the case of teachers, implement it.

• The principal ensures thatteachers understand andimplement a variety of assessment and evaluationmeasures.

• Staff are expected to teach ata high level, and this expecta-tion is communicated to staff,students, and parents.

FREQUENT MONITORING OF STUDENT PROGRESS 1 3 5

Student academic progress ismeasured frequently. A varietyof assessment methods are used,and the assessment informationis used to improve student learning.• Teachers inform students and

parents about expectations forstudents’ work.

• Teachers collect informationabout student progress on anongoing basis.

• Teachers communicate studentprogress to parents on anongoing basis.

• Parents are considered partners in their children’seducation.

• Teachers understand theachievement levels asdescribed in the Ministry ofEducation’s curriculum policydocuments, and apply theselevels consistently.

• Students and parents under-stand the achievement levelsas well (i.e., the basis onwhich marks are assigned).

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STRONG HOME-SCHOOLRELATIONS 1 3 5

Parents are partners in theschool.• Parents are involved in writing

the school improvement plan.• The school involves parents in

a variety of ways.• School council members discuss

student achievement at theirmeetings.

• The school informs parentsabout curriculum, assessment,and evaluation policies.

• Parents feel welcome in theschool.

• Parents are involved in writingthe school’s homework andbehaviour policies.

• Teachers and parents discussstudent learning and progress.

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Priority for Increasing Parental Involvement

Parents care deeply about their children’s education. They wantto know what their children are being taught and how success-ful their children are. Parents also want to become partners intheir children’s education, but many have work commitments,job schedules, or family situations that limit the time and energythey can commit to involvement in the school.14

Principals, vice-principals, and teachers would like to involveparents more, but some are not sure how to do so. If parentsand schools are to work together in a meaningful way as part-ners in the education of children, schools should provide parentswith the information, opportunities, and support they need tobecome involved. Parents should feel welcome in the schooland should be encouraged to ask questions and voice their concerns.

Parental involvement need not be restricted to participation ina formal organization, attendance at an annual parent-teacherconference, volunteering in a classroom, and helping out in theschool library. Schools must look beyond these traditional practices

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and seek innovative ways to involve parents in their children’slearning, both inside and outside the home. For example,schools can encourage parents to read to and with their childrenon a daily basis by offering reading incentives. They can alsooffer book-borrowing programs, and, when possible, trips tothe public library to provide children who might not have booksat home with an opportunity to obtain them.

Successful school-parent partnerships are supportive relationshipsin which staff and parents work together to improve studentlearning. Each school should strive to understand its students’family situations and work with that information and its ownresources to encourage appropriate and workable types ofparental involvement.


To help the planning team members arrive at a recommendedpriority area for improving parental involvement, the principalshould provide them with copies of the following: the schoolprofile, a summary of the information gathered in the parentsurvey (Appendix E), and the information in figure 3 (“Types ofParental Involvement,” on pages 35 to 36).


Before the meeting, the facilitator should make enough photo-copies of figure 3 for team members to use in Activity 2, andthen set up six pieces of chart paper for use in Activity 2, with thefollowing headings from figure 3 (one on each piece of paper):

• parenting

• communicating

• volunteering

• helping students learn at home

• participating in decision making

• developing partnerships within the community.

The facilitator should also incorporate information gatheredfrom the parent survey into the form provided by figure 4(“How Do We Involve Parents?” on page 37) and make enoughphotocopies of this form for team members to use in Activity 3.

Whenever teachers,administrators, and parents get together in a constructive and non-confrontationalmanner, only positivethings will come out of such a gathering.

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Activity 1Using the school profile as a basis for discussion, team membersanswer the following question, listing their answers on a pieceof chart paper:

• What are the characteristics of our community?

Activity 2Schools may modify this activity to ensure that their individualneeds are met.

The facilitator leads a discussion about the material in figure 3(“Types of Parental Involvement”), pointing out the six types ofparental involvement described and the examples of howschools can help encourage them.

To form six groups, team members “number off” (that is, one at a time, consecutively, they count off numbers from 1 to 6).Everyone who said the number 1 goes to chart 1, “Parenting”;everyone who said the number 2 goes to chart 2, “Communicat-ing”; and so on. Once everyone on the team is in front of a chart,the facilitator asks them the following question:

• What activities are we currently doing at our school in thecategory on your chart?

Each group thinks about, discusses, and then records on thechart paper its responses to this question (4 minutes). Eachgroup then moves to the next chart, reads what is written on it,and adds new ideas (4 minutes). The groups continue to moveto the next chart until each group has had an opportunity tocontribute ideas to all six charts.

When each group has contributed to each chart, the groupsrotate once more, noting the information on each chart, andthen all groups return to their places.

Activity 3The facilitator distributes copies of the form from figure 4(“How Do We Involve Parents?”), with responses from the par-ent survey incorporated into it. The groups spend a few minutesreading the responses. The facilitator then leads the whole

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team in a discussion of the responses, asking the followingquestions:

• How do parents feel we are doing?

• Is there one (or more) type(s) of involvement that we aredoing especially well?

• Is there one (or more) type(s) that we are not doing well?

• Which areas are of concern to parents?

• Based on parent feedback, which areas are of concern to us?

The facilitator then asks the following questions:

Based on the characteristics of our community, the informationfrom our parent survey, and the ideas we have listed on ourcharts today:

• Which area matters most to us at this time?

• Which area should we begin with?

All the groups post their responses.


The facilitator distributes two red dot stickers to each teammember. Each member votes by placing a dot beside the twotypes of parental involvement practices that he or she thinksshould be most important to the school at this time.

The area with the most dots becomes the priority for increasingparental involvement.

Example:

St. Paul’s Catholic School’s priority for increasing parentalinvolvement is to help parents support their children’slearning at home.

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Type of School’s role Examples of how the school can helpinvolvement

Parenting Help parents establish homes Offer suggestions that will support learning.that support students. • Ask your child what happened at school

each day.• Encourage your child to read nightly by

providing him/her with books.• If possible, have a quiet area in the house

where your child can do homework.• Try to have your child complete homework

at a regular time each day.

Offer parents opportunities to learn moreabout parenting.• Provide information about parenting courses

in the community.• Hold workshops in the evening and have

videos/articles for parents to borrow on parenting and child development.

Offer family support programs.• Work with community partners so that parents

can receive important information about children’s health issues (e.g., nutrition).

Get to know the parents in the school’s com-munity, and encourage them to get to knowthe school.• Make home visits or phone calls at the begin-

ning of the school year to welcome parentsinto the school and help them understand it,and to enable school staff to becomeacquainted with individual parents and theiruniqueness.

Communicating • Hold a conference with all parents at least oncea year, and follow up as needed.

• Provide translation as needed for all importantcommunications.

• Send home folders of student work weekly ormonthly for parental review and comment.

• Ensure that every parent has an interview withthe child’s teacher after the child’s first reportcard each year.

• Provide parents with clear information aboutchoosing courses, programs, and other schoolactivities.

• Ensure that all parents receive at least onegood-news phone call a term.

• Ensure that parents of children at risk areaware of their child’s situation and have anopportunity to provide input about the remedy.

Offer many opportunities forhome-to-school and school-to-home communication aboutschool programs and students’ progress.

Closely adapted from Epstein, Joyce L., L. Coates, K.C. Salinas, M.G. Sanders, and B.S. Simon, School, Family and Community Partnerships: YourHandbook for Action (Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 1997). Copyright 1997 by Corwin Press. Adapted with permission of Corwin Press.

Figure 3. Types of Parental Involvement

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Type of School’s role Examples of how the school can helpinvolvement

Volunteering • Provide school and classroom volunteer opportunities, where parents can help teachers,students, administrators, and other parents.

• Provide parents with training for the specificjob the school would like them to do.

• Ask a parent committee to coordinate the workof volunteers.

• If possible, provide a “volunteer room” orother place where volunteers can gather.

• Conduct an annual survey to collect informa-tion about the talents and interests of parentsin the school community.

• Arrange for one parent per class to act as a liaison for all parents. Establish a telephone“tree” for each class.

• Show parent volunteers that you appreciatetheir help with a celebration.

• Provide information to parents on what studentswill learn in each subject area.

• Hold curriculum evenings for parents.• Involve parents in creating the school’s homework

policy, and then inform all parents of the policy.• Provide students with clear instructions for

their homework assignments, so that parentscan help with homework.

• Provide parents with a schedule of homeworkthat alerts them to one or more assignmentsthat will require students to work with theirparents to complete the task.

• Provide calendars of school/curriculum activitiesfor parents.

• Encourage parents to work with their childrenin setting goals.

• Hold student-led conferences once a year todiscuss each student’s progress.

• Ensure parents understand the provincial reportcard and the reporting process.

• Encourage school councils to focus on studentachievement and student activities.

• Ask parents to participate in the developmentof the school’s homework policies.

• Ask parents to participate in the developmentand implementation of behaviour policies.

• Provide parents with information about community health, cultural, recreational, socialsupport, and other programs and services.

• Provide parents with information about community activities that could enhance studentlearning and students’ skills and talents, includ-ing summer programs.

• Develop partnerships with community serviceorganizations such as counselling, health, cultural,recreational, social support, and other agencies.

Invite parents to volunteer inthe school, and organize tomake them feel welcome.

Helping students Provide ideas and information learn at home to parents about how to help

students with homework andother curriculum-related activities, plans, and decisions.

Participating in Include parents in the school’sdecision making decision-making process. about theirchildren’s education

Developing Identify resources in thepartnerships within community that can help thethe community school improve the level of

student achievement.

Closely adapted from Epstein, Joyce L., L. Coates, K.C. Salinas, M.G. Sanders, and B.S. Simon, School, Family and Community Partnerships: YourHandbook for Action (Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 1997). Copyright 1997 by Corwin Press. Adapted with permission of Corwin Press.

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How Do We Create a Plan?

5

Once a school has set its three priorityareas for improvement, action teamscan be formed and they can start work-ing with figure 5 (“School ImprovementPlanning Chart”). The chart in figure 5is designed to help teams establish goals,

performance targets, areas of focus,strategies for achieving the goals, indicators of success, time lines, respon-sibilities, and provisions for monitoringthe plan and revising it if necessary.(Appendix B is a sample plan based on this chart.)

