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3131761-4700 8OOIS21-0600

St. John's

ST. GREGORY'S SCHOOL PROFILE:

AN INTERNSHIP REPORT

By

Deborah-AnneSmith,. BA (Spec. Hon.), B.Ed.

Aninternship reponsubmitted to the School of Graduate Studiesinpartial fulfilment of the

requirementsfOTthe degreeof Master of Education

FacultyofEducation Memorial University of Newfoundland

November1997

Newfoundland

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ABSTRACT

Thepurposeofthisreportisto describe the results of an internshipthatfocused on seekinginformation to compile a complete profile efSt. Gregory's School.

ChapterOneoutlinesthe rationale for the internshipsetting,describes the internship experience. method of evaluation, on-site supervisionandtheresearch component of the intcmsbip.ChapterTwocontainsbackground information on the Indicators Project and the school.profilereport.The school profile reportis theresult oftheresearch component and is based on a template developed bytheNewfoundlandandLabradorDepartmentof Education. CbapterThree is a case study aCtheschoo~usingtheronnat ofa schoolreport Chapter Four is a personal reflection afmy observations at St. Gregory's School during my internship.These reflectionsfocus on theTeaching Staff"andSchool Culture,the RoleaCthe PrincipalinSchool Cultures. Schoollmprovement and the Role of the Learning Resource Teacher. Each oftheseareas have contributed tosettingthe foundation of implementing Resouree-basedLearninginto the school.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thecompletionofmyinternship andthisreport couldnothave beenpossiblewithout the continual love. support,andencouragement of my husband, Ronnie and our daughter Amy.Thegmerosityandwarmthofmy familyinToronto made thewritingof

this.

myfinal report. areaIity.

TheprincipalaCme school (the fictitiousDr.Tierney) made the completion of my inr:emsbippossiblebywelcomingme inr:o berschool.and guidingmewithherknowledgeand wisdom.Iamalsograteful fortheassistanceinmyresearchbythestaff ofthe school (the fictitiousSt. Gregory's), I appreciatetheirwillingnessto allow me to be present and observe theirdailyroutines.

Specialthanks to myinternship supervisor, Dr.Jean Brown. forheradvice, assistanceandencouragement as a professor,facultyadvisor and advocate for Resource- basedLearning,and toDr.Bruce Sheppard for serving as a committee member for this report.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ABSTRACT ..

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

CHAPTERONE: OVERVIEW OFTHE INTERNSHIP...

The Internship Setting...

Description of InternshipExperience..

Method of SeIf·Evaluation...

iii

On·site Supervision..

The Research Component...

Organizationofthe Report... 10

CHAPTER TWO: BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY FOR SCHOOL

REPORT... II

Introduction.. 11

TheSchool Report: Description... 13

Case Study Methodology UsedinSchool Report... 13

CHAPTER THREE: THE SCHOOL REPORT... 16

Introduction... 16

St. Gregory's JuniorHighSchool· School Report... 17

CHAPTERFOUR: CRITICAL REFLECTION... .... ]9

lntroduction.... 39

TheTeaching Staff and Scbool CuJture ..

TheRole of thePrincipalinSchool Cultures ..

Scboollmprovement...

TheRoles oftileI...earniDgResourceTeacher....

Cooc!usion....

REFERENCES...

APPENDIX A ..

APPENDIX B...

APPENDIXC.

Page 39 42 45 49 53 55 57 61 63

CHAPTER ONE Overview of the Internship

The Imc:rns.bip Setting

St. Gregory'sSchool.(a fictitious name)isatwo-streaminnercity schoolTheschool currentlybasan enrolment of232 students and offers grades sixthroughnine.Inthepast.

this schoolhasnot been overly receptive to implementingnewinitiatives. Though the school'shistoryrevealsseveralattempts at school improvement. Resource-based Learning and the integration of technology (computers),thesehavereceiveda lessthanfavourable chance to survive. This may have been a result of the school culture.

In1996,thereligiousordertbaJ.had administratedthe school for 140 years turnedthe school over tothelocal Roman Catholic School Board.Inthe 1996-1997 school year. the school came under the jurisdiction ofthe Interdenominational School Board. This change broughtwithitanewlyappointed principal,Dr. M.Tierney.Dr.Tierney's role prior to this appointmentwas thatof Learning Resource Coordinator with the local Roman Catholic School Board. She exhibits extensive knowledgeinthe areas of administration, Resource- basedLearning and school improvement.Dr.Tierneyis an administrator who works with herstaffexlubiting a more inclusive leadership style

TheLearningResource teacherat the school carries a haIf·time position. She is on a oneyearreplacement position. The previousLearning Resource teacherisODeducational leave. Thisyeartheposition also included teaching dutiesinthe areas of Social Studies and Computers. Thisinternship was for aperiodof four months, under the direction of the principal.Dr.Tierney.

Inassistingthe Learning Resource teacher and the principal.

r

have helped lay down the foundations of Resource-basedLearningat the school that hopefullywillcontinue to grow in the fonhcoming years

Qescription oftbe Internship EXPerience

1be internshipexperienceallowedme to enter into thedailyroutine of the Learning Resource teacher.Panof the anticipatedexperience

was

to understand more fullyschool culture,especiallyas it relates to the work oftheLearning Resource teacher_ The involvement of compiling a school profile allowed me the opportunity to learn about the scbool culture. Theseroles maybeclassified as; the traditional librarian (cataloguing, circulationandpurchasing of materials); the resourcespecialist (cooperative program planning and teaching) and; the computer technologist (operating and maintaining the computer lab).ThefoUowing duties were under the direct supervision of Ihe on-site supervisor,Dr.Tierney

observingstaffdynamicsandrelationships to understandbetterschool culture;

in-servicingstaff (Resource-based Learning, E-mail, Imernet use, creation ofhomepages);

implementingandsupporting the use of computer technology within the school;

d. assisting in the introduction of computer technology to the students.,

8 staff

andparent volunteer,

c.

assistinginfund-raising

activities (such as sub-runs

and

poster sales).

Method ofSeJf.EyaluatjoQ

The

purpose of

my

internship

was

to acquire hands on,

practical

skills

and

knowledge

in

the area ofLeaming Resources and Leadership. Part ofit required the focus of compiling a complete school profile.

In

order to assess my development and growth, a personal journal or log was kept of my daily activities and observations. The major focus of the journal was to record my

internship

activities

whichfocused

on the above mentioned duties. The process of

reflecting

on the experiences helped me recognize patterns

and

organize my actions more

efficiently.Itwas important to measure mypersonalgrowth from this experience, where I

was

atthe

beginning

ofmyinternship, whereIam after this experience and where I

hope

to

be in the future. Drs. Tierney and Brown (my

faculty

supervisor) have assisted me in assessing my perfonnance and keeping me on task and focused This assessment has been done through informal dialoguing.

On-siteSllpervisjoo

Dr. Tierney

supervised

and

evaluated

my experiences throughout my internship. We

conferenced regularly to discuss our observations, and to plan future strategies that 1 would

use while working with the students, staff and volunteers at the school.

