Intermediate / Transition Years Working Group (ITWG)

2011- 2012:

Peers, Passion, and Purpose

Ten teachers, a few consultants, and a bunch of kids.

Literacy Across the Curriculum Assessment for Learning Inquiry

Could they do it? Could they make a difference for themselves ... for their students ... for their schools?

YES. Heres the proof ...

Read on to discover how a group of teachers took on the challenge. They listened, they read, they talked, they shared, they tried new things and tweaked old things. they struggled and they reected and they tried again. and they made a difference.
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Members of the ITWG:

Teachers: Brenda Allen* (HVES) Sabrina Bouayad* (WES) Michelle Beaulieu (GHES) Sara Davidson* (FHC) Amanda Dockum* (EVB) Jonathan Hale* (PCSS) Jane MacArthur* (CAR) Colleen OBrien (Tak) Ken Symanski (SES) Wil deWit* (Tak) DOE Consultants: JEanette Gallant* Paula Thompson* Val Collins Louise Fallon Jeanette McCrie

*Inquiry reports included in this document What is the ITWG?

An interdisciplinary group of teachers who work collaboratively on inquiry projects within their classrooms and/or schools with 2 connected goals:

to improve literacy across the curriculum, through:

the improvement our own professional practice, particularly in using AFL and differentiation strategies

Purpose:
The ITWG is designed to improve literacy across the curriculum through improved professional practice. This goal was achieved through inquiry and teamwork across roles and schools, with a concentrated focus on applying formative assessment and differentiation strategies to assist participants in taking greater ownership of their learning. Teachers participated in a spiral of inquiry that provided the structure for their improvement and innovative work. Action research questions, studies, resources and reections were shared in a spirit of generosity and curiosity. By working with the same people frequently, members became familiar with the repertoire of other members, which developed trust and lines of collaboration. The working group was a forum for cooperation and participation. We sustained our own professional interest and drive to change through curiosity and commitment over time.

Table of Contents:
Sabrina Bouayad (WES) Sara Davidson (FHC) Amanda Dockum (EVB) Jonathan Hale (PCSS) Jane MacArthur (CAR) and Wil deWit (TAK) Brenda Allen (HVES) Jeanette Gallant (DOE) Paula Thompson (DOE) 4 8 11 14 20 22 28 31

Inquiry Question:

Sabrina Bouayad WES

How can I help my students reflect on their learning? Learning Partner / Contacts: N/A School / Class Context: I teach a grade 6/7 French immersion class. Relation to School / Department Goals: Assessment For Learning Personal Motivation: In the spirit of Assessment for Learning, I wanted my students to reflect weekly on their learning. I offered them sentence stems and wanted them to complete one for each subject we covered that week. (Please see attached copy of my Rflexion de la semaine sheet). Action Plan: Curriculum Outcomes being addressed in ELA/FLA: Thinking: (A10 speaking and listening, B10 reading and viewing, C10 writing and representing) Reflect on and assess their ... by, Referring to class-generated criteria Considering and incorporating peer and adult feedback Setting goals and creating a plan for improvement Taking steps toward achieving goals Instructional Strategies or Assessment for Learning Strategies: This is where things went wrong. I didnt really give any instructions. I simply gave them the sheet and ask them to think about their thinking. Findings: Not surprisingly, at first, I found that my students reflections were off topic or, at best, simple (In English, I liked the picture book. Why?). After giving them a few examples, I was able to get some focused and justified answers (I liked the picture book Why? because it got me thinking about wars and how they get
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started). That is as far as I got this year. Reflection: So, Im helping students reflect about their learning, but it feels too vague and at times, pointless. I was told to model for my students to get more out of them. I gave some examples, but I was not sure how to model reflection! After thinking about it, I realized that I didnt know why I was asking my student to reflect. Aha! Taking it Further - Plans for 2012 - 2013: So if I were to do this again, I would rephrase my inquiry this way: How can I help my student reflect on their learning, so they can move their learning forward? That would be the goal of the reflection: to move the learning forward. Then, before I ask my students to reflect on a subject, I would need to think about my destination (big idea). Once I have my goal as a teacher, I should use the gradual release of responsibility to teach the idea, and set criteria (co-construct). Finally, after proper feedback (AFL strategies), I can ask students to reflect on their learning using our criteria as reference and then they could tell me (and I could ask) whats working, whats not and whats next? In terms of data collection, I would have to collect a reflection in the fall and in the spring and compare how accurately (met, not yet met) the students were able to find their what's next according to my evaluation of them. Recommendations: The ITWG provided the time and space to question the use or purpose of a specific teaching strategy, why it was or, in my case, wasnt working. This is a very valuable process. I appreciated finding my own question and inquiry and learning from it. I would have liked to be part of a group. The challenge is in finding a balance in the relevance of the question/inquiry for all in a group.