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Figure 5. School Improvement Planning ChartGoal:

Performance Target:

Focus Strategies Indicators of Time Responsibility Status RevisionsSuccess Lines Update

Forming action teamsPrincipals encourage teachers, schoolcouncil members, parents, and othercommunity members to participate—this time in drafting the actualimprovement plan.

One action team is formed for each ofthe three priority areas: curriculumdelivery, school environment, andparental involvement.

Action teams usually have fewer mem-bers than the planning team, but thosewho were involved in determining theschool’s priorities should be invited tojoin an action team. Action team members may be made up of the entireoriginal group of staff, school councilmembers, parents, other community

members, and students who sat on theplanning team, or only a representativefew. Those who are interested in partic-ipating should have the option of signingup for the action team to which theyfeel they have the most to contribute.

Each action team should have a leader(possibly someone from the school’sleadership team) to facilitate the processof completing the school improvementplanning chart.

Once the membership of the teams hasbeen established, principals shouldassure other interested parties that theywill be kept informed about theimprovement process, and that otheropportunities to participate in it willarise later.

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Time Lines Activities Responsibilities(Year 1)

February – March Draft the plan: establish goals, performance targets, Action teams

areas of focus, strategies, indicators of success,

time lines, responsibilities, and opportunities for

status updates and revisions in each of the three

priority areas:

• curriculum delivery

• school environment

• parental involvement.

April Revise the plan if necessary. Action teams

Present the draft plan to parents and students. Staff/parent teams

Finalize the plan. Action teams

Publish and publicize the plan. Principal

May Start implementing the plan. Staff/school council/

parents/students

Figure 6. Drafting the Plan: Time Lines, Activities, and Responsibilities

As a member of anaction team and aparent, this hasbeen a marvellousopportunity forcommunicationbetween parentsand staff, to cometogether to sharetheir thoughts andideas.

Setting goalsThe first task of each action team is tocreate a goal statement.

To do so, action team members shouldreview the planning team’s prioritystatement and the background informa-tion used by the planning team in arriv-ing at its decision (for example, data onstudent achievement or the results ofthe parent survey).

Goal statements are general statementsthat focus on improving the level ofstudent achievement. They are:

• based on solid background infor-mation

• written in easy-to-read language

• measurable.

All members of the action team mustagree on the goal statement.

Example:

The planning team selected“improving students’ writingskills” as a priority area. The goalstatement may read as follows:

To raise the overall level of students’writing skills as measured in standard assessments.

Setting performance targetsThe action teams’ next task is to set performance targets.

Performance targets are also measurablestatements that indicate the level atwhich the school would like to be performing on a given goal by a giventime. Performance targets focus onnumbers and attempt to predict thefuture.

When action teams are setting per-formance targets, it is important foreveryone to remember that changetakes time. While the target shouldpresent a challenge, it should be a reasonable challenge. It is better tostart slow. If the strategies implementedto achieve a goal work well and thetarget begins to appear too low, it canalways be adjusted upward later in thethree-year process. Such an adjustmentis always better for morale than adownward adjustment or a failure tomeet the target.

Examples:

By the end of year 3, 60% of thestudents who were achieving atlevel 2 in writing will be achievingat level 3.

By the end of year 3, the numberof reported bullying incidents willbe reduced by 50%.

(It may be difficult to set a performance target for parentalinvolvement, but performance targets should be set whereverchange can be measured by numbers or percentages.)

Defining a focusWhile the goal statements have narroweddown the statements of priority, actionteams may wish to focus even more.Improvements are best accomplished in bite-size chunks.

If an action team has set a goal toimprove student performance in math,for example, it could choose to focus onone or two of the five “strands,” ormajor areas of knowledge and skills, in the mathematics curriculum.

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To establish areas of focus, action teammembers will need to look at availablebackground information once againand answer the following question:

• What do we need to focus on specifically to enhance curriculumdelivery in this area (or improveour school environment, or improveparental involvement) so that thelevel of student achievement willimprove in our school?

By choosing a specific focus, action teamswill also be able to develop specificstrategies to achieve their goals. Thestrategies will not seem overwhelming,and all participants will feel that theyare working on something doable.

Example:

If the goal statement in theparental involvement priority areais: “to help parents support theirchildren’s learning at home,” two examples of specific focuscould be:

Develop a homework policy.

Improve parents’ knowledgeabout the curriculum.

Developing strategies Strategies are the specific actions thatwill be taken by principals, teachers,school councils, parents, other commu-nity members, and students to help theschool work towards achieving its goalsin each of the three priority areas.

To begin developing strategies, actionteams should answer the followingquestion:

• What specific actions are we goingto take to improve in this area?

The actions or strategies identified bythe teams must be different from thosecurrently used at the school.

In proposing strategies, action teamsmust keep the ultimate objective ofschool improvement planning in mind:to enhance the level of student achieve-ment in the school. To help identifystrategies, the three action teams shouldanswer the appropriate question fromthe following list:

• What specific teaching and otherstrategies can we implement tomeet our goal in the curriculumarea so that the level of studentachievement in our school isenhanced?

• What specific strategies can weimplement or what specific actionscan we take to meet our goal in theschool environment area so that thelevel of student achievement in ourschool is enhanced?

• What specific strategies can weimplement or what specific actionscan we take to meet our goal in theparental involvement area so thatthe level of student achievement inour school is enhanced?

Example:

A first-step strategy for improvingthe school environment, where thegoal is to “reduce incidents of bullying,” could be as follows:

Establish a committee of parentsand teachers to investigate anti-bullying programs anddecide upon one for the school.

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To hear that bothparents and teachersare excited to learnmore about focusedtopics and improvetheir teaching as aresult is uplifting!

Establishing indicators ofsuccessIndicators of success provide schoolswith standards against which they canmeasure their progress towards theirimprovement goals. Meeting the per-formance target is the ultimate indicatorof success, but action teams should alsodevelop indicators that act as benchmarksor milestones along the way. In fact, eachstrategy could have a correspondingindicator of success, marking the completion of that step on the road tomeeting the goal.

Action teams should answer the following questions to arrive at indicatorstatements:

• If we carry out all of our strategies,how will we know that we haveattained our goal?

• What will be different for the students?

• What will students do differentlythat will tell us we have been suc-cessful?

Indicators of success are performance-based and measurable (or, in the case of increased parental involvement,observable).

Example:

If a school has developed a step-by-step strategy to develop andimplement a code of behaviour,indicators of success could be asfollows:

Committee formed.

Draft code submitted to schooladministration.

Code finalized.

Copy of code sent to all studentsand parents.

Code introduced at all-studentassembly.

Incident log created and provided to all staff.

Incident log indicates 60%decrease in bullying incidents.

Establishing time linesAction teams must look closely at eachstrategy they are suggesting to deter-mine the most suitable time to beginwork on that strategy, as well as theduration of the strategy. Team membersshould keep in mind that the plan is athree-year plan, and that change takestime.

When each action team has arrived attime lines for all of its strategies, theprincipal, staff, and school councilshould hold meetings to review theproposed time lines and determine ifthey are doable. All staff members mustunderstand the proposals in the contextof the whole plan. The plan may needto be adjusted—for example, if theprincipal, teachers, or school councilmembers feel that the action teams propose introducing too many strategiesin one year or term.

Examples:

Two different strategies forimproving the delivery of curriculum could have time lines as follows:

Year 2, Terms 1, 2, 3

Year 1, Term 1 (ongoing)

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Establishing responsibilitiesAction teams also determine who willbe responsible for implementing eachstrategy. In many cases, teachers willimplement the strategies, but in somecases the principal or the school councilwill be responsible for implementation.

The action teams’ proposals for respon-sibility will also have to be reviewed bythe principal, staff, and school council,to ensure that the proposals are reason-able and that everyone understands hisor her responsibilities within the plan.

Example:

A school that has devised strate-gies to develop a homework policycould have the following groupslisted on its improvement planningchart as being responsible for specific successive strategies:

Teachers

School council

Parents

Status updatesOnce schools have finished writingtheir improvement plans, there will bea tendency to “get on with the real jobof teaching.” But to sustain change,schools need to ensure that staff, parents,and students continue to focus on theplan’s goals, that the strategies arebeing implemented, and that everyoneinvolved is receiving the support he orshe needs.

Improvement plans should be monitoredon an ongoing basis in an informal way.Principals should drop by classroomsand discuss the progress of variousstrategies with teachers, and meet withschool councils to talk about issues

related to the plan. Teachers and parentsshould also discuss the progress ofstrategies on an informal basis fromtime to time. In addition to these routinemonitoring processes, the principal,staff, parents, and students all need tohave specific opportunities to reviewthe status of the various strategies inthe plan, offer their opinions on theprogress made, and suggest revisions(if needed) to maintain the focus onimprovement.

Action teams should therefore buildinto the plan a series of checkpoints forstatus updates—that is, formal evalua-tions of the plan in progress.

Status updates serve several functions.A school improvement plan is a process.As in any process, some strategies willhave the desired impact and others willnot. Some time lines will be adequate,but it will become evident over timethat others are not. Status updates support the concept that the plan is aworking document and can be adjustedas necessary. Status updates also provideperfect opportunities for superintendentsto discuss progress on a school’simprovement plan with the principal,teachers, and school council members.

By building in opportunities for review,the plan also encourages schools to takerisks in setting goals and to experimentwith new strategies. If these risks andexperiments prove, after time, to beunsuccessful, the goals and strategiescan be adjusted to ensure that the schoolmaintains its focus on improvement.

The natural breaks in the school year—December, March, and June at the elementary level, and term end at thesecondary level—are ideal times for astatus update. For example, at thesetimes principals and teachers could

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The entire project fostered within us a strong sense ofaccountability.

review the class profiles (described inchapter 4 and Appendix D) and otherassessment data. Those reviewing theschool improvement plan would beable to use this information as onemeasure of whether the strategies identified in the plan have the desiredresults.

