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The OurSCHOOL survey now meets the legislative requirements of Ontario’s Anti-Racism Act; PPM 144: Bullying Prevention and Intervention; and Anti-Racism Data Standards.

The OurSCHOOL survey now meets the legislative requirements of Ontario’s Anti-Racism Act; PPM 144: Bullying Prevention and Intervention; and Anti-Racism Data Standards.

by Learning Bar Staff
March 11, 2021
0

Canada’s largest school climate survey now meets the legislative requirements outlined by the Government of Ontario. To help school divisions achieve their equity and...

Becoming a reader in 75 days

Learn how to strengthen your childs’ reading skills in 75 days!

by Learning Bar Staff
June 25, 2020
0

We are proud to announce a new course for parents and caregivers of children aged 4 to 6 who want to learn the...

Transition back to school

Understand the impact of COVID-19 within your school community

by Learning Bar Staff
June 15, 2020
0

Stronger together Are you prepared to support the well-being and learning of staff and students as they return back to the classroom?  As...

Early Years Evaluation - Direct Assessment - Child with caregiver

Educator Insights videos: Sharing knowledge and expertise

by Learning Bar Staff
June 3, 2020
0

We have recently completed a series of interviews with our wonderful customers to explore their experiences of using The Learning Bar solutions. We...

Early Years Evaluation - Teacher Assessment - Girl leafing through book

Teaching children to read. Common questions answered!

by Learning Bar Staff
February 25, 2020
0

Webinar:  March 11,  3:45 MDT Join us as we address common instructional questions related to teaching reading and strategies to support students at different stages...

Are you going to the Reading for the Love of It conference in Toronto on 20-21 February?

Are you going to the Reading for the Love of It conference in Toronto on 20-21 February?

by Learning Bar Staff
February 13, 2020
0

We’ll be there! Contact Christine Hole to connect now.         How do children learn to read? Webinar: March 4, 3:45: 5:00 EST - Common questions answered!...

Blog - Educational Prosperity - Looking Beyond Equality to Equity

Educational Prosperity: Looking Beyond Equality to Equity.

by Dr. Doug Willms
October 24, 2019
0

By J. Douglas Willms, President of The Learning Bar Inc. The educational prosperity framework that I introduced in a recent blog provides an...

OurSCHOOL Parent Survey - Educators reviewing results for school planning

Attending the QESBA / AAESQ Spring Conference May 24 – 25?

by Learning Bar Staff
May 4, 2019
0

We’ll be at this annual event alongside administrators from the English school boards across Quebec. We met some of you at our April OurSCHOOL Survey workshop at...

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      Why do measures need to be valid?

      Validity refers to whether a set of survey questions is measuring what it is intended to measure.

      Steps for establishing the validity of an OurSCHOOL measure

      1. Determine a theoretical definition of the construct by reviewing literature, and by seeking expert opinion. 
      2. Identify the questions that reflect the construct through thorough discussions with experts, as well as teachers and students in focus groups, and a review of other instruments.

      Data are analyzed using two psychometric techniques: factor analysis and item response theory (IRT). The analysis provides an indication of how well the questions hold together to provide a measure of a single unified construct, and whether each question contributes to the reliable measurement of the construct.

      Click here to delve deeper into validity in the OurSCHOOL context.

      How do you make sure your data is accurate?

      High accuracy of reported measures is best achieved by having 100% of students participate.  However, a reasonable estimate can be achieved by having as few as 30 students participate.

      Click here to get more details on the data accuracy generated by the OurSCHOOL survey.

      Why do measures need to be reliable?

      Reliability refers to the consistency of the measurement process and is one of the key criteria for a sound measure of a schooling outcome or school process. 

      • High reliability is dependent on having multiple well-formulated questions contributing to a measure.
      • Reliability is usually assessed with a coefficient that ranges from 0 to 1.0, with 1.0 being perfectly reliable. Most of the measures used in our surveys have reliability coefficients ranging from 0.80 to 0.95.
      Learn more about the level of reliability in the OurSCHOOL Survey.

      Measures versus single questions – what’s the big deal?

      The OurSCHOOL survey only uses multi-question measures, as opposed to single questions as found on most other school surveys. When developing our measures, we take steps to ensure they are the most representative of the construct under investigation. We begin with the broad construct (or domain) – for example, the concept of Anxiety – then we conduct a thorough examination of the existing literature and consult with subject matter experts. 

