Did our Actions Make a Difference?
| What targeted actions did we take to address our school’s learning focus? | We took a two-pronged approach to address our learning focus. The first prong focused on teacher professional learning. Staff participated in two collaborative inquiry projects: one with our district literacy consultant, Lisa Jeronimo, and another with literacy consultant and expert Faye Brownlie. These projects provided teachers with practical strategies to deepen students’ comprehension and engagement with texts. The second prong focused on implementation in classrooms. Staff selected one or two high-impact strategies and used them consistently over time to strengthen student learning. For example, teachers used Explode the Image and Explode the Sentence to build background knowledge, develop vocabulary, and encourage deeper thinking. Staff also explicitly taught connection-making strategies across a variety of texts to help students make meaning and strengthen their comprehension. |
| What gap or problem were these actions intended to address? Why was this particular strategy/action chosen? | Reading assessment data indicated that many students struggled to make meaningful connections while reading, with the highest percentage of students performing at the Developing proficiency level. In response, our goal this year was to support students who were developing in English Language Arts by strengthening their reading comprehension. Through targeted instruction and intentional teaching strategies, we aimed to help students build stronger reading proficiency and make deeper, more meaningful connections to texts, themselves, and the world around them. |
| What does the evidence tell us so far? | Our Richmond Formative Reading Assessment showed us that across all grade levels, students improved their ability to make connections. In the Fall, only 27% of students were Proficient in Making Connections. The Spring data showed that 48% of students could now Proficiently make connections. |
| To what extent are the actions making a difference? | The increase in students’ ability to make meaningful connections suggests that our two-pronged approach—focusing on both teacher professional learning and the implementation of targeted classroom strategies—had a positive impact on student achievement. Between the fall and spring assessments, the percentage of students demonstrating proficiency in making connections increased by 13%. Once Term 3 report card data is available, we will be able to examine overall English Language Arts proficiency and compare it with fall report card data to further assess the impact of this work on student learning. |
| How will we move forward accordingly? | In our year-end staff reflections, teachers identified student comprehension as an area they would like to continue developing. Staff noted the importance of building students’ vocabulary and providing a variety of meaningful experiences to expand their background knowledge. By strengthening these foundational skills, we aim to further support students in making deeper connections, engaging more fully with texts, and improving overall reading comprehension. |
Reading Assessment Data
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Updated:
Monday, June 8, 2026