Example:

As noted above, the naturalbreaks in the school year wouldbe appropriate points for statusupdates.

RevisionsThe evaluation and revision process isdescribed in detail in chapter 6. At thispoint, we will only note that a school’sdecision to revise a focus, strategy, ortime line should be based on the samekinds of solid data as those used todetermine the original goals, focuses,strategies, and time lines.

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How Do We Implementthe Plan?

6

As the plan is being developed, theprincipal should think about how tobegin implementing it. Existing proce-dures may need to be adjusted to shiftthe focus to and maintain it onimprovement.

Changing proceduresPrincipals, staff, and school councilsshould consider making changes to thedaily timetable to support the plan’sgoals and strategies. Changes to thetimetable convey the message that theschool is serious about change. Life atschool is no longer “business as usual.”

To support improvement goals in thearea of curriculum delivery, elementaryschools may want to devote largeblocks of time to certain parts of thecurriculum—for example, math/science/technology and language/literacy.Secondary schools may want to arrangefor certain teachers to share the respon-sibility for more than one area of thecurriculum—for example, math and science—to allow those teachers to integrate the content of the two subjectsfor students. Organizational and proce-dural changes can also be made to helpachieve goals in the areas of schoolenvironment and parental involvement.

Change cannot occur without theresources to support it. By making sure that budget decisions support theschool’s improvement goals, principalswill demonstrate their commitment tochange and send the message to every-one in the school’s community that theschool improvement plan drivesadministrative decisions.

As partners in the school improvementplanning process, school councils havean important role to play. In manyschools, they raise funds through com-munity drives. School councils that arefull partners in the process are likely todecide to spend the funds they haveraised in ways that support the plan’simprovement goals.

Informing and supportingstaffA status update on the school improve-ment plan should be on the agenda ofevery staff meeting. Monthly updateswill communicate the importance of theplan and provide a focus for the activi-ties related to its implementation.

Staff should receive opportunities forprofessional development to help themmake the adjustments necessary toimplement the plan’s strategies.

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We were able towork together andgain a greaterappreciation of ourdifferent points ofview, but at thesame time recognizethe common groundwe share.

Professional development activitiesshould be a part of every staff meeting.Many schools schedule one staff meetingand one curriculum, divisional, ordepartmental meeting a month. By settingaside some time at these meetings tofocus on the improvement plan andgoals, principals will ensure that theplan stays on course.

Informing and supportingschool councilsAs partners in the improvement process,school councils also need regular statusupdates on the school improvementplan. These updates should be on theagenda of every school council meeting,for the same reasons that they shouldbe on staff meeting agendas—to com-municate the plan’s importance and toprovide a continuing focus on its imple-mentation.

School council members also need sup-port to play their roles in implementingthe plan. For example, they will beextensively involved in strategies toincrease the level of parental involvement,and they may also play a substantialpart in strategies to improve the schoolenvironment. They need to be keptinformed, offered support, and (wherenecessary and possible) provided withtraining opportunities to help themcarry out their responsibilities.

Because school councils are partners inthe improvement process, and becausethey represent the school’s community,principals should make special effortsto ensure that school council membersunderstand the nature of the changesbeing proposed and are aware of anydifficulties that may be encountered inthe process.

Informing the communityPrincipals are responsible for advisingparents and the entire school communityabout the plan, its goals, strategies, andtime lines. All parents should receive acopy of the plan. Appendix F containstext for a pamphlet that principals maywish to send to parents with a copy ofthe plan.

In addition to providing regular statusupdates to staff and school councils,principals should use school newsletters,websites, open houses, and informationnights to keep the broader communityinformed about the plan, the school’sprogress in meeting the plan’s goals,and, when necessary, the challengesinvolved. District school boards couldissue press releases and provide inter-views to local media on the school’sprogress.

“Nothing succeeds like success,” andcelebrating successes along the way isan important part of the principal’sleadership and communication roles. In addition to raising morale, celebrationsacknowledge the work that has beendone, and encourage all members ofthe school community to push ahead to meet the plan’s goals.

Implementing the planFigure 7 sets out the time lines forimplementing the plan, the activitiesinvolved, and those responsible for the various activities.

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Time Lines Activities Responsibilities(Year 1–2)

June Begin collecting information for the class profiles All staff

described in Appendix D.

September – Review the plan with staff and parents. All staff, parents, and

December students (where

appropriate)

Begin working on strategies.

December Collect data: All staff

• report card marks—for the school year to date

• EQAO results—elementary level

• class profiles.

Examine data. Begin to establish trends in student Staff, parents, and students

achievement. (where appropriate);

evaluation teams

Celebrate successes. Everyone involved

February – April Collect data: All staff

• report card marks—for the school year to date

• class profiles

• EQAO results—Grade 10 reading and writing.

Status update: Re-examine data and implementation Staff, parents, and students

strategies. (where appropriate);

evaluation teams

Celebrate successes. Everyone involved

June Collect data: All staff

• final report card marks

• class profiles.

Status update: Examine data, looking for trends in Staff, parents, and students

student achievement. (where appropriate);

evaluation teams

Celebrate successes. Entire school community

Figure 7. Implementing the Plan: Time Lines, Activities, and Responsibilities

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How Do We Evaluatethe Results?

7

In chapter 5, in our outline of the activities involved in creating the schoolimprovement plan, we discussed theimportance of both ongoing monitoringof the plan and regularly scheduledcheckpoints for evaluation. The objectiveof this monitoring and evaluation activityis to ensure that the hard work of staff,school council members, parents, andstudents is having the desired effect—thatis, that the strategies being implementedare enhancing student achievement.

Because both staff and school councilmembers may change from one schoolyear to the next, September of year 2 isprobably the best time to plan revisionsto the school plan.

Forming evaluation teamsIn September of year 2, schools shouldform an evaluation team for each of thethree priority areas: curriculum delivery,school environment, and parentalinvolvement.

The same procedures should be used to encourage participation and selectrepresentative teams as were used toform the action teams that drafted theplan (see chapter 5). People who partic-ipated in either the planning or actionteams should be eligible to continuetheir involvement in the plan, and new

participants should be welcomed.Again, staff, school council members,parents, other community members,and students should have the option ofsigning up for the evaluation team towhich they feel they have the most tocontribute, and each evaluation teamshould have a leader to facilitate theteam’s work.

Collecting dataAt the beginning of the school improve-ment planning process, school andboard data provide direction for theestablishment of priorities. As theimprovement strategies are implemented,schools continue to gather data, com-paring them to the original material.Much of the information schools use toevaluate the plan’s progress will comefrom the same sources as the originalmaterial: report card marks, the resultsof EQAO’s assessments, class profiles,behaviour incident reports, parent surveys, and so on.

By establishing an ongoing process ofdata collection and analysis, the principalmodels assessment and evaluationpractices that teachers can use in theirclassrooms to monitor student progress.For example, schools produce three orfour report cards a year. The mid-termsecondary school report card provides

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particularly useful information forassessing the progress of improvementstrategies. A summary of report cardmarks that includes the original reportcard data allows for easy comparisons.

Formal or informal surveys of staff,parents, and students, as well as focusgroups made up of parents and students,can also serve as valuable data collectionvehicles. Below are examples of thekind of survey questions that can helpschools assess their progress towardsgoals in the areas of improving theschool environment and increasingparental involvement.

Examples:

As a result of our work, the schoolis a safer place for students.

1 5 10

Strongly Strongly Agree Disagree

Through our newsletter and web-site, we are now communicatingmore effectively with parents inour community.

1 5 10

Strongly Strongly Agree Disagree

Principals should consult staff, schoolcouncils, evaluation team members,parents, other community members,and students about additional ways ofevaluating the plan’s progress.

Data collection can be an onerous andtime-consuming task. Everyone involvedin school improvement planning shouldkeep in mind that data are collected toprovide a basis for evaluation, but arealso a source for identifying (and, later,

celebrating) successes, illuminatingfuture directions, nipping potential failures in the bud, and keeping everyone’s focus on improvement.

We repeat: Lasting change takes time. It occurs when there is a clear plan, areasonably long time frame, and aprocess of constant monitoring and regular revision. Revisions must bebased on reliable data collected in asystematic way over time, and theymust clearly serve the goals of the plan,which remain unchanged.

Conducting a year-endevaluationA formal evaluation should occur at the end of year 2 (the first year ofimplementation). Year-end is an appro-priate time to assess and, if necessary,refocus or fine-tune the plan. Year-endis also a time to celebrate the school’saccomplishments and progress.

Staff, school councils, parents, othercommunity members, and studentsshould be given an opportunity to evaluate all of the information that the school has collected throughout theyear and comment on the effectivenessof the strategies that have been imple-mented.

Everyone should keep in mind that thisis an evaluation of the strategies in theplan, not of the goals. (Focuses andtime lines may be evaluated too.)Unless there is clear evidence that aschool has selected inappropriate orunachievable goals, the goals shouldnot be altered.

Evaluation teams should coordinate theevaluations for their areas of priority.After reviewing summaries of the data

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This forum has beena positive process,where those whoare truly concernedabout education areable to voice theirconcerns and ideasand communicatewith each other.

collected in their areas, they should askthemselves questions such as the following:

• Is there anything in the informationthat you do not understand?

• If so, what would you like clarified?

• Is there anything about the informa-tion that you find surprising?

• Is there anything that concerns you?

• Did our students do as well as youexpected them to do?

• Does the information paint a differ-ent picture from the one you haveseen in your classroom (teachersand students) or your home (parentsand students)?

Then evaluation teams should reviewthe strategies that are in place, and assesswhether these strategies have beeneffective in pursuing the goal. If theevaluation team members agree thatthe strategies need to be modified, thenthey should ask themselves the followingquestion:

• What exactly should we do that isdifferent to help us reach our goal inthis area?

Once they have arrived at a new orrevised strategy, evaluation teams mustthen consider the strategies that followin the school improvement plan foryear 3 and beyond. If these strategiesare still appropriate, they should remainin place. If they need to be changed as aresult of revisions to the year 2 strategies,they should be reviewed and adjustedappropriately.

