IMPROVE RATES OF STUDENT RETENTION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1 IMPROVE RATES OF STUDENT RETENTION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTRAL QUÉBEC SCHOOL BOARD 2014-2015 PART 2: ANNUAL ACCOUNT TO THE MINISTER PREPARED BY CQSB EDUCATIONAL SERVICES Page 1

CQSB BELIEFS At the Central Québec School Board, we believe that: Learning is a lifelong process; There is richness in diversity; All individuals have the potential to improve and have the right to develop their potential in a safe, caring and inclusive environment; Students must always be placed as the priority CQSB MISSION The mission of the Central Québec School Board is to support vibrant learning communities in its schools and Centre that empower all students to receive the best possible education, to foster their social development and to prepare them to achieve their fullest potential and become contributing members of our ever-changing society. CQSB VALUES Openness Leadership Cooperation in a caring & learning environment CQSB VISION Central Québec School Board 2046 chemin St-Louis Québec (Québec) G1T 1P4 www.cqsb.qc.ca (418) 688-8730 ext. 3205 1 (800) 249-5573

TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 2: ANNUAL ACCOUNT TO THE MINISTER CQSB BELIEFS, MISSION VALUES AND VISION TABLE OF CONTENTS 2013-2017 CQSB 1-2013-2017 MELS/CQSB PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT - MANAGEMENT AND EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS AGREEMENTS (MESAs) 2013-2017 Partnership Agreement Overview 2 STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1: IMPROVE RATES OF STUDENT RETENTION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS 3 STRATEGIC DIRECTON 2: IMPROVE THE MASTERY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND THE QUALITY OF FRENCH 12 STRATEGIC DIRECTION 3: IMPROVE PERSEVERANCE AND SUCCESS OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS 23 STRATEGIC DIRECTION 4 : ENSURE SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND HEALTHY LIVING 29 STRATEGIC DIRECTION 5: INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS UNDER THE AGE OF 20 IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION 38

CQSB 2013-2017 The Central Québec School Board 2013-2017 Strategic Plan is aligned with the 2013-2017 MELS/CQSB Partnership Agreement. Last year, The Central Québec School Board Educational Services team put strategies in place during year two of the 2013-2017 Strategic Plan. The strategic planning continues to focus on ensuring that the students at the Central Québec School Board will continue to be successful. 2013-2017 MELS/CQSB PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT The main purpose of Bill 88, an Act amending the Education Act and other legislative provisions, is to ensure the improvement of school governance and accountability at all levels by requiring school boards and schools to set goals for student achievement, analyzing data and monitoring their progress. The Partnership Agreement is the main instrument involved in this process. Each school board has signed an agreement with the Minister of Education, focusing primarily on increasing the overall success rate in the province and in reducing the number of leavers within the province. The MELS/CQSB Partnership Agreement includes an important focus on results-based management, using data to drive decision making and to improve our practices. Focusing on data is not about focusing on faults, but rather, on what needs to be improved in order for all our students to meet with success. MANAGEMENT AND EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS AGREEMENTS (MESA) The 2013-2017 Partnership Agreement was developed in tandem with the Strategic Plan and sent to the Minister in June 2013. During the summer of 2015, Educational Services completed an update of the School Portfolio Templates streamlining the evaluation and reporting process. This change will allow schools to complete a review of their results for the previous year in a more timely fashion, thereby giving schools the opportunity to revise and implement strategic interventions earlier in the year. Principals were asked to complete their MESA Assessment and Update Documents by September 30, 2015. Educational Services will be working with a cohort of schools over a three-year cycle in order to allow for an in-depth review of the school portfolios and to ensure a commonality of language and process across the Board for the purposes of strategic planning. Page 1

CQSB 2013-2017 PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT CQSB Strategic Direction 1 Improve rates of student retention and academic success 1.1. Increase the graduation and qualification rate of students under the age of 20; 1.2. Reduce the number of leavers without diploma or qualification at the secondary level; 1.3. Increase the rate of success on literacy and numeracy assessments at all elementary levels. CQSB Strategic Direction 2 Improve the mastery of English Language Arts and the quality of French 2.1 Increase the overall reading competency (response) in the Grade 6 year-end examination; 2.2 Increase the overall writing competency (production) in the Grade 6 year-end examination; 2.3 Improve the level of achievement in reading response and writing production at the secondary level; 2.4 Maintain the overall success rate of Grade 6 students in Français, langue seconde -Programme d'imemersion endof-year evaluations; 2.5 Maintain the overall success rate on the Français, langue seconde -Programme de base Secondary V uniform examinations; 2.6 Maintain the success rate of students for the Français, langue seoonde - Programme de base Secondary V uniform examination - volet écriture; 2.7 Increase the overall average mark on the Français, langue seconde - Programme de base Secondary V uniform examination; 2.8 Increase the success rate in writing production for Secondary II students in the Français, langue seconde - Programme enrichi end-of-year evaluations; 2.9 Maintain the success rate of students on the Français, langue seconde - Programme enrichi Secondary V complementary examinations; 2.10 Increase the success rate of students om the Français, langue seconde - Programme enrichi Secondary V complementary examinations - volet écriture; 2.11 Maintain the success rate of Secondary II students on the Français, langue d'enseignement - volet écriture compulsory examination; 2.12 Maintain the success rate of students on the Français, langue d'enseignement Secondary V uniform examination; 2.13 Increase the group average mark of the Français, langue d'enseignement Secondary V uniform examination - volet écriture. CQSB Strategic Direction 3 Improve perseverance and success of students with special needs 3.1 Increase the percentage of students with special needs who succeed in the Grade 6 Mathematic program; 3.2 Maintain the success rate (graduation and qualification) of students with special needs registered in Secondary V or WOTP/Challenges; 3.3 Establish a baseline and targets by cohort for the percentage of students with special needs who receive certification or qualifications. CQSB Strategic Direction 4 Encourage safe school environments and healthy living in all schools and centre 4.1 Decrease the percentage of students who report being victims of bullying (as self-reported in the Tell Them From Me+ survey) for elementary and secondary students; 4.2 Educate students about the dangers of consuming drugs and/or alcohol. CQSB Strategic Direction 5 Increase the number of students under the age of 20 in vocational education training programs 5.1 Maintain the number of students under 20 registering to a vocational education program at the EQLC at three students; 5.2 Increase the number of referrals to a French vocational education program by. Page 2