The RC¥'rc;b

Cgmooncnr

The researchcomponentof the internship

was

developedwiththe assistance ofDrs TierneyandBrown. Theresearch componentwas to seek and synthesize information in ordeno write a complete profile of St. Gregory's School.Thisprofilewastobebasedon theIndicators Project:SchoolReports. TheDepartmentof Education and Training !las produceda template (writteninWordPerfect 6. I) onwbicb.thefunnat of this report has been based. The template and statistical information(both provincialand schoolbased)were generously made available for this report by theDepanmemof Education. Theschool assistedinprovidinginformationbymakingavailabletheSchool Improvement Program Report(1995-1996), School Staffing Report (1997-1998), Registers (1993-1997) and archival information.Manyof the staffweregrateful toassistinproviding verbal and

wrinen

informationabouttheschoolandthe programsthat theyteach.Dr.Tierney's knowledge of theschoolfromaboard andadministrativeperspectivemade pastand current details available thatl or otherstaff may not have known

The reason for creating an up to date school profile was to help the administration, school committees and teachersintaking a closer look at where the school standsin comparisonto provincial norms. The administrationwillbe using this repon or components ofit as partofthe Newfoundlandand Labrador Department of Education Indicators Project requiremems.Theschoolimprovement committeewilluse the iDfonnation to assistthemin iderrtifyingareasinthe school where change is needed. The newlyappointedschool council willusethisreport to fiJmiliarizethemsdvC$ with an overview of St. Gregory's School. The

10 schoolispresently engagedinascOOQl..wideresearchproject withresearchers fromMemoriaJ University ofNewfound1aDd. Acopy of this reportwillbemadeavailable totheresearchers forfuture analysisinconjunctionwiththeir own survey data.

TherwneoCtheprincipalandschoolandschool boards have been changed (to Dr M. Tierney, St. Gregory's School, Roman Catholic SChool Board, and the Interdc:nominarional SchoolBoard)

as a means of respecting

the

anonymity of

the principal, theschooland itscommunity.The informationthatbasbeen disclosedinthisreporthasbeen done sowiththe permission and consent oftheprincipal.

Organization oftbeReport

Theinternshipreport containsthreemainchapters. Chapter One is an overview of the internship experience and a research component. Chapter Two contains background information ontheSchool ProfileReport.ChapterThree istheSchool Profile Reportwhich isthe requiredresearch component aftbe internship. Chapter Four is apersonalre8ection ofmyobservations and experiences that occurred at tbe school dwing the internship.

Asrequired by Graduate Srudies • Faculty of Education, thisreportbas been organizedfonowing the convadions for aformalacademic paper that are documentedinthe Handbook: Graduate StrHk1lJS, prescnbed by the Faculty of Education. There is an exception to tbe prescribed formatinChapter Three and the appendices. Chapter Three's textandstatistical charts are based onthetemplate tbat was provided by the Department of Education, for theSchool Report.

CHAPTER TWO Background and Methodology for School Repon

-

Intoday's society of economic uncertainty, private corporations and govemmeD1.

institutions arebecomingmore accountable totheirstakeholders and the public. not only for theirexpendituresbut for the qua1iry of their products. Thishas become true for the educarionsystem aswell.. 1be Departments ofEducation, school boards, schools, principals and teachers areDOWbeingmade accountable forthe instruction that isbeingdelivered to theirstudents.TheNewfoundlandand LabradorDepartmentofEducationhas beeninvolved in makingitssystem more accountable. Thus.itdevised theIndicators Project which

encompasses

Profile'96,theSchool Profile System, andindividualSchool Reports

Inits provincialprofiles,theNewfoundlandDepartmentof Educationbasbeeninthe forefront (of other provinces) by providing information to the general public about its progress, strengths, challenges and weaknesses and by keeping the public informed of its aims.,goalsand objectives.Theprovince's recentpublication.theProfile'96repen, contains indicators on the performance of its educational systembasedon previous provincial and nationalstatistics.Thisreportisupdatedannually andisnow available to the public in print or electronically on the Internet.

Measures from the indicators availableintheProfile'96 report are compiled into a centralized database file for the province's K-12 educational system. This information bas beenincorporated into what is referred to as theSchool Profile System.

12 Theinformation containedintheProfile'96report is a general overview of where the proviocia1 education system standsinterms of major trends and developments.Inorder tonarrowtbefuaJS,theDepartmentof Educationisinthe formative process of establishing anindividualizedschool-level document for eacb schoolinthe province. This document is referredto as theSchool Report. The Departmentof Educationhascreateda pre-formatted templateinorder tomaintainconsisl:ency amongtheschoolreports. This template allows for each school topersonalizeasowninformation.makingitunique fromany otherschool. The same statistical information (such as raw data)thatwasusedintheProfile'96 repon and locatedintheSchool Profile Systemisavailable toeachschool for inclusioninthe School Report.TheSchool Reportwillbereproducedanddistnbuted to members of the school community.Theintention of theDepartmentofEducation isthateach schoolwillproduce anannualSchoolR£porr.Pre:sentIythecreation ofscbooIreports isstillbeing piloted.It will take several years to implement this project provincially.Itis estimated that approximately halfof the schoolsinthe provincewillvoluntarily participateinthis process by creating a School Repon forthe1996-1997academic year

Compiling,updating,writing and circulating theSchool Reportintothecommunity is a means of publicly making the school's administration and staff accountable for the quality of education lhat is administered tothestudents.

13 TheSchool Re:port" Qescriptjno

The researchcomponentoftileinlcmsbiprequiredoriginal research and collection of information tobecompiled abouttheschool and the synthesis ofthisinfannatien50thata school reportcouldbewritten for St. Gregory's Junior High School TheSchool Reportis tobeincluded as part ofthc lndicalors Project by the school.

St.Gregory's School intends to usethisreport 10 introduce and inform the parents, comrtJJnity and newlyejectedschool council to its school.Recemly,due to youth violence in thevicinityoftileschool, St.Gregory's Schoolhasheld a lessthanfavourable reputation within the local community. This documentwill beused to educatetheparents and the community onthepositive stepsthattheschoolhasundertakeninorder to improve its professional re:sponsiliilites and community image. ThisSchool Reporthas beenwrittenwith the above mentioned constituencies taken into consideration.

To conclude,in1996. St. Gregory's School established a new school improvement committee. The collection. analysis andsynthesisof information that is containedinthis report'Nillbeused to provide an objective assessment, or a baseline of where the school is presernlyatinterms of provincialstandatds.school improvement and school initiatives (Stoll

"'" Fmk, \996).

Cas Study Methodology J rsr4 inSchool Repoa

Thecreation of the school report required me to obtain detailed infonnation about theschooland the presentprogramsthat itoffers. This could not havebeenpossible without

14 theassistance aftbe Depattment of Education. teaching

staft

and theadministration at St.

Gregory's School

The Depanment of Education provided a template fortheschool repon. This included a preformated diskthatcontained headings. outlines. statistical chans and information tbat couldbeincludedinthe school report. The template was only a guideline tohelpassistpeopleincompletingtheirownpersonalizedreport. Parts of the original template have been omitted and additional sectionsadded.(The layout oftheoriginal document hasbeenchanged to suit the infonnationthatwas included and the formatting of thisreport.)TheDepartmentofEducation also provided the provincial and school statistical informationthat wasusedto complete the chans foundinthe original template. The coverpagc was also providedby theDepanmentof EducationviaE·mail.

The staff at St. Gregory's School shared descriptive information about the school.

Many of thespecialistteachers were approached about the individual programs that they offered. Some of these teachers gaveverbaldescriptions oftheirprograms while others provided wrinen descriptions.