Evaluation teams then complete the lastcolumn in the planning chart (figure 5),noting the revisions. (If it is deemednecessary, a completely revised chartmay be drawn up.)

At the end of September, representativesof the evaluation teams present thedraft revised plan to staff, the schoolcouncil, parents, other communitymembers, and students (where appro-priate) for review and feedback. Theythen incorporate any further changesand pass the revised plan on to theprincipal, for presentation to the schoolcommunity at the beginning of October.

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55


How Do We Keep Upthe Good Work?

8

Using the original (or, if the plan waschanged, the revised) plan, schools continue to pursue the implementationand monitoring process.

Year 3 and beyondBy now, schools have been workingwith the school improvement plan for a full year. Data collection, monitoringprocedures, periodic evaluations, andstatus updates are part of their normalroutine. Principals continue to organizeprofessional development opportunitiesto support staff and school councilmembers as they implement the plan.

At this stage, schools, their principals,staffs, school councils, and parents maybe greatly tempted to move on to othergoals or switch their focus to new areas.They may have met certain benchmarksand received positive feedback for theirefforts, and therefore think: “We’ve donethat. Let’s move on.” What they areprobably experiencing is minor change.

Minor change is worth celebrating, butit is not the same as accomplishing thegoal. Principals should ensure thatteachers and all partners involved inthe improvement process renew theirfocus on the plan’s goals, and imple-ment the plan’s strategies consistentlyand effectively. This is the only way toensure real change and long-term gains.

By year 3, principals may begin to feelthe pressure of other initiatives andother areas of focus from the board andthe ministry, as well as from within theschool itself. Schools will have to copewith many of these new initiatives, butthey should not lose their focus on theimprovement plan. If, in complyingwith new initiatives, a principal allowsthe school’s improvement plan to beabandoned, staff, school council mem-bers, parents, and students may feelthat the school never really intended to make significant improvements.Superintendents need to understandthe amount of time school improve-ment takes and protect the process.

School councils continue to play a valuable role in year 3. If the plan isworking, parents will begin to see someof the results in the improved achieve-ment of their children. By sharing thedata that documents improvement andby keeping parents informed about thenext steps in the plan, school councils,working with principals, can send par-ents a clear message that the school hasa vision and is serious about improvingstudent achievement. Parents will thenunderstand and support the school if itdeclines to immediately take up a newinitiative.

Everyone should remember that theschool improvement planning processallows schools—in establishing their

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This has helped to unite us, andwill enable us tocontinue to worktogether to achieveour goals.

priorities and setting their goals—todecide what they will do at this timeand what they will not do at this time.Principals can respond to new initiativesby saying: “We will do what we can,but this isn’t part of our current plan.We will put it forward for further consideration as part of our next plan.”If parents have participated in theprocess and been kept informed aboutthe school’s progress, they are likely tosupport the principal’s decision.

At the end of year 3, schools begin theplanning cycle again. New priorities,goals, focuses, strategies, time lines andso on—all the components of the originalimprovement plan—are established.Resources and supports (outlined inchapter 6) are renewed, and implemen-tation of the new plan begins. (As wenoted in chapter 1, schools may chooseto establish planning cycles that arelonger than three years.)

Before beginning a new cycle ofimprovement planning, however,schools should take the time to celebratetheir improvements. Recognizing andpublicizing the school’s improvementsand the hard work that went into theseachievements is vital to the continuingsuccess of the school improvementplanning process.

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Endnotes

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1 The EIC’s reports on individual boards are available on the EIC’s website,http://eic.edu.gov.on.ca.

2 Ontario, Education Improvement Commission, The Road Ahead – IV: AReport on Improving Schools Through Greater Accountability. (Toronto: theCommission, 2000), 10.

3 Ontario, Education Improvement Commission, The Road Ahead – III: AReport on the Role of School Councils (Toronto: the Commission, 1998), 12.

4 Appendix A provides a brief description of the pilot projects and names the schools involved. For more information about the pilot projects or theexperiences of individual schools, please contact the people listed in theappendix.

5 References to “parents” in this document should be taken to include legalguardians of children.

6 Ontario, Ministry of Education and Training, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades1-8: Language (Toronto: the Ministry, 1997), 4. Curriculum policy documentsfor all subject areas describe expectations and achievement levels in thesame way as the document quoted.

7 Ibid.8 Lezotte, Lawrence W. and Barbara C. Jacoby, A Guide to the School Improvement

Process Based on Effective Schools Research (Okemos, Mich.: Effective SchoolsProducts, in cooperation with Michigan Institute for Educational Management,1990); and Leithwood, K.A. and Robert Aitken, Making Schools Smarter: A System for Monitoring School and District Progress (Thousand Oaks, Calif.:Corwin Press, 1995).

9 Lezotte, Lawrence W. and Barbara C. Jacoby, op. cit., 10.10 Epstein, Joyce L., L. Coates, K.C. Salinas, M.G. Sanders, and B.S. Simon, School,

Family and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action (ThousandOaks, Calif.: Corwin Press, 1997); and Epstein, Joyce L., School and FamilyPartnerships: Report 6 (Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University, Center onFamilies, Communities, Schools and Children’s Learning, 1992).

11 Class profiles are discussed later in this chapter.12 Lezotte, Lawrence W. and Barbara C. Jacoby, op. cit.13 Based on the characteristics of effective schools set out in Lezotte,

Lawrence W. and Barbara C. Jacoby, op. cit., as well as research on effectiveschools conducted by K.A. Leithwood, Michael J. Schmoker, and others.(See Appendix G, “Additional Resources,” for published works by theseauthors.)

14 Epstein, Joyce L., L. Coates, K.C. Salinas, M.G. Sanders, and B.S. Simon, op. cit., 8.

It is my hope that thisexercise serves as a modelfor all schools in Ontario.Great things can happenwhen parents and schoolswork together.

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Appendix A: School Improvement

Planning Project

A

In January 2000, the EducationImprovement Commission (EIC) invitedschools across the province to participatein a school improvement planning project. The goal was to identify effectivestrategies for developing school improve-ment plans that lead to enhanced studentachievement and increased parentalinvolvement in education.

Applicants were asked to submit lettersfrom both the principal and the schoolcouncil chair stating why they wantedtheir school to participate in the project.

Of the many schools that applied, 10 elementary schools were selected,representing the English-language,English-language Catholic, French-language, and French-language Catholicsystems. The selected schools werelocated in rural and urban areas in boththe southern and northern regions of theprovince. The population of the schoolsranged from 200 to over 800 students.Each school had its own unique charac-teristics and needs.

Four facilitators worked with the prin-cipals, staff, and parents (and, in oneschool, students) to develop improvementplans. The facilitators gathered relateddata on improvement planning from avariety of sources and analysed it withschool-parent teams to establish a basisfor creating a plan. The schools involved

and their communities undertook manyof the activities outlined in this handbook.

Schools worked on their plans through-out April, May, and June 2000. At theend of June, each school had successfullydeveloped a plan, with the schoolcouncil, parents, and, in some cases,other community members acting asequal partners in the development.Implementation of these plans willbegin in all of the schools in fall 2000.

The Canadian Education Association is coordinating a three-year researchproject involving the 10 schools in theproject, looking at the school improve-ment planning process and assessingwhether student achievement improves.Dr. Kenneth Leithwood of the OntarioInstitute for Studies in Education isconducting the research project.

Throughout the planning process, principals, staff, parents, and studentsoffered positive feedback about theproject. Some of their comments arequoted in the margins of this handbook.

These kinds of comments reinforced thevalue of the project for the EIC. The workof the principals, staff, school councils,parents, and students who participatedin this project has contributed greatly tothe writing of this handbook and thedevelopment of the model that itdescribes.

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The project leader, the facilitators, theCommissioners, and everyone at theEIC thank all the participants for theirenthusiasm, commitment, and ideas.

The schools involved are listed below,along with their contacts. For more

information about the project, pleasecontact the project leader. For informa-tion about the experience of a specificschool, please contact the person indi-cated in the list.

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Project leader: Ruth Lambert (416) 325-1073

Facilitators: Anita Barque, Frank Fera, and Ken Hanson

District School Board Director of Education School Principal (DSB) and Phone Number and Address and Phone Number

Algoma DSB Ray De Rosario H.M. Robbins Ron Leishman(705) 945-7111 Public School (705) 945-7119

83 East Balfour StreetSault Ste. Marie ONP6C 1X4

DSB of Niagara Bill McLean Princess Margaret School Shirley-Ann Teal(905) 641-1550 6624 Culp Street (905) 354-2333

Niagara Falls ONL2G 2C4

DSB 38 (London Catholic) Patrick Dunne St. Mary’s School Jennifer Paul-O’Donnell(519) 663-2088 128 William Street (519) 768-1540

West Lorne ONN0L 2P0

Huron-Superior Dr. Cecile Somme St. Patrick School Toni Nanne-LittleCatholic DSB (705) 945-5400 16 Texas Avenue (705) 945-5532

Sault Ste. Marie ONP6A 4Y8

Niagara Catholic DSB Angelo Di Ianni St. Ann Catholic School Richard Cull(905) 735-0240 218 Main Street (905) 934-1755

St. Catharines ONL2N 4W1

Thames Valley DSB John Laughlin J.P. Robarts Public School Ian Hardie(519) 452-2150 84 Bow Street (519) 452-8270

London ONN5V 1B1

Toronto Catholic DSB Johanne Stewart St. Veronica School John Cassidy(416) 222-8282 30 Bank Street (416) 393-5280

Toronto ONM6K 1R3

Toronto DSB Marguerite Jackson Rose Avenue Public Linda Reichert(416) 397-3000 School (416) 393-1260

675 Ontario StreetToronto ONM4X 1N4

CSD catholique du Marc Godbout École Le Petit Prince Lise Jolicoeur- BoudreauCentre-Est de l’Ontario (613) 746-2555 349, rue Olmstead (613) 741-8515

Vanier ONK1L 1B1

CSD 59 (Est de l’Ontario) Denis Chartrand École Rose des Vents Thérèse Chaput(613) 747-3833 1650, 2e Rue Est (613) 932-4183

Cornwall ONK6H 2C3

Appendix B: Sample School

Improvement Plan

B

Note: In this sample plan, which beginson the next page, terms that are familiarto teachers and many parents areexplained for the general reader.