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1 IMPROVE RATES OF STUDENT RETENTION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS Overall Context in 2014-2015: In the current Partnership Agreement (2013-2017), the Central Québec School Board (CQSB) set a target of 85.0+ % for its Graduation and Qualification rate by 2017. The latest statistics indicate that CQSB has continued to maintain strong rates of success for its students. Although results vary from year-to-year, the trend for the success rate for the seven year cohort is in the range of 85.0%. If the same trend maintains itself, CQSB will have no difficulty meeting its target of 85.0+%. The results are indicative of an evidence-based orientation and a culture of professional development that have focused on specific areas where the need for improvement was noted. Educational Services has continued to support school teams in the implementation of strategies that yield high results. Even though CQSB will continue to reduce the number of leavers without Graduation and Qualification from the Youth Sector as outlined in Objective 1.2.1, the Board will maintain its target contribution of the Adult Sector to the overall Graduation Rate at 3.0% as the 2017 target. The majority of CQSB schools have embraced the Professional Learning Community (PLC) model with the explicit support of school board personnel. Data teams are an integral part of the process. The CQSB Data Team, in conjunction with Educational Services, embarked on a three-year plan to train school teams in the analysis of their data. Over the lifetime of the 2013-2017 Partnership Agreement, CQSB will continue to expand and refine its capacity to collect and analyze data and support schools in the process. In the previous Partnership Agreement the high level of female students abandoning their studies at Secondary IV and V was noted, and CQSB outlined its intention to develop strategies to address the issue. Despite this fact, the statistics for leavers (see Table 5) will continue to be disaggregated in an attempt to find the reasons for the significant number of female leavers. Another area of concern based on the most recent data is the number of leavers at the Secondary Cycle One level. As a result, a renewed effort to implement strategies now needs to be put in place and more closely monitored in the next Partnership Agreement to reduce the number of leavers. OVERALL STRATEGIC DIRECTION Over the timeline of the Partnership Agreement, Educational Services stated that it would continue to collect and monitor data thereby permitting data-driven decision making both at the Board and school levels. Several innovative elements key to meeting the targets to Strategic Direction 1 are: Updated & specific objectives for elementary schools with targeted interventions for those who fall short ; Use of LUMIX and the DBMS dashboards for data retrieval; Support for school teams in the development of their PLC model; Tracking the number of leavers, especially females in Secondary IV and V, and the leavers in Secondary Cycle One in order to have insight into reasons for their departures with a renewed focus on the implementation of strategies to reduce the number of leavers. Page 3

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1 IMPROVE RATES OF STUDENT RETENTION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS Areas of Concern: The small size of some of our cohorts of students does lead to widely fluctuating results from yearto-year leading to the need to be prudent when interpreting data. The effects of conversion/moderation remain an issue in some schools and are adversely affecting success rates. Work needs to be on-going to inform teachers how to address the issues. CQSB schools are at varying stages using the PLC model and analyzing data. As a result, continued support is needed to move CQSB schools forward and this remains an integral part of the CQSB data plan. Despite the fact the Board began tracking leavers in 2013-2014, a more thorough job of tracking each secondary student as he/she enters the secondary level is needed. Only by doing this, will CQSB have a valid portrait of the number of leavers among its student population. The SARCA Officer, in collaboration with each school, will continue to track the leavers in an attempt to encourage them to continue their studies. The SARCA Officer will also provide a detailed portrait of these students to more accurately identify the cause of their deactivation in the system. In order to achieve the targeted 2017 graduation rate of 85.0 +%, CQSB has set the following global objectives: 1.1 To increase the graduation and qualification rate of students under the age of 20; 1.2 To reduce the number of leavers without diploma or qualification at the secondary level; 1.3 To increase the rate of success on literacy* and numeracy assessments at all elementary level. * In order to avoid redundancy, all targets, indicators and strategies relating to literacy can be found in Strategic Direction 2. Page 4

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1 IMPROVE RATES OF STUDENT RETENTION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS Objective 1.1.1: Objective 1.1.2: To maintain the qualification and graduation rate of students under the age of 20 at 85.0 % +* to June of 2017. To sustain a 3.0% minimum contribution from the Adult Sector to the overall graduation and qualification rate for CQSB. TABLE 1: CQSB GRADUATION RATE FOR STUDENTS UNDER AGE 20 & CONTRIBUTION OF ADULT EDUCATION TO THE OVERALL CQSB GRADUATION RATE UNDER AGE 20 Baseline Year: 2012-2013 / Target: See Table / Source: MEESR: Taux de diplômation et qualification selon la cohorte, la durée des études et le sexe, Portraits des statistiques ministérielles - juillet 2015 Note: the most recent MEESR data is unavailable for adult and vocational education, as well as for the youth sector. ( 7 yr. cohort) Cohort 2006 (6 yr. cohort) Cohort 2007 (5 yr. cohort) Cohort 2008 2017 Target Cohort 2010 5 yrs 6 yrs 7 yrs 5 yrs 6 yrs 7 yrs 5 yrs 6 yrs 7 yrs 7 yrs ALL OF QUÉBEC 63.8 % 72.2% 75.8% 65.2 % 73.8 % 77.7% 65.9 % PUBLIC SCHOOLS CQSB OVERALL 58,3 % 67.7% 71.9% 59.5% 69.3 % 73.8% 60.0 % 74.6% 83.5% 85.4% 77.4% 85.4 % 86.8% 74.8 % 85.0 %+ CQSB Youth sector 74.6% 81.2% 77.4% 81.4% CQSB Adult Education 3.4% 4.3% 3.0% CQSB Vocational Education 0.8% 1.1% *The target is based on the graduation rate for the 7-year cohort. Conclusions from the Data: Graduation and Qualification rates as shown in Table 1 show that CQSB is trending toward meeting its goal of 85.0+%. For the last year for which data is available for the 7-year cohort, the Graduation and Qualification rate of 86.8% surpasses the target. In regards to Adult Education, CQSB surpasses the 2017 target of 3.0% by 1.3%. It will, however, be necessary for CQSB to continue to be vigilant in this area and to encourage leavers to continue their education. Page 5