Date: " "

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Nom:

Les rexions de la semaine

Ce que jai aim Ce qui est difcile Deux choses que jai apprises Une question que jai Ce qui ma surpris Ce que je savais dj Une chose que je sais qui na pas t dit Jaimerais en savoir plus sur Le point boueux Jai remarqu que

Franais:

Anglais :

Sciences:

Math:

La rubrique pour parler en franais: 4" Je parle toujours en franais dans la classe et avec mes amis et jutilise les stratgies. Je fais un grand effort pour parler en franais. " Je parle souvent en franais dans la classe et avec mes amis et jutilise les stratgies. Je fais un effort pour parler en franais. Je parle quelques fois en franais dans la classe et avec mes amis. Je utilise un peu les stratgies et je fais un petit effort pour parler en franais. Je ne parle jamais en franais dans la classe et avec mes amis. Je ne fais pas deffort pour parler en franais.

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Effort Rubric: 4" I worked with focus to complete the task, and when I didnt know the answer right away I tried to work it out or look it up before asking for help. I worked with focus to complete the task, but I asked for help as soon as I didnt know the answer right away. I worked with focus most of the time, but I gave up when I didnt know the answer. I did very little focused work.

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2" 1"

La semaine prochaine:

Commentaires:

Sara Davidson FH Collins Secondary School

Essential Questions Inquiry Question: How will using an essential question improve students ability to think critically and form opinions based on multiple sources of evidence? Learning Partner/Contacts: Ken Symanski and Michelle Beaulieu School/Class Context: English 9 General class; students are generally placed into the General classes because they struggle with attendance as well as literacy skills. Relation to School/Department Goals: This inquiry ties in with the department goal that seeks to assist students in preparing for the next phase of their lives. It ties in with the school goal that seeks to assist students in achieving their highest personal potential. Personal Motivation: Because students in these classes struggle with attendance, it has become a necessity to teach individual lessons each day. This means that the lesson and the assignment have to begin and end within the 75 minute period. Furthermore, due to the fact that many students struggle with issues such as FASD, it is difficult to follow a traditional model that uses genre-based units in these classes. Students quickly became frustrated, often complaining that they have already learned about paragraphs. To avoid
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behaviour management issues, I explored the use of theme-based units which drew on a wide range of text genres and writing activities. Action Plan: Curriculum Outcomes being addressed: (A9) Speak and listen to interpret, analyse, and evaluate ideas and information from texts (A10) Speak and listen to synthesize and extend thinking (B9) Interpret, analyse, and evaluate ideas and information from texts (B10) Interpret, analyse, and evaluate ideas and information from texts (C9) Write and represent to interpret, analyse, and evaluate ideas and information from texts (C10) Write and represent to synthesize and extend thinking

Instructional Strategies: Instructional strategies will remain the same for this unit, as it has more to do with reorganizing the structure of the unit. For the purposes of this study, particular attention was paid to reading and writing strategies. Assessment for Learning Strategies: Upon entry into the course, students complete a writing assessment, this is marked according to the BC Performance Standards For the duration of the course, each class begins with a poem which the students discuss with prompting; one focus is to provide support for their opinions (this is monitored anecdotally for progress over time) Early in the unit, students write paragraphs which are marked using the BC Performance Standards Findings: By using essential questions to unify the thematic units and guide the selection of texts, the students were provided with a diverse way to investigate the answer to the question. Students were more engaged with the lessons and the final unit activity as it allowed them to investigate the question for themselves and give their own opinion (with support) about the essential question for the unit. Because they were provided with multiple texts that expressed multiple perspectives, they were able to work to provide support for their opinions with opportunities for scaffolding. As a result of this approach, students appeared better able to express their opinions with support from singular and multiple texts.

Student Reflections: Although I did not seek student input, anecdotally I noticed that I did not hear complaints from students that they were being asked to do the same task for days in a row. Furthermore, while conferencing with students about their connected paragraph assignment, they seemed pleased with their final writing pieces often remarking that they felt it was their best work. Each of these writing pieces consisted of an expression of their opinion in response to the essential question with text support from multiple sources. Taking it Further (Plans for 2012-2013): Based upon my results, I would like to take this further in the coming year. In developing my units, I would like to focus more upon creating a progression of the skills required to think critically and to form opinions based upon multiple sources of evidence throughout the year. As such, at the end of each unit the culminating writing assignment would support students to achieve a more sophisticated understanding of how to accomplish this. Reflections: I was happy with the results of this kind of planning. It did require a lot of time to change my unit overviews, however I believe that it was well worth it given that it enhanced student learning as well as the quality of my instruction. Recommendations: I would recommend doing the following prior to beginning to integrate the use of essential questions into your practice: Review Chapter 5 Essential Questions: Doorways to Understanding in Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe as well as the work by Leyton Schnellert on the topic. Begin with a lesson and design it using an essential question Select a unit that lends itself to this kind of instruction and begin transforming that unit Adjust and modify as you work your way through the unit