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Goal: To raise the overall level of students’ writing skills as measured in standard assessments

Performance Target: By the end of year 3 (second year of implementation), 60% of the students who were achieving at level 2 in writing will be achieving at level 3.

Focus Strategies

Teachers in each grade will use the Ontario curriculum exemplars published by theMinistry of Education to develop “rubrics” or charts that describe the knowledge and skillsstudents should demonstrate in writing at each of the four levels of achievement. They willalso select samples of student work that illustrate each of the four levels of achievement.This strategy will be carried out as follows:

• Teachers in each grade will design an end-of-term writing activity for their students.

• Teachers in each grade will develop a rubric for the task, based on the achievement chartin the appropriate Ministry of Education curriculum document, and provide studentswith this rubric when they are given the assignment.

• Teachers in each grade will mark the assignments together and select a piece of writingthat represents each of the four levels of achievement.

• Teachers will provide copies of the rubric to students and their parents.

Students will use the rubrics and copies of the samples from the above exercise (all samples will have the student-author’s name removed) to learn to assess their ownwork, as follows:

• Teachers will model how to assess a piece of writing.

• Students, working in pairs, will use the rubric and samples to assess each other’s workin writing.

Teachers and students will help parents to understand the assessment practices, as follows:

• Teachers in each grade will hold a curriculum evening for parents to help parentsunderstand what work at each of the four levels looks like.

• During a student-led conference (i.e., a meeting at school, led by a student, betweenthe student and his/her parents to discuss the student’s progress; the teacher is avail-able to assist and answer questions, if necessary), students will help their parents tounderstand the assessment system.

Assessment andevaluation

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Indicators of Time Responsibility Status RevisionsSuccess Lines Update

Assignments created.

Task-specific rubrics developed.

Samples selected.

Copies of rubric providedto students and parents.

Students assign appropri-ate marks, and providecomments that supporttheir assessments.

Event held. Parents indi-cate that they understandwhat to look for in theirchild’s written work.

Students explain assess-ment system effectively.

Year 2,terms 1, 2,and 3

Year 3, term 1


Year 3

Teachers

Teachers workingwith grade teampartners

Teachers workingwith grade teampartners

Teachers

Teachers

Students

Teachers, parents

Students

Year 2, December,March, and June



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(continued on next page)

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Goal: To raise the overall level of students’ writing skills as measured in standard assessments (continued)

Focus Strategies

Teachers will teach and model content conferences (students, working in pairs, discussthe content—as opposed to the grammar, spelling, etc.—of a piece of one another’swork; also known as peer conferences), focusing on reasoning and the organization ofideas in written language, as follows:

• Teachers will develop an organizer that helps students focus on reasoning and theorganization of ideas during the content conference.

• Students will hold their content conferences, using the organizer.

Throughout the year, including after content conferences, teachers will post in theirclassrooms samples of student writing that exhibit good skills in reasoning and theorganization of ideas.

The school will hold a curriculum meeting for parents, as follows:

• Teachers will provide parents with copies of the organizer students used.

• Teachers will model strategies that parents can use to help students focus on reasoningand the organization of ideas while revising and editing their own work at home.

Reasoning andthe organiza-tion of ideas in written language

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Year 3, December.March, and June

Year 3, December.March, and June

Teachers

Teachers

Teachers, students

Teachers

Teachers

Teachers, parents

Year 3, term 1


Year 3, term 2

Description of confer-ence posted, as well asmodels of the kinds ofquestions that can guidethe conference.

Organizer developed.

Students use the organ-izer in their content con-ferences to assess thereasoning and organiza-tion of information inone another’s writing.

Samples of work posted.

Copies provided.

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Goal: To increase positive student behaviour

Performance Target: 1. By the end of year 3 (the second year of implementation), there will be a 50% reduction in the number of reported bullying incidents.

2. By the end of year 3 (the second year of implementation), there will be a 40% reduction in the number of behaviour infractions.

Focus Strategies

A committee of the principal, teachers, school council members, parents, and other community members will investigate anti-bullying programs and decide upon a programfor the school, as follows:

• Committee members will conduct a literature search.

• The committee will arrange for publishers of anti-bullying programs to present theirprograms to the committee for review and consideration.

• The committee will consult guidance counsellor(s).

• The committee will develop a bullying incident log for the principal/vice-principal touse to gather information on specific bullying incidents at the school.

• The committee will decide on a program and take the necessary steps to acquire it(e.g., purchase it, if necessary).

The school will hold a parent evening to outline the new anti-bullying program.

The school will provide all staff with training in the implementation of the program.

The school will implement an anti-bullying program in the intermediate division as apilot project.

The school will modify the program on the basis of lessons learned from the pilot project,and implement the program school-wide.

Bullying

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Committee formed.

Literature, programs, etc.,reviewed and experts,guidance counsellors,etc., consulted.

Log created and maintained.

Program acquired andset up.

75% of parents attendthe evening.

100% of staff receivetraining.

40% decrease in inci-dents of bullying amongintermediate divisionstudents

50% decrease in incidentsof bullying at the school

Year 2, term 1

Year 2, term 1

Year 2, term 1

Implementa-tion: year 2,term 1

Indicator ofsuccess: byend of year 2

Implementa-tion: year 3,term 1


Administration,teachers, parents

Committee

Committee

Committee

Committee, administration

Committee, administration

Administration,teachers, commit-tee members

Administration,working withconsultants; teachers.

Administration,teachers








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Goal: To increase positive student behaviour (continued)

Focus Strategies

A committee of the principal, teachers, school council members, parents, other communitymembers, and students will develop a code of behaviour, as follows:

• As with the anti-bullying program, committee members will review available information,including other schools’ and their own board’s codes of behaviour and the provincialCode of Conduct, before developing the code.

• The committee will develop a behaviour infraction log for the principal/vice-principalto use to gather baseline information on specific infractions.

The school will send the code to all parents, with a tear-off sheet for parents to return,acknowledging receipt of the code.

The school will hold an assembly to introduce the code to all students.

The school will post the code in every room and print it in the agenda book.

The administration will provide staff with information on behaviour infractions (as recordedin the log) on a regular basis at staff meetings.

The school will implement the code of behaviour and enforce it.

Code of behaviour

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Literature, programs, etc.,reviewed and experts,guidance counsellors,etc., consulted.

Code established.

Log established and maintained.

85% of parents returntear-off sheet indicatingthey have received thecode.

Assembly held; all students attend.

Posters outlining the codeposted in every room.

Staff meeting agenda andminutes indicate thatinformation was provided.

Implementation begins.

40% decrease in documented behaviourinfractions

Year 2

Year 2, term 2

Year 2, term 2

Year 2, term 2

Year 2 (ongoing)

Year 2, term 3


Administration,teachers, schoolcouncil, parents,students

Administration, committee

Administration, committee

Administration,school council


Teachers

Administration

Administration,teachers, parents,students








Goal: To help parents support their children’s learning at home

Performance Target: 1. By the end of year 3 (second year of implementation), 80% of parents will report that they provide support to their children with homework on a regular basis.

2. By the end of year 3 (second year of implementation), there will be a 60% increase in the rate of homework assignments completed on time.

Focus Strategies

A committee made up of the principal, teachers, school council members, parents, andstudents will review Ministry of Education and board policies on homework and reporttheir findings to the administration, staff, and school council.

The committee will develop a homework policy that includes the following elements:

• a definition of homework, including the various kinds of activities that could be included

• a rationale for why teachers give homework

• a guideline for how much homework should be given to students

• an outline of the responsibilities of teachers, students, and parents with respect tohomework.

School will implement homework policy.

School will establish an agenda book program, as follows:

• Each student will receive an agenda book in which to record daily homework assignments.

• Each parent will be asked to initial the student’s agenda book to indicate that the parent has assured himself or herself that the student has completed the assignment.

School will develop a homework handbook, to include the following:

• a weekly plan of homework assignments

• details about the assignments (e.g., how completed assignments are to be presented,level of parental involvement requested)

• general information about the role parents can play in supporting their children’s satisfactory completion of homework assignments.

The school will provide each student with a handbook, and advise all parents about thehandbook and its purpose.

Develop andimplement ahomework policy.

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Committee formed.

Findings reported toadministration, staff, and school council.

Policy is developed.

Staff use policy guidelinesto assign homework.

Each student has an agenda book, and uses it.

80% of parents regularlyinitial their children’sagenda books.

Handbook developed.

Each student has a handbook.

All parents are advisedabout the handbook andits purpose.

Year 2, term 1

Year 2, term 2

Year 2, term 3

Year 3(ongoing)

By end ofyear 3

Year 3 (ongoing)

Teachers, schoolcouncil, parents,students

Teachers, schoolcouncil

Teachers

Administration,teachers, parents,students.







72


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Goal: To help parents support their children’s learning at home (continued)

Focus Strategies

The school will set up a link (via telephone or the Internet) that parents can use to checkfor homework that has been assigned to their children.

Teachers will collect and log information about homework completion rates, amount ofhomework, etc., in a systematic fashion, for comparison purposes.

The school will hold a curriculum evening for parents, as follows:

• Teachers will show parents how to help their children with homework (for example,teachers could provide parents with and explain the organizer used to help studentsimprove their skills in reasoning and organization of information — that is, they couldcombine a strategy from the goal on curriculum delivery with this strategy to increasethe level of parental involvement)

Improve parents’knowledge aboutthe curriculum.

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Years 2 and 3,December, March,and June




Administration,school council,teachers

Year 3(ongoing)

Year 2, term 1(then ongoingmaintenance)

By end ofyear 3

Year 2, term 1

Link established.

Information is collectedand logged.

Increase of 60% in homework assignmentscompleted on time.

75% of parents attendevent.

Parents indicate theyunderstand how to helptheir children with theirhomework.

