Concise, student-centered focus statement.

Note: In 2025/26, the focus must include literacy and/or numeracy.

Increase literacy skills that are emerging and developing with disaggregated improvement for students with diverse abilities and beginning language learners. 

Explain why this focus matters and which patterns or trends in the data informed it. Use quantitative and qualitative sources (dashboard/scanning/student voice).

Our school story focus is informed by the Fall Richmond Formative Reading Assessment (RFRA). The data indicates that the key areas of focus in reading comprehension are: student fluency, decoding, connecting, questioning and inferencing.

Identify the specific learner groups whose outcomes informed your focus.

Students who have a inclusive education designation and are currently at the beginning stage with English language learning, levels 1 and 2. 

Describe current performance.

• 21% of students were halting in their reading when we collected our Fall RFRA data

• Of these students 74% are emerging and 23% are developing when decoding

• Of these students 69% are emerging or developing when making connections

• Of these students 67% are emerging or developing when questioning

• Of these students 55% are emerging or developing when inferencing

Describe the specific actions adults (ie teachers) will take to advance this focus.

1. We will focus on reading support for students with an emphasis on CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words with accuracy
2. We will focus on reading support for students with an emphasis reading and writing words with one to three sounds, sequencing the sounds and remembering to add the vowel
3. We will focus on reading support for students with an emphasis using background knowledge, context clues and inferences to help with understanding vocabulary words
4. We will focus on reading support for students with an emphasis on matching pronouns with proper nouns which will help with comprehension.

Describe the differences you expect to see for learners.

We will see improvements in literacy, with fewer students halting, emerging when decoding, making connections, asking questions and inferencing. 

Identify what evidence will demonstrate improvement in student learning. Ensure the evidence is directly connected to the actions and impact.

Based on the results of the Spring RFRA and Written Learning Updates in April, we will analyze the data and discern what the patterns tell us about how are students who have a inclusive educational designation and are currently at the beginning stage with English language learning, levels 1 and 2 have improved? Or not? 

Alignment Statement

Describe alignment to District Strategic Priorities.

This is aligned with strategic priority 1 “The district supports every learner to achieve their highest potential” and objective 1 to “improve literacy outcomes for all learners to support success in all areas of the curriculum.”

This is aligned with strategic priority 2 “the district environments are equitable and inclusive so all members of the school community can participate with dignity, purpose and options while experiencing a strong sense of belonging” and objective 1 to “provide equitable opportunities for all students to achieve their physical, intellectual and personal potential.”