Summerland Secondary School
9518 Main Street
Summerland, BC V0H1Z0
Principal: Chris VanBergeyk
Vice Principal: Myron Dueck
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN (2014‐15) Summerland Context Community Information – Summerland Secondary School serves 417 students and is located in the business, recreation, and cultural centre of the community. The local economy has evolved from the original agricultural base to include tourism, light industry, biotechnology and retirement services. Our attractive location, rural and recreational attractions and the Federal Agricultural Research Centre have resulted in an above average population of residents involved in professions related to management, research, and large commercial enterprises. Student Population – 417 students. Staff ‐ Two administrators, 28 teachers, eight education assistants, one Family Support Worker, four custodians, one library assistant and three secretaries. Special Programs – French Immersion Program, Adult Learning Centre, Advanced Placement English, Alternate program, and Core 10 Program. Course Offerings – Wide variety of course offerings in the Sciences, Humanities, Fine Arts and Applied Skills areas including Advanced Placement English 12. Over ten Board approved courses are added to the course selection list, including Leadership, Computer Animation 10‐12, Psychology and a robust work experience program. Parents – Summerland parents are very interested in their students’ success and participate in school decisions through the PAC, the SPC, and district wide programs. They attend parent/teacher interviews, act as volunteers for extracurricular activities and curricular events, and are involved in community service, recreation, cultural and church activities. Many parents commute to jobs outside of this community. 2014‐15 Celebrations – the following list is a selection of events/activities that represent some of our accomplishments:  New Coding course and groundwork for our SASA Satellite launch in 2016.  Strong participation in a number of clubs including our Fly‐tying club, Me to We club, Wellness club, Greenhouse club, Breakfast club, Debate club (which participated in Regionals) and a number of others.  15th annual Goodwill Shakespeare Festival Page 2
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12th Annual Junior Leadership (and Mental Health Awareness) Retreat Service – Tanzania Trip and 13th Annual Summerland Talent Show fundraiser Biology field trip ‐ Bamfield Marine Science Centre, Living Labs Science Career Fair Theatre Production – Beauty and the Beast, and Acting 11 and Acting 12 performances. School Athletic Teams: o Cross‐Country o Track and Field o Boys & Girls Soccer o Girls Field Hockey o Junior & Senior Girls Volleyball o Senior Boys Volleyball o Junior & Senior Girls Basketball o Junior & Senior Boys Basketball o Swimming o Tennis o Golf o Girls Rugby o Cheer Squad o After School Girls Fitness Club Virtual Guest presentations: Kidney Transplant (OHIO), German Exchange student, Blaine Harden (Author of Escape from Camp 14), Julian Beak (Executive at EA Sports), Sarah Cornett‐Ching (ARCA race car driver) 17 dual‐credit apprenticeship students Three students competed regionally in Skills Canada competitions with one taking home a silver medal. We had teams participate in the University of Waterloo Math Competition and they finished 4th in Grade 9, 3rd in Grade 10 and 1st in Grade 11 across the Valley Science collaboration and outreach to Trout Creek Elementary, Giant’s Head Elementary and Summerland Middle School. This includes: o Summerland Celebrates Science evening o Judging of Middle School Science Fair o Hosted District and Regional Science Fairs. One of our students qualified for Nationals and won Gold and First Place in the Discovery Challenge, and o Science promotion with Elementary schools Strong school‐community partnerships evidenced by extensive Work Experience program and student involvement in the community (i.e. leadership events, local bursaries, etc,…) SEVEC Exchange Band Trip with Riverview NB. Continued growth of International Education program at SSS including: o Two Korean students, o Four German students, o Eight Japanese students including six Kunei exchange students School District No. 67 (Okanagan-Skaha)
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INQUIRY QUESTION(S) Does a CORE 10 program have a positive impact both academically and socially on
Grade 10 students at SSS?