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Appendix C:Characteristics of an

Effective Principal

C

The principal’s leadership is essential tothe process of change. Principals cantransform their schools into effectivecentres of learning for all students.

To be effective, principals should:

1. Develop and communicatea shared vision that buildscommitment

(Answer the question: “What do wecare about here?”)

• involve staff, school council mem-bers, parents, and other communitymembers in the development of ashared vision

• use the district school board’s missionstatement and goals to providedirection for the school’s vision

• communicate the school’s vision tostaff, students, the school council,parents, and the broader community

• involve all parts of the communityin support of the school’s vision

• clarify the practical implications ofthe school’s vision for programs,instruction, and so on

• help staff, school council members,other parents, and the broader com-munity understand the relationshipbetween Ministry of Education

initiatives, the district schoolboard’s mission statement andgoals, and the school’s vision

2. Build consensus aboutschool goals and priorities

(Answer the question: “What is ourparticular focus for change?”)

• work with staff, the school council,parents, and other communitymembers to establish the school’sgoals

• ensure that the school’s goals arelimited to a small number of well-defined goals that apply to all children in the school

• communicate the school’s goals toall staff, students, parents, and thebroader community

• base improvement plans and decisions explicitly on these goals

• build support and commitment forthe school’s improvement plan

• ensure that individual teachersunderstand that they are expectedto develop and pursue their ownprofessional goals

• use the school’s goals as the basis ofdiscussions with individual teachersabout their own professional goals

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3. Build a productive schoolenvironment

(Answer the question: “How willwe work together to support eachother in this process?”)

• encourage and support teacherswho are working together to initiatejoint projects

• support projects in which teamworkis a useful method of working

• encourage risk taking and experi-mentation and support it, under-standing that mistakes are part ofthe improvement process

• provide individual staff memberswith support as needed

• promote an environment that valuesdiversity and team building and thatfocuses on intense communicationand information sharing

• provide networking opportunitiesfor staff so that they can share ideaswith and ask questions of otherteachers from within the school andfrom other schools

• create/encourage a caring, supportiveenvironment

• celebrate successes and give creditwhere credit is due

4. Alter school structures toenhance participation indecision making

(Answer the question: “How willthe school work to support ourgoals?”)

• use staff meetings as opportunitiesfor shared decision making and forteachers’ professional development

• allow staff to manage their owndecision-making committees

• trust teachers and give them theautonomy to make decisions withinthe framework of school goals

• involve teachers before making adecision

• make unilateral decisions onlywhen appropriate, and promptlyinform staff of those decisions andthe reasons for them

• allocate resources to support schoolgoals

• create timetables, allocate classrooms,and so on, to facilitate teachers’ability to work together

• share information with staff, so thatthey can make informed decisions

• follow through on decisions madejointly with teachers

• provide opportunities outside of theschool for staff to develop theirleadership skills

• look for examples of teacher andparent leadership, and celebratethem when they emerge

5. Model the values promotedby the school

(Answer the question: “How do weneed to work differently in orderfor change to occur?”)

• lead by doing, rather than by telling

• use leadership practices that serveas models when interacting withstudents, staff, the school council, parents, and other communitymembers

• model problem-solving and com-munication strategies that staff canreadily use in working with students,parents, and other teachers

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• publicly acknowledge staff for theirinvolvement in school activities andspecial events

• demonstrate appreciation for the contributions of staff, the schoolcouncil, parents, and other commu-nity members to problem-solvingactivities

• stay informed about educationpractice and policies, and share thisknowledge with staff, the schoolcouncil, parents, and other commu-nity members

• become involved in all aspects ofschool activity

• work hard and take risks from timeto time

• display energy and enthusiasm

• inspire respect, and use humour toprovide perspective

6. Provide intellectual stimulation

(Answer the question: “How do wecome together as a community oflearners?”)

• encourage staff to adopt a philosophyof lifelong learning

• encourage staff to see themselves aspart of a community of learners,where learning and teaching arevalued

• stimulate staff to think about whatthey are doing for their students,and provide them with opportunitiesto share best practices

• encourage staff to pursue theirown professional development, and support their growth

• support staff’s attendance at conferences and other professionaldevelopment opportunities, andprovide a chance for staff to shareinformation from these eventswith their colleagues

• attend conferences and share theideas from these events with staff

• read books and professional literatureon topics related to the school’s goals

• discuss own professional goals withstaff, and encourage staff to revealand discuss their professional goals

• make staff development the focus ofstaff meetings

• use staff meetings and other oppor-tunities to model strategies that canbe applied in the classroom

• be aware of current trends andissues, as well as threats and oppor-tunities in the school environmentand in society at large (that is, seethe “big picture”), and communicatethis information to staff and theentire school community.

Effective principals model, above all else,that schools are learning organizations,focused on student achievement.

Based on research in Leithwood, K.A. and D. Jantzi,“Transformational Leadership: How Principals CanHelp Reform School Cultures,” School Effectiveness andSchool Improvement, 1990, 1(4), 249–80.

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79


Appendix D: Understandingthe Expectations and

Achievement Levels in theMinistry of Education’sCurriculum Documents

D

All teachers must understand the learn-ing expectations for students and theachievement levels set out in the Ministryof Education’s curriculum documents.When teachers have a common under-standing of these standards, the datathat they collect on student achievement,and that forms the basis of decisions onschool improvement goals and strategies,will be reliable data.

The following resources and activitiescan be used to enhance the reliability ofthe information that a school collects onstudent achievement and to create classprofiles that are accurate and useful forschool improvement planning.

We acknowledge that these resourcesand activities are aimed at elementaryschool teachers, but secondary schoolteachers will find much in them that isuseful. As the Ministry of Educationpublishes exemplars that reflect theachievement levels in the new secondaryschool curriculum documents (see the“Resources” section below), secondaryschool teachers will have additionalresources at their disposal. We urge secondary school teachers, however, toread the following material and use theinformation in it as a basis for startingto develop reliable data on studentachievement that can be used forimprovement planning.

Resources

Exemplars

The Ministry of Education is in theprocess of publishing a series of “exemplars,” which provide samples of student work that illustrate the fourlevels of achievement established bythe ministry for assessing students. Theexemplars are designed to help teachersunderstand how the achievement levelsapply to student work.

In 1999, the ministry published English-language exemplars for Grades 1 to 8Reading and Writing; to date in 2000, it has published French-language exemplars for Lecture and for Écriture.Exemplars that cover Grades 1 to 8Mathematics (for the English-languagesystems) and Grades 1 to 8Mathématiques (for the French-languagesystems), as well as exemplars for bothEnglish- and French-language coursesat the secondary school level should beavailable by the end of 2000. (SeeAppendix G, “Additional Resources,”for full bibliographic citations of theexemplars published to date.)

In addition to using the exemplars tounderstand the achievement levels,teachers should realize that they canassign the tasks in the exemplars—thatis, the tasks on which the samples in the

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exemplars are based—to their own stu-dents, and compare their own students’performance with the representativesamples in the exemplars. (Each exemplarcontains full instructions to teachers onhow to administer the tasks and activitieson which the exemplar samples arebased.) This is an excellent way toestablish baseline information on studentachievement. (We discuss this topicagain in Activity 2, below.)

Anchor Booklets

Anchor Booklets are published annu-ally by the Education Quality andAccountability Office (EQAO) to helpteachers understand the levels ofachievement used by EQAO in markingthe Grades 3 and 6 reading, writing, andmathematics assessments it conducts.The booklets give clear examples ofwork at each level of achievement.

To date, EQAO has only published thesebooklets in English. Similar booklets forthe French-language systems will beavailable following the next round ofEQAO tests.

Activities

Activity 1: Measuring theReliability of Report CardMarks

1. Teachers record the following information:

• the first-term report card marks ofstudents in Grades 4 and 7 in read-ing, writing, and math

• the EQAO achievement levels ofstudents in Grades 4 and 7, asassigned the previous year whenthey took the EQAO Grade 3 and 6 tests.

2. Teachers then create one chart per student, like the one shown infigure D1, to compare the two setsof marks.

3. The principal meets, to discuss thecomparisons, with all Grade 4teachers (individually or as a group,depending on the comparisons) andall Grade 7 teachers (individually oras a group, depending on the com-parisons).

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Figure D1. Comparison of EQAO and Report Card Data for a Grade 4 Student

Subject Term 1 EQAOReport Results

Reading – Overall level of achievement 2 3

Writing – Overall level of achievement 3 1

Mathematics Strands Number Sense and Numeration 2 2

Measurement 1 1

Geometry and Spatial Sense 3 3

Patterning and Algebra 3 3

Data Management and Probability 3 3

4. If the report cards marks are quitedifferent from the EQAO test results(for example, as shown in the writingcategory in figure D1), the discussionshould revolve around the followingset of questions:

• Is there anything about the marksthat you find surprising?

• Is there anything that concernsyou?

• How do the marks fit with yourfeelings about how the student is doing in his/her daily work?

• Do the marks seem accurate, compared to what you have experienced in your classroom?

• Did the student do as well as youexpected on the EQAO tests?

• What are some of the differencesbetween the EQAO results andyour report card marks?

• What are some of the differencesbetween the work the studentdid for the EQAO assessment andthe work in the student’s file?

• What explanation do you havefor these differences?

5. Following this discussion, eachteacher should examine and comparesamples of each student’s classroomwork in the problem subject (writing,in figure D1) with the work in thatsubject that the student submittedfor the EQAO assessment. In mostcases, the samples will be quite similar, since the EQAO sample was completed in May and theclassroom work between Septemberand November.

6. If the EQAO and report card marksdiffer significantly (as in the writingcategory in figure D1), the teacherand the principal should consider

whether the teacher would benefitfrom professional developmentopportunities on the topic of assess-ment and evaluation, to develop aclearer understanding of the min-istry’s achievement levels.

Activity 2: Creating ClassProfiles

Generating baseline information on student achievement:

1. In June (or at the end of the finalterm in secondary schools), teachersask students to perform the task setout in the Ministry of Education’sexemplar document for the subject—that is, the same task on whichthe samples in the exemplar arebased.

