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Improved math performance earns Sudbury Sec an award from EQAO

'To be recognized is truly significant'
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From left, Rainbow District School Board Director of Education Norm Blaseg and Chair Doreen Dewar presented the award to Sudbury Secondary School staff Jan. 28, including Principal Heather Downey, Program Leader of Numeracy Crystal Gibbs, Program Leader of Exceptional Programming Jeanette Lankshear, Mathematics/Computers Teacher Clinton Jameus, and Mathematics/History Teacher Ryan Wilson. (Supplied)

Sudbury Secondary School has been presented with the 2018 Dr. Bette M. Stephenson Recognition of Achievement award from the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) for improving math achievement. 

The award was presented to the team of educators and instructional leaders during the regular meeting of Rainbow District School Board held Jan. 28.

Principal Heather Downey as well as Program Leader of Numeracy Crystal Gibbs, Program Leader of Exceptional Programming Jeanette Lankshear, Mathematics/Computers Teacher Clinton Jameus, and Mathematics/History Teacher Ryan Wilson received a standing ovation for the impact of their efforts.

In the 2017-2018 school year, Sudbury Secondary School’s Grade 9 applied math scores increased by 25 percentage points. Grade 9 academic math results increased by 20 percentage points.
 
In the 2018-2019 school year, Sudbury Secondary School maintained its applied results. Academic results increased by six percentage points. 
 
“Each year, EQAO recognizes schools in Ontario that have effectively used data to support student learning,” said Norah Marsh, CEO of EQAO. “This year, the Dr. Bette Stephenson Recognition of Achievement is being presented to schools that have nurtured students’ passion for math and led to academic success.”

“To be recognized is truly significant,” said director of education Norm Blaseg. “Your school is held up as a shining example among 896 secondary schools with approximately 628,000 students in 72 school boards. And your educators and instructional leaders are held up as role models for student success.

“You not only receive a plaque - named in honour of a highly respected champion for education – more importantly, you have an opportunity to share your success story with your peers across the province. It is with tremendous pride, therefore, that we had the honour of presenting the 2018 Dr. Bette M. Stephenson Recognition of Achievement Award to Sudbury Secondary School on behalf of EQAO.”

“It is evident that this school’s students have demonstrated their fulfillment of curriculum expectations on EQAO assessments during the last three years, as well as an interest in math,” said Marsh. “It’s important to recognize the tremendous work of school staff to foster positive attitudes and their use of strategies to support students.”

Sudbury Secondary School has adopted a whole-school approach to education. The school prides itself on working together to foster great relationships with staff and students.

“The programming changes that we made, with a focus on student needs, really made a difference,” said Sudbury Secondary principal Heather Downey. These changes included linear timetabling, wrap around support with staff and special education resources, spiralling the curriculum, and collaboration and supports for feeder schools and transitions.

It all began when staff attended a Renewed Math Strategy conference and returned home ready to implement what they had gleaned from the experience. They dove deeply into data to learn more about their students, reworked the curriculum to integrate units, adopted a collaborative approach to teaching, and incorporated new ideas into their practice.

Three Grade 9 math classes were offered at the same time. Some classes paired students in the applied program with students in the academic program, to encourage modeling and mentoring and inspire students to achieve higher goals.

The Special Education Resource Teacher became an active participant in the classroom, ensuring students received appropriate supports, including technology and one-on-one assistance. The focus was on consistency and stability to maximize results.

EQAO Fridays were introduced with a focus on vocabulary and terminology. Teachers used a spiral curriculum design where “key concepts are presented repeatedly throughout the curriculum, but with deepening layers of complexity.” 

Moving away from unit-based instruction to a model that brings all units together gave students an opportunity to grow in their learning.

“We pretty much pulled everything out of the garden and planted it in different spots,” said Downey. “As each spiral unfolded, you could actually see students making the connections.”
 
Repetition and spaced practice led to automaticity. “The more you do something, the more it gets ingrained in your knowledge base,” she said.

“We are really listening to students as we implement student based instruction. We are also reviewing many data sets to know we are reaching them. Students are enjoying it because they are telling us. We continue to talk to them and engage them in the process, so they have ownership in their learning.”
 
Students gained confidence in their math skills. Many said math taught through spiralling helped them retain and recall.
 
In 2017-2018, a total of 81 per cent of students in Rainbow Schools achieved at or above the provincial standard in Grade 9 academic math, an increase of four percentage points. Grade 9 applied math increased by six percentage points, the highest result in the past five years.
 
“We have been very intentional in our professional learning,” said Blaseg. “We have focused on spaced practice, automaticity, vocabulary and comprehension. These are foundational skills for learning in all subject areas, including mathematics.”

EQAO results provide a measure of how well students understand the expectations outlined in The Ontario Curriculum. Student assessment is most effective when data is interpreted in context, examined over time to determine trends in performance, and used to inform professional dialogue and school improvement planning.


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