RATIONALE: What evidence compelled us to ask this question?  This is the third consecutive year examining the Core 10 program, and we have our first graduating class from students who participated in the Core 10 program. The continuation of the Core 10 program allowed us to further explore the impact on Grade 10 classes in general and the cohort of Core 10 students in particular.  Grade 10 often represents a significant academic hurdle in terms of graduation with three required provincial exam courses. If our most at‐risk students can be successful in this year, graduation becomes much more attainable for these students.  The impact of declining enrollment demands that we evaluate every decision related to resource allocation to determine the return on that investment. By extending our evaluation of the Core 10 program, we can have a more thorough understanding of the impact of this program. ACTION PLAN OBJECTIVES: Specific Steps to answer our question 1. The Core 10 program was implemented in September 2012. The program is designed to provide consistency to our most vulnerable learners at the Grade 10 level. Students enroll in English 10, Socials 10, Science 10 and Apprenticeship & Workplace Math 10 as a cohort. The same teachers, EA and Youth & Family worker provide support to these students. 2. The decision to continue to evaluate the benefits of the Core 10 program was made by the SPC early in the 2014‐15 school year. School District No. 67 (Okanagan-Skaha)
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3. In particular, the SPC decided to explore the following: o Graduation rates data o Social/Satisfaction data: 
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Satisfaction of Core 10 students with program Satisfaction of Core 10 students vs. Grade 10 students in general o Academic data: 
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Core 10 English exam data from Semester 1 Historical exam data from Apprenticeship & Workplace Math 10 provincial exam results 4. Since this is the third year looking at the Core 10 program, we have a slightly longer window to look at the impact of the program. We also have graduation rates from students who participated in the first year of the program. STRUCTURES AND STRATEGIES: For all students and our most vulnerable learners. 1. A small cohort (15‐20 students) will be identified to participate in the Core 10 program. These students will be enrolled in English 10 Core, Apprenticeship & Workplace Math 10 Core, Socials 10 Core and Science 10 Core. 2. The exclusion of these students from regular Grade 10 classes should reduce the behavioural concerns across academic Grade 10 courses. 3. The cohort of Core 10 students will be supported by a consistent team of teachers, Educational Assistant and will have access to a Youth & Family Worker. ASSESSMENT PROCESS & TOOLS: What will we use to measure our success?  We will measure historical provincial exam data in Apprenticeship & Workplace Math 10 to see how the Core 10 program has impacted the results.  We will measure this year’s Core 10 cohort (cohort 3) against the other Grade 10 students in English 10 to see how they compare against others.  We will measure the Core 10 cohort against other Grade 10 students in terms of Satisfaction Survey results to see how they compare against others. School District No. 67 (Okanagan-Skaha)
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We will examine Graduation rate data to see the impact of the Core 10 program on the school in general. PROFESSIONAL LEARNING: How will we increase our capacity and collaboration?  The Summerland Secondary School staff is working to set direction regarding the Response to Intervention (RTI) model, Tier 1 (classroom based) and Tier 2 (specialized program) interventions, and identify areas of strength and growth. This will be reviewed during Staff Meetings throughout the year.  Our school‐based team and student support services will be participating in District sponsored RTI training.  The Department Head structure will be used to follow‐up on strategies and their relative success within each department.  Flex Funds and Department Head Days will be used to support staff development in these areas.  Staff will continue to differentiate their instruction in both regular and Core 10 classes. Differentiation of instruction is varying the method of delivery to best suit the students’ learning styles and needs and is a significant Tier 1 intervention. RESOURCES: What do we currently have and what do we need?  There is a strong support network currently in place for vulnerable learners including responsive and flexible classroom teachers, School‐Based Team, Learning Assistance, Alternate Program, PSP Program, Counsellors, and Youth & Family Workers.  We have been working with our school‐based team to develop our RTI supports including an emphasis on Tier 1 interventions. These include significant work on “Conversation‐Based Grading”, student portfolio assessment and other innovative grading and assessment strategies. We also have our Special Education Department Head available for co‐planning and co‐teaching whenever the opportunities present themselves.  Our Core 10 program represents a significant Tier 2 intervention for our struggling learners. School District No. 67 (Okanagan-Skaha)
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PARENT INVOLVEMENT: How parents will become partners in our efforts?  The PAC and School Planning Council are actively involved in the efforts to set direction for the school and are aware of the work being done in the Core 10 program.  The PAC and School Planning Council appreciate the continued focus on supporting our most vulnerable learners. EVIDENCE KEY FINDINGS: What did we find out? As mentioned, this year we have our first group of graduating students who took part in the first year of the Core 10 program. We think the graduation data bears consideration in light of our introduction of the Core 10 program and the associated interventions. In September 2012, we had 16 students enroll in the Core 10 program. Twelve of the students are certain to graduate this year while the other four students are likely to achieve their graduation this year. 100
80
60
40
20
0
Certain to Graduate
Likely to Graduate