2. Teachers use the samples of studentwork in the exemplars documentwhen marking their own students’work, to help them determine eachstudent’s level of achievement.

3. Teachers pass their students’ work and the level of achievementassigned to it on to the students’next year’s teacher. This “portfolio”becomes the baseline information forassessment in the next school year.

Assessing student achievementthroughout the year:

1. Teachers choose an end-of-termassignment (November/Decemberand March at the elementarylevel), much like the task set out inthe Ministry of Education’s exem-plar document for the subject. Forexample, at the elementary levelthe assignment could be a readingpassage with questions, a piece ofwriting, and a math problem foreach strand of the mathematicscurriculum.

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2. Same-grade teachers (for example,all Grade 3 teachers; at the second-ary level, same-grade/same-sub-ject teachers) mark five or six ofthe assignments together to ensurethat they take a consistent andmutually agreed-upon approachthat is based on the expectationsand achievement levels in the curriculum documents.

3. The same group of teachers thenchooses one piece of student workthat represents achievement atlevel 4, one piece that representsachievement at level 3, one piecethat represents achievement at

level 2, and one piece that representsachievement at level 1 (that is,examples of A, B, C, and D work).

4. Teachers use the samples of studentwork chosen in step 3 to assignmarks/achievement levels to theremaining assignments.

5. Teachers create a class profile thatincludes the achievement levels ofall students in the subject or subjectsinvolved. Figures D2, D3, and D4provide examples of class profilesfor elementary-level reading, writing,and math.

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Figure D2. Class Profile, Reading

Student Name Achievement Level

Student A 3

Student B 2

Student C 3

Figure D3. Class Profile, Writing

Student Name Achievement Level

Student A 3

Student B 2

Student C 3

Figure D4. Class Profile, Mathematics

Student Name Number Measurement Geometry Patterning DataSense and and Spatial and Algebra Management

Numeration Sense and Probability

Student A 3 4 4 3 3

Student B 3 3 2 2 2

Student C 2 3 2 3 3

6. Teachers and principal meet threetimes a year to discuss the classprofiles.

7. Teachers and principals may compare class profile marks withreport card marks and EQAO results.(Principals can now aggregatereport card marks electronically,making this task easier to per-form.)

8. Teachers and principals may want to discuss the use of specialprograms or the adjustment ofteaching strategies to help low-achieving students improve. Theymay also want to focus on strategiesthat would help those level 2 students who are approaching level 3 reach the provincial standard.

9. Note: Teachers should get into thehabit of creating an achievementchart, or rubric, similar to the onesthat are in the curriculum andexemplar documents for everymajor assignment and test that theygive to students. By specifying forstudents the task- or test-specificexpectations that will apply andby providing the rubric that willbe used to assess students’ work,teachers can help students focuson the knowledge and skills theymust acquire and demonstrate toimprove their level of achieve-ment. Teachers will also be provid-ing themselves with carefully con-sidered standards, derived fromministry documents, against whichto mark each assignment or test.

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Appendix E: SampleParent Survey

E

How Are We Doing?How [insert school name] listens to and

responds to parents and guardians

What you feel and say about our school is important to us. Your opinionsaffect how we plan, how we teach and assess your children, and how wecommunicate with you.

• Are you receiving the information you want about our school’s direction?

• Do you have a clear understanding of our policies and practices?

• Are you kept up to date on your child’s progress?

• Do you feel you have opportunities to become involved in the school?

• Are your concerns as a parent well represented by the school council?

We need to know.

The purpose of this survey is to gather your thoughts about the quality of[insert school name]’s programs and services. Conducted [X] times a year, thissurvey is one of many ways our school involves parents. The overall results ofthe survey will be published in our newsletter and available from our website[insert website address, if applicable]. All individual responses will be keptconfidential.

Please complete this form and return it with your child (one student per family)by [insert due date] to:

[insert contact name]

[insert school address]

If you have any questions, please call me, [insert school principal’s name], at[insert phone number].

Thank you for your time and involvement. Together, we will make our children’sfutures brighter!

Sincerely,

[insert principal’s name/signature]

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[start new page or new panel]

[insert school name] Survey of Parents and Guardians

What you think, feel, and say about our school influences our planning, pro-grams, and services. To help us, please take a few minutes to answer the fol-lowing questions. All personal information and individual responses will bekept confidential.

Please note: This survey will take about 25 minutes. If you would like extracopies, please call us at [insert phone number].

Date: ___________________________________________________________________

Name (optional): ________________________________________________________

Child’s/Children’s Grade/Grades: __________________________________________

How to complete this survey:

This survey has two parts. Part A asks general questions requiring a Yes or Noresponse. Part B includes questions that are based on research about whatmakes schools effective, and it allows for a range of responses.

Part A

Please circle YES or NO.

1. Our school’s goals to improve learning are easy

to understand. YES NO

2. I understand our school’s code of behaviour. YES NO

3. The staff holds high expectations for all students. YES NO

4. I understand our school’s policy on homework. YES NO

5. Staff members hold themselves accountable for

students’ academic success. YES NO

6. Our school keeps me informed about changes to

programs and routines. YES NO

7. I understand how the school measures my child’s

progress. YES NO

8. The school makes parents feel welcome. YES NO

9. I know whom to contact on the school council. YES NO

10.I would like to become more involved in the school. YES NO

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Part B

Please circle the number that best describes your feelings about each of thefollowing statements.

Always Sometimes Rarely

A clear, focused vision

1. Our school’s vision for student achievement

is communicated clearly. 1 2 3

2. The principal promotes the school’s vision. 1 2 3

3. The school council supports the school’s vision. 1 2 3

4. The school improvement plan is available to review. 1 2 3

5. I am able to say exactly what our school cares

about most. 1 2 3

A safe, orderly environment

1. Our school is a safe place to learn, work, and visit. 1 2 3

2. My child feels safe at school. 1 2 3

3. My child likes school. 1 2 3

4. My child likes his/her teacher. 1 2 3

5. The school’s policies and expectations about

discipline and behaviour are clear and easy

to understand. 1 2 3

High expectations

1. The principal and teachers at our school believe

that all students can learn and achieve. 1 2 3

2. Our school’s principal and teachers are role models

for good citizenship and positive behaviour. 1 2 3

3. Teachers at my child’s school celebrate student

achievement. 1 2 3

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A focus on high levels of student achievement

1. I receive information about the Ontario curriculum. 1 2 3

2. Information about the Ontario curriculum is clear

and easy to understand. 1 2 3

3. I receive information about the province’s standards

for student learning and achievement. 1 2 3

4. I receive information about the provincial report card. 1 2 3

5. The students at our school spend most of their

time engaged in activities that are directly related

to learning. 1 2 3

6. My child’s homework comes with clear instructions

(e.g., expectations, due dates). 1 2 3

7. My child has homework that encourages him/her

to talk to me about his/her day at school. 1 2 3

8. I receive ideas from the school about activities that

I can do with my child to help him/her learn. 1 2 3

Instructional leadership

1. Our school principal understands that he/she will be

held accountable for the academic results achieved

by students in our school. 1 2 3

2. Our teachers demonstrate an understanding of the

Ontario curriculum. 1 2 3

3. The principal and teachers communicate their

expectations for student success clearly. 1 2 3

Frequent monitoring of student progress

1. My child’s teacher provides me with information

about my child’s progress. 1 2 3

2. The teacher lets me know how my child’s

assignments are graded. 1 2 3

3. The school helps me to understand how I can help

my child set goals for his/her education. 1 2 3

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4. The school contacts me if my child is having

difficulties. 1 2 3

5. I attend parent-teacher interviews. 1 2 3

6. Our school makes me feel like a true partner in my

child’s education. 1 2 3

Strong home-school relations

1. Our school involves parents in school planning. 1 2 3

2. Our school involves parents in the development of

various policies (e.g., on homework, on behaviour). 1 2 3

3. I receive invitations to school events well in advance. 1 2 3

4. I feel that parents’ concerns are well represented

by the school council. 1 2 3

5. The school council makes a difference in our

school’s success. 1 2 3

6. I receive information about school activities. 1 2 3

7. I volunteer at the school. 1 2 3

8. When I volunteer, I receive clear instructions from

staff about my role. 1 2 3

9. I feel properly trained to do the work I am asked

to carry out as a volunteer. 1 2 3

10.I feel appreciated by the school staff for the work

I do as a volunteer. 1 2 3

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Is there anything you would like us to know? Please explain.

Please return this form with your child (one student per family) by [insert duedate] to:

[insert contact name]

[insert school address]

If you have any questions about this survey or can suggest improvements,please call [insert phone number].

Thank you.

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Appendix F: Sample Text for a

Pamphlet That Principals Can

Send to Parents With a Copy of

Their School’s Improvement Plan

F

[inside copy (text can be set up on pamphlet “panels” or in brochure form):]

[insert date]

To parents and guardians of students at [insert schoolname]:

Parents often ask: “What is my childlearning?” “How do I know he’s learning?” “How well is she doingcompared to others?” and “What can I do to help?”

School improvement plans are designedto help us—and you—answer all ofthose questions.

Successful school improvement planshelp schools develop better learningprograms, better teaching strategies,and better administrative practices. Theyhonour and build on past successes.They create energy and purpose amongstudents, teachers, support staff,administrators, and parents. Theyinvite us all to participate in positivechange—with the ultimate objective ofhelping students improve their level ofacademic achievement.

And, at [insert school name], that’s ournumber one priority.

We believe that parents of school-agedchildren have certain rights related totheir children’s education:

• the right to know how well studentsin their school are doing academically

• the right to know what actions theschool intends to take to improvestudent performance

• the right to contribute to the school’sdevelopment and improvement

• the right to be consulted about andreceive information about decisionsthat affect their children’s learning.

Because we believe in these rights, last[insert appropriate month] we encour-aged parents and other communitymembers, as well as their representativeson the school council, to participate indeveloping [insert school name]’simprovement plan.

To those of you who did participate, weagain extend our warm appreciation foryour input and involvement. We couldn’thave done it without you.

[Insert school name] now has a schoolimprovement plan!