Inconjunction withDr.Tierney thetypeof information for inclusioninthe school report

was

determined.Theschool administration provided detailed information about the school-wide programs and the extra-curricu1ar programsthattheschool offered. the principalalsomade available the school's records so that specific information couldbe includedinthe repon. Inorder to calculate the percentage of students receiving Social Servicesassistance,the number of Social Services Vouchers submitted to the schoolin

15 September 1996wasdividedby theschool population.Theprincipalfelt thatitwould be beoeficial fortheschooltotrack theattendance rate and to seeifthe implementation of

new

programsbadan effect The schoolbas agreedtocarry throughwiththisduringthe forthcomingschoolyear. It

was

agreed thatthesocio-economic status of thestudents should playapanindetermining the need of the children. Therefore tbe percentage of students receivingsocial assistance neededtobedetermined.Financialrecords were used to calculate theamountofmonetaryfunds thatthe scbool receivedfromfundrajsing activitiesandto determinetheexpenditures.Theschool madetheSchool Improo;emen/ Programhandbook availablewhichincludedthe school historyanddetailedinformationthatbadbeencoUected the previousyearfortheschoolimprovementcommittee. The School Mission Statementand thePhilosophy ofDisciplinePolicy were made available tobe includedinthe repon.

Once the parameters ofthereport wereset.researchedand analysed. specific information was included to draft andfinalizethe school report.

CHAPTER TIIREE School Report

ThischapteristhecasestUdyrequired

-

in theinternship program.Ithasbeenwritten as aschool.report.using the template suppliedbythe Departmentof Education. This repon provides detailedinformationaboutSt. Gregory's JuniorHighScbool such as school history.

staf(programs (academicandextra-cwricular),scores ofstandardizedtests and SUJ'VeYS.

aclUevement awardsand financialinformation.

17

School Report

~99f?-9~

St. Gregory's Junior High School I

P.O. Box 000. St. Gregory's Street.

St. lobn's, Newfoundland, AOA OAO Voice: 709 555-ססOOFax: 709 555-0001 Interdenominational School Board

18

St. Gregory's Junior High School

School History

St.Gregory's School

was

firstestabli.shc:dinJ8llUlIl)'1856. This school was founded, built andmaintained byone Catholic religious order.Manychanges have occurred to St.

Gregory's School over the years.Itbaschanged locations, grade structures andtypeSof students thatit haseducated. More recently,it haschangedits administration to that of a layperson. StilIit hasretained its name and identity.

Inthebeginning.theschool educatedbothboysandgirlsfrom the conununity.Itwas inthelate 1800's that another Catholic religious orderestablishedan educationalfacilityfor boysin the samecommmity.Itwas then that51.Gregory'sbecameanall girlsschoolLocal girls would attend St. Gregory's School from thebeginningoftheirschooling until they reachedgradeXI.In1958 St.Gregory'schangedto a gradeschool (up to grade 8), students attended the localall girls high school for grades 9 - II. When grade 12 was introduced in 1984theschoolchangedonce again, retaining its grade 9 students. Another shift occurred intheschoolingatSt.Gregory'sin1988whenit

was

changed to a co-educarionaI juniorhigh school for grades 6-9.

Thepreseolschoolbuilding

was

constructedin1954withthegymnasiumbeingadded intheearly1970's.The entire structure is approximately 33,533 squarefeetand housed on one acre of land. St. Gregory'sisequippedwiththe following facilities: 11 classrooms, 2

19 laboratories(1science lab and I computer lab),LearningResource Centre, Gymnasium (includinga stage),Artroom. Band and Music rooms,anda Pastoral Ministry room.

In 1996, after 140 years of educating the youth efSt. John's, the religious order released theirschool to the Roman Catholic School Board. The 1996-1997 school year was thelint timeSt.Gregory'sSchool

was

solely administered by a layperson.InJanuary 1991, the schoolboardsafthe province were restructured. St. GTegory's Schoolbecamepart of theInterdenominational School Board.InJune 1997 St. Gregory's School was designated tobecomeaninterdenominationalschool, thusitwillno longermaintainits Catholic identity but become a Cluistian-based school.

School Mission Statement

Themission ofSt. Gregory's School is to provide asafe.supportive Christian school community whichpromotesself

esteem.

respectfor others. respor1S1ble behaviour, and which fosters a love of learning. This will be accomplished by a partnership of home. school and community,the insistence ofa strong work ethic and the commitment by the staff'to enable students to achievetheirfullpotential.

20

Philosophy of Discipline Policy

At St.Gregory's, we believe thatallstudents have a right to asafe. caring, weU- ordered, positive environment that is conducive to learning. Tothisend students mustbe encouraged to develop a strong sense of respol1S!bility fortheirown behaviour and respect for themselvesand'others.

We believethat an effective discipline policy is onethattreats students with respect anddignity,and promotes the cooperation of teachers, students and parents. Such a policy recognizes that students areultimatelyresponsible for their own behaviour, have the ability to change their behaviour, and need to recognize and acceptthefactthatthere are consequences fortheiractions.

Statement of School-wide Expectations for St. Gregory's School

Be Respectful

Be Courteous

Be 00 Time

Be Prepared

Try Your Best

Oar School

Our

school.

St.

Gres<xy's.

isputofthe lntenienominatioa.alSchoolBoardwbicb has 85 scbools with • total school population ofapproximately 35,000 students. ThescbocMcurn:ntly basan enrolmentof 232studentsIDCIoffen grades6-9.

O.r StaffaadOaues

Ourschoolhas a total of12fulltimeand 6 part time educationalstaff'which includes 9 classroom teachers and 2.5 special servicespersonnel. St.Gregory's School bas Ifulltimeprincipaland an assistantprincipalwithfull timeteaching duties. As of 1997-1998 theassistant priDcipaJwillhavehalftime administrative dutiesandhalftimeteachingduties.This schoolalsohasI parttimeguidance counselor(3/4time),4specialistteacben inthe areas ofmusic.

band.

physical educariooand

IeIrDns

resources(each1/2 time). ThescbooIre<:civesthesupport of 2.Sstudentassistants.Inaddition tostaff basedalthe

scbooI..

ithas

a.cx:ess

to Districtofficestaffi:Dcluding: educational psychologistsandenrichmerltteachers.

Theschool alsohas theservices of 1 secretarialand1maintenancepersonnel.

SupportServices

Bmurrc-buMLaming -Thisprogram meetsavarietyofleamingneedsand styles ofthestudents. Emphasisis placed on teaching skills to encourage students to '1eambowto learn". 1be integration of computertechnologyand instructional

21 strategiesin theprescnbedcurriculum supportsthephilosophyofstudents taking ....,....l>iIity

roo-"""

own

Ieamms- nu.

programdevdopsand enhanceslife 100g learning.

PIMjs;aIf!hgtjqp - Physical Educationis offered. toallstudentsfromgrades6 - 9.

TheprogramroUoMthe ..ActiveLiving"

concepc and emphasizes participation ratherthanthecompetitivenaturethat usually encompuses most spons. A varietyof sports are offered, including indoor soccer, volleyball. basketball, European team

handball.

andbadminton.

Eachclass receives two periods of instructionwithinasixday cycle. The students also participate in 'recreational days'wherethey are asked 10 choose a panicu1aractivityinwhich to participate.

