Component 4: Curriculum, Teaching and Learning 

• The focus on student achievement is evident and clearly communicated within the school and to the school community in a variety of ways and in languages reflective of community needs. 

• Student achievement is celebrated in an inclusive way throughout the school. 

• Qualitative and quantitative data from a variety of sources inform school improvement planning. 

• The School Improvement Plan identifies ambitious targets against which progress in learning and student achievement are measured. 

• Professional learning, grounded in evidence-based practice and research, focuses on continuous improvement of teaching and learning. 

• Realistic and ambitious learning goals are set and regularly reviewed with students. 

• Multiple and varied opportunities are provided for students to demonstrate learning. 

• Ongoing monitoring and moderation of student work informs instruction to ensure that each student learns, progresses and achieves stated goals. 

• Learn, progress and achieve in relation to their goals. 

• Demonstrate and apply their learning in a variety of contexts and forms. 

Literacy and Numeracy 

• Data are analyzed to identify strengths and gaps in literacy and numeracy achievement and to determine ambitious learning goals for school-wide improvement. 

• A comprehensive literacy and numeracy focus supports student achievement through use of the current Ontario curriculum and associated resource documents. 

• Curriculum expectations are appropriately clustered and considered as a developmental continuum of learning across the grades/courses. 

• Cross-curricular planning and programming enables students to practise and apply literacy and numeracy knowledge and skills in meaningful ways. 

• Literacy and numeracy instruction is inquiry-based, intellectually challenging and developmentally appropriate for all students. 

• Learning opportunities require higher order thinking. 

• Conditions are created for developing imagination, creativity, innovation and risk-taking in the culture of the school. 

Literacy

• Literacy specific concepts, processes, and skills occur explicitly in every subject area. 

• Instruction in all content areas supports students in – purposefully selecting and using techniques and processes in order to construct and communicate meaning 

  • employing critical thinking skills with respect to a wide range of perspectives 

  • advocating for their learning and making connections to their experience, values, culture, and interests 

  • communicating effectively for specific purposes and audiences. 

• Instruction (e.g. the gradual release of responsibility) supports students in moving confidently to independent demonstration and application of the intended learning. 

• Instruction is designed to support students in developing capacity for metacognition and understanding how questioning shapes thinking and learning. 

• The teaching-learning process enables students to practise, apply and see relevance in their learning across curriculum areas.

• Instruction in all content areas supports clear connections among reading, writing, oral and digital communication and media literacy. 

• Instructional practices are strategically used to meet the diverse learning needs of students. 

Numeracy

• Numeracy specific concepts are explicitly used to deepen student learning and understanding in all subjects. 

• In mathematics classrooms: 

  • Learning experiences provide the conditions for students to activate prior knowledge, develop thinking and consolidate learning. 

  • Inquiry-based instruction engages students in developing deep conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and strategic competence. 

  • Students engage in mathematics through the process expectations as described in the Ontario Curriculum. 

  • New learning is built on students’ prior mathematical knowledge and understandings. 

  • Tasks are differentiated to meet the diversity of students learning needs, honoring multiple ways of thinking and are grounded in big ideas within the Ontario Curriculum. 

  • The learning environment is designed to ensure there is space for collaborative work with equitable access to a variety of tools, learning resources, technology and manipulatives. 

  • All students and educators form a learning community where mathematics inquiry is framed positively and risk-taking is the norm. 

  • Documentation of students’ mathematical thinking, analyses and discussion are used to illustrate different aspects of effective mathematics learning. 

  • Student thinking is visible and reflects the mathematics currently being learned. 

Literacy 

• Use critical literacy and numeracy skills to think more deeply about the texts they read (situations and problems) and the texts they create (interpretations and solutions). 

• Ask questions for different purposes (e.g., clarify meaning, encourage reflection, detect bias, determine author’s intent). 

• Sort and analyze information from a variety of sources. 

• Summarize and synthesize in order to understand what they read, hear and see. 

• Understand, acquire, build on and apply oral communication, reading, writing and media literacy knowledge and skills. 

• Independently choose to read and write with a variety of texts and tools. 

• Listen actively to others (e.g., ask questions, share ideas and strategies and build on the ideas of others). 

• Communicate their learning through a variety of modes and forms for different purposes and audiences. 

• Apply higher-order thinking skills in new contexts 

Numeracy 

• Persevere to solve mathematical tasks and demonstrate mathematical thinking in different ways. 

• Make connections among mathematical concepts, procedures, and strategies. 

• Make connections between their tacit mathematics knowledge and problem situations. 

• Develop and apply reasoning skills in a variety of contexts to make and support their mathematical conjectures. 

• Engage actively with other students and the teacher (e.g., ask questions, elaborate on ideas and strategies and make sense of errors). 

• Reflect on and monitor their thinking to help clarify their understanding and make sense of the mathematics they are learning (e.g., compare, contrast and adjust strategies used, explain their solutions, record their mathematics processes). 

• Make connections across mathematics strands and subject areas. 

• A global perspective is developed and presented across content areas through inquiry based co-learning. 

• Teaching and learning includes critical thinking, problem solving, communication and collaboration. 

• Students are connected and challenged beyond the world of the school, using a variety of learning technologies. 

• Effective pedagogy is supported by diverse technologies. 

• A digital environment is an integral part of professional practice, learning and leadership. 