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A Blueprint for Student Success[title for cover panel]

This pamphlet is designed to help you:

• understand our improvement plan

• learn about the goals we have setfor ourselves

• learn about some of the strategieswe have for reaching those goals

• get involved in implementing theplan

• participate in monitoring and eval-uating our progress in meeting ourgoals.

If you have any questions or concerns,if you would like to see a copy of thecomplete plan, or if you would like to getinvolved in implementing or monitoringthe plan, please visit, write, call, fax, or e-mail us. You’ll find our contactinformation at the end of this pamphlet.

Be part of [insert school name]’simprovement plan! Together, we can helpour students to secure a successful future.

Sincerely,

[insert principal’s name]

[start new panel or page]

What Makes a GoodSchool Improvement Plan?The best school improvement plans:

• put students first by focusing onimproving the level of their academicachievement

• involve the school council, parents,and the community, as well as theprincipal and teachers, as drafters,implementers, monitors, and evalu-ators of the plan

• honour the unique nature and char-acteristics of the school community

• adhere to the province’s standardsfor student learning and studentachievement

• are based on reliable data

• follow the research on what makesschools effective

• are realistic, yet aim high

• are easy to understand by everyonein the school community

• remain flexible to change.

What Makes an EffectiveSchool?Research has shown that effective schoolshave the following characteristics:

• a clear, focused vision for learning

• a safe, orderly environment

• a climate of high expectations thatall students can achieve success

• a focus on high levels of studentachievement through excellent curriculum delivery

• strong leadership by the principal

• frequent monitoring of studentprogress

• strong home-school relations.

Our school improvement planningteam kept all of the above points inmind as we deliberated. We’ve come up with a plan that we believe in, andwe’re committed to realizing it. Thegoals in this plan will remain [insertschool name]’s priorities for at least thenext two years.

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What Are the Goals of[insert school name]’sImprovement Plan?With the help of our improvementplanning team of staff, school council,parents, and other community mem-bers, we have chosen to focus on thefollowing areas:

Our goal to enhance curriculum delivery is [insertgoal for this priority area].

We based our decision to focus on this goal on a review of a variety ofdata about student achievement at ourschool. We looked at [adjust the follow-ing as appropriate] aggregated reportcard marks, the results of tests conduct-ed by the province’s Education Qualityand Accountability Office, and the resultsof tests our students participated in thatwere administered by the followingboard, national, and international education organizations: [list names of organizations as appropriate].

While there are other areas in whichsome or all of our students couldimprove, after careful deliberation wedetermined that this goal would be ourcurriculum delivery priority for thenext couple of years.

[Optional: Include some information onspecific areas of focus, strategies, andtime lines for meeting this goal.]

Our goal to improve theschool environment is [insertgoal for this priority area].

We decided to focus on this goal afterreviewing a wide range of informationabout our school: [adjust the followingas appropriate] student attendance and

suspension figures, student conductand incidents of unacceptable behav-iour, homework completion rates, the level of student participation invarious school activities, and the kindsof awards we give to students at ourschool. We also examined the responsesof parents and other community mem-bers to the survey on our school thatwe sent out last [insert appropriatemonth].

While there are several ways in whichwe could improve the learning environ-ment at our school, after careful delib-eration we determined that this goalwould be our school environment priority for the next two years.

[Optional: Include some information on specific areas of focus, strategies,and time lines for meeting this goal.]

Our goal to increase the level of parental involvementis [insert goal for this priorityarea].

We very much want parents to feel welcome in our schools. We want tohelp you understand the Ministry ofEducation’s curriculum policies and the way your children’s progress isassessed. We want you to be true partners with us in educating your children.

We understand that you have workcommitments, job schedules, and family situations that may limit theamount of time and energy you cancommit to involvement in the school.We have worked hard to find innova-tive ways to involve you—for example,activities that you can do with yourchild at home. Our goal reflects theseaims.

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We based our decision to focus on thisgoal on the results of the parent surveyreferred to above, as well as a review ofour school profile. You received a copyof the school profile, a detailed descrip-tion of our school and its community, in[insert appropriate information]. Aftercareful deliberation, we determinedthat this goal would be our priority forincreasing parental involvement for thenext couple of years.

[Optional: Include some information onspecific areas of focus, strategies, andtime lines for meeting this goal.]

How Can You Learn MoreAbout Our Plan or GetInvolved?We invite your questions. If you wouldlike to see a copy of the complete plan,please visit the school.

We encourage your participation inimplementing and monitoring our plan.And we urge you to join with us inmaking a commitment to the goals wehave set for ourselves. We need morethan your cooperation—we need yourpassion and your strengths. Workingtogether, we can build a school and acommunity that puts our students first.

Contact us in one of the followingways:

Write or visit us at: [insert schooladdress]

Phone us at: [insert school phonenumber]

Send us a fax at: [insert school fax number]

Send us an e-mail at: [insert school e-mail address]

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Appendix G: AdditionalResources

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G

GeneralBarth, Roland S. Improving Schools From Within: Teachers, Parents, and

Principals Can Make the Difference. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-BassPublishers, 1990.

Cotton, Kathleen. The Schooling Practices That Matter Most. Alexandria,Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2000.

Epstein, Joyce L., K.C. Salinas and V. Jackson. TIPS, Teachers InvolveParents In Schoolwork: Manual for Teachers – Language Arts,Science/Health and Math. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University,Center on School, Family and Community Partnerships, 1995.

Epstein, Joyce L., L. Coates, K.C. Salinas, M.G. Sanders, and B.S.Simon. School, Family and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook forAction. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press, 1997.

Joyce, Bruce R., James Wolf and Emily Calhoun. The Self-RenewingSchool. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and CurriculumDevelopment, 1993.

Leithwood, K.A. Planned Educational Change: A Manual of CurriculumReview, Development and Implementation (CRDI) Concepts and Procedures.Toronto: OISE Press, 1986. Informal series, 66.

Leithwood, K.A. and Robert Aitken. Making Schools Smarter: A Systemfor Monitoring School and District Progress. Thousand Oaks, Calif.:Corwin Press, 1995.

Levine, Daniel U. and Lawrence W. Lezotte. Unusually Effective Schools:A Review and Analysis of Research and Practice. Madison, Wis.:National Centre for Effective Schools, Research & Development,1990.

Lezotte, Lawrence W. and Barbara C. Jacoby. A Guide to the SchoolImprovement Process Based on Effective Schools Research. Okemos,Mich.: Effective Schools Products, in cooperation with MichiganInstitute for Educational Management, 1990.

Ontario. Education Improvement Commission. The Road Ahead – III: A Report on the Role of School Councils. Toronto: the Commission, 1998.

——— The Road Ahead – IV: A Report on Improving Schools ThroughGreater Accountability. Toronto: the Commission, 2000.

Ontario. Ministry of Education. The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12.(Series: one document per subject.) Toronto: the Ministry, 2000.

——— The Ontario Curriculum – Exemplars, Grades 1–8: Reading.Toronto: the Ministry, 1999.

——— The Ontario Curriculum – Exemplars, Grades 1–8: Writing.Toronto: the Ministry, 2000. (Note: The ministry anticipates publishingthree elementary-level mathematics exemplar documents as well asa number of secondary-level exemplar documents by the end of2000.)

Ontario. Ministry of Education and Training. The Ontario Curriculum,Grades 1–8. (Series: one document per subject.) Toronto: theMinistry, 1997.

——— The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10. (Series: one documentper subject.) Toronto: the Ministry, 1999.

Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association. Defining Catholic EducationDistinctiveness: A Template of Services and Dimensions Specific toCatholic Boards. Toronto: the Association, 1999.

——— Speaking as Brothers and Sisters. Toronto: the Association, 1995.

Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops. “For the Good of All: A PastoralLetter from the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops.” Toronto:the Conference, 1992.

——— “Fulfilling the Promise, The Challenge of Leadership: A PastoralLetter to the Catholic Education Community.” Toronto: theConference, 1993.

Schmoker, Michael J. Results: The Key to Continuous School Improvement.2nd edition. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision andCurriculum Development, 1999.

Sutton, Ruth. School Self-Renewal. Salford, U.K.: RS Publications, 1994.Reprinted in New Zealand, 1995. (May be self-published. Addressfor RS Publications is 29 Nevile Court Road, Salford M7 3PS, U.K.)

Periodicals, articles, and papersBlack, Susan. “The Truth About Homework: What Research Says

Might Surprise You.” American School Board Journal, 1996, 183(10),48–51.

Epstein, Joyce L., S.C. Herrick, and L. Coates. “Effects of SummerHome Learning Packets on Student Achievement in Language Artsin the Middle Grades.” School Effectiveness and School Improvement,1996, 7(4), 383–410.

Heft, James. “Catholic Identity and the Future of Catholic Schools.”The Catholic Identity of Catholic Schools, vol. 2 of Catholic Schools forthe 21st Century, by James Heft and Carleen Reck. Washington, D.C.:National Catholic Education Association, 1991.

Leithwood, K.A. and D. Jantzi. “Transformational Leadership: HowPrincipals Can Help Reform School Cultures.” School Effectivenessand School Improvement, 1990, 1(4), 249–80.

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Electronic resourcesAlberta. Alberta Education. “Alberta Initiative for School

Improvement: Administrative Handbook,” 1999.<http://www.learning.gov.ab.ca/sib/aisi>

British Columbia. Ministry of Education. “Accountability in the EducationSystems,” 1996. <http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/accountability/>

Canadian Education Research Information System. “CanadianResearch on School Effectiveness and School Improvement.”<http://ceris.schoolnet.ca/e/GoodSchool2.html>

National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University.<http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/index.htm>

The websites and electronic links listed above have been created by orfor organizations outside of the Education Improvement Commission,and those organizations are responsible for the information containedwithin their respective sites. These sites may not be available in French.Any specific comment or inquiry about these sites should be directedto the individual organization.

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© Education Improvement CommissionISBN 0-7794-0284-7

Mowat Block, 13th Floor900 Bay StreetToronto ON M7A 1L2Tel (416) 325-1073

1-800-344-6582Fax (416) [email protected]://eic.edu.gov.on.ca

November 2000