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David Hall Assessment, PLCs
Here’s what’s happening in the world of
assessment and evaluation.
AFL Math and Reading
AFL Math and Reading field tests will be
underway at the end of September.
Provincial Math and Language Arts AFL
assessment are being collated to be
distributed within the next few weeks.
Kindergarten report card
The Kindergarten report card committee
intends to develop a system-wide
document that should be ready for use
next year.
Alberta Assessment Consortium
See great assessment resources of the
Alberta Assessment Consortium. Check
Yasmina Lemieux FRENCH
Intensive & Enhanced French
A new group of In-
tensive French stu-
dents began classes
at École Palliser
Heights School this
fall. Their teacher is
Kariann Robinson. Kariann has taught the
follow-up program, Enhanced French, for
the past two years, and partook in the
first ever Saskatchewan-based Intensive
French training session during the sum-
mer.
Intensive French is an
enrichment of the Core
French program
through intensive
Jeff Boulton IT, High School Math & Science, SIRS
SIRS
Over the summer, student data from 6
schools was converted into the SIRS stu-
dent information system. Kathie Alm, a
SIRS Helpdesk Technician, facilitated a
workshop on SIRS functionality to the new
schools involving administrators and admin-
istrative assistants.
We are happy to have the following new
schools as part of our SIRS users:
• Mossbank
• Avonlea
• Caronport Elementary
• Bengough
• Rouleau
• Mortlach
out some excellent resources that
complement our own initiatives in
assessment for learning. We are
members. The website is www.aac.ab.ca
and PSSD teachers can access the
resources with the following login
information:
Username: PSSD; Password: CURR08.
PLCs - I am anxious to be of help to any
principals or team leaders that require
assistance this year.
Current Literature
I am researching the current literature on
the following topics:
• ethics involved with assessment
and reporting
exposure to French,
with a focus on oral
communication and
student-centered
learning. In one
school year students will receive up to
four times the number of hours of in-
struction normally devoted to Core
French. In Saskatchewan, Intensive
French takes place in grade six.
French Immersion
The Ministry of Education is in the proc-
ess of renewing curricula for French Im-
mersion programs.
Renewed curriculum
documents will have
a common look and
organization, will be
clear, concise and
educative, and will strengthen the best of
The student information system is now
being utilized by 23 of our
schools. Over the next two years the
remainder of our schools will be brought
into SIRS.
Middle Years Science:
The middle year’s science curriculum,
grades 6-9, is currently being piloted by
several teachers in our school division.
As with Science 10, the topics and phi-
losophy for the renewal have been de-
rived from the Pan Canadian “Common
Framework of Science Learning Out-
comes K-12.”
PRAIRIE SOUTH
SCHOOL DIVISION
• strategies for student
involvement in assessment
• production of an overview of
assessment
• reporting assessment results
Documents on these topics will be
available for your use as they are
completed.
Thank you to so many who have wished
me well at the start of my work here in
Prairie South; I appreciate the warmth
and sincerity of your welcome.
what already exists.
French Immersion teachers from École
Élémentaire Gravelbourg, Gravelbourg
High School, École Palliser Heights and
Central Collegiate will be participating in
several Curriculum renewal workshops in
Moose Jaw. These workshops will present
the content and strategies that are com-
mon to all renewed curriculum docu-
ments.
Core French
The AIM (Accelerative Integrated Method)
offers an interactive, gesture-based ap-
proach to Core French learning. Several
Core French teachers from our division
will participate in AIM professional devel-
opment sessions in early October in
Saskatoon. For more information, please
visit: http://
www.aimlanguagelearning.com/
Pearson publishing is working with teach-
ers throughout Saskatchewan creating
resources to support the new middle
year’s science curriculum. Pearson is the
exclusive publisher for the curriculum and
will have resources that are not only
aligned to the curriculum but also include
Saskatchewan content – very exciting!!!
Learning Excellence
NO. 210 I S S U E
Sandi Kitts Superintendent of Curriculum and Learning
I have two main
responsibilities in curriculum
and learning: to report
measures of accountability
and to improve learning with
students and educators.
Both play an important role in
the planning we lead in the
school division.
New Curricula
All grades will soon have new
curriculum.
Rollout plans:
Middle Years late October
Elementary by spring
High School within 2 years
One major shift in new
curricula will be to student
learning outcomes &
indicators. We can expect
approximately 20 learning
outcomes per subject per
grade.
The other shift is how teachers
use assessment and
instruction to improve
learning.
The next year is a time of
transition as teachers get used
to the new format.
