SCHOOL DISTRICT #8
SCHOOL PLAN TO STRENGTHEN LEARNING
2012/13
Name of School
Redfish Elementary
Mission Statement - Creating an environment where each child is
successful, accepted and appreciated and chooses to be caring and
encouraging to others.
Context:
Redfish Elementary is a small rural K to 5 school
with approximately 93 students. All but one of our classrooms in
Redfish are split grade classes where 96% of students are
bussed to school. The school is located 25 km north of Nelson
just a block away from Kootenay Lake. Redfish is fortunate to have a Kokanee
spawning channel across the road and to be surrounded with some of the most
beautiful natural scenery in B.C. Inquiry and project based learning, as well as
developing learning resiliency through self-awareness, have been professional
interests for the school.
Goal: Will developing higher level questioning skills, specific to generating and
responding, improve student learning and promote self-directed inquiry as
measured by a school developed questioning assessment (adapted from Oral
Language Performance Standards and Reading Power assessment rubric)?
Objectives:
 Development of a school wide assessment tool to
measure generating and responding to questions.
 Develop or adopt questioning criteria in kid friendly
language.
 Staff review questioning strategies so teachers are able to model quality
questions and foster student involvement within the classroom.
Evidence-Based Rationale (please explain the clear reason for choosing
this goal, with a link to some type of evidence)
 All Grade 2 students received 2.5 or less on the quality of question within
their reading assessment.
 100% of identified Grey Area Grade 2 At-risk boys are not meeting
expectations in their questioning and responding skills
 Only 50% of the Grade 3/4 class were meeting or exceeding on the
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Listening Assessment Rubric developed from the Oral Language
Performance Standards focused on generating and responding to
questions
Only 41% of students in the K/1 class were meeting or exceeding
expectation on the teacher assessment on the Questioning Rubric for
generating and responding to questions
When questioning skills of the Gr. 2/3 class were assessed, only 25% of
students scored Fully Meeting or Exceeding.
“For schools implementing Inquiry Learning and Information Literacy there
has been no argument about the importance of helping pupils develop
better questioning skills” - http://questionskills.wikispaces.com/The+QuESTioning+Rubric
When students learn to question while learning:
“-they are learning the power of asking as well as answering questions
-they are encouraged to be curious readers
-they learn that asking questions can lead them to a great
understanding…
-they learn the difference between quick questions and
deep-thinking questions
-they practice what their “Power-ful brains are already
capable of doing-asking questions” – Gear, A.,
“Reading Power”, 2006.
Inquiry and project based learning has been and
continues to be a focus to engage students in deeper learning
opportunities, questioning in an foundational skill for these concepts
Assessment tools and processes to assess progress on goals and
objectives
 Redfish Elementary staff developed an assessment based on Oral
Language Performance Standards and the Reading Power assessment
rubric specific to generating and responding with quality questions.
 English Language IRP – Oral Language Literacy Continuum
 Mindset Assessment
 “Mountain of Questions” by The Hanen Early Language Program, “It Takes
Two to Talk – The Hanen Program for Parents”, 2004
Instructional strategies/structures to be implemented to impact goal,
worded as an inquiry question(s).
 Will using the Adriene Gear questioning strategies promote higher level
questioning?
 Will the use of inquiry projects and project based learning increase the
opportunities for asking deep level questioning?
 Will the continued use of the “Mind-Up” program help students develop
quality questioning self-talk, to deepen their level of learning?
 Will developing criteria for effective questioning, specific to sharing/show
and tell in the primary grades, improve effective questioning?
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Plans for staff development and collaborative work:
 Monthly ProD staff meeting to develop staff competency around questions.
 Use of school based collaboration for inquiry and project based learning
with a focus on powerful questions.
 Teacher book study of “Make Just One Change –Teach Students to Ask
their own Questions” by Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana.
 Invite Lisa Tremblay our SLP and Amber Kearns Teacher of the Hearing
Impaired to discuss students’ questioning skills.
Parental and community involvement strategies
 Send home a resource to support quality questioning for parents.
 Inviting SLP and district staff to support staff development of questioning
skills
 Community/PAC member looked at questioning as part of her master’s
thesis – excited to work with staff and school to develop school wide
project and write submissions for the school newsletter to inform parents
about questioning.