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Amanda Dockum Eliza Van Bibber School, Pelly Crossing Inquiry Ques,on: How will an instruc,onal focus on writers workshop improve student scores on the spring school-wide-write, as assessed by the B.C. performance standards for impromptu wri,ng? Contacts: Sara TilleG, JHS and the ITWG team School/Class Context: Grade 6/7 class with 9 students (3 female, 6 male); most below grade level, especially in wri,ng. Rela,on to School/Department Goals: Wri,ng improvement is a major goal iden,ed in the EVBS school growth plan. Personal Mo,va,on: I wanted to create a more structured wri,ng program. I felt that I was teaching my students various wri,ng skills, but they werent \ng together into a whole package. A^er a visita,on with Sara TilleG, I saw that using Nancie Atwells resources could provide the wri,ng framework my lessons needed. Ac,on Plan: Curriculum Outcomes Addressed: C1 communicate meaning by using conven,ons of wri,ng and represen,ng C2 write a variety of crea,ve and personalized mul,-paragraph composi,ons C3 write a variety of descrip,ve, narra,ve, and expository essays C4 create a variety of visual representa,ons to construct and convey meaning C5 generate, develop, and organize ideas for wri,ng and represen,ng C6 during wri,ng and represen,ng, dra^ and compose C7 revise and edit wri,ng

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Instruc@onal Strategies: Use Nancie Atwells wri,ng resources as a guide to crea,ng a wri,ng workshop in my classroom Create an environment where students can focus on their wri,ng pieces free of distrac,ons, and where they can work on things that are meaningful to them Include both one-on-one ,me with the teacher and with peers when improving wri,ng pieces Find ways for students to publish/display their favourite pieces so they can be proud of their accomplishments Assessment For Learning Strategies Used: Set criteria using wri,ng samples (from students and from Nancie Atwell resources) Give descrip,ve feedback teacher-student and peer pairs Self assessment based on criteria Ownership learners show and talk about their work Findings: Data: Not Yet Mee@ng Fall 2011 Spring 2012 7 1 Minimally Mee@ng 2 6 Fully Mee@ng 0 2 Exceeding 0 0

Student Reec,ons: My students have really enjoyed wri,ng this year. Most surprising, they especially loved reading and wri,ng poetry, and have been wri,ng pieces at home on their own ,me. A few of my students receive literacy support and when asked by their teacher about their favourite ,me of the school day, two boys answered poetry! Students reported that while it can be frustra,ng to work on the same piece of wri,ng for so long, they nd the end result is worth it
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something they can be proud of. My students unanimously endorse this style of wri,ng workshop they feel that they learned a lot, and they think of themselves as writers. Taking it Further Plans for 2012 2013: I will not be teaching next year, as I will be working as the YTAs PD Chair, but when I am back in the classroom, I plan to con,nue with wri,ng workshop. My next focus would be improving upon the mini lessons I was using with the students as part of wri,ng workshop. Reec,ons: I am very pleased with the results of my students school-wide-writes, as well as their feedback. It was clear to me, even back in October, that wri,ng workshop t in well with my teaching style, and with my students learning style. Wri,ng ,me was transformed from something we all had to get through to something we all looked forward to. It gave me a lot of exibility and freedom to teach mini-lessons when they were needed, and to spend a great deal of ,me working one-on-one with my students. Recommenda,ons: I would highly recommend wri,ng workshop. Nancie Atwells Lessons that Change Writers and Naming the World: A Year of Poems and Lessons are excellent resources easy to understand and implement.

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Jonathan Hale Porter Creek Secondary School

Inquiry Question: How will the use of peer and self assessment strategies improve student achievement as assessed by the B.C. performance standards for structured writing tasks? Learning Partner/Contacts: Brenda Allan, Jane McArthur, ITWG members and facilitators. School/Class Context: Grade 10 English class - Semester One: 29 students; 26 male, 3 female; three students on IEPs - Semester Two: 22 students; 13 male, 9 female; two students on IEPs Each class was 65 minutes in duration Six classes per week Relation to School/Department Goals: This inquiry ties in with the department goal that seeks to implement Assessment For Learning strategies into school programs. Is consistent with our school goals that seek to assist students in achieving their highest personal potential.

