Over 80 per cent of Moose Jaw’s Grade 3 Catholic students were reading at or above grade level by June 30, the first time the division has exceeded that goal since pre-pandemic.
Reading at or above that level by the end of that grade is a strong predictor of future success in school, and ultimately, of graduating, said a report presented during a recent Holy Trinity Catholic School Board meeting.
Division administration collected reading data in June, which showed that Holy Trinity continued to outpace the province in Grade 3 reading results. The data indicated 84 per cent of those students were reading at or above grade level compared to the provincial average of 70 per cent — a 14-percentage-point difference.
Exceeding the 80-per-cent goal by the end of Grade 3 was the first time Holy Trinity had achieved this since 2020.
“That is certainly a celebration for us in reading, and is really a testament to the supports that our teachers provide, but also the interventions and additional supports that we have implemented (like hiring in-school reading coaches and interventionists) and how those have made a difference,” said Mark Selinger, superintendent of learning and technology.
To ensure that teachers can plan for responsive instruction and help student outcomes improve, the division assesses pupils’ reading levels three times a year, Selinger’s report said. The first round occurs in the fall to inform classroom instruction, while the second occurs in the late winter and the third in the late spring.
Holy Trinity collects reading data of students in grades 1 and 2 to ensure it has the right support and people in the necessary classrooms and schools, Selinger told the board. The division office knows it must provide extra help to three schools this year to ensure students reach grade level by the end of Grade 3.
“We don’t share publicly here our results school by school. It’s not fair to the school or the students,” he stated.
June’s reading results show that roughly 76 per cent of Grade 2 students were reading at or above grade level, while roughly 65 per cent of Grade 1s were at or above level.
For this year’s Grade 1s to reach the 80-per-cent mark by the end of Grade 3, 22 more students would have to read at or above level within two years, said Selinger. That is achievable and manageable, considering Holy Trinity is a small division that can offer “robust reading supports” to those two dozen youths.
It’s great that enrolment increased this year, but that also means there are more students with diverse needs that the division must meet, he continued. Yet, the division office knows who the students are who are struggling and can provide direct support.
“We have increased our reading intervention time going into this current school year to make sure those students are supported,” Selinger added.
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