For an example, see:
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/ want students
branches/curr/evergreen/
math.shtml
To support new curricula
changes, the curriculum team
will base their work on the
following graphic organizer.
C u r r i c u l u m a n d L e a r n i n g
2 O C T O B E R 2 0 0 8
Improve Learning Learning Goals
We have developed learning goals (link)
to give us direction and to report to the
Ministry CIF Document August 2008 and
the Board of Education Strategic Plan.
Our main goal is to improve student
learning. In order to do so, goals need to
be aligned and supported throughout the
school division, from the daily work in
classrooms and schools to the work at
the division level. The most important
aspect is what students and teachers do
in classrooms.
Systemic Implementation
Recent change theory indicates to
improve the learning of ALL students,
changes need to be supported
systemically.
This means over 90% of educators must
implement effective teaching strategies
so they are habitually and fully embedded
in daily practice.
We have started to work with leadership
teams from every school to implement
effective practices at all schools.
While the strategies may not be new, all
teachers are called to use the strategies
with their students.
When implemented in full design, they
are key to improving student
learning. They are based on research
and successful use in other school
What do we How will we What we do divisions.
know they when they have
to learn? learned it? or haven’t Grading
learned it? All schools will participate in an
awareness workshop this year to
introduce proposed changes to grading
practices that will take place over the
Where am I Where am I How do I next few years.
going? now? close the Grading Practices Document
gap?
We encourage your input and suggestions
to improve this developing work.
(Hattie & Tipperley, 2007)
PAGE 2 PAGE
Tim Eirich Elementary Math, Libraries, New Teacher Mentorship
New Teachers
We would like to welcome the
following new teachers to PSSD:
• Trevor Peterson, Assiniboia
High
• Katie Arnold, Avonlea
• Sarah Gadd, Avonlea
• Laurel Dobie, Baildon Colony
• Kenton Hoimyr, Caronport High
• Jenn Wiens, Chaplin
• Suzanne Dups, Cornerstone
Christian
• Ashley Rachul, Coronach
• Jenna Ehrhardt, Craik
• Laurie Hubbs, Craik
• Katie Welykholowa, Eyebrow
• Natalie Chevrier, Gravelbourg
Elementary
• Tasha Young, Gravelbourg
Elementary
• Danielle Bourgeois,
Gravelbourg High
• Deni Miclea, Gravelbourg High
• Mark Pitman, John Chisholm
• Louise Fafard, Palliser Heights
• Tracey Knight-Szakacs, Palliser
Heights
• Megan Clake, Peacock
Collegiate
Math Curriculum Renewal
K to 9 Math teachers were
introduced to the new math
curriculum in grade-alike groups to
study how students learn
mathematics.
The new curriculum boasts the
following changes:
• less content at each grade,
connecting mathematical ideas
within a grade and developing
deeper understanding
• less content and the change
from objectives to learning
outcomes
• teachers now focus on the big
ideas of mathematics and
promote learning through
problem solving rather than
plan instruction around
individual skills or concepts.
Reflective thinking, social interaction
and the use of models or tools for
learning (manipulatives, symbolism,
technology, drawings and even oral
communication) are the key factors
that influence learning.
Grades 3, 6 and 9 will be
implemented during the 2009/10
school year.
AT A GLANCE
*The new Grade AT A GLANCE
documents are posted for grades K, 1,
4 and 7. We encourage teachers to
use this to organize planning,
assessing, and teaching.
As the new curriculum is published
subsequent grades will be created and
posted. You must be logged on as a
teacher to view the files in the
documents section.
First Steps in Math
Over 100 teachers have participated
in First Steps in Math training
(Number and Operation Sense).
Curriculum and Special Education will
continue to offer training and support
for teachers with fall training sessions
at the Marg McIntyre Resource Centre
on Oct. 23 and Nov. 24th.
Empire School is in their second year
of applying FSiM in their school and is
taking the lead by piloting FSiM across
various grade levels.
Teachers who have received FSiM
training will also be able to apply for
additional funding for support to
extend their learning, details to be
forthcoming.
*To learn more about First Steps in
Mathematics please visit http://
www.pearsonprofessionallearning.ca/
firststepsmath/index.html
Student-Centered Mathematics
– John Van de Walle
Are you looking for ways to engage
all learners and teach mathematics
effectively?
Are you interested learning that
will enhance your teaching?
Student-centered mathematics
combines an understanding of:
• how students learn
• how to promote that learning
through problem solving
• how to plan for and assess
learning on a daily basis
Elementary grade schools that
have not yet ordered copies of
Student-Centered Mathematics for
teachers are encouraged to do so.
