Building on our work from last year, we enhanced our approach to reading assessment at Whiteside. This year, we implemented a more comprehensive model to better understand each student's reading abilities in decoding, fluency, and comprehension.

In both the fall and the spring, every student read one-on-one with a teacher. This process allowed us to evaluate not only their decoding skills (the ability to read words accurately) but also their reading comprehension. By having students answer questions about the text, we gained valuable insight into their level of understanding. These assessments were administered consistently using the same diagnostic tool in both our French and English programs.

Our provincial results:

• After a decline in our provincial literacy assessment scores prior to 2023, recently we continue to see an increase in our intermediate (grade 4-7) literacy skills. Currently, 83% of our intermediate students, that took the assessment, are on track or extending in their literacy skills. This is a slight (2.5%) increase from the previous year.

Our local results:

• Primary (kindergarten to grade 2) literacy results:
  • 42% of students are at an emerging or developing level.
    • a 2% decrease from the previous year.
  • 58% are at a proficient or extending level.
    • a 2% increase from the previous year.
  • Our reading comprehension skills improved by 54% from the fall.
  • This data is consistent with our Language Arts proficiency scales on our final report cards.

• Grade 3-5 literacy results:
  • 50% of students are at an emerging or developing level.
    • This is a 10% decrease from the previous year.
  • 50% of students are at a proficient or extending level.
    • This is a 10% increase from the previous year.
  • This is a 150% growth from our fall assessments.
  • This data is consistent with our Language Arts proficiency scales on our final report cards.

• Grade 6-7 literacy results:
  • 37% of students are at an emerging and developing level.
    • This is a 5% decrease from the previous year.
  • 63% of students are at a proficient or extending level.
    • This is a 5% increase from the previous year.
  • This is an increase of 31% from the fall.
  • This data is consistent with our Language Arts proficiency scales on our final report cards.

As a result of our spring reading assessments, our teachers will continue successful reading and literacy routines that support building reading comprehension skills among our Wolfpack.

Based on our most recent reading assessments and teacher reflection surveys, our next steps to improve literacy instruction and practice at Whiteside are:

• Continue to narrow our focus on building specific reading comprehension strategies,
• Update reading assessment diagnostics to be more authentic and informative,

• Intensive literacy intervention programs with our Learning Resource Teachers
  • Specifically in early-primary classes (see action post)
• Increased professional learning opportunities for teachers and staff,
• Collaboration time for our teachers with our district teacher consultant,
• Working in classroom teams of Learning Resource Teachers and Classroom Teachers to design lessons to provide literacy opportunities for all learners,
• Increased learning resource spending to update and improve literacy resources in each classroom.