33 Ready to learn more? Visit Solutiontree.com/Evidence now! We are not an isolated collection of teachers under one roof. Rather, we are a team that works interdependently to achieve common goals.” —Greg Kushnir, principal, Esther Starkman School, Edmonton, Alberta RESULTS IMPLEMENTATION CONTINUED Through the PLC at Work process, Esther Starkman’s teachers collaborated to create common performative and summative assessments with agreed-upon standards. They performed data analysis on these assessments and started providing daily systemic intervention, determined by the student and their individual skill level. To match the students’ diverse needs at each grade level, collaborative teams of teachers from kindergarten to grade 9 created a shared understanding regarding which curricular outcomes were essential for all of their students to learn. Additionally, the teams vertically aligned their outcomes to ensure that no gaps, overlaps, or omissions would impact student success. And in turn, the strategies are subject to a yearly review, where they are retained or discarded based on their effectiveness. “We believe that a collective, systemic approach to at-risk students will allow us to succeed where a traditional individual approach has not,” Kushnir said. The PLC at Work process has dynamically helped Esther Starkman’s educators improve their instructional practices, allowing them to create a diverse and rewarding classroom experience. “By collaborating both within the school and within our district, teachers have been able to learn, agree upon, and implement effective instructional strategies,” Kushnir said. The data illustrates the school’s success with the process as well. For example, Esther Starkman outperformed the provincial averages in grade 6 English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies—both at the acceptable standard, as well as the standard of excellence—for seven consecutive years. “Student learning, not adult comfort, drives the actions at our school,” Kushnir said. “We hope that all experiences at Esther Starkman are rewarding and will cause you to believe, as we do, that this is truly a school of excellence.” Grade 6 English Language Arts Predicted vs. Actual Score on PAT Grade 6 Math Predicted vs. Actual Score on PAT 60 60 65 65 75 75 70 70 80 80 Predicted Score Actual Score Predicted Score Actual Score Year 1 Year 1 Year 3 Year 3 Year 5 Year 5 Year 2 Year 2 Year 4 Year 4 Year 6 Year 6