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 Developing literacy skills across all subject areas is a critical goal of the curriculum branch at the Department of Education and at Porter Creek Secondary School. Personal Motivation: To implement formative assessment strategies within my classroom that are valuable to students. To develop classroom strategies that work and to promote the benefits of these methods with students and colleagues. To raise student achievement levels at Porter Creek Secondary School. To have students develop strategies that will become a part of their life-long pursuit of knowledge.

Action Plan: Curriculum Outcomes being addressed:

(A11) use metacognitive strategies to reect on and assess their speaking and listening (A10) speak and listen to synthesize and extend thinking (B8) explain and support personal responses to text (B11) use metacognitive strategies to reect on and assess their reading and viewing (C5) select, adapt, and apply a range of strategies to generate, develop, and organize ideas for writing and representing (C6) select, adapt, and apply a range of drafting and composing strategies while writing and representing (C7) select, adapt, and apply a range of strategies to revise, edit, and publish writing and representing (C9) write and represent to interpret, analyse, and evaluate ideas and information from texts (C13) use and experiment with elements of form in writing and representing, appropriate to purpose and audience, to enhance meaning and artistry (C14) use conventions in writing and representing, appropriate to purpose and audience, to enhance meaning and artistry

Instructional Strategies: Use of the Big Six AFL strategies embedded into each lesson; developing various strategies grouped into/under the Big Six ideas (providing exemplars). Use of strategies from Knowing What Counts: Self Assessment and Goal Setting by Kathleen Gregory, Caren Cameron, and Anne Davies - Margin Symbols (24) - Reflection Cards (27) - Pause and Think/Phrases and Prompts (22) Developing a list of symbols for editing one anothers work Anonymous editing by use of pen names; generating constructive criticism

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Assessment for Learning Strategies: Clearly defining learning intentions Providing opportunities to co-construct criteria for structured writing activities Descriptive feedback based on the criteria by teachers and peers Use of self and peer assessment tools and practices Developing powerful questioning strategies

Findings: By implementing peer and self assessment strategies to the structured writing activities within my classroom I have noticed some interesting changes. The use of these strategies has been ongoing throughout each semester. When using the Margin Symbols strategy (Gregory 24) on quizzes, prior to final tests, students were able to communicate what they felt they were good at and what content needed review. The strategy was successful because they would not normally ask themselves these questions about their own work without the prompting that was required by using this strategy. The Reflection Cards strategy (Gregory 27) proved to be a very useful tool. At the beginning of class students would reflect on three things that they remembered from last class and write them on a sticky note. Accessing prior knowledge is a fundamental component of AFL. Some of these points were shared at the beginning of class. I knew this strategy was working when I had started to notice more and more students contributing their ideas at the start of class, to the point where I had to cut them off in order to continue with the rest of the lesson. At the end of the class, students would jot down two things that they had learned and one looming question that they had on a new sticky note. This was a nice way to wrap up the class and the questions were shared and discussed at the end of class. This helped to clarify any misunderstandings that existed within the room. Using the Pause and Think/Phrases and Prompts strategy (Gregory 22), students seemed keen to contribute to class discussions and to tackle/answer one anothers prompts from the jar. This form of questioning as peer assessment also worked to reiterate the essential ideas from the class. Lastly, I had used one of my own peer-editing strategies whereby students were to create pen names for themselves. Without telling their peers what their new name was, I collected their pen names (which were written on slips of paper) and made a grade book sheet of their real names next to their pen names (for my own tracking of formative assessment activity). After defining learning intentions and co-constructing criteria (no matter what the writing task - writing assignments, essays, etc), the students wrote their draft pieces and put them into a pile. They would then take an editing sheet, which they had also helped to co-create (see Appendix A for an example), and were then asked to choose an essay from the pile and complete the editing sheet for that thesis essay. Commenters would leave their pen name on the editing sheet which, when returned to the owner, would be attached to the draft. Students would thereby try to improve
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their writing based on the constructive feedback and then repeat the process several times. Many different editing sheets have been created for the students. The exemplar editing sheet in the appendix was created for students working to write well rounded thesis statements. Overall, I found that by familiarizing myself with the use and implementation of these strategies and by being consistent with their use, that the classes bought into the strategies and were more willing to partake in the activities, allowing them to see the value in what they were doing. Therefore, it was only natural that I had experienced varied results between the two semesters. In the first semester I was still trying to decide on the strategies that I was using. My use of the strategies were somewhat sporadic and the students seemed somewhat skeptical to partake in the activities. However, students were beginning to see the value of these strategies near the end of the semester when students edited one anothers major assignments using the pen name strategy. I decided to make more of an effort in the second semester to be consistent with their use. During the second semester, having been consistent with the use of these strategies, students seemed more engaged with the process of producing good writing (especially those forms that are taught in grade 10 English class such as comparison essays and personal narrative essays), because the strategies became a regular part of the writing process for them. The students seemed engaged with the feedback process and benefitted as a result of the constructive criticism from their peers. Once the students were able to see the value in the editing exercise that improved their writing scores by at least ten percent in the first semester, it was only natural that they became better and better at using the strategy. In the end, these students were, and still are, asking one another to edit their work. Their writing has been steadily improving throughout the second semester and I eagerly await the results of their writing on the BCP examination. Taking it Further (Plans for 2012-2013): Next year I would like to organize an online peer assessment lab in a blog style fashion. The paper trail from several of the strategies I had used was quite extensive. This idea would minimize paper consumption, incorporate technologies into daily practices, and would be a welcome and engaging medium for the process of editing. As well, I would like to engage in the use of other AFL strategies that have been presented by various members of the ITWG. The idea of sharing and promoting strategies that work within the group and my own school community is very appealing. Reflections: I believe that the students benefitted from the strategies I had them use. Their writing scores, as assessed by the BC Performance Standards, showed gradual improvement throughout each semester.