This idea works wellbecauseit givesthe students theopportunity to participatein what theyfeelcomfortableplaying.

Band (c:nricbmcgtl -Thebandprogramis a paformanoe-orieed program involving studentsingrades6 - 9. Studentsreceive instructionthreetimesin asixday cycle,.

during which time they acquirethe pbysicalaDden!siriDsinvolved in playing aIrIJSicalinstrumentanddevdop their general musicianship andknowledgeof basic conceptsinmusic. Musicalliteracy is a key component ofthecurriculum, including the study of melodicand rhythmic notation,Iceysignatures,time signatUres, musicalterminology, andsight reading. Music history is incorporatedin the study of music from different cuhures anderas.Theschoolhas two performing baDds.jtQorandsenior. and several small

ensembles which pertOnn at school concerts,festivals,andotherlocalvenues.

~- Theclassroom musicprogramat St.Gregory'sis madeup ofmanydifferent aspects of musicincludingmusictheory, music historyandmusic appreciation.

Thesedifferentpartsofthe music progrun are learnedthroughsinging, playing and listeningto many different stylesofmusic that range fromclassicaltojazztorock androU to conttmporvypopularmusic.

(Jpjrfmrichmcutl -TheChoirprogram is anextraamiallaractivityinwhicbthe members volunteertheirtime. InCboir, studemsworkon such techniques as vocal production, postureandeartraining.

These skills are then usedinsongsthat:

rangeinstyles that include classical,jazz, hoUday,sp;rituaJsandpopulMsong5.

Special FdllgriQJJ -Two full-time teachers areassignedtotheSpecial Education program at St. Gregory'sSchool.1bere are 30 studentsinthis program at this time. Thestudentsparticipate in a puJl out program where they go to their Special Education teacher forLanguageArts and Math. The regular classroom programs are modifiedandaltered to eacb students ability Thismodification brings the program tothe students level.Thuseach studentiscbaIlenged to achievepersonal

su=ss.

Remedial Instruetjon - Remedial instructionisprovidedto students who do notqualifyforspecialeducation but who needextra help. AtSt.Gregory's there are 25students who receive additional

22 assistancewiththeirschoolworkand preparation for tests and examinations.

Eachofthesestudents isalsoencouraged to participate intheschool'speertutoring program which0CaJfSon T uesclays and Thursdays from 3:00 - 4:00 ChallenRing Needs -TheChallenging Needs programisgeared towards the students needs.Atpresentthe foUowing areas are covered:Math (life skills);

Reading(comprehensionandlife skills reading); Student Used Bookstore(pre- vocationalsIriIIs) (this reinforces material taughtinother areas of the program);

School duties (absentee

list.

beIpingthe leadership group with the recycling program. etc.), Computers (covers math, reading, formsandposters fortheUsed Bookstore).

A limited Family Life and Cooking programwill beaddedinthe1997- I998 scboolyear

...Tadter IbtiopelOusSize For 1996-97thepupil-teachermioin 5t.

Gregory'sScbooI

was

16.6:I, This compares toa pupil-teacherntioof 14.62:1for"theProvince. Inourschool 4.8% oftelcbcrswereteachinginamulti- gndt:ddas:sroomin1995-96 compared to 12.3% forthe Province. TheseIWtti- gradeddasseswereinthe

areas

ofspecial cOJcationandesuichmeotbanet.In1996- 1997 none ofthe regular classroom programs were combine It St. Gregory's School.

ThefoUowiDg tableshows thepercentage oftheinstructionalgroupsinour schoolin eachsizecategory. (An instructional groupisa class of students instructed by aneducatOf,notnecessarilyIhomeroom.)

....

%SdIIooI

I

^%

"-'" ^mm-

1-' 6.5 1.6

&-1. 4.] 5.8

II-IS 5.4 14.9

1&->O 17.2 23.8

ll-ZS 22.6 26.7

2&-30 36.6 18.4

31-35 7.5 7.]

3&-40 0.0 1.1

40+ 0.0 0.4

Fol'o:Q1fIpk. 22.6"o!'''JtnlCuonGigrollpJ",St.

~gory'.lSchool1uNr21-1jJllldmU.

23

How bas our Earohnent

Changed?

Theaumberofstudents u St. Gregofy's Schoolbasdecreased

over

thepast10 yean, asshownbelow:

ToW~t,1916-96

y ....

I .. ^.-...

1986-87 17J

1988-89 324

1990-91 278

1992-93 292

1994-95 242

1996-97 232

The reason forthischangewould bedue tothefoUowing:

• In 1988 there was I school transition from an

an

girlsK-XI school 10 aco-educationa16 - 9

--

SiDce thenmsition, theschoolhas hadtwordigious administmors, withdifferentstylesof operatinga school. In1996-1997 lbeschool administruion shifted 10 I tay- penon.

The scbooIwItu:rewas closed as it was nol rec:eptive to outside initiatives.

Up Wltil 1996-1997 the staff basically had not changed. There had been very little turnover among theteachers.Manyofthe leachers have spenttheirentire teaching careers atSt. Gregory-'s.

En 1996-1997theschool

was

introducedto awidevarietyofprograms.TheseschooI- wide programsare as foUows:

( *DeWprognmsas of1996 - 1997)

• LeadersbiplPastonlGroup·

~LeamiDg'

Il<odD>s_Committ.. -

Non-VIOlence Program.

Computer-GrusRoots Projects, STEU.ARSchool·

Peer Tutoring

EmicbmentProgram -computers,

" , '

Concert Band! Festivals AcademicCeremonies

*

School Improvement Committee SchoolBookstoreITraveling Bookstore·

ImageCommittee*

ThisyearSt.Gregory'sSchoolhasalso inaeasedthe

amown

of extraeUrricuIar activities that students bave become involvedwith attheschool.They are as

Co""""

(*newprograms as of1996 - 1997)

- ametbaIJ

Volleyball Innuwnb Pep Rallies • SponsDays Sports Events Teacber/Students Athletics • Cbee:rleaders CbessGroup Student NewspaperGroup QuiltingGroup • Wall PaintingGroup·

Field Trips Concerts Ooca.l artists)*

Recycling GroupJEnvironmentai Group·

Peer Tutoring ResourceCentre Helpers •

24

How w.n do oar Stud••ts

A<~iev.

Nalionany!

CaDacIiaDTau orBasicSkills The Canadian TeslSofBasicSkills (CTBS) are standardized testsgivento ... l!ln>ugboutthe~....

year toeitherGrade 4, 1,10or12- ResultsofourINdents are compared to thereaalts ofstudentsat the same grade levelacross the cowrtry. Themain purpose istocomparehowweU our stUdents docomparedto those elsewhere in Canadaandto identifystrengthsand weaknesses inourinstructionalprograms.

AtGrade1,thetests includefivemajor slciJl areas: Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension. Work Study, (graphs., diagramsand useofreference books), ' - - ( s p e I l i n g . - puDCtUation,and usage)andMathematics (COocep1S, problem solving, and compuwioas). Shdeat perforauctis l"'l'pOI1edu •percn.tie ...wlUcb IIIows:whereom' . . . .ts are relative to oOtn attksaae

crade:

leveL For example students scoring at the 45th perceIlIileare performingbetter than 45%

ofstudertsin the aoss-Canadasample and lowerthan 55% of the same group.The table(s) below show the avaage percentile ranksofthe studentsin this school on eachskill area.Thesecanbe comparedwiththeaverage percentile ranksfortheProvince onthesame tests.