Response to the Data: STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1 IMPROVE RATES OF STUDENT RETENTION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS CQSB continued to maintain its strong history of professional development for its teachers in the areas of literacy, numeracy and early childhood education. Based on the successful trend, the Board will continue to support its schools in these areas. In regards to Adult Education, CQSB continues to use information from the SARCA Officer that identifies secondary students who have left without graduating or qualifying in order to encourage students to continue their studies in the Adult Education Sector. For those students at risk who are still in secondary school, information and tools will be provided for the Guidance Counselors through Complementary Educational Services to encourage these students to consider adult education as an alternative. The 2013-2017 Partnership Agreement has outlined strategies in this area. Objective 1.1.3: To maintain the following success rates of students on the math options examinations - Secondary IV MELS Uniform Examinations to June 2017: SN (Science) Mathematics above 90.0% and TS (Technical & Scientific) Mathematics above 85.0%+ by June of 2017. To increase the success rates of students on the CST (Cultural and Scientific) Mathematics from 76.7 % in June 2013 to 85.0 % by June 2017. TABLE 2: CQSB SUCCESS RATE FOR SECONDARY UNIFORM MINISTRY EXAMINATIONS- Mathematics Secondary IV Baseline Year: 2012-2013 / Targets : See Table / Source: MEESR Uniform Examinations - Charlemagne First Publication -June 2015 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2017 TARGET MATHEMATICS CST (Cultural & Scientific) Option 76.7 % 70.0 % 76.3% 85.0 % SN (Science) Option T&S (Technical and Scientific) Option 90.1 % 82.7% 86.7% 90.0 % + 90.0 % 80.0% 80.95% 85.0 % + Conclusions from the Data: The data indicates that in 2014-2015 there was an increase in the success rate for each of the math options compared to the results in 2013-2014. For the CST option, success rates increased by 6.3 % and for the SN option success rates increased by 4.0%. The T&S option saw success rates increase by 0.95%. However, all math option success rates remain below the set targets for 2017. Despite this fact, the SN and T&S results remain at a satisfactory level and are not currently of concern. The CST option will be monitored as the success rate of 76.3% is 8.70% below target. However, it should be noted that the Board s success rate for this course is much greater than the overall provincial success rate which was 56.2%. Page 6

Response to the Data: STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1 IMPROVE RATES OF STUDENT RETENTION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS The area of primary concern identified for CQSB is to improve success rates in the CST math option. The Board will continue working with other English school boards on addressing the underlying causes for these results and possible interventions with the aim of improving student success rates. One of the underlying areas of concern that has been identified in student work and which is supported by research is the need to increase conceptual understanding of math concepts at all grade levels. For students who find the CST Secondary IV math option challenging, it has frequently been observed that they encounter difficulties early-on in their development of math concepts. To address this concern the Math Consultant will provide professional development and ongoing support to elementary and secondary teachers on teaching math conceptually to increase student understanding of concepts. In addition, Cycle 1 secondary teachers will be given the opportunity to participate in a math summer institute which will help increase their understanding of how to help students make sense of mathematical ideas and develop their mathematical thinking. A specific attention will be made to assist NANS schools with this area of concern in their numeracy projects. Furthermore, the Math and Special Needs Consultants will work together on providing support and training to help resource and classroom teachers better coordinate intervention strategies that support students struggling in math at all grade levels. CQSB will continue to collect data and provide each school with an item analysis of the MEESR uniform math examinations. The Board will continue to make use of the DBMS database for item analysis. Objective 1.1.4: To increase the success rates of students on the History and Citizenship Education Secondary IV MELS Uniform Examination from 75.1 % in June 2013 to 83.0 % by June 2017: TABLE 3: CQSB SUCCESS RATE FOR SECONDARY UNIFORM MINISTRY EXAMINATIONS - History & Citizenship Education Baseline Year: 2012-2013 / Target : See Table Source: MEESR Uniform Examinations Charlemagne First Publication-June 2015 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2017 TARGET HISTORY & CITIZENSHIP 75.1% 84.1 % 81.7% 83.0% Conclusions from the Data: The Secondary IV History and Citizenship Education data reveals a 2.4% decrease in the success rate based on the June 2015 results when compared to 84.1% in 2013-2014. The 2014-2015 success rate of 81.7% indicates that CQSB is 1.3% below the 2017 target of 83.0%. Despite this slight decrease, the results are still within an acceptable range of the 2017 target. Page 7