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However, it is difficult to say whether the sole cause of my students improvement was because of these strategies. Naturally, if one spends enough time with a given task, they would be successful (because practice makes perfect), but I had also used various 6+1 Traits of Writing examples that helped students understand various components of their writing. This poses a serious dilemma because I like to use various sources and strategies to generate student improvement at writing tasks, but in doing so, I am skewing the results of my inquiry. Recommendations: Read Knowing What Counts: Self-Assessment and Goal Setting by Kathleen Gregory, Caren Cameron, and Anne Davies Be consistent with the use of strategies and modify the strategies if necessary to meet the needs of your classroom.

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APPENDIX A Comment by (use pen name): _____________________________ Checklist (circle yes or no): Written as a statement Presents the main idea of the essay Would help to organize the essay into body paragraphs Writers opinion is included in the thesis statement Is a complete sentence and not a question yes / no yes / no yes / no yes / no yes / no

One thing that the writer has done well: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ First suggestion for improvement: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Second suggestion for improvement (*optional): ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Wil deWit and Jane MacArthur Takhini Elementary and Ghuch Tla Community School
Inquiry Question (in revision): How will students, through the use of the Nelson Reading Program, improve their performance scores on the Spring DART assessment? Learning Partners / Contacts: Jane MacArthur, grade 4/5/6 at Ghuch Tla Community School, Carcross; jane.macarthur@yesnet.yk.ca Wil deWit, grade 4/5 at Takhini Elementary School, Whitehorse; wil.dewit@yesnet.yk.ca School / Class Context: In Relation to School/Department Goals: This inquiry project will improve reading scores and teacher practice in relation to BC Performance Standards. Our Personal Motivation: 1) To serve the learning needs of students, 2) to achieve Dept. Of Ed. goals, & 3) to provide PD for teachers. Action Plan: Curriculum outcomes being addressed: BC PLOs for Reading and Viewing. Instructional Strategies: Literacy strategies embedded in the Nelson Reading Program in accordance with above. Assessment for Learning Strategies: We included specific and descriptive feedback, student self-assessment and goal setting, observations, co-creating criteria and student exemplars. Findings: Both teachers will continue to collect data and assess the program next year.

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Data:
Fall Oct 2011 Not Yet Meeting 5 1 Minimally Meeting 20 15 Fully Meeting 1 9 1 Exceeding

Spring May 2012

Student Reflections: Students enjoyed the stories, content, layout, variety, length and subject integration with science/socials. Taking it Further Plans for 2012 2013 It is intended that this Inquiry Research Project will continue throughout the 2012 2013 school year. Reflections:

Students showed growth in their spring performance outcomes, in relation to their fall results. The Nelson Reading Program is both student and teacher friendly. The components of an expected literacy program are embedded in the Nelson Reading Program. Next year, we will test all students in both fall and spring; we will use all components of the Program. Upon reflection it is evident that we need to collect and record data accurately, in a timely manner. Both teachers will focus on improving program delivery and data collection.

Recommendations: Continue to work within the ITWG as a network group, to conduct Action Research.

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Brenda Allen Hidden Valley School

Note: Brendas report follows a different format as she used the YTA Teacher Action Research guidelines.

A teacher action research project is a process in which a teacher investigates a classroom issue of particular concern and reports on the outcome. This is achieved by: formulating a hypothesis, implementing strategies, collecting evidence, and evaluating the findings.