The order form is located at:
http://
www.pearsonprofessionallearning.c
a/ebooks/studentmath/order.html
APS Questions
Grades 1 to 6 will conduct the 5
APS questions as a pre and post
assessment as a minimum.
APS questions for grades 7, 8 and
9 will be developed this year with
the anticipation that they will be
ready to use in May 2009 as a post
assessment.
*APS Questions for grades 1 to 6
are located at: APS Questions, Gr
1-6
The APS data collection tool is
located at:
APS Data Collection Tool
Dean Shareski Digital Learning, FNMP, Sexual Health, PAA
2008-2009 will be
another year of
learning and
exploration in the
area of technology.
We are seeing a
number of our
schools continue to seek more ways to
engage students and help them learn in
relevant, meaningful ways. Schools are
purchasing laptops, interactive
whiteboards and projectors to create
classrooms that can provide students
great opportunities for learning. Beyond
the "stuff", the most exciting part is the
way in which teachers are eagerly
exploring the changing classroom.
As a Division we have 3 intersecting ideas
about how technology should be viewed:
Tammy Sillers ELA, Modified
Division Focus: Writing
Writing is a division focus as part of the
goal of higher literacy. At a division level,
we ask schools to engage students in the
Writing Process and teach them to use
the 6 Traits of Writing as the language to
discuss their writing. Both the writing
process and the 6 Traits of Writing are
very useful frameworks to support stu-
dents as they become powerful writers.
Writing Benchmarks
Writing Benchmarks is our division-wide
writing goal. This year Grades 4, 6, and
9 students will be involved in the Writing
Benchmark process. This involves writing
to a prompt using the writing process.
Due to an increased number of assess-
ments for Grade 10 students in the
spring, we thought it best to move this
assessment to Grade 9. Information
This year we are asking schools and
classrooms to focus on Social Learning
and consider how technologies might
support and enhance this. Social Learning
assumes that we can learn more from
each other than simply relying on
textbooks or teachers as single sources of
knowledge. The possibilities are limitless
and even overwhelming. Teachers are
beginning to take small steps to tap into
its potential.
For some schools this means:
• Using their school websites to share
student work.
• Classrooms might begin to use online
tools to find an audience for students.
• Still others might explore social
networks for assessment and two-way
communication.
If you're wondering what the specifics are
related to technology standards, please
check out the new ISTE (International
Society of Technology Education)
standards located at the very bottom of
the Digital Learning page on our website.
In essence there are 6 major goals for
technology which include:
• Creativity and Innovation
• Communication and Collaboration
• Research and Information Fluency
• Critical Thinking
• Problem Solving and Decision Making
• Digital Citizenship and Technology
Operations and Concepts
These big ideas should guide your
classrooms.
about the Writing Benchmarks process,
including rubrics and prompts, can be
found on the division website.
Research Says:
Writing Next: Effective Strategies to
Improve the Writing of Middle and
High School Students
The Writing Next report, completed in
2007, is a synthesis of years of research,
most of it empirical, with a list of the 11
most effective elements to improve writ-
ing from Grades 4 – 12.
3
Some specific initiatives that will foster
these goals are project based learning
and digital storytelling. These are two
very key ideas for today's classrooms.
Several teachers throughout our division
are examining these concepts and
embedding them into their classrooms.
Some sites to explore:
Teachers connecting:
http://teachersconnecting.com This
website is a virtual convener. It
facilitates a 'handshake' between
teachers interested in cross
collaboration project. The comforts in
connectivity, constructivism, and
collaboration make this 'handshake'
more intelligent. This virtual convener is
based on connecting teachers using
more than simply the grade level or
location of classrooms.
SmartBoard Podcast:
http://pdtogo.com This podcast shares
lesson ideas that use technology to
engage students in learning with a focus
on SMARTBoard Interactive Whiteboards
between educators. Teachers can listen
on lunch breaks or recesses as they
mark papers or on their way to school in
the morning via their iPod.
Three to consider:
1. Writing Strategies
• explicitly teach students strate-
gies for planning, revising and
editing texts
2. Collaborative Writing
• allow students to work with
others to plan, draft, revise and
edit texts
3. Specific Product Goals
• share explicit expectations/
criteria for the final product and
a clear purpose with students
as they compose texts
The following link will take you to the
complete report and the remaining
eight strategies.
http://www.all4ed.org/files/
WritingNext.pdf