Response to the Data: STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1 IMPROVE RATES OF STUDENT RETENTION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS The June 2015 exam was considered to be fair by stakeholders. The strong results may be explained by work done in previous years to develop teachers pedagogical skills and content knowledge to deliver the program (such as a session to share best practices on teaching the intellectual operations). Furthermore, in 2014-2015, schools continued to administer the CQSB term 3 evaluation tool in order to support students prior to the June 2015 exam. With the current success rates approaching the 2017 target, attention will focus on improving the results to meet the target. The Social Sciences Consultant will continue to support new teachers to the program and target schools that have a success rate lower than 70.0%. Support will be provided to these schools in analyzing their results and understanding how their data was affected by conversion and moderation. The Board will continue to encourage the use of the CQSB common, term 3 evaluation tool. The Board will also continue to provide its schools with an item analysis of the June MEESR uniform examinations using the DBMS database. Objective 1.1.5: To maintain the success rates of students on the Secondary IV MELS Uniform Examination for: - Applied Science and Technology at 80.0 % to June 2017 - Science and Technology at 85.0 % to June 2017 TABLE 4: CQSB SUCCESS RATE FOR SECONDARY UNIFORM MINISTRY EXAMINATIONS- Applied Science & Technology and Science & Technology Baseline Year: 2012-2013 /Target : See Table / Source: MEESR Uniform Examinations Charlemagne First Publication-June 2015 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2017 TARGET APPLIED SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 84.1 % 89.6 % 82.5% 80.0 % SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 87.2 % 90.9 % 87.5% 85.0 % Conclusions from the Data: The 2014-2015 data indicates there was a decrease in the success rates compared to the results from 2013-2014. The success rates for the Applied Science and Technology (AST) option decreased by 7.1% and by 3.4% for the Science and Technology (ST) option. Both AST and ST 2014-2015 results are above the 2017 targets with AST 2.5% above the 80.0% target and ST 2.5% above the 85.0% target. Page 8

Response to the Data: STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1 IMPROVE RATES OF STUDENT RETENTION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS With the current success rates being above the 2017 targets, attention will focus on maintaining the results at their current levels. To do so, the Science and Technology Consultant will meet with all schools whose success rates were lower than 65.0%. Support will be provided to these schools in analyzing their results and determining possible strategies that could assist in improving student success rates. Furthermore, the Science and Technology Consultant will continue supporting new science teachers with planning and evaluation. CQSB will continue to collect data and provide each school with an item analysis of the MEESR uniform science examinations. The Board will continue to make use of the DBMS database for item analysis. Objective 1.2.1: To reduce the number and percentage of leavers without diploma or qualification at the secondary level by 15 (4.0 %) by June 2017. TABLE 5: NUMBER OF CQSB LEAVERS WITHOUT DIPLOMA OR QUALIFICATION: SECONDARY I - V Baseline Year: 2010-2011 / Target: See Table / Source: Portrait des statistiques ministérielles - juillet 2015 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2017 TARGET N % N % N % N % N % CQSB OVERALL 75 19.8 70 18.4 74 21.7 60 15.8 % Secondary Cycle 1 20 28 20 Secondary 3 11 13 16 Secondary 4 29 12 20 Secondary 5 15 17 18 CQSB MALES 34 19.1 36 20.3 27 17.5 Secondary Cycle 1 12 15 8 Secondary 3 8 9 5 Secondary 4 9 8 7 Secondary 5 5 4 7 CQSB FEMALES 41 20.4 34 16.7 47 25.1 Secondary Cycle 1 8 13 12 Secondary 3 3 4 11 Secondary 4 20 4 13 Secondary 5 10 13 11 Conclusions from the Data: The number and percentage of leavers without diploma and qualification at CQSB continues to remain in the range of 20.0 %. The data for 2012-2013 indicates an increase of 3.3 % globally in the dropout rate of 18.4% in 2011-2012. There is a 2.8 % decrease in the rate for males which is encouraging. However, the rate for female students has increased by 8.4% which is of great Page 9

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1 IMPROVE RATES OF STUDENT RETENTION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS concern. The data indicates that a significant percentage of students who begin their studies at CQSB do not complete their studies. Of particular concern is the number of students in Cycle One who are considered as leavers as well as the overall percentage of female leavers in our Board. Response to the Data: Attention will continue to focus on the reasons why our secondary students appear to be leaving in such large numbers. The Board also needs to investigate how many of these students are true leavers in the sense that they may have left the province and completed their studies elsewhere. Complementary Educational Services through the work of Guidance Counselors and Resource Teachers will need to develop specific interventions with the students who leave and remain in Québec. In 2014-2015, the SARCA Officer assisted CQSB secondary schools in tracking leavers and the Board will continue to further develop this process. Educational Services will investigate the reasons for the significant rate of female leavers as well as the reasons for the increase in leavers in Cycle One. Gender differences in the overall graduation rate continue to show that CQSB graduates a higher percentage of female students compared to male students. Many of the elementary schools in the Board targeted literacy, numeracy and engagement strategies for boys in the prior Partnership Agreement in order to reduce the gender gap results. Although not specifically targeted as an indicator in the current Partnership Agreement, work needs to continue in this area at the elementary and the Board needs to work with its secondary schools to improve the graduation rate for boys. Educational Services will therefore address the need for strategies to address this disparity in 2015-2016. Objective 1.3.1: To increase the success rate of students on the Grade Six MELS Mathematics examination from 71.5 % in 2013 to 82.0 % by June 2017. TABLE 6: CQSB GRADE SIX MELS MATHEMATICS Baseline Year: 2012-2013 / Target: See Table / Source: End-of-Cycle 3 MEESR Uniform Examinations-LUMIX 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2017 Target COMPETENCY 1 Solves Situational Problems (100.0%) GLOBAL COMPETENCY 2 Uses Mathematical Reasoning (100.0%) COMPETENCY 2.1 Essential Knowledge (40.0%) COMPETENCY 2.2 Application Situations (60.0%) 80.5% 72.2 % 72.8% 64.5% 53.4 % 53.1% 63.0% 51.0 % 56.0% 69.0% 61.0 % 52.0% GLOBAL SUCCESS RATE 71.5% 64.0 % 58.5% 82.0 % Page 10

