WEYBURN – A scheduled report containing updated information from the South East Cornerstone Public School Division was presented to the board during their monthly open business meeting in Weyburn on Feb. 15.
The data focused on the division’s System Goal 3, which calls for decisions and planning to be based on relevant information and data that has been gathered about students.
Director of education, Keith Keating launched the 45-minute presentation outlining the 20 or more reporting tools used in the data-gathering system that leads to a regular examination of results that helps teachers and administrators gain an understanding of how well the students are progressing.
Discussions and analysis of data provides tools for action plans and course corrections that are launched to assist them in reaching successful outcomes.
understanding all the data and how and why it is used are key factors, he said.
The data is available to the teachers on a regular basis.
Susan Husband, vice-principal and response to intervention (RtI) teacher at Assiniboia Park Elementary School in Weyburn, was next up. She led the board members through an explanation of how the data is used.
“It gives you a snapshot of the child on that date,” she said.
The data-gathering sessions are completed four times in a school year.
Husband went on to explain that particular areas of study are declared as “difficult” for most students prior to presentation.
“We want them to know that,” she said.
It’s all part of the planning. A mix of questions helps the information-gathering systems function and, “kids do their best. We keep data on each student year to year,” she said.
That means educators teaching the child in the future can easily refer to the student’s former screenings and graphs.
Husband explained that reading and math levels are key factors, and whether a student can read with comprehension is highly relevant. She noted that in some instances, an early learner might be able to read rapidly but not be able to embrace a comprehension of what they have read. The system allows teachers to keep track of students who lack vocabulary skills.
Next up was Jacquie Gibbs, co-ordinator of early learning, who first noted how early learning skills in reading have a direct influence on Grade 12 graduation rates a decade or more later. This makes early years evaluations a key component.
Getting students involved is just one corner of the process. Family engagement improves results, she said, so those parents who get involved, well, “it’s a big deal,” she noted for those pre-kindergarten youngsters. If they do become engaged, it makes for a smoother transition into schools and an easier process for all.
“We’ll have kids ready, attending and engaged. For me, all roads lead to the family,” she said.
Website access plans for parents were also brought forward by Gibbs, who noted that improvements were being made to provide parents with the information they needed and desired. A survey was conducted to obtain more ideas as to what parents wanted and there was no indication they were disappointed, but they want more such as parenting information, more information about the school and the kindergarten program.
Gibbs said on the parenting information question, they did not want to deliver a feeling that they are trying to tell the parents what to do, but rather just help them gain information and how often they wanted to be texted prior to the child entering the kindergarten program.
Gibbs admitted that COVID-19 restrictions had set back the pre-kindergarten and many other early learning programs. Those struggles have now eased and that interlude of absence proved the point that “within the classrooms we (students, teachers) are so much happier, so we know that getting them into the building is better.”
Links to the school websites are being made easier to access and allows families to know what’s available.
“If more information is out there, you’ll get more access,” said trustee Megan Schick, a Weyburn trustee.
Day care centres also provide a wonderful link to that information and preparations, added chairwoman Audrey Trombley.
Keating added in conclusion that it has become clear how collecting quality data is a key to operating a successful education system and helping students succeed.