• District policy for the safe, legal and ethical use of information and communication technology is implemented and monitored. 

• School planning and professional practice align with evolving district and provincial priorities, focusing on 21st century teaching and learning and science and innovation. 

• Higher order thinking skills are consistently integrated across disciplines. 

• A personal and local perspective is cultivated so that each student can make relevant links to the curriculum. 

• Tasks and assessments require students to apply knowledge, think critically, and analyse and synthesize in new situations and contexts. 

• Instruction includes how to access and evaluate the reliability, validity and credibility of resources. 

• Instruction includes how to connect with others and to create e-communities. 

• Instruction includes the ethical/legal use of information communications technologies 

• Have access to and select appropriate technologies based on the task. 

• Use technologies to construct knowledge and document their learning. 

• Integrate, synthesize and apply content knowledge learning in novel situations with growing independence. 

• Demonstrate resilience and persistence when faced with challenges. 

• Work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams. 

• Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information technologies. 

• Assume leadership roles when working on authentic problems/projects and incorporate the use of relevant data, tools and experts in and beyond the classroom. 

• Access, critically evaluate and use texts, including digital content. 

• Courses/units of study are developed to promote learning through student inquiry.

•  Teaching and learning strategies support student inquiry. 

• Learning through problem-solving supports students in connecting ideas and developing conceptual understanding. 

• Explicit teaching of concepts, processes and skills within inquiry supports students’ learning. 

• Students are engaged in exploring real-world situations/issues and solving authentic problems. 

• Self and peer assessment opportunities are used to establish a culture of inquiry. 

• Critical thinking skills are taught, modelled, practised and developed. 

• Metacognition is modelled through the instructional process. 

• Instruction enables all students to explore the big ideas (i.e., to go beyond discrete facts and skills in order to develop deep conceptual understanding). 

• Students are provided with regular opportunities for planned, purposeful, accountable talk. 

• Identify authentic problems and pose significant questions for investigations across all curriculum areas. 

• Demonstrate curiosity and a positive and productive disposition to learning. 

• Demonstrate skills of metacognition. 

• Take risks to share works in progress (ideas, solutions, strategies) in order to test hypotheses, obtain feedback and suggestions from peers and teachers. 

• Knowing each learner through documentation and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data from a variety of sources is a school-wide priority. 

• A wide range of instructional strategies (e.g., parallel tasks, open problems, tiered assignments) are used to meet the diverse learning needs of all students. 

• Individual and team planning is based on assessment of student strengths and needs. 

• Student work is analysed to identify ways to differentiate instruction and assessment 

• Based on the analysis of student data, personalized learning activities are designed to address students’ diverse learning preferences, interests, and readiness to learn a concept. 

• Students are grouped and regrouped, frequently and flexibly. 

• Learning groups are based on prior assessment of student learning, strengths and needs, interests and/or learning preferences. 

• Choices are provided based on prior assessment of student learning, interests and/or learning preferences. 

• Students are taught how to make choices (e.g., assignment, learning centre task, resources) based on their readiness, interests and learning preferences. 

• Learning goals reflect student learning needs and support student achievement of the curriculum expectations. 

• Students whose culture/first language differs from the culture/language of instruction are intentionally supported in order to be able to access the intended learning. 

• Make choices (e.g., assignment, resources, learning centre task) based on their readiness, interests and learning preferences.

• Work in groups and follow collaborative group norms. 

• Have opportunities to identify their learning preferences and/or environment (e.g. individually, in a quiet location away from others, in an active area of the room, as part of a group). 

• Resources that reflect diverse backgrounds, languages and cultures are available to support all areas of learning in the Ontario curriculum and student needs (e.g., digital tools and resources, graphic novels, manipulatives). 

• Assistive technologies support the engagement of students. 

• A process is in place to review student learning materials. 

• Authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporate contemporary tools and resources to maximize learning in context.

• Learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources are designed to promote student learning and creativity.

• Resources are selected strategically to support instruction. 

• Students are supported in recognizing and deconstructing biases in resources. 

• Explore, make connections to the world and apply their learning, using resources that reflect diverse backgrounds, languages and cultures. 

• Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences, using a variety of media and formats. 

• Work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. 

• Recognize and deconstruct biases 

• School teams (e.g., Student Success, Safe and Accepting Schools, IEP) meet on an ongoing basis to review academic, social and emotional progress of students. 

• Gaps in achievement are identified for students through disaggregated data and targets are set to close achievement gaps. 

• Communication and collaborative planning result in early intervention to support students. 

• Tracking mechanisms are current, available to all staff and used on an ongoing basis for discussions on refining instructional strategies for student learning. 

• Multiple opportunities are provided for parents and students to actively participate in ongoing review and update of IEPs. 

• Educators are aware of the diverse community supports involved in assisting students and can facilitate appropriate access to 

• Student learning profiles, IEPs and/or portfolios are current and used to support and monitor student learning. 

• Trends and patterns in student data are used to identify and implement interventions to support student learning. 

• Responsibility for the success of all students is demonstrated 

• Demonstrate confidence and self-advocacy in their capacity to learn and succeed (e.g., risk taking, willingness to try new tasks, sharing learning with others). 

• Reflect on their needs and advocate for appropriate interventions. 

• Collaborate with educators to create and evaluate interventions. 

• Respond to supports and interventions