Conclusions from the Data: STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1 IMPROVE RATES OF STUDENT RETENTION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS The data indicates that in 2014-2015 there was a decrease in the global success rate. The global success rate decreased by 5.5% compared to results in 2013-2014. For Competency 1 - Solves Situational Problems, there was a slight increase of 0.6%. For Competency 2 - Uses Mathematical Reasoning, there was slight decrease of 0.3%. Results for both competencies are of primary concern as CQSB is 23.5% below the 2017 target of 82.0%. Response to the Data: One of the underlying areas of concern that has been identified in student work and which is supported by research is the need to increase conceptual understanding of math concepts at all grade levels. This is one of the underlying causes which has attributed to the lower success rates, particularly for Competency 2 Uses Mathematical Reasoning. To address this concern, the Math Consultant will provide professional development and ongoing support for elementary teachers on teaching math conceptually to increase understanding of math concepts. In addition, elementary teachers will be given the opportunity to participate in a math summer institute which will help increase their understanding of how to help students make sense of mathematical ideas and develop their mathematical thinking. In 2015-2016, model classroom visits will be implemented for teachers to observe small group instruction math practices. Furthermore, the Math and Special Needs Consultants will work together on providing support and training to resource and classroom teachers on how to better coordinate intervention strategies for students struggling in math at all grade levels. Moreover, marking centers will continue to be provided for Grades 2 and 6 in order to maintain uniformity in evaluation and promote discussions on improving student success. The Board will continue working with other English school boards on addressing the underlying causes for these results and possible interventions with the aim of improving student success rates. CQSB will continue to collect data and provide each school with an item analysis of the Grade 6 math examinations using the DBSM database. Page 11

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2 IMPROVE THE MASTERY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND THE QUALITY OF FRENCH Overall Context in 2014-2015 The majority of CQSB students leave our schools highly proficient in English and French. The English Language Arts (ELA) program is a mother-tongue program offered at elementary and secondary levels. With regard to French instruction, all students at the elementary level are registered in Français, langue seconde-programme de base or immersion. At the secondary level, students are either registered in Français, langue d enseignement or in Français, langue seconde- Programme de base or enrichi. Given the commitment of CQSB to offer this choice in programs, CQSB students are able to pursue their studies in English or in French at CEGEP or university. CQSB has continued to have strong results overall at the elementary and secondary level in English Language Arts (ELA) and French. Such positive results continue in spite of the increasingly Francophone population in the schools. Over the lifetime of the previous Partnership Agreement (2009-2013), CQSB indicated that it would expand its collection and analysis of data in order to assist schools to increase student success. The practice continues in the current 2013-2017 Partnership Agreement. In English Language Arts, reading response was the focus in the short term. Results on the MEESR Uniform Examination for ELA in Secondary V for both reading response and writing were already very high. As a result, the Board decided to look at the data for Secondary II and III reading response and writing, paying attention to gender differences. If there was evidence of a problem, strategies were to be put in place. In French the focus was on the writing production. In both domains, however, efforts were to have been made to increase the overall group averages of our students given the fact that success rates are already high. Efforts were to have been made to assist schools whose results were below 70.0%. Strategies were to have been put in place to promote quality library services in our schools. A focus on early childhood education was to have been maintained through the work of the Early Childhood Education Committee whose mandate was to set objectives, indicators and strategies to support early childhood development in a number of areas including literacy and numeracy. Page 12

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2 IMPROVE THE MASTERY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND THE QUALITY OF FRENCH Areas of Concern English Language Arts Elementary: An area of concern on the Grade 6 English Language Arts ministry evaluation is the results for boys on Reading Response which is 30.4% below the 2017 target of 85.0+%. Boys also continue to be well below the June 2017 target of 90% for Writing Production. Secondary: The Reading Response results for boys on the Secondary II CQSB mandated examination continues to be an area of major concern as boys remain significantly below the June 2017 target of 80%. English Language Arts (Elementary) In order to increase the rate of success in English Language Arts at the elementary level, CQSB has set the following objectives: Objective 2.1.1. To increase the overall reading competency (Response) in the Grade 6 yearend MELS Examination from 81.3 % to 85.0+ % by June 2017. Objective 2.2.1. To increase the overall writing competency (Production) in the Grade 6 yearend MELS examination from 85.9% to 90.0 % by June 2017. TABLE 7: SUCCESS RATES ON END-OF-CYCLE EVALUATIONS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (ELEMENTARY GRADE SIX) BASELINE YEAR: 2012-2013 /TARGET: See Table / SOURCE: End-of-Cycle Examination Results GPI Data Extracted through LUMIX. 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2017 TARGET GRADE SIX ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS End-of-Cycle Evaluation C. 2 Response C. 3 Writing C. 2 Response C. 3 Writing C.2 Response C.3 Writing C. 2 Response C. 3 Writing Girls 89.6 % 90.7 % 86.7 % 93.4 % 78.8% 94.2% Boys 77.8 % 81.1 % 70.1 % 86.2 % 54.6% 70.3% Total 81.3 % 85.9 % 78.6 % 89.9 % 66.8% 82.4% 85.0 % + 90.0 % Page 13