 Project celebrations open to community.
 Mind Up and Virtues project monthly student led celebrations.
Communication Strategies (students, staff, community)
 Newsletter submissions by staff and community members to educate
parents about questioning skills and the importance of deep level
questions.
 Once a month staff meeting to focus on ProD – Questioning, inquiry, project
based learning.
 Website of celebrations and information.
 Twitter updates.
 Use of daily agendas in all grades except Kindergarten where weekly
newsletters are used.
 Use of internet and email for contact and distribution of learning projects,
needs and homework.
Monitoring Dates Plan: Nov. 7, 2012 and Jan. 9, 2012
School Plan Contributors:
Members: School Planning Council
1) Julie Poetch
2) Jodi Wouters
Members: All School Staff have participated in the creation of this
year’s school goal.
One thing you are going to do to enhance the health status of students in
your school.
 Each week the principal runs school wide multi-age Daily Physical Activity.
Guided by our Public Health Nurse, Kari McCulloch, a Sip Smart Program
will be implemented during Daily Physical Activity. Kari will also teach the
Hand washing Program to our students.
 We are a member of Action Schools and we participate in the School Fruit
and Vegetable Nutritional Program.
 The principal has shared with PAC the healthy food guidelines.
 Mind Up and Friends for Life programs being presented by school
LST/Counselor
One thing you are doing to help with the implementation of the Aboriginal
Enhancement Agreement and improve the performance of aboriginal
students.
 We are in the beginning stages of developing a multi-age cultural theme
celebration.
 All parents of aboriginal students have been asked to share books that
highlight their cultural connection.
 All parents have been contacted and consulted on what they feel their child
needs to be successful. School Aboriginal Plan was developed from this
feedback and an individual plan provided to each student.
Redfish School Questioning Assessment Rubric
Grade ____________
Questioning:
Generating
Not Yet
Meeting
Minimally
Meeting
Meeting
Fully
Meeting
Exceeding
The child cannot
formulate
questions before,
during or after
the learning
experience
The child can
formulate some
questions, but
the questions are
“quick
questions”
(literal) and/or
are not related
to the topic in
any meaningful
way.
The child is able
to ask questions
before, during or
after the
learning
experience.
They are asking
both “quick”
(literal) and
“deep thinking”
(inferential)
questions. Most
of the questions
relate to the
content, but
some are helping
the child go
deeper into the
meaning of the
learning
experience.
The child knows
the difference
between a quick
(literal) and a
deeper thinking
(inferential)
question. The
questions are
relevant to the
learning
experience, and
help the child
learn about the
topic.
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
The questions
the child asks
before, during
and after the
learning
experience help
them to think
beyond the
literal
interpretation
based on the
learning
experience. The
questions are
relevant and
encourage
debate and
discussion
among the other
learners. The
child knows how
the questions
help them
understand the
topic.
Boy Girl
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Circle aboriginal
student’s tally
mark.
Circle aboriginal
student’s tally
mark.
Circle aboriginal
student’s tally
mark.
Circle aboriginal
student’s tally
mark.
Circle aboriginal
student’s tally
mark.
With support,
the child can
sometimes focus
on the speaker
and respond to
literal questions
The child can
sometimes focus
on the literal
question asked
and respond
when called
upon.
The child is able
to answer a
literal question
with a statement
and a deeper
thinking
question with an
answer
incorporating
some knowledge
about the
learning
experience.
The child
consistently
focusses on the
questioner
during the
learning
experience and
responds
accurately to
higher level
questions most
of the time.
The child listens
actively with
focus during the
learning
experience and
responds with
thoughtful
answers which
often extend the
thinking of
others.
Boy
Questioning:
Responding
Year ____________________
Boy
Girl
Boy
Girl
Boy
Girl
Boy
Girl
Boy
Girl
Boy
Girl
Boy
Girl
Girl
Boy
Girl
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Gr.
__
Circle aboriginal
student’s tally
mark.
Circle aboriginal
student’s tally
mark.
Circle aboriginal
student’s tally
mark.
Circle aboriginal
student’s tally
mark.
Circle aboriginal
student’s tally
mark.