Formulating a Hypothesis:
With the intermediate committee, I will work on an inquiry question. After the question is refined, a hypothesis will be developed that reflects the interests of the people in my group (Colleen, Jonathan, and Brenda). This is the hypothesis that my intermediate work group developed. The use of self-assessment and goal setting strategies will improve student achievement on B.C. Performance Standards of impromptu writing.

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Implementing Strategies:
The students in the grade 4/5 class will be systematically taught the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing. I will make sure that I clearly lay out the learning intentions for each trait. The students will do short practice assignments using the traits: ideas, organization, voice, and word choice. The other 3 traits will be taught gradually over the year. These short writing assignments will comprise of shared oral readings of their stories, short assignments focusing on one trait at a time, teacher reading to the students to show them examples of traits, group work, and group editing of work. The students will also do short self-evaluations as they go along. The selfevaluation forms will be taken from the book, Knowing What Counts- Self Assessment and Goal Setting. During this process, I will give students descriptive feedback on what they are doing well and what they could improve on. I will also check in with the students by questioning them and encourage them to ask questions of me, and their peers to make sure the students are clearly understanding the process. When the students are feeling more confident, they will be asked to develop criteria on What makes a good story? based on what they know so far. Then the students will write a short story of 1-3 pages showcasing their best work (incorporating all that they have learned to date). This process will continue with my teaching the last three traits: sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation. Again, I will set clear learning intentions, set criteria as I go along, give descriptive feedback, use questioning, and peer and self-assessment. In May, I predict that the students will be much better writers and will move from a 1 to a 2 on the BC Performance Standards for impromptu writing. In my classroom, I should hear the language of writing with comments like, I think I really used my voice in this paragraph, or I really must add more juicy words here. etc. I should see notebooks that are full of examples of improving writing. Moreover, examples of short writing assignments will be put on the wall for the school to read and enjoy. The big difference I should see in my students after this process is OWNERSHIP. I want to see learners who talk about writing and show their own work with pride.
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I want to help them to gain skills and confidence to be better writers. The process will provide time for goal setting, reflection on learning , collect samples of their work in their notebooks, and see the students share what they have learned with others.

Collecting Evidence:
Writing samples will be collected throughout the school year. The self-assessment forms will also be collected to see the progress of the students thinking about their writing as the year goes by. The writing samples on the walls of the school or the classroom will also be used as samples of published stories. All check lists and criteria setting lists will also be added to the data collection. The final proof will be the results of the BC Performance Standard for impromptu writing.

Evaluating the Findings:

By the time we do the school-wide write in May, I will have collected lots of samples. This final piece should prove that all of my students should have advanced at least one step higher on the BC Performance Standard. In this project, I will have learned how to use self-evaluation with my students, set criteria more often and more effectively, give more precise and descriptive feedback, use questioning more effectively, and empower my students to be better writers! Furthermore, this project will make me a better teacher and corresponds with our school goal of 2012 to improve the writing of all the students at Hidden Valley School!

Conclusion:
After reviewing the results of the spring 2012 School Wide Write, it is clear that the grade 4/5s have made progress. The results of this assessment are neatly laid out on the enclosed graphs.

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The grade 4 students started out in the fall with most areas (style, form, and conventions) within the meets expectations at the minimal level. By the spring, all

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students were in the fully meeting expectations and a small number in the exceeds expectations category. The grade 5s clearly had trouble with writing conventions. In the fall 2011 school wide write, 85% were not yet within expectations. This improved by the spring of 2012, with only 25% not yet within expectations. In the area of meaning, the students started out with meets expectations at a minimal level and fully meets expectations (69% combined ). By the fall school wide write, the combined categories reached 83%. Style was an area that had results ranging from not yet within expectations to exceeds expectations. By the spring school wide write, 85% of students either meets expectations at minimal level or fully meets expectations (and 17% exceeds expectations). Finally, in the area of form, there was a wide spread between not yet within expectations to exceeds expectations (77% combined) in the fall. By the spring of 2012, 92% either fell into the category meets expectations at a minimal level or fully meets expectations I think the interesting thing to note about the graphs is that in the case of meaning and style for grade 5s, these areas actually had less exceeds expectations when the fall to the spring are compared. This was a surprise to me. I acknowledge that the marking in first term was done in small groups with Golden Horn School staff and therefore, subjective. We are all experienced teachers at assessing writing but, I wonder if our marks may have been too generous first term. The other thing that I noticed was in the area of conventions- the results were so low in first term that it was an area I really focused on in second term. Although all of the other areas were worked on as well, perhaps, the big focus on conventions could have inadvertently given less time to the other three areas. The challenge of this assessment is that there were only two samples taken to make the graphs and the sample group was small (3 students for grade 4s and a maximum of 14 students for the grade 5s). There were small writing assessments, group work, and other writing samples used to monitor the students progress over the school year. However, for the purposes of this Teacher Action Research Project, the school wide writes were the main evaluation tools. The results would
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have been more accurate if the sample group had been larger and there had been more than two testing periods. Moreover, using Power Writing materials and doing more individual analysis of all short and long writing samples could be helpful. That way, I would be able to help students to improve their writing of students if they become stalled at one level and unable to progress. The more experience students acquire taking part in school wide writes, combined with quality teaching methods, should improve students writing performance over the years. I found this to be a worthwhile exercise to work in a small group of intermediate teachers to share ideas. The self-assessment, assessment for learning activities, Six Traits of Writing, and other teaching strategies really helped to improve the results of my grade 4/5 students in the area of writing. In 2012-13, I would like to continue this project, with the guidance of the intermediate working group. In the future, I think more conversations amongst educators in the area of assessing writing needs to be done. This kind of professional dialogue could help us all to improve the quality of our assessment. It would be good to keep on building on the work that was done with my students last year in the area of writing.