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2 IMPROVE THE MASTERY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND THE QUALITY OF FRENCH Conclusions from the Data: Reading Response The 2014-2015 English Language Arts combined results indicate that CQSB is 18.2% below the 2017 target of 85.0+%. The success rate for girls is 6.2% below the 2017 target whereas the boys success rate is 30.4% below the target. The success rate for girls decreased by 7.9% compared to the results in 2013-2014. Whereas the success rate for boys decreased by 15.5% compared to results in 2013-2014. In regards to gender, the boys success rate is 24.2% below that of the girls. Writing Production The 2014-2015 Writing Production results reveal that girls exceeded the June 2017 target of 90.0% by 4.2% whereas the boys results are 19.7% below the 2017 target. The success rate for boys in Writing Production has decreased by 15.9% from last year resulting in a 70.3% success rate. In regards to gender, the boys success rate is 23.9% below that of the girls. Response to the Data: With respect to the results in Reading Response, it should be noted that the level of complexity of the Reading Response text varies from year to year. The text for the 2014-2015 year required the application of complex reading strategies such as inferring. Such strategies may have been more challenging for some of the boys. Therefore, an intervention could be to support teachers in developing higher ordered reading skills/strategies in all students, particularly among the boys. However, overall the Grade 6 teachers felt that the level of difficulty of the text was fair. The response results may be explained by the rigour and consistency of marking at the marking centre. A survey sent after the marking centre revealed that teachers felt that their colleagues were not respecting the anchor papers that were set provincially. Many believed that papers were marked harshly. CQSB will continue to work with ELA teachers to reinforce its commitment to excellence in English Language Arts instruction. The ELA Consultant will also continue to support new teachers and run marking centers as a strategy of providing uniform standards of high achievement and a common understanding of anchor papers for end-of-cycle. The ELA Consultant will hold a professional development session for the Grade 6 teachers to develop a common understanding of the response rubric and the associated levels of achievement in order to ensure the reliability of the evaluations. The Consultant will also meet with and provide support to schools that had success rates below 70%. With respect to the results in Writing Production, the decrease in achievement for boys may be explained by the type of writing task. Students were asked to write a story where the setting was chosen from a series of pictures. Such a task may have been more challenging for some boys compared to the task of writing a narrative without creative constraints. Page 14

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2 IMPROVE THE MASTERY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND THE QUALITY OF FRENCH Therefore, an intervention could be to support teachers in developing skills in generating ideas for writing among all students, particularly among the boys. Another factor that might explain the results was that the narrative writing piece came before the reading response, an exam format that was different than previous years. English Language Arts (Secondary) In order to increase the rate of success in English Language Arts at the secondary level, CQSB has set the following overall objectives: OBJECTIVE 2.3: To improve the level of achievement in reading response and writing production at the secondary level. OBJECTIVE 2.3.1: To increase the success rate overall in the reading response competency in the Secondary II ELA evaluation from 77.9 % in 2013 to 80.0 % by June 2017, and the writing response from 85.9 % in June 2013 to 90.0 % in June 2017. OBJECTIVE 2.3.2: To maintain, for the Secondary III ELA evaluation, the success rate overall in the reading response competency at 88.3 % and the success rate overall in the writing at 92.5% through June 2017. OBJECTIVE 2.3.3: To maintain the overall present success rate of 96.9% on the English Language Arts (ELA) Secondary V MELS Uniform Examinations to June 2017. OBJECTIVE 2.3.4: To increase the group average mark on the English Language Arts (ELA) Secondary V MELS Examinations from 74.9 % in 2013 to 78.0% by June 2017. Page 15

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2 IMPROVE THE MASTERY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND THE QUALITY OF FRENCH TABLE 8: SUCCESS RATE ON END-OF-CYCLE EVALUATIONS IN ENGLISH (SECONDARY II/III) BASELINE YEAR: 2012-2013 / TARGET: SEE TABLE / SOURCE: DATA EXTRACTED FROM GPI THROUGH LUMIX ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS Secondary II Success Rate on End-of-Cycle ELA Evaluations. 2013-2014 2014-2015 2017 Target Success Rate Group Average Success Rate Group Average Target Success Rate C. 2 C.3 C. 2 C. 3 C. 2 C.3 C. 2 Response Writing Response Writing Response Writing Response C. 3 C. 2 C. 3 Writing Response Writing Girls 93.0 % 97.2 % 73.3 % 76.9 % 78.5% 92.4 67.4% 73.9% Boys 81.5 % 87.9 % 67.1 % 70.2 % 59.9% 79.0% 60.5% 68.0% TOTAL 86.7 % 92.1 % 69.9 % 73.2 % 68.5% 82.5% 63.7% 70.8% 80. 0% 90.0 % ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS Secondary III Success Rate on End-of-Cycle ELA Evaluations. 2013-2014 2014-2015 2017 Target Success Rate Group Average Success Rate Group Average Target Success Rate C. 2 C.3 C. 2 C. 3 C. 2 C.3 C. 2 Response Writing Response Writing Response Writing Response C. 3 C. 2 C. 3 Writing Response Writing Girls 96.6 % 95.9 % 74.1 % 74.7 % 94.1 % 96.7 % 72.9 % 75.8 % Boys 93.0 % 91.8 % 68.2 % 69.9 % 88.6 % 91.5 % 68.8 % 70.0 % TOTAL 95.2 % 93.9 % 71.2 % 72.3 % 91.2 % 93.9 % 70.7 % 71.7 % 85.0 % 92.5 % Conclusions from the Data: SECONDARY II Reading Response: The 2014-2015 English Language Arts results indicate that, for girls, there was a decrease of 14.5% in the success rate in Reading Response compared to last year s results. Nevertheless, girls are 1.5% below the 2017 target of 80% and therefore remain at a satisfactory level. The success rate of boys in Reading Response in 2014-2015 is 59.9% which indicates a decrease of 21.6% compared to last year. The overall total results have decreased by 18.2% compared to the 2013-2014 results. Girls remain well within the 2017 target, yet boys are 20.1% below the 2017 target of 80%. Writing Production: The 2014-2015 results, for girls, indicate a decrease of 4.8% from the previous year s results. Yet the success rate for girls exceeds the June 2017 target of 90% by 2.4%. The success rate of boys has decreased by 8.9 % to 79%. Results indicate that boys are 11% below the 2017 target. Overall, the global result in writing for girls and boys falls short of the 2017 June target by 7.5%. Page 16