      A bank of questions is then developed that are intended to reflect the construct and are rigorously tested. We know that measures are more reliable when they include a number of well-formulated questions as this allows us to more accurately differentiate between students.

      Click here for a more detailed breakdown of how are measures are constructed.

      Leading indicators versus trailing Indicators

      School monitoring programs and national and international studies such as PISA provide trailing indicators of student’s outcomes. The primary aim of trailing indicators is to assess changes in system performance across schools and districts, and over time. 

      Educators need leading indicators to inform timely school policy and instructional decisions.  Leading indicator data allow you to not only focus on what is happening in your school now, but also to predict what will happen as a result (e.g. high bullying rates now will lead to high anxiety rates later). Leading indicator data are collected before learning occurs or as it is occurring. They typically employ short tests and administer surveys more frequently. The data can be used to:

      • provide a framework for intervention (i.e., a response-to-intervention (RTI) program);
      • guide school policy and practice in order to improve school climate;
      • stimulate discussion about school reform;
      • identify issues relevant to particular students or groups of students;
      • identify students who need extra support;
      • involve parents in meaningful ways; and
      • increase student and teacher engagement.

      We enable schools to continuously monitor several leading indicators that can help guide school policy and practice and assess the effects of school reforms.

      The Confident Learner’s program adopts a skills-based, rather than grade-based approach to student learning and instruction. It also includes a structured Literacy Pathway to provide a clear  and coherent pathway to proficiency through a sequence of clearly-stated learning outcomes.

      Many curricula require students to master a number of poorly-defined skills to demonstrate the achievement of curriculum objectives. Educators must identify the appropriate skills and sequence of instruction that will enable each student to demonstrate proficiency of a given outcome. 

      Find out how the RTI classification acts as a prediction model of a child being a successful reader at age 8 or 9.

      The RTI classification includes three tiers, which are based on a prediction model derived from longitudinal data that estimated the likelihood of a child being a successful reader at age 8 or 9, based on his or her EYE-TA domain scores. Children with a greater than 80% chance of becoming a successful reader are classified as having Tier 1 learning needs; those with a 50% to 80% chance of becoming a successful reader are classified as having Tier 2 learning needs; and those with less than a 50% chance are considered to have Tier 3 learning needs. The prediction model takes into account the age of the child at the time of the assessment and his or her skill level in each of the five domains. The results derived from the model weights some skills more heavily than others. Skills in the Cognitive and Language and Communication domains figure most prominently; children’s Awareness of Self and Environment, Social Skills and Approaches to Learning, and Fine Motor skills also contribute to the classification.

      An RTI classification is not permanent or necessarily long term, nor is it a label assigned to a child. As children are developing their literacy skills, their progress should be monitored on a regular basis, using a variety of formal and informal tests. In practice, teachers use the domain-specific results to plan their instruction. Schools with more than one kindergarten or Grade 1 classroom can use the RTI score to ensure the prevalence of vulnerable children is evenly distributed among classrooms.

      Also, children with Tier 2 or Tier 3 learning needs do not necessarily have a specific learning or intellectual disability. The classification simply indicates that a child may need extra instructional time and resources during the primary school years.

      The Confident Learners program provides a rigorous curriculum aligned with teaching activities, assessments and quality professional development. The program covers all pre-literacy to literacy skills required to achieve reading fluency by the end of Grade 3. The foundational model of literacy and language development that the Confident Learners Literacy Program uses, draws upon is the widely recognized and validated ‘Simple View of Reading.’ This model has two critical and complementary dimensions:

      Code-related skill: Concepts about print, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and reading fluency (decoding and spelling, recognition and spelling, speed and prosody).

      Language skill: Vocabulary, receptive language, expressive language, and written language.

      Children must master both to read proficiently.

      Click to view a Code-Related Instructional Activity  or Language-Related Instructional Activity.

      Enhance your school planning

      Join the OurSCHOOL Engagement Team in one of our personalized interactive sessions. Each session was designed to reach all levels of data literacy, meaning you don’t need to be a data expert or statistician to attend. Let our team of experts guide you in finding your data story!

      1

      PRE-SURVEY

      STRATEGY SESSION

      2

      DATA

      DEEP DIVE

      3

      ASSESSING

      YOUR IMPACT

      4

      BUILDING A

      THRIVING SCHOOL

      Explore topics such as:

      In this year-end online debrief, the

      Engagement Team will provide

      you with tips and resources you

      can use to:

      A school is thriving when teachers,

      students, parents / guardians, and

      the community are working together

      toward a common vision of success.

