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发表于 2005-2-23 11:50
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Focus on achievement 4 ^# i8 b3 m+ h9 M2 f- l
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Achievement results show the district is making gains towards superb results.2 W' D* d, a! T8 h
Edmonton Public Schools is committed to achieving superb results from all students by improving our student achievement results and high school completion rates. We believe all students will leave Grade 3 knowing how to read; that all students will complete and pass their Grade 10 courses; and that all students will complete high school.
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Achievement results for the 2003–2004 school year show the district is making gains towards these goals.
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8 O2 R& L: e, s; x“From kindergarten to Grade 12, in schools across the district, we are making gains in our achievement results,” Superintendent Angus McBeath announced at the district’s annual achievement results news conference earlier this year.2 N) x: R' F/ \# [3 t' m
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On the Provincial Achievement Tests, more of our students achieved the acceptable standard in 2004 than in 2003. Over the past five years, we have been making steady increases in the percentage of our students achieving the acceptable standard and the standard of excellence. In addition, for nearly all subjects, a greater percentage of district students met the acceptable standard and the standard of excellence than was true for the province in 2004.
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“This is a remarkable achievement by our staff and students in a challenging year,” said McBeath. “We expected our results to go up because we’d asked our teachers and principals to make an extra effort, and they did.”& i: a- x( D+ w) A8 `
, ]9 C9 c: v. v: pOn the Grade 12 diploma exams, for nearly all subjects, more of our students achieved the standard of excellence than was true for the province in 2004. For every diploma exam course for which comparisons are possible, the district has moved closer to the provincial results for the acceptable standards over the past year. And for five of the eight diploma exam courses for which comparisons are possible, the district has moved even further ahead of the province in terms of the percentage of students achieving the standard of excellence.) O& N* B5 f, W8 z, H
$ C8 e. V8 @2 [“We are building a foundation of knowledge and skills in the early grades so that our students can be successful in higher grades,” said McBeath., p1 t, o3 G) L% ]
. x, F( f5 g0 ]" R! y" ~The district also made gains in the area of high school course completion. Last year, more of our high school students successfully completed their courses. High school course completion is an important indicator of success, according to Anne Mulgrew, supervisor of Student Assessment. “We believe the more successful students are at completing their courses, the better their chances at staying in school and completing high school,” says Mulgrew.- D2 B" j* O; e. U1 r- }
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Improving the high school completion rate remains one of the district’s highest priorities. The district is committed to helping all students complete high school so that they can make a smooth transition to post-secondary education and the world of work. , c% T+ P6 ]# d1 I% R& b
" _9 i7 _( }& `( e1 FOver the past four years, the district has seen a steady increase in the percentage of students who are completing high school, from 63 per cent to 69 per cent, with a slight dip this past year to 68 per cent. The district has set a target of 75 per cent high school completion for the 2004–05 school year.
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“If we’re going to close the gap on our high school completion rate, we have to get deeper into the work we are doing in the classroom, to ensure each student is reading and writing at grade level,” said McBeath.
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Last year, the district undertook some rigorous intervention strategies aimed at boosting the reading and writing level of at-risk students. 8 y2 E9 d/ ?, Y
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The district identified as many as 2,400students who were reading below grade level. Of the 1925 students the district was able to track, 57 per cent grew by two grade levels in one year.4 o7 R7 D' }& P7 A8 c
: G9 M7 v* o0 i: @& h4 c( H, H% M“This represents remarkable work by teachers and principals,” says McBeath.) t3 M; v6 ?; {+ ?5 |
McBeath is optimistic about the impact the new government funding to reduce class size will have on the district’s efforts to improve student achievement this year.
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5 j8 o- |' |0 T( k“Our commitment to achieve superb results from all students, work more closely together to address individual student needs and provide ongoing training to staff is having a positive impact on student achievement,” says McBeath. “We intend to work even harder this year to ensure every single student succeeds.” |
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