25 Grade 7 CTBS Results, 1994

v_"'I_.. lw...,I ... I..._"IT....

School 33

I

⁴⁴

I

⁴⁸

I

⁴¹

I

⁴⁷

I

^42.6

Prov. 41

I

⁴⁷

I

⁵¹

I

⁴³

I

^S3

I

⁴⁹

For_pk. in I994JtIlMms alStG~gory'JSchoof011DWrap. ptrf'rmrrtd~t«,ito,."ading than 44" and l(YWrtJtw,StS"ofdrt I;rou-<:unadasamp~a/Groth 71tuliAU.

The Canadian Tests of Basic Skills: What do our results

tell

us?

The students from St. Gregory's Scbool scoredbelowtheProvincialAveragein all aeeas. They scored significantly lowerin thevocabularyportion. These results showthat greater emphasis mustbeplaced on the Language Arts. Asa result,the staffwill beimplementinga school-wide cross-cunicular approach to improving the Language Arts program. This emphasis will involve further development of Resource-based Learning and the integration of computers into the curriculum. The schoolbasestablisheda Reading Committee to address interventionsthat can be built into the Language Arts program to improvethe academic perfonn&nCe of the students.

How WeD do our Students Acbieve tbe Objectives oftbe Curriculum?

Criterion-Referenced Tests How well students achievethe objectives of various provincial programs is measured usingcriterion referenced tests (CRTs).Thesediffer from the

ems

in that studentperformance is comparedwith what studerns areexpectedto learn rather than comparing them with other students acrossthecountry.To date students have beentested on Mathematicsingrades 3 and6,onScienceingrade6,coreFrench inGrade6,andWritinginGrade9.Each test is made up of subtests that focus on different partsoftheprograms UnliketheCanadian Test of Basic Skills, theresultsinthe tables below describethe ."e...ge peruDbge or items correct on the taL

26

Grade 6 Mathematics

G...de

Six

Matbematics Test, \995

N_ben.. ~ MuI.~SUtIItb ... ToW

N_ndoIi ~I Ted

§doool 69.2 SSA 45.8 69.2 53.1 62.7

Grade 6 Science

G...de Six

ScieDce

Test, \993 aad \990

Scientific Life Sciences P"""ca1 ^{Earth Total}

",0"""'"

Sciences

Sciences

93

, ..

⁹³

^I..

⁹³

^I..

⁹³

^I..

^{93 190}

SdoooI 52.0 154.4 53.8 147.4 43.2 1348 36.2 141.8 48.8 148.1 ProviDce 61.7 160.2 59.8 158.2 50.4 150.4 52.8 155.6 58.3 157.5 For exalt/pie. in /993 the average score for grade siJ:: students at St. Gregory's School in Scienrijic ProcessesMias52.0%. In /990 Ihe UYerQge score intanhsClencu lI'OS 4/.8'%.

Grade 6 Frtac:h

This French test brings together the language skills of listening, reading,. comprehension, speakingandwriting.Allgrade6 students,withthe exception of some students with special needs.,took the listening. reading and writing components ofthe test. A sample of students

was

selected to complete the oral section ofthetestThe scores presentedin thefeDowing table are the average percentage scored by studentsintheschool andtheProvinceineach pan of the test and forthetotalorallparts of the test.

27

Gnd. sa C.... F.-II, 1996

81.0 64.0 65.8 75.1

rr-iDet 83.8 11.3 69.1 19.8

Fa' aa",pkth~ ~rtlrseon jiwgrtJdt.m:stJu:knuatSt.Cir'rgory sSdtoolInrM~adi1fgfIIId writi1fg~ntoflIu!FrertCltlulwas64.fM.

Grade9Writiag

l1nepieces ofwritingwere evaluated foreachstudent:abestpiece fromthe writingdone duringthe year, •process piecepreparedover a three-week period; and a demand piece. a short piece writtenduringaneightyminuteclass. Thetests were scoredbya panel of classroom teacheninsixdifferentareas ofwritingability:content.,organi.u.tion. senience fluency (variationinsentencestructuTe). wordchoice,voice(howwellthereader sets to knowthewriterbehindthewriting),andconventions(spelling.punctuation. etc.). Five performancelevdswere establisbed foreachuea.Theresldts

I""

^{tbepnuatllaeof}

IhIdeaCsthat adIitw.d .-:

or

above

* 1IIw... .

ItU4ardofperfonaaJlU(i.e.,kvell) aadstaadardofucdlaltt (i.e.. levd 4).

Gnd. NiDe WritiJl&, J... 1996

...-

^{91.8 91.1 91.8 100.0 97.9 91.8 84.3}

...

S<booI

... ...

^{2.0 4.2 2.0 36.7 4.1 4.1 0.0}

.... -

^{98.4 91.8 97.5 98.5 98.4 97.6 96.6}

...

Pro¥iDce

Studardor 39.3 35.3 30.5 52.3 26.3 45.0 23.3

E1c:d1eoce

For e:uunpk. 9J.8%ofgrade nine students at Sl. Gregory's School ocJrinord the JrJini/ffJIm standard in the CCN'f\¥ntions Sl4btest.

Tile eriterio. aeCere.eed Tests:

Wbat do our ...81ts teU us?

ItisevidentthatSt.Gregory'sSc:boolbas

scored

bdow avengeinmostareas

of

testillg.Theschoolisaddressingthe issue of poorCRTscores infour n:LIjorways.

First, tbe school focwofinstructiOClhas changed with theimplanentation of Retourc»basedLearning.Thisallows the students to becomeactiveparticipantsin tbeir learning. Small groups of students work togetherina hands-on approach to instruction.

The school improvement committeehas agreedthatas ofthe1997-1998 school yeartheentire school willplaceII.suong emphasis on I....anguageAtts. Thiswill include a cross-curriculat approachand willbeavilyIDvolv<~

l...eamiog.Inconjunctionwith theresource teacher,each grade Ievdwill engage in resource-basedthematicunits that include specificskill devel.opment.the use of progressivestTa1egies,whichwill contain geoeral andspecific learner outcomes basedontheAtlanticProvincesEducation Foundation.

Secondly. next yearthere willbeone teacher re5pOttSlolefor the instruction of science atthe school. This teacher specializesinscience and instruction wiD occur primarily out aCthenewlyequipped science laboratory. Thiswillallow for

more

expertise inthe

area

and

once

apin

• hands on approach to learning.

28 Thirdly.oneteacherwiDberesponsz"ble foe themajorityofCore Frmchinsuuctionat thescbool.Thiswillallowfor consistency andfluencyin theimpIememation of French.TheFreoc:bteacher isproficient and extremely Imowledgeable of the auriwlum.

FmaDy, •ReadingCommitteebasbeen estabIisbedII SLGregorys to addresslow SCOTtsinLanguage. In1997-1998the entireschoolwill beparticipatingina reading program.. This uninterrupted 5Upervised silent reading (U.S.S.R.) programwiD requireaUstudents, teachers.

administrators and guests to drop whatevertheyace doing and engagein1S minutes of silent reading eacb day. This program will be monitored on an individual,cJas.s,grade and school levd.