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Jeanette Gallant Intermediate Consultant, DOE

Inquiry Question: How will the use of visuals, samples, and co-construction of criteria for writing tasks improve student performance in the spring school wide write, as assessed by the B.C. performance standard for impromptu writing? Learning Partner / Contacts: Wil deWit and the ITWG team School / Class Context: Grade 4/5 Boys class; students generally struggle with writing; many obstacles to learning Relation to School / Department Goals: Writing is a main goal area for Takhini Elementary and literacy across the curriculum is a focus area for the Curriculum Branch at the DOE, as is AFL. Personal Motivation: To practice what I preach; to model effective lesson planning and delivery; to put into practice the formative assessment strategies we are learning and developing. Action Plan: Curriculum Outcomes being addressed: C3: write a variety of imaginative writing for a range of purposes and audiences, including short stories, passages, and poems modeled from literature, featuring well-developed ideas through the use of supporting details, especially interesting sensory detail; sentence fluency through a variety of sentence lengths and patterns, with increasing fluidity; effective word choice by using engaging figurative and sensory language; a voice demonstrating an emerging sense of individuality; an organization that includes an engaging opening,
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followed by a sequence of effectively described ideas that leads to a satisfying conclusion Instructional Strategies: Using the top 6 AFL strategies embedded into each lesson; strong visuals and coaching cards to support the use of effective details / word choice; providing samples and generating criteria; self-assessment strategies.

Assessment for Learning Strategies: - Setting a learning destination - Providing samples to co-construct criteria - Descriptive feedback based on the criteria - Self-assessment based on the criteria - Sharing our work with others as a lead-in to peer assessment and ownership

Observations of Student Growth: Students responded very well to the gradual release model; they generally needed the time with guided practice before doing tasks independently. Always having the same focus when I came in to teach them helped to create expectations and a focus for my visits. As I got to know the class better, I chose topics and visuals that I felt might inspire/motivate them. The last lesson was definitely the strongest in that all steps of the lesson were completed with confidence and interest on behalf of the students. This could have been due to the topic (camouflaged insects to write Guessing Game poems); but I also think the students were well practiced in the types of activities we would be doing together. In this lesson, I noticed students were also better able to self-assess their work against the criteria we had developed. They also used the coaching cards more effectively. Taking it Further - Plans for 2012 - 2013: If I am able to do this type of on-going model lesson project again, I would like to focus more on the self-assessment piece and hopefully move students into meaningful peer assessment. I was also unable to use the school-wide write data to monitor student growth. Next year, Id like to access the fall and spring SSW data to see exactly how they improved. Reflections: Every time I went into the class, I was nervous about whether the lesson would
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flop or not. Not all lessons went as I had planned, but with Wils help the class completed the tasks and received the support they needed. It often felt like a team-teaching experience. Wil often continued the independent practice part of the lesson after I left. Because we were limited to about 1 hour of class time, our writing projects were quite short. I would like to try this process with larger writing tasks, but will need a willing partner to take up the lesson wherever I left off it would be even more of a team-teaching model.

Recommendations: - To do this process again with another class and willing teacher. - To spend more time planning this process with my teacher-partner - To have a more effective de-brief with both students and teacher at the end of our sessions - It may even be helpful to let other teachers watch the lesson(s) and then have a de-brief meeting to discuss how the lesson went: Did the AFL strategies make a difference? Were the AFL strategies executed properly? Was I responsive to the group? How could the lesson be improved? Etc.