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2 IMPROVE THE MASTERY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND THE QUALITY OF FRENCH SECONDARY III Reading Response: The 2014-2015 English Language Arts results indicate that, for girls, targets were exceeded in Reading Response by 9.1%. This result represents a slight decrease of 2.5% from the previous year s results. The success rate of boys in Reading Response has decreased by 4.4% to 88.6%. Overall, girls and boys combined surpass the 2017 June target by 6.2%. Writing Production: With respect to the Writing Production, for girls, targets were exceeded by 4.2%. This result represents an increase of 0.8% from the previous year s results. The success rate of boys has decreased slightly by 0.3% to 91.5%, which continues to approach the target of 92.5%. Overall, the global result for girls and boys slightly exceeds the 2017 June target of 92.5% by 1.4% in the writing production. TABLE 9: CQSB SUCCESS RATE FOR SECONDARY V UNIFORM MINISTRY EXAMINATIONS Baseline Year: 2012-2013 / Target: See Table / Source: MEESR Uniform Examinations Charlemagne - First Publication 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 TARGET 2017 English Language Arts Sec V SUCCESS RATE English Language Arts Sec V AVERAGE MARK 96.9% 99.3 % 98.2% 96.0% 74.9% 75.3% 74.4% 78.0 % SECONDARY V The 2014-2015 English Language Arts results show a success rate of 98.2% which surpasses the 2017 target of 96%. The results indicate a decrease in the average mark on the ELA Secondary V MEESR Examination by 0.9% from 75.3% to 74.4%. However, the results continue to show a progression towards the target of 78.0%. Response to the Data: SECONDARY II A possible reason for the weaker results for students in reading response in 2014-2015, particularly for boys, was the genre of the response text (a romance/werewolf piece). Although the tool was a Ministry created assessment and was appropriate for the grade level, the genre may not have resonated with some of the students, particularly boys. Furthermore, feedback from teachers at the marking centre and from the DEEN Language Network table was that the text was not multilayered in its meaning and read more as an entertainment piece; therefore, it was difficult for some students to draw in-depth meaning as required by a response task. Page 17

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2 IMPROVE THE MASTERY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND THE QUALITY OF FRENCH SECONDARY III A possible reason for the strong results for the success rates in 2014-2015 for Secondary III ELA is that fact that the same examination tool has been used over the past few years and support has been provided in previous years at marking centres so teachers could have a better understanding of program outcomes. SECONDARY V The reason for the continued high results in the ELA ministry exam at the Secondary V level is due to the rigour applied by teachers during the course of the year as was evidenced at the annual marking centre in June. All teachers also used a Learning and Evaluation Situation (LES) during the 2014-2015 academic year which was designed by the ministry to support teachers with the new reading response rubric. The English Language Arts Consultant will continue to work with ELA teachers to reinforce the Board s commitment to excellence in English Language Arts instruction. Work will continue to identify strategies for increasing student achievement, with a particular emphasis on boys and learning. The ELA Consultant will also continue to support new teachers and run marking centers as a strategy of providing uniform standards of high achievement and a common understanding of anchor papers for end-of-cycle. Support will also be offered to teachers to analyze their ELA results and to develop their understanding of the evaluation process. Français In order to increase the rate of success in French at the elementary level, CQSB has set the following overall objectives: OBJECTIVE 2.4.1: To maintain the overall success rate of Grade 6 students in Français, langue seconde-programme d immersion end-of-year evaluations at 95.0 % to June 2017. TABLE 10: SUCCESS RATE ON END-OF-CYCLE EVALUATIONS IN FRENCH (ELEMENTARY-GRADE SIX) FRANÇAIS LANGUE SECONDE-IMMERSION BASELINE YEAR: 2012-2013 /TARGET: See Table / SOURCE: Data extracted from GPI through LUMIX FRANÇAIS, LANGUE 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2017 TARGET SECONDE-IMMERSION Success Group Success Group Success Group Success Rate Rate Average Rate Average Rate Average Girls 98.8 % 84.3 % 97.5 % 80.4 % 98.2% 85.1% Boys 99.4 % 81.6 % 95.9 % 78.0 % 95.4% 78.8% Total 99.1 % 82.9 % 96.8 % 79.3 % 96.8% 81.9% 95.0 % Page 18

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2 IMPROVE THE MASTERY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND THE QUALITY OF FRENCH Conclusions from the Data: The data from 2014-2015 reveals that 96.8% of students succeeded in the Grade Six Français langue seconde - programme d immersion end-of-cycle. The same results were recorded in 2013-2014. The 2017 target of 95% has consistently been surpassed since 2012-2013. Response to the Data: The 2014-2015 success rate is the same as in 2013-2014. The board will continue to closely supervise the administration of these evaluations in order to maintain the success rate of 95%. Français In order to increase the rate of success in French at the secondary level, CQSB has set the following overall objectives: OBJECTIVE 2.5.1: To maintain the overall success rate on the Français, langue seconde - Programme de base Secondary V MELS Uniform Examinations at 95.0% + to June 2017. OBJECTIVE 2.6.1: To maintain the success rate of students for the Français, langue seconde - Programme de base-secondary V MELS Uniform Examination-volet écriture at 95.0 % + to June 2017. OBJECTIVE 2.7.1: To increase the overall average mark on the Français, langue seconde Programme de base Secondary V MELS Uniform Examinations from 84.7 % in June 2013 to 85.0% by June 2017 OBJECTIVE 2.8.1 To increase the success rate in writing production for Secondary II students in the Français, langue seconde Programme enrichi end-of-year evaluations from 91.3% in June 2013 to 94.0% by June 2017. OBJECTIVE 2.9.1 To maintain the success rate of students on the Français, langue seconde Programme enrichi Secondary V MELS Complementary Examinations at 95.0% + to June 2017. OBJECTIVE 2.10.1 To increase the success rate of students on the Français, langue seconde Programme enrichi Secondary V MELS Complementary Examinations-volet écriture from 85.5 % in June 2013 to 95.0% by June 2017. OBJECTIVE 2.11.1 To maintain the success rate of Secondary II students on the Français, langue d enseignement volet écriture MELS Compulsory Examination at 85.0 +% to June 2017. OBJECTIVE 2.12.1 To maintain the success rate of students on the Français, langue d enseignement Secondary V MELS Uniform Examination at 90.0% to June 2017. OBJECTIVE 2.13.1 To increase the group average mark of the Français, langue d enseignement Secondary V MELS Uniform Examination - volet écriture from 72.1 % in June 2013 to 85.0% by June 2017. Page 19