The RadingCommitteeis alsolooking at altemale ways to inaease readinginthe curriculum.

29

How is our Attendance?

Attendance canbea factor thatinfluencesa student's academic performance.Overallattendancewould influence the amount of instructionaltimea student received.

St. Crqary'SSdIooI Averaae Aue.d. .«RatebyhrceabllC

Month 1995 1996 Month 1995 1996

1996 1997 1996 1997

Sopt 93.9 94.2 Feb 71.6 89.3

Oct 93.1 92.6 M" 90.1 901

Nov 96.' 92.5 Ape 88.4 90.7

Dec 84.S 90.7 May 89.6 9O.S

Ion 87.4 85.0 luoe 86.7 81.0

The anendance ofthe~appearedto befairlysimilar for the 1995-1996 school yearincomparison to the 1996-1997 school year.Theaverage attendancedid increase slightlyfrom88.17'% to 89.66%.

This1.49'10increase maybearesult of the earlystagesofnewprogramsthat have been introduced to St. Gregory's School this year.Withtheimplementation of the School DisciplinePolicy and School ImprovementInterventions thatwilloccur in 1997-1998it willbe interesting to see theeffectthatthese

new

policies and procedures have ontheattendance rate of the students.

Qne reasoR for the attendance ratebeing low is thatthereare students on the registersthathave been relocated for variousreasons but remain partofthe student population

30

How weD do we graduate

studeats?

SLGrqory's School 1996-1997 GraduationRat~Ptre.ento(SlUdnts

witIaBonoan alld Retfttioa

Graduation rate - the number of graduates from June. 1997as a percem.age of those who were eligible to graduatein1997.

Graduation Rate Pe=atof """"'"gnlduating with 1st class honours Percent ofstudentsgraduating with2ndclass honours Retemi.on of Studtots

10.9%

19.3%

~- the numberof Grade

6studentsinschoolin1993-94 who

were

stillinschoolas Gnde9 students in1996-97.

1st

am

Honoya - overall average of 9()01oor above.

2nd

CJass

Honoya - overall average of 80"10to89010

These statistics reveal that 19.~Ioof our grade9students graduate with eitherfirst or second class honours.

Aswell, 79.3% of the students who

were

enrolled at St. Gregory's School in grade 6wenton to graduate from the school.

How do our Studeuls reel about tbe Quality or tbeir Scbool Lire?

Sttldemsiravariousgradesareregularlyasked how they feelabout the quality oftheirschool lUe.Thesurveysused askstudentswhetherthey agreeor disagreewitha series of statements thatallbeginwith:Schoolis aplace where.... The table below shows the percentage of studentsateachgradelevelwho agreedwith eachoftbe statements, forSt.Gregory's School as comparedwiththe Province.

31

Quality

of School Life Survey, 1995

Stataaalt -School is. pbel!wfIer'e...

,-

Gra....

(%

dMI..,...

^dIe.w.-t)

School Province

Ilike tobe 30.0 61.2

I feel bored 62.0 51.9

Ifeelgoodabout my worle 64.7 17.8

I feel proud tobea student 52.9 70.3

Icangetalongwithmost ofthe students 74.5 85.6 even thoughtheymay notbemyfriends

Ifind mywork interesting 38.8 59.0

I feelimpoltant 37.3 61.8

teacherstreatme fairlyinclass 78.0 80A

teachers help me to domybest 80A 83.2

Forezomp/e. 30'% althe srudel/lSif!St. Gregory"s School agree with the statement "School isQplace where lfiutobe".

In whallypes of activities are students involved?

Researchsuggeststhat factorsthatmake a significantcontribution to student success includetheir habits, activities and attitudes towarddifferentaspectSoftheir schooling The Student Activity Survey was admin- istered by the Department ofEdueation to allstudentsinGrade 7in1994 and again to the same studentsin1996 (grade 9).

The survey gathered infonnation from students on TV watching, homeworJc.

reading habits and preferences,andboth in-schoolandout-of-school activities. The following table shows the results for St.

Gregory's School compared to the provincial average.

32

Grade 7 Student Activity Survey, 1994

I....

I

SchGoI(%)

I

Provintt(%)

I

F...

I

Mole

I T.... I

F...

I... IT....

Daily timespent watching TV

0-1hour 14.] 4.5 9.3 18.7 18.0 18.4

Between1-3hours 61.9 45.5 53.5 59.6 53.2 56.3

>3boon 14.3 45.5 30.2 21.7 28.9 25.3

Where do you use a computer?

I don't use a computer 38.1 31.8 34.9 8.2 9.5 8.9

I use a computer onlyat school 19.0 31.8 25.6 49.9 47.9 48.9 I use a computer only at bome 28.6 31.8 30.2 Il.l 11.6 11.4 Iuse a computerbothat school&: 14.3 4.5 9.3 30.7 ]0.9 30 home

Whichbestdescribes your homework?

Irarelydoanyhomework 0.0 4.5 2.3 1.3 3.9 2.6

Jdo my homework on my own 23.8 27.3 25.6 30.3 29.9 30.1

On my own&: parent sometimes 38.1 18.2 27.9 SI.3 46.5 48.9 checks

Onmy own&:parentalways checks 38.1 50.0 44.2 17.1 19.7 18.4

~r:~r:=~~~~outside

Nonel<1 hour 19.0 36.4 27.9 20.1 41.1 30.7

1-4 hours 52.4 54.5 53.5 54.6 45.1 49.8

5 hours or more 28.5 9.0 18.6 25.3 13.7 19.5

33 Grade 7 Student Activity Suney, 1994

It...

I

^{SdlooI (%)}

I

^{Prov;. . .(%)}

I, _ I... I T.... I ,... I

M~.

IT....

Number afboursper week spentoutside school involvedinorganized activities

None 19.0 27.3 23.3 12.1 13.9 13.1

1-4boor.; 47.6 31.8 39.6 58.4 49.5 53.9

5hoursor more 33.3 40.9 37.2 29.5 36.5 33.0

In/m~ollMgrode snom bo)uill&Grrgory~&11001 i",licflUdthQllh~sp.ndjhoun orman ptr wuk ntJding.fOrplrlUllrt.

Grade 9 Student Activity Survey, June 1996

It...

I

^School("I.)

I

Province (V.)

I,... I

MoJo

IT.... I'... 1... IT....

Abouthow much time do ),ou usually s~on weekdays watching TV or Vl.deotapes?

0-1 hours 25.0 0.0 9.3 10.2 8.9 9.6

Between1-3hours 35.0 41.1 38.9 57.8 48.3 53.0

>3hours 40.0 58.8 51.9 32.0 42.8 37.4

Where doyouuse a computer?

I don't use a computer 00 8.8 5.6 5.4 7.6 6.5

I

use a computer only at

school 60.0 50,0 53.7 46.3 44.0 45.2

1use a computer only at home 5.0 5.9 5.6 9.' 10.8 10.1

Iuse a computerbothat school&.home 35.0 35.3 35.2 38.9 37.6 38.2

34

Gnde 9 Student Activity S...ey. J _ 1996

It...

15<..

01(%)

1...,,(".)

1... I ... 1

T....

1... 1

Molt

1

T....

How manyboutsa week do you~din school involvedin organized activrties ('·8·,baDd, clubs)?