Summerland Secondary School Graduation Rates Summerland Secondary School Graduation Rates (Designated students) Year Graduation Rate Year Graduation Rate 2009‐10 98% 2009‐10 85% 2010‐11 94% 2010‐11 83% 2011‐12 93% 2011‐12 84% 2012‐13 100% 2012‐13 100% 2013‐14 99% 2013‐14 100% School District No. 67 (Okanagan-Skaha)
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We feel that the introduction of the Core 10 program has had a positive impact on the entire school and this is evidenced by our improved graduation rates for designated students and non‐
designated students alike. In addition to graduation data, there is social (satisfaction survey) data and academic (provincial exam) data to support the success of the Core 10 program. Social/Satisfaction Data: The cohort of Core 10 students is comprised of many of our most vulnerable Grade 10 learners. This is supported by the following Satisfaction survey data which shows the Core 10 students to be more disenfranchised and less connected at SSS. Do you like school? 2012‐2013
2009‐2010 2010‐2011 All
At no time Core
All
6.25%
65% Few times 2013‐2014 72% 71% 62% Sometimes 31.25%
49% 37.5%
Many times 25%
35% 28% 2014‐2015
2011‐2012 29% All of the time 38% Core All
Core
7.69% 4%
14.29%
15.38% 25%
42.86%
53.85% 43%
35.71%
23.08% 25%
0
0 0
7.14%
51% 0
50
40
30
Core 10
20
Grade 10
10
0
At no time
Few times
Sometimes
Many times All of the time
It is well‐documented that students that participate in a variety of curricular and extra‐
curricular activities will feel more connected to school and staff alike. Despite the fact that our Core 10 students represent our most vulnerable and least connected students, we are pleased to see an improving trend in the participation rates of Core 10 students. School District No. 67 (Okanagan-Skaha)
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At school, do you participate in activities outside of class hours (for example, clubs, sports teams, music)? 2012‐2013
2009‐2010 2010‐2011 All
At no time Few times 2013‐2014 Core
All
25%
65% 55% 56% 54% Sometimes 37.5%
45% 18.75%
Many times 12.5%
35% 45% 2014‐2015
2011‐2012 44% 46% All of the time Core All
Core
46.15% 26%
35.71%
38.46% 9%
7.14%
7.69% 22%
21.43%
0 19%
14.29%
7.69% 19%
21.43%
55% 6.25%
50
40
30
20
Core 10
10
Grade 10
0
At no time Few times Sometimes Many times All of the
time
We also see positive feedback regarding the program from the following satisfaction survey data: Are you satisfied with what you are learning at school? 2012‐2013
2009‐2010 2010‐2011 All
At no time Few times 2013‐2014 Core
All
12.5%
61% 58% 58% 64% Sometimes 18.75%
62% 37.5%
Many times 25%
39% 42% All of the time 2014‐2015
2011‐2012 42% 36% Core All
Core
7.69% 6%
0
7.69% 20%
7.14%
30.77% 47%
57.14%
46.15% 20%
28.57%
7.69% 1%
7.14%
38% 6.25%
100
80
60
40
Core 10
20
Grade 10
0
At no time Few times Sometimes Many times All of the
time
School District No. 67 (Okanagan-Skaha)
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Academic/Exam Data: In addition to this satisfaction survey data, academic data from the January 2015 Provincial Exam also indicates positive outcomes from the Core 10 program. Course English 10 Core Regular EN 10 District Province School 75.13 74.73 74.23 71.85 Exam 54.53 68.65 68.57 66.22 Final 70.13 73.68 73.67 71.49 Note: The English data indicates higher school marks which are likely due to higher levels of support in class with more adaptations and a greater degree of differentiation. We would expect the exam scores to be lower given the nature of the student involved in the Core 10 program. Historical data in our Apprenticeship & Workplace Math 10 course also highlights positive changes since the inception of the Core 10 program. Percentage of students passing Apprenticeship & Workplace Math 10 provincial exam 2010‐11 67% 2011‐12 57% 2012‐13 74% 2013‐14 73% 2014‐15 69% 100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15
Since the beginning of the Core 10 program in 2012‐13, our students have been more successful on the Apprenticeship & Workplace Math 10 provincial exam. School District No. 67 (Okanagan-Skaha)
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And, most importantly, the following data highlights the students’ perspective on the benefits of the Core 10 program and its value moving forward: Do you feel that you were more successful in Grade 10 with the Core 10 program than you would have been without it? 100
2012‐2013 2013‐2014 80
2014‐2015 60
Yes 68.75% 76.92% 40
100% 20
No 31.25% 23.08% 0
0 2012‐13
2013‐14
Yes
2014‐15
No
Should we continue with the Core 10 program for future students? 100
2012‐2013 2013‐2014 2014‐2015 Yes 87.5% 83.33% 100% No 12.5% 16.67% 0 80
60
40
20
0
2012‐13
2013‐14
Yes
2014‐15
No
NARRATIVE: What successes and/or challenges are not reflected in the data?  While we lack quantitative data to prove this, the SSS administration has noticed a significant decrease in grade 10 office referrals both from the Core 10 program and grade 10 classes in general.  We now have three years of data showing some positive results. The staffing of the Core 10 program has not been consistent in any of the years due to medical leaves and changes in the schedule. We would like to see the impact that consistency of staffing might have on these results. School District No. 67 (Okanagan-Skaha)
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REFLECTION AND SUMMARY REFLECTIONS: What did we learn? How did it make a difference?  It appears as though our most vulnerable learners benefit from the consistency of a common classroom, teacher and classmates. This can be seen in achievement results and satisfaction survey results.  Most importantly, the cohort of students felt this program was an important factor in their success and want to see the program continue for future students. FUTURE PLANNING: Where do we go from here?  Continue with the Core 10 program for future years.  Incorporate aspects of Core 10 program (specifically relationship building and Tier 1 interventions such as differentiation and innovative assessment practices) in all classes so that all students can benefit.  Consider the expansion of the Core 10 concept to other grades and/or areas. Perhaps a program that includes a number of different courses similar to an academy might be of interest.  Create collaborative opportunities for staff to learn from each other to improve learning for all students. ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ School Planning Council: Name (Principal): Name (Parent): Name (Parent): Name (Parent): School District No. 67 (Okanagan-Skaha)