      Take a deep dive into your data!

      • Data-driven planning,

      • goal setting, and

      • using survey measures and

         custom questions to capture

         actionable evidence.

      Our experts will:

      • Review your data

      • present notable highlights, and

      • identify areas for further

         investigation.

      • Review your progress,

      • assess the impact of your

         implemented strategies, and

      • discuss ways to help your team

         adjust strategies and set

         priorities for the coming year.

      In this session you will:

      • Explore strategies for how to

         engage your whole school

         community and build a culture of

         consultation and collabora-tion

         between all stakeholders, and

      • learn how to triangulate the

         perspectives of students,

         teachers and parents to gain

         deep insight into your school

         communities' alignment.

      • This session is available for

         schools that use the OurSCHOOL

         suite of surveys (Student, Parent,

         and Teacher).

      Leave the session with:

      Participants will:

      • Strategies and resources to

         generate excitement for the

         OurSCHOOL survey, and

      • ideas you can use for a

         successful survey

         implementation.

      • Learn to interpret and share

         their OurSCHOOL findings,

      • identify areas to celebrate,

      • pinpoint opportunities for

         improvement, and develop

         achievable action plans

         for further success.

      Leave the session with:

      • Knowledge and resources to

         assess the impact of your

         current strategies, and

      • tips and resources for creating

         a plan before your next survey

         implementation.

       * Sessions are available in both online and in-person format with up to 50 attendees. Pricing is based on session details and availability may be limited.

      How to set challenging and visible learning goals

      The OurSCHOOL Teacher Survey requires schools to set challenging and visible learning goals for students. Teachers can do this by:

      1. transferring knowledge through planned learning opportunities;
      2. providing quality feedback that guides students’ efforts and attention; and
      3. supporting students to overcome obstacles to achieving their learning goals.

      Customized Secondary School Surveys

      MEASURES FOR GRADES 7-12

      Social – Emotional Outcomes

      – Social Engagement                – Emotional Health

      – Institutional Engagement     – Career Pathways

      – Intellectual Engagement

      Physical Health Outcomes

      – Nutrition                 – Risky Behaviours

      – Physical Fitness      – Sexual Health

      Academic

      Outcomes

      Demographic

      Factors

      Drivers Of Student Outcomes

      – Quality Instruction         – Classroom Context

      – School Context               – Family Context

      Dependent on selected measures within a domain, thematic reports are also available.

      Customized Elementary School Surveys

      MEASURES FOR GRADES 4-6

      Social – Emotional Outcomes

      – Social Engagement              – Intellectual Engagement

      – Institutional Engagement   – Emotional Health

      Physical Health Outcomes

      – Nutrition

      – Physical Fitness

       

      Demographic

      Factors

      Drivers Of

      Student Outcomes

      – Quality Instruction      – Classroom Context

      – School Context             – Family Context

      What does the EYE-DA assess?

      Awareness of Self and Environment

      A child’s understanding of the world and his or her ability to make

      connections with home and community experiences.

      Cognitive Skills

      A child’s basic math and pre-reading skills and his or her ability to solve problems.

      Language and Communication

      A child’s understanding of spoken language and his or her ability to express thoughts and feelings.

      Physical Development

      Fine motor: A child’s ability to perform small movements that require hand-eye coordination.

      Gross motor: A child’s ability to perform large movements that involve arms, legs, and body.

      What does the EYE-TA assess?

      Awareness of Self and Environment

      A child’s understanding of the world and their ability to make

      connections with home and community experiences.

      Social Skills and Approaches to Learning

      A child’s attentiveness during classroom activities and their

      ability to interact with peers while respecting the classroom rules.

      Cognitive Skills

      A child’s basic math and pre-reading skills

      and their ability to solve problems.

      Language and Communication

      A child’s understanding of spoken language and

      their ability to express thoughts and feelings.

      Physical Development

      Fine motor: A child’s ability to perform small movements

      that require hand-eye coordination.

      Gross motor: A child’s ability to perform large movements

      that involve arms, legs, and body.

      Confident Learners Program Overview

      The Confident Learners framework was developed over the course of a three year research partnership with 32 First Nations communities to develop a scalable program, informed by best evidence, and designed to meet the literacy needs of each child, school and community. To outline some of the key challenges we addressed through our research, and evidence underlying the program’s approach and design, we have developed the Confident Learners Program Overview. To receive the Overview directly in your inbox please provide us with your contact details below.

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