None or lessthan1houraweek 60.0 44.1 50.0 44.7 43.2 44.0

1-4boon

a

week 35.0 50.0 44.4 44.9 45.4 45.1

morethan4 hours aweek 5.0 5.9 5.• 10.4 11.4 10.9

=d~=fn:i~'%YOU~

activities(e.g.spon.s.music.~)

None or lessthan I bour a week 70.0 30.3 45.3 28.2 23.4 25.8

1-4hoursaweek 20.0 18.3 18.8 50.1 39.4 44.8

morethan4 hoursaweek 10.0 5L5 35.8 21.7 37.1 29.4

=:a:l=~~~~r~~d

(including

masaz;ne,)'

None or lessthan1 hour a week 55.0 58.8 57.4 20.8 50.2 35.6

1-4hours aweek 40.0 38.2 38.9 61.7 42.0 51.9

more

than4

hours

5.0 2.9 3.7 17.4 7.8 12.5

How muchtimedo youspendperweek involunteer activities?

none or lessthan1 hour aweek 75.0 70.6 72.2 66.8 76.2 71.5

1-3 hours aweek 25.0 29.4 26.9 28.1 19.0 23.5

morethan 3hours a week 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.2 4.9 50

~,:,"::::;;~.:;:r:Q~:J!/;;e':su~.nineboysinSt.Gregory's School indicoted thot they spend.jhoun

Wbat do tbe ...15 Crom tbese surveys teU us?

Thesummary oftheseresults ranforceswhat the tellCben ofSt. Gregory's Schoolbad already suspecled.The studentswerebdow theprovincialaveragein many areas. The resultsthat theschoolhasaddressed are the foUowing:

I. As thestUdentsgetolder theamountof readingthattheyengageinoutside of scbooldeaeases.InGnIde7. 28.5%(girls) and 9.0%. (boys)read IDOrethan4hoursa week for pleasure. Thisdroppedto 5.00/0 (girls) and2.9"/0 (boys) wben they reached Grade9. Similarly,in Grade1,19.()O/o (girls)and 36.4% (boys) read none or less than Ihoura week. Thisincreasedto 55.')";' (girls)m::I.58.8% (boys)bythe time theyreachedGrade9.

To compensalC for reading outside ofthe

scbool.

St.Gregory'sbasputtogethera ReadingInterventionCommitteethatbas addressed this issue. Asof September 1997.the entirescbooIbodywillparticipate inanurintenupted~silentreading progmn.

2.During this two yearperiod thestudents who weresurveyeddc:creasedtheamount oftimethey participatedinvolwncering, organized activities and school activities.

TheSl.UVeyresultsshowthatthestudents at St.Gregory's School need to be exposed to structured activities outside of the school day. Many new groups havebeen fonned withthebdpoftbc teechcrs, administration andwiththe assistance of volunteers. Itis a goal ofthescbool to provide a wide

35 wrielyofexua-auTicular activities thai:woWdappealtotheinterest of

aD

studtsttThis woukf alloweach studenttheopportunity tobecome activdyinvolvedinan ahemate aspectofschoollife.

J. Theamowtt of timethat the stUdeats engaged in watching television had increased. The school cannot prevent students fromwatching television,butif extra-eunicuJar activities are available for the student to engage in,thanlesstimemaybe spentin front of the television.

The teachers at St. Gregory's Scbool arehopingthatthenew readingprogramand theResource- bued Learning progmn will encourage stUdents to take a more active role in their education outside ofschool

4. Thetestresultsdidshowthatour students use of computersbad increased during the two year period.llis wouldhave to do Mth theinstaI1atioo oftbenewcomputer lab. However,in1997-1998the schoolwillbeaSTELLAR School and hook-up tothe Internet. With the training of staffmembers.,the studentswill receive more exposure 10 the use of computers, andthe Internet.Itis a goal of the school that each stUdent MU have one piece of hiYher work displayed on theInternet.

Wbat extra-curricular activities are offered at our scbool?

WhatProgramsare ofl'ertdilloar School!

This year St. Gregory's Schoolhasalso ina-eased theamountofextraeurricu1M activities that stUdents have become involvedwithat the school.Theyare as follows: (. indicates new activities as of 1996 - 1997)

Basketball VoUeyboll Inuumuab PepRallies·

Sports Days

Sports Events (athletic tournaments, bowting,skating, hockey,

- g J

Teacher/Students Athletics Cheerleaders Chess Group Student Newspaper Group Quilting Group • Wall Painting Group' FieldTrips (StJohn's harbour. Brother Brennan Environmental Centre, Fluvarium, St. John's Maple

Leafs..

RCMP Headquarters, Bird Island Charters, Bowling. Skating) ConcertsOocalmists) Recycling GrouplEnvironmental Group'

Peer Tutoring LeadershipIPastoral Group' School Coneen BandlCboir Traveling BoolcstorelUsed Bookstore Resource Centre Helpers •

36

Wbat special distiDCtiODS have been awarded to our studeDts aDd teacbers?

Smdent pjstinctions and AwardS The boys' basketball team won the District and Regional Championships and earneda silvermedal al the ProvincialChampionship.

Onestudenr:represented Newfoundland at a National soccer tournamentin British Columbia.

Thebandreceivedsilver, at the Rotary Festival.

TaCh"

Distinctions and

Awards A staff member received an InternationalAwardfor the publication of herwritingina professional journal.

The schoolwasapproved to become a STELLAR School. Two of the scbool's on-line projects received FederallProvincial Funding

from

GrassRoots.Aswell., one project was enteredin theSTELLAR Heritage Web Fair. Itreceived

a

wonderfulreview fromthecoordinators.

'The Grade6 leacherwascommissioned bytheCanadian Olympic Committee to be an official artist at the upcoming Olympics.

The Music teacher was involvedinthe production of a CDthatwas recently releasedwithher instrumental accompaniment.

Wb.l is lb.

1i•••

ci.1 positio. of lb. Scbool?

St.Gn:gory's isnot.wcahbyschoolItis animercity school thatserves awide raDgeofsocio-ccooomicbackgrounds.In 1996-1997, 34%oftbestudentsreceived socialassistaoce.ThisdoesDOtioctude thestudeatsthatcome fromhomesthat aceconsidered tobetheworkingclass poor.Duetothis particularsituationthe schoolrequiresmoney toassist some individualswith thebasic necessities of life.

The school receives between 550-55per student each year from the District Budget.ThisistoCXlVa"operational costs., runningthe scbool, instruction, supplies.

resourcesaDdupgmIing. Aspecified portion ofthismoneyisdesignatedfor instructionalmaterialssuch as resource materials.

St.Gregory'sSchoolcannotprov;de a weU roundededucation toitstudents based solely onthedistrictbudget. As a resultitbastogoto the schoolpopulation andcommunity to raiseextra funds.

St.Gregory's bas beeninvolvedinawide variety of fund·raising activities over the pastyear. However,thestafffinditvery discoungingattimesbecausemany ofthe familiesdonothavetheextra money tobe supportingthe school. Therefore. the schoolbastried to approachthepublic withitsfund·raising activities.

37

St. Gregory'sScboolreceived58.644.21 fromfund-raisingactivities inaddition to products (such1$books.,videocoupons.

piz:z:asetc.).