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2 IMPROVE THE MASTERY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND THE QUALITY OF FRENCH TABLE 11: CQSB SUCCESS RATE FOR SECONDARY UNIFORM MINISTRY EXAMINATIONS IN FRENCH Baseline Year : 2012-2013 / Targets: See Table / Source: Charlemagne First Publication and LUMIX EXAMINATION 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 Target 2017 FRANÇAIS, LANGUE SECONDE-BASE Secondary V Success Rate 96.3 % 93.1 % 93.8% 95.0% + Volet écriture 98.8 % 86.2 % 90.9% 95.0% + Volet lecture 98.0 % 78.6 % 81.3% 90.0% FRANÇAIS, LANGUE SECONDE-BASE Secondary V Group Average FRANÇAIS, LANGUE SECONDE-ENRICHI Secondary V Success Rate-globale 84.7 % 76.2 % 77.8% 85.0% 97.9 % 88.0 % 99.5% 95.0 % Secondary V Success Rate Volet écriture FRANÇAIS, LANGUE D ENSEIGNEMENT Secondary V Success Rate FRANÇAIS, LANGUE D ENSEIGNEMENT Secondary V Group Average -Volet écriture FRANÇAIS, LANGUE SECONDE-ENRICHI Secondary II Success Rate- Volet écriture FRANÇAIS, LANGUE D ENSEIGNEMENT Secondary II Success Rate -Volet écriture 85.5 % 92.3 % 88.0% 95.0 % 91.2 % 76.1 % 90.4% 90.0% 72.1 % 54.9 % 66.1% 85.0% 91.3 % 88.9 % 83.4% 94.0 % 85.4 % 88.9 % 83.7% 85.0 % + Conclusions from the Data: OBJECTIVE 2.11.1 To maintain the success rate of Secondary II students on the Français, langue d enseignement volet écriture MELS Compulsory Examination at 85.0 +% to June 2017. In Secondary II, the success rate on the MEESR Compulsory Examination on the Français, langue d enseignement volet écriture decreased by 5.2% in 2014-2015 to 83.7%. This is slightly short of the 2017 target of 85.0%. OBJECTIVE 2.12.1 To maintain the success rate of students on the Français, langue d enseignement Secondary V MELS Uniform Examination at 90.0% to June 2017. In Secondary V, the success rate in Français, langue d enseignement increased by 14.3%, going from 76.1% in 2013-2014 to 90.4% in 2014-2015. This is in line with the 2017 target of 90.0%. OBJECTIVE 2.13.1 To increase the target group average mark of the Français, langue d enseignement Secondary V MELS Uniform Examination - volet écriture from 72.1 % in June 2013 to 85.0% by 2017. Page 20

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2 IMPROVE THE MASTERY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND THE QUALITY OF FRENCH The 2014-2015 data indicates that the average mark obtained by the students on the Secondary V MEESR Uniform Examination - volet écriture, has increased from 54.9% in 2013-2014 to 66.1% in 2014-2015. CQSB is 18.9% below the 2017 target of 85.0%. OBJECTIVE 2.5.1: To maintain the overall success rate on the Français, langue seconde - Programme de base Secondary V MELS Uniform Examinations at 95.0% + to June 2017. OBJECTIVE 2.6.1: To maintain the success rate of students for the Français, langue seconde - Programme de base Secondary V MELS Uniform Examination -volet écriture at 95.0 % + to June 2017. OBJECTIVE 2.7.1: To increase the overall average mark on the Français, langue seconde Programme de base Secondary V MELS Uniform Examinations from 84.7 % in June 2013 to 85.0% by June 2017. The 2014-2015 data indicates that the success rate for Secondary V students enrolled in the Secondary V programme de base en Français, langue seconde is reasonably stable. The success rate in writing has increased from 86.2% in 2013-2014 to 90.9% in 2014-2015. The reading success rate went from 78.6% to 81.3% for the same period. It can also be noted that the average mark obtained by the students on the global mark has gone from 76.2% in 2013-2014 to 77.8% in 2014-2015 moving towards the target of 85.0% to be obtained by June 2017. OBJECTIVE 2.9.1 To maintain the success rate of students on the Français, langue seconde Programme enrichi Secondary V MELS Complementary Examinations at 95.0% + to June 2017. OBJECTIVE 2.10.1 To increase the success rate of students on the Français, langue seconde Programme enrichi Secondary V MELS Complementary Examinations -volet écriture from 85.5 % in June 2013 to 95.0% to June 2017. The success rate for writing in the Français, langue seconde - Programme enrichi Secondary V decreased from 92.3% in 2013-2014 to 88.0% in 2014-2015. The global success rate for the Français, langue seconde Programme enrichi has increased from 88.0% in 2013-2014 to 99.5% in 2014-2015. OBJECTIVE 2.8.1 To increase the success rate in writing production for Secondary II students in the Français, langue seconde Programme enrichi end-of-year evaluations from 91.3% in June 2013 to 94.0% by June 2017. The 2014-2015 success rate in writing for Secondary II students enrolled in the programme enrichi de Français indicates a decrease of 5.5%. The success rate of 83.4% is below the target of 94.0% set for June 2017. Page 21