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Paula Thompson Math Consultant, DOE

Inquiry Question: Will digging deeper into the Numeracy Nets: Bridging The Gap Between Assessment and Instruction series of resources actually bridge the gap between assessment and instruction and lead to improvement in student achievement? Learning Partner/Contacts: I am meeting with dozens of educators from urban and rural Yukon and from across the Stikine via the Elluminate Live! online meeting platform and we are digging deeper into the Numeracy Nets: Bridging The Gap Between Assessment and Instruction series of resources. School/Class Context: n/a Relation to School/Department Goals: The Yukon Education Territorial Assessment Matrix requires that grades two through nine numeracy educators use a common formative assessment tool . Personal Motivation: I have been tasked to create and implement this numeracy formative assessment tool with Yukon eduators. It is to be in place for grades two through nine Yukon educators by the 2013 - 2014 school year. The achievement gains associated with formative assessment have been described as "among the largest ever reported for educational interventions." The response from Yukon Educators to the Numeracy Nets: Bridging the Gap Between Assessment and Instruction series of formative assessment resources has been overwhelmingly positive. It has been reported time and time again that this assessment and planning tool is helping Yukon educators uncover students
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misconceptions, enhance instructional response, and improve student learning. I would like to facilitate the continuation of this process in the years to come.

Action Plan:

Curriculum Outcomes Being Addressed: The group followed a collaborative planning cycle/process for assessing and addressing student needs. Part of this process was to select the curriculum outcomes that were to be addressed based on the needs of the students.

The primary group of educators chose to focus on all of the Number outcomes in the K-2 curriculum and a Shape and Space outcome about recognizing and describing different measurable attributes of an object. The intermediate group of educators chose to focus on all of the Number outcomes in the K-4 curriculum and a couple of intermediate Patterns and Relations outcomes about expressing and solving problems using equations. We focussed on sound lesson plans and fewer outcomes than there are in the entire curriculum Instructional Strategies: Elluminate Live! is an online meeting platform that has helped to facilitate communication and connections across the Stikine and Yukon schools. The question is the answer and the process is actually the strategy. We followed a collaborative planning cycle for assessing and addressing student needs. In the step of the cycle that involved developing an instruction plan, we followed a 3-Part Format For Problem Based Lessons. We selected a common activity and delivered it in our individual classrooms using the 3-Part Format For Problem Based Lessons. We dont receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us. Assessment for Learning Strategies: Specific and descriptive feedback was provided based on intended learning intentions Talked about both student and teacher learning Showed samples and discussed evidence Used samples to inform professional judgement Collected and analyzed samples Some participating educators co-constructed criteria with their students Collected evidence and attempted to triangulate sources
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 Used self-assessment and goal-setting strategies Had educators present evidence of learning We evaluated the evidence of student learning. Following advice from Karen Hume, we separated the process of data analysis from data interpretation. The Numeracy Nets: Bridging the Gap Between Assessment and Instruction series of resources is an assessment for learning tool The group also participated in a Making Classroom Assessment Work by Anne Davies book study MEMBERS OF THE 2011-2012 CYPHER IV MATHEMATICS LEADERSHIP PROJECT TEAM: Kathryn McDonald, Chief Zzeh Gittlit School, Old Crow, YT Shari Heal, Whitehorse Elementary School, Whitehorse, YT Pat Bort, Yukon Teachers Association, Whitehorse, YT Nita Connolly and Sherry MacInnis, Atlin School, Atlin, BC Kendra Haines, Ross River School, Ross River, YT Corissa Rees & Cara Sharp, Tahltan School, Telegraph Creek, BC Jane MacArthur, Ghch Tl Community School, Carcross, YT Brenda Fediuk, Yukon Education, Whitehorse, YT Paula Thompson, Yukon Education, Whitehorse, YT Taking it Further - Plans for 2012 - 2013: I am opening up a new opportunity for educators in grades two through nine to be engaged in a similar process in 2012 - 2013. The process will also include an opportunity to be involved in a literature circle modeled after Faye Brownlees Grand Conversations, Thoughtful Responses. A memo was sent out to Yukon educators on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 to garnish interest in a similar process for the 2012 - 2013 school year. Reflections: There are pockets of excellence out there and this process of collaboration is helping to spread them. The question is the answer and the process is actually the strategy. We dont receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us. The use of childrens literature has reduced anxiety and enhanced discussions. The use of assessment for learning strategies have enhanced the online Elluminate Live! sessions. Continual professional development for me throughout the process was an essential component.
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Recommendations: The response from Yukon Educators to the Numeracy Nets: Bridging the Gap Between Assessment and Instruction series of formative assessment resources has been overwhelmingly positive. It has been reported time and time again that this assessment and planning tool is helping Yukon educators uncover students misconceptions, student learning. Consider getting involved in one of the 2012 - 2013 groups. If you are interested then please send me a quick note to Paula.Thompson@yesnet.yk.ca.

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