CHAMBERS PUBLIC SCHOOL
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT INFORMATION
Engagement of Learning Narrative
A good institution ensures that learners are engaged in the learning environment. Learners who are engaged in the learning environment participate with confidence and display agency over their learning. A good institution adopts policies and engages in practices that support all learners being included in the learning process.
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Evidence
Professional Development Opportunities
Student Perception Survey Results
Staff Perception Survey Results
Parent Perception Survey Results
Elementary Culture Survey Results
Secondary Culture Survey Results
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Chambers Public School has made a great deal of progress in Engagement of Learning. The district has emphasized this area in its Teacher Evaluation System called 5D+.
The areas we are focusing on are quality of questioning, ownership of learning, connections to students’ experiences, creating opportunities for all students to participate, and student to student talk. Our faculty has participated in a variety of training to help facilitate their level of engagement in the classroom using different tools and strategies. Our data has shown evidence of growth in this area.
Teachers have shifted their idea of students’ responses by the quality of questioning they are using. They are using this questioning to help students deepen their understanding and help explain misconceptions they might have. It is also used to help students clarify and assess their own thinking while formulating questions for other students. This has given students opportunities to engage in collaborative discussions with one another or with their instructor. It also allows teachers to individualize their instruction based on their students’ needs.
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Students are also expected and encouraged to take ownership of their own learning. Staff are expected to provide equitable opportunities and strategies for students to follow through with this and realize their learning potential. Students are in control of their own learning and support is given to them to be successful. Specific classes are intended specifically for this purpose. Teachers commented that this started as most of the control being with the teacher, but as students practiced and got used to the opportunities, strategies, and procedures, they have become more willing to participate and take chances in these academic situations. If we can continue to immerse learners in an environment that fosters lifelong skills including creativity, curiosity, risk taking, collaboration, and design thinking, it will result in more confident and independent citizens entering society.
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Staff felt like they could capitalize on students’ strengths and create relationships with their students because of our smaller class sizes and it lends itself to this area naturally. Students experience curriculum and instruction that emphasizes the value of their backgrounds, abilities, and diverse cultures. Teachers consider their academic background, life experiences and culture and can apply it in a variety of ways connected to classroom and academic goals.
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An area that we felt we needed to improve on was creating opportunities and support for student participation and meaning making. Teachers were not using enough engagement strategies to facilitate participation and meaning making. Teachers attended workshops and in-services to gain skills to take back to their classrooms to implement engagement strategies and facilitate participation and meaning making in their classrooms. We are seeing progress and it is often student led.
Many of our classrooms are dominated by the teacher talking and lecturing. We would like to see a shift to student talk being predominantly student to student reflecting discipline-specific knowledge and ways of thinking. Students will provide evidence to support their thinking and expand ideas for themselves and others. We want our students to feel valued for their ideas and voice. When they are responsible for their own learning it is more meaningful to them. It also promotes and develops their self-confidence and love of learning.
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The curriculum for science is scheduled for review this academic year. We follow a similar approach to review and update curriculum across all content areas on a cyclical basis. English Language Arts and Math course review were completed in the last 4 years, and elective courses are reviewed at the conclusion of each year. Monitoring and adjusting curriculum and instruction became apparent when we updated our curriculum. Some of the materials were outdated and didn’t advance, challenge, or deepen individual learners’ knowledge the way we wanted it to. Now we have a curriculum that will hold them accountable, but also is learner centered. Our new curriculum has also allowed staff members to integrate digital resources that deepen and advance learners’ engagement with instruction and stimulate their curiosity.
Moving ahead, we will continue to improve our engagement strategies by defining clear expectations of staff and students. Our professional development programs will be a great opportunity to gain more knowledge about instructional practices emphasizing student engagement and how to utilize them in the classroom.