New Junior Cycle
Literacy & Numeracy
Strategy
School Self Evaluation
Staff Meeting
Teacher Pair
Work
Brainstorm
(whole staff)
Priorities
for action
Literacy
especially
written work
Core Team
Literacy
Methodology
resource pack
Sharing resources
– Google drive
Teacher & Student
journal resources
Whole School Communication
Core Group
All Teachers
All Students
Core Group
• 8 Members
• Many
Departments
Represented
• Varied lengths of
service
Maths & Science
English
Languages (Irish, French, Spanish & German)
History/ Geography
Practical Subjects (Art, Music & Home Economics)
Business Subjects
P.E./ C.S.P.E./ Careers & Religion
Learning Support
Facilitating Resource Sharing
Google Drive - Five Facilitators
3 were
members of
core team +2
other
volunteers
Staff
trained by
subject
department
Max:
6 teachers
per session
Focus: various elements of Google Drive:
set up
loreto@gmail.com
address for all
Upload & Share
resources
Teachers freed up for
training (SnS used)
Initial
Training:
2 class periods
Hyperlink Plans
Total duration:
2 weeks
Teacher Resource Pack
Core Team experimented with various methodologies
(we
selected a variety to cover all elements of literacy)
Identified pros, cons & recommendations for use
Resource pack given to all staff (see Appendix 7)
All encouraged to experiment and share experiences
Teacher & Student Journal
• To help continuity of focus
– reminders.
• LONG, evolving process part of the SIP.
• Based on our focus –
improvements in reading,
written work and working
together.
• Core team discussed with
colleagues & each other to
determine contents of
journals – 4 page limit.
Assessment
for Learning
Numeracy
Literacy
Outcomes
Learning
Teaching
•Primary School STens &
reports (learning
support dept & career
guidance counsellor)
•Subject depts. analysed
state exam results – pdst
online tool
•As written work was to
be our focus, the core
team gathered samples
of student written work
from across the
curriculum and error
analysis conducted
All first year students
brought to computer
room class by class – all
covered in three class
periods (did this twice
due to errors in
completion!!)
Surveys administered
online using Google
forms allowing instant
analysis.
Teachers were asked to
complete by a deadline
– survey sent to their
gmail address.
Surveys written – inspired by:
1. Staff attitudes expressed at staff
meeting on areas of focus to be discussed
2. SSE guidelines – followed evaluation
criteria and quality statements
Outcomes
•Primary School STens
scores for reading for the
cohort are slightly above
the national norms.
•The majority of subjects
compare favourably to
national norms,
•Writing error analysis
conducted under the
following headings:
spelling, punctuation and
grammar, use of subject
specific vocabulary,
sequencing and
development of answers
Learning
•79% of students read for
more than 1 hr pw for
enjoyment.
•41% of students believe
their writing is legible and
18% of students edit their
work.
•29% of students like making
their own notes. For 27% it is
their favourite way to learn.
•89% of students feel most
comfortable sharing their
ideas in pairs/small groups.
57% of students stated they
got a chance to learn this
way.
Teaching
•Focus of teaching is on
knowledge and skills
•86% of teachers stated
they provided
opportunities for pair or
group work
•82% of teachers use
comprehension strategies
in their teaching
•36% of teachers use
editing checklists or issue
their own set of criteria
for writing
for analysis and drawing conclusions
 Ensure questions are easy to analyse –
quantitative rather than qualitative.
 Google forms provides instant results.
 Not all information is useful.
 Focus on what is important to you as a
school.
 Remember YOUR school context.
Strengths
Weaknesses
• Writing error analysis : not satisfactory:
• Above national norms - spelling 37%,
& grammar 52%,
in STens & exam results -- punctuation
vocabulary 44%,
in most departments - sequencing 56%,
- development 63%.
• 79% of students read • 86% of teachers provided
for more than 1 hr pw
opportunities for pair/group work,
52% of students said it was their
for enjoyment.
favorite way to learn and 57% said
• 82% of teachers use
they got chance to learn this way.
comprehension
• 36% of teachers use editing
strategies in their
checklists
teaching
• SSER is a summary of
- the school
- the findings from
step 1, Data Gathering
step 2, Analysing.
• Follow the layout on
pg 63 of the SSE
guidelines for post
primary schools
SSE Guidelines pg 68
Targets –
how to decide?
•
•
•
•
•
Specific
Measureable
Achievable
Realistic
Timebound
This is only a snapshot. See:
www. http://schoolself-evaluation.ie/post-primary/index.php/school-updates/
Teachers
Class
• Methodologies – tweak
to suit
(eg traffic lights, 2 stars & a wish)
Dept
• Sharing ideas
• Resource sharing
Students
• Active & collaborative
learning
• Directed Focus (Writing Editing Checklist)
• Responsibility (for their
learning)
Overall Effects/Changes
Teaching &
Learning Culture
Open to new
initiatives
more collaborative
eg Health Promoting School
Responsibility
Restored
Visual impact on
school & classroom –
aesthetically more pleasing
Improved
Motivation
Improved
discipline
Targets reached?
wont know until May!
Same surveys at
end of year –
hope for
improvement!!
Built into SIP –
review dates
Monitoring
Review from
teacher
observation at
staff meeting at
end of year
Good Core Team
• dynamic, experiment,
• prepared to share, to fail, to try again
Communication
• Useful tools eg google drive/ moodle
• Regular subject meetings
• Use Croke Park Hours – one hour every 6 weeks approx
Easy to administer surveys
• Minimise paperwork – google drive – instant analysis
• Quantitative info rather than qualitative
Don’t overstretch
• Small steps, tickable tasks
• Ensure progress can be seen
Not everything goes according to plan
• be prepared to redo, change, start again
Give people time to adjust and adapt
• Some quicker than others, some not at all!!
• Plan at least 2 terms in advance (begin Jan for implementation in Sept)
Numeracy
• In the process of
preparing this at the
moment
• Numeracy link
person