2017-2018 Goals & Development

School Directions

The original 2016-2017 school planning process gave all staff a voice. The community collaborated to create 5 directions to guide our planning and growth. In 2017-2018, the focus of our school planning was to build upon, deepen, and refine the 2016-2017 plan.

This year, we used the directions that came from the original school plan narrative to provide a framework from which to build. As a school, we used the MYP Self-Study, the Engagement Survey, and department goals to provide clarity and actionable direction from which to move forward. This diagram represents how we are intentionally using our appreciative inquiries to improve student learning, teaching and collaboration.

In 2017-2018, we underwent an MYP Self- Study where staff collaborated to develop specific action plans to improve teaching and learning in our IB Middle Years Programme. This year-long process allowed staff to reflect and refine curriculum, assessment, instruction, and collaboration.

Each department collaborated to develop a specific learning goal and targets that align with our original 5 directions. We designed our learning goals to be specific, measureable, and attainable.

Also in 2017-2018, under the leadership of a school committee, we used data generated from the District Engagement Survey to develop two specific goals connected to feedback and recognition.

5 Directions (School Goals)

Our five directions from 2016-2017 that guide our planning and growth process moving forward:

To strengthen our capacity as educators and further deepen our understanding of curriculum, instruction and assessment.
To continue to broaden our knowledge of concept based teaching and learning.
To increase our reflectiveness.
To continue to participate in the process of reconciliation by Indigenizing our school and strengthening our relationship with the Squamish, other First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples in our community.
To strengthen the connections between us and our curricular areas for the benefit of our learners.

MYP Self-Study (Action Plan)

In 2017-2018, we underwent an MYP Self- Study where staff collaborated to develop specific action plan items to deepen our understanding of IB Philosophy and improve our leadership, structure, curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment. This year-long process allowed staff to reflect, refine and adjust our MYP implementation.

Although we developed many different specific action items from our Self-Study in each of the four standards, we have highlighted two themes from each standard:

Standard A :Philosophy

attend and present at the IB Conference of the Americas to make connections with other IB World Schools
increase promotion of responsible action by our students within and beyond the school community

Standard B; Organization

continue to optimize our collaborative and staff meeting times to increase the ability for teachers to work together on our goals and directions
increase our language acquisition course offerings annually

Standard C: Curriculum

C1: Collaborative planning

continue to work towards teaching to diversity with respect to planning, instruction and assessment
build cross-curricular and interdisciplinary understanding of teaching and learning experiences

C2: Written curriculum

provide time for students and staff to reflect and respond
clarify the knowledge concepts skills and attitudes to be developed school wide

C3: Teaching and learning

increase student engagement in reflecting on how, what and why they are learning in order to support them to become agents who are actively responsible for their own learning
continue to increase our knowledge, application and delivery to support student diversity.

C4: Assessment

standardize our understanding and application of criteria
increase and authenticate student self-assessment to build greater ownership over their own learning

Department Goals

Each department collaborated to develop specific learning goals and targets that align with our 5 directions. These learning goals are designed to be specific, measureable, and attainable.

Arts:

Focus on sharing learning and celebrating the arts. Make arts more visible within the school. Collaborate to support interdisciplinary work within the arts.

Design:

Place greater emphasis on the design cycle. Place greater emphasis on how students evaluate their own process (and product). Develop greater self-evaluative process. Make this common amongst design teachers.

Individuals and Societies (Social Studies):

Improve students’ ability to conduct an investigation as per the research process.

Language Acquisition:

Come together regularly and work to better understand the three different facets of the language acquisition department (French, Spanish & Squamish). Collaborate and share to understand each other’s perspectives, methodologies and world views. Grow a database of strategies and reflections to enhance student learning and link it to Managebac in the assessment section. Revisit the strategies as a department on a monthly basis.

Language and Literature:

Define grade specific literacy skills within Language and Literature classes by using pre-established criterion to ensure consistent learning experiences among classes and grades.

Math:

Standardize assessment across the MYP years to achieve a more consistent system of assigning levels.

Physical and Health Education:

Improve the reflection process in order to increase student ownership and understanding by having students reflect in writing on the “Fit and Smart Principles” at the end of each term. This will encourage them to asses and take greater ownership over their personal fitness, the “fit smart principles”, and their effort and attitudes towards PHE. Take formal time to discuss “student reflections” – what went well, what was tricky and what could we do differently.

Science:

Develop thinking skills through lab work and inquiry. Critical Thinking: Numeracy – focus on highlighting the math in science and developing numeracy skills; Critical Thinking: Labs – focus on scaffolding of graphing skills; Creative Thinking: Imagination and creativity related to design labs

Engagement Survey

After receiving the District Engagement Survey results in the fall of 2017, we established an Engagement Survey Committee that included Teachers, CUPE and Administration. The purpose of this committee was to lead a school wide data guided inquiry to establish two school goals to increase staff engagement. The committee led a number of staff meeting exercises that included: revealing the data to staff, working with staff to assess how the data aligned with our internal beliefs, collating three themes for celebration and three opportunities for growth, and collected staff feedback and actionable suggestions for each goal.

As a committee, we established two teacher chairs to lead and implement a plan focusing on feedback and recognition. As a school, we are very proud of the work that is being done in these areas.

To increase our internal staff recognition and work-related value at Carson Graham School

To increase the quality and specificity of the feedback we receive with respect to our overall job performance.

Moving Forward

Moving forward, we will use the Five Directions, MYP Self-Study, Department Learning Goals, and the Engagement Survey to shape our practice and direction. This planning process has provided us with a clear road map and actionable goals from which to enhance our students' experiences.