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Board Improvement Plan

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2024-2025 Board Improvement Plan cover page

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board’s 2023-2028 Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) is centred on students having a deep and meaningful sense of belonging while experiencing impactful learning outcomes for all. The MYSP has helped to inform a new Board Improvement Plan (BIP) with five measurable goals:

  • Literacy achievement for every student
  • Numeracy achievement for every student
  • Preparedness for the future for every student
  • Well-being for every student
  • Engagement for every student

Grounded in our commitment to a culture of improvement, the Board Improvement Plan (previously called the Board Annual Plan) will be reviewed and updated annually with new indicators. Click here to access the Board Improvement Plan PDF Booklet.

IMPROVE LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT FOR EVERY STUDENT

What will we do to achieve this goal?

We will build the capacity of educators to strengthen students’ literacy development in reading and writing in the following ways:

  • Implement screening measures to assess every student in K-2 for their literacy strengths and needs followed by development and implementation of plans to support student progress.
  • Provide professional learning and coaching.
  • Collaborate with students and families.

We will provide professional learning and coaching across K-12 to model teaching practices that foster the joy of reading and writing as well as valuing oral language and storytelling using effective literacy strategies including:

We will provide differentiated literacy supports and resources for students to meet their needs to ensure, high-quality, personalized, evidence-informed instruction and intervention (CRRP, DI, UDL, Indigenous Pedagogies).

IMPROVE NUMERACY ACHIEVEMENT FOR EVERY STUDENT

What will we do to achieve this goal?

We will provide professional learning and coaching to build educator capacity in Mathematics content knowledge and pedagogy using effective numeracy strategies including:

We will support student competence and confidence in Mathematics by:

  • Collaborating with students and families
  • Providing rich problem-solving and experiential tasks for students
  • Making student thinking explicit through Math conversations in the classroom
  • Small group instruction
  • Providing Mathematical thinking tools such as manipulatives

We will collaborate regularly to implement effective, evidence-based assessment practices to identify strengths and areas for growth in student.

IMPROVE PREPAREDNESS FOR THE FUTURE OF EVERY STUDENT

What will we do to achieve this goal?

We will collaborate with students and families around the resources, information, and supports that students need to build their Individual Pathway Plans.

We will create innovative partnerships with diverse industries and post-secondary institutions to remove barriers, support student pathways choices and build experiential learning opportunities including:

Apprenticeship College Community Workplace
University Co-operative Education Dual Credit Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)
Continuing Education Six Nations Polytechnic

We will implement a variety of approaches, programs and resources to support secondary school students to meet yearly credit accumulation benchmarks on their way to graduation.

We will embed land-based learning experiences to build student understanding of our relationship to the land, and recognition of the deep connection between Indigenous peoples and the land.

IMPROVE WELL-BEING FOR EVERY STUDENT

What will we do to achieve this goal?

We will provide intentional and culturally relevant teaching and supports on mental health so that K-12 students can recognize their own mental health needs and seek supports, including:

We will support students and families to navigate external mental health resources, care and support that provide culturally responsive and relevant care and collaborate with communities.

We will provide learning for students to understand their Human Rights, roles and responsibilities related to their safety and well-being.

We will increase system capacity and understanding of the impact of colonial education and intergenerational trauma, and Indigenous approaches to student well-being through the implementation of the Indigenous Education Circle Strategic Action Plan (IECSAP).

INCREASE ENGAGEMENT FOR EVERY STUDENT

What will we do to achieve this goal?

We will provide professional learning for educators that is focused on descriptive and timely feedback and making explicit the next steps in each student’s learning as part of assessment.

We will provide students with dynamic academic and experiential learning opportunities that center student voice and choice informed by:

We will create and leverage innovative physical spaces to enhance student engagement and safety. This will be accomplished through:

We will provide professional learning for system leaders on progressive discipline practices, effective conflict resolution and restorative strategies especially in response to all forms of hate, bias, discrimination and harassment in schools. This will be informed by:

We will ensure that student voice and lived experience informs the classroom environment, learning, engagement and leadership experiences by:

  • Collaborating with students and families
  • Identifying and removing barriers to learning
  • Supporting school leaders and educators

Image of HWDSB students with tagline "BE YOU. BE EXCELLENT."To learn more about HWDSB’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan for 2023 to 2028, please explore the links below:

 

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Updated on Friday, January 24, 2025.
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