ThefoDowing isalistoffimd.raising activitiesthatthe school participated in duringthe1996-1997academicyear.

fugd.Aisj0R .griyjrics for 1926-1997 Christmas giftlcbocolatc Sale Sub Runs

Scholastic Book Club Scholastic Book Fair DominioniSobeysGroceryTapes T-sbittSaies

Pi<:tutelprintSales Poster Sales Traveling Bookstore Hockey Ticket Draw Lap-A-Thoo Il<cyding Bake Sales Con Food

om.

PizuSlice Sales

The money and products that were obtainedfromthefund-raising activities wereusedforthefoUowing:

Basketball wrifonns GymoqWpmenl - basketb.us, voUeyballs. badminton racquets and birdies

Athletic registration fees. refereefees Networking the computerlab and offi",

Resource Centre materials Instructional supplies Upgradingcomputer equipment STELLAR School applicationand hook-up

Pastoral room operation and dedication

Parent volunteer ceremony, volunteer

thank-YOU

Guest speakersandcaneens Fieldtrip -registration costs, puticipation fees Discipline Committee - supplies Postage

School insurance· (for students

wno

could not afford coverage) Food (for students who were on assistance,hadnothadbreakfast or forgot their lunch)

Replacement ofmissing or damaged equipment

38

CHAPTER FOUR Critical Ret1ections

Choosingto complete an imemship as thefinalcomponentintheMaster of Education degree provided me with the opportunity <a) to develop the hands on skills necessaryinthe field of learning resources.,(b)to applythe theoretical component of my educationina practical manner,and (c) togaina better understanding of school culture. The internship programallowedme togain practicaltraininginthearea of Resouree-based Learning as well as participatein the dailyroutinesandvarietyof roles undertakenbytheLearningResource teacher. This experience was extremelybeneficialinmy deveJopment as a competent professionalinthisarea

Thissection ofthereportisa persooal reflection of my observations/experiences and whatIhave learned during my internship. They are categorised into the following areas Teaching Staff;theRoleofthePrincipal; Schoollmprovement;andThe Role of the Learning

Resource Teacher

The; Tc:acliioB StaffandSchool Cn!hlre

Asreportedinthe school report,thereate17 teachers onstaff at St. Gregory's School (9fulltimeclassroom

teachers.

2specialeducation teachers and 6 halftimespecialist teachers). Althoughthereisafulltimeprincipal, the assistant principalhasfull timeteaching duties.In the1997-1998schoolyeartbe assistant principalwillbave halftime administrative dutiesandhalf timeteaching duties. Inaddition, this schoolhasone pan time guidance

40 counselor (3/4time),ODechallengingneedsteacher(42010)and, 4 specialist teachersinthe areas ofrwsic,band, pbysic::a1educationandIeamiDgresources (each 1/2 time). The school receivesthe suppan of twofulltimestudent assistantsand one halftime student assistant.

In1988 St Gregory's Schoolchangedfruman

an

girlsK-9scbooIto a co-educational juniorhighsc:booI (grades6-9) whenitmergedwiththelocalallboysschool.Thisnotonly resultedina loss of the primary gradesandteachenbutthe inheritance ofboysandnew junior highteachers.Thetwo staffs remainedseparatein many ways, eventuaUyestablishing tbeirown cliques. Overtimeother cliques developed based onthe layout of the school and teachers that workedinproximitytoeachother or in isolation.

Thestaffturnoverwaslimitedattheschool. Many afthe teachers bavespenttheir entire teaching careersatSt.Gregory'sScboo~whichhasresultedina school culturethat

was

closedand not receptive to

new

stafforoutsideinitiatives. School culture asusedinthis repon.refers10"thewaywedothings aroWKI here"(Deal&Kennedy, 1982, p.4 as citedin Brown, 1992,p,12). Schein (1985) gives a more formal definition of school culture:

Apattern ofbasic assumptions - invented., discovered, or developed by a given group asitlearns to copewithits problemsofClCternaladaptation and internal integration - that basworkedwellenough tobeconsidered valid and. therefore, tobe taught to new member.; as the correct way to perceive, think, and feelinrelation to these problems. (p.9 as citedin Brown,. 1992, p.12)

In 1996-1997 the schoolexperiencedmany changesinstaffpersonnel. Due to retirementsandeducational leaves. St. Gregory's School receivedeightfulltimeandpart

41 timestaff(seven ofwbichwereon replaeemem positions).Thischangeinstaffplaced great pressureontheschool culture.Thesenewstaffmembersbroughtwiththemtheknowledge anddesire to irnplemem:o.arc:ntandinnovativetellCbiIIgmethodsandtechniques.Theformer staff'triedtomaintaintheculture existing thett:. Thenew teacherscouldbavea.ssi.milated into the currentculture,.butinsteadtheyestablishedtbeiTown unique o.llture. Throughout the yearthesenew teacherschallengedthepreviousstaff to chaoge, nus broughtabout instabilityandcontlietbothinand outsidethestafIioom. StoU and Fink (I996) statethat ''because cultureiscreatedbyitspanicipanu.itinevitably changes as participants change, aJthoughitcan alsobeastabilizingforce, particularly for longer-standing members"(p.83).

Theresultisthat thestaffpresentedrrwtycharacteristicsthatare referred toinStoll and Fink (1996)as dysfunctionalstaffrelations. Many conditionsoccurredcreating stress among thestaff.There

was

a differenceinperception afhow the school

was

functioning.

One clique clung on to a false identity ofbowthe schoolbadperformedinthe past.,though some othersfeltthiswasnot a true representation aCthe reality.Whenconfronted to change some oftilecurrentpractices.

new

routineswere often met with resistanu. Reynolds (1995), refers tothis as 'clingons', "where people carry on doingthingsbecause they have always been donethatway, and ofhowproblems presented for advice are often masks for real problems ofmorale.competence and feelings of failure" (ascitedinStollandFink,. 1996,p.

34).Byhangingon to the image ofthepastand previous practices the staffhas refused to changeor areattemptingto avoidchangewherever POSSIble.Someofthe staff have avoided taking risks for fear of failure. Itwas felt thatthiscouldexplainthe failure of previous

42 attemptsofintroducing school improvement and Resource-basedLearningintotheschool

This year (1996-1997)thestaffmade many steps towardsbecominga !leaIthierand happiersWfBoundaries began to break down and doors began to open. The staff began tobuildstronger relations by

sharinB

teaching plllCtices andsocializingwitheach other These progressionscould becontributedto thechangeinstaff:(includingthe administration), and the efforts towards school improvement.

Itwill beinteresting to seeifthese changes

were

only temporary oriftheywill become permanent.Themajority ofthe

new

staffwere on replacement positionsandleft the school as of June 1996. This means thattherewillbenewfaces entering the staffioomin September. Thiswillresultinanewcultureagainbeing built withintheschooL Itis unfornmatebutthreeof thenewstaffmembers arecomingtothe school not out of their own choice,butbecausethey have become redundant in other schools and have been reassigned toSt.Gregory's

TheRole oflhe Principal in Changing School C"lhiTe

Or. M Ttemey wasappointedthe position ofprincipalo£St. Gregory's School after a major shuffleinpersonnelinthe school board office. This was adirectresult of the referendum regarding educationinthe Newfoundland and Labrador education system in 1996. To thebenefitof St. Gregory's School,Or.Tierney brought with her a solid background intheareas of administration, Resource-based Learning.and school improvement.

43 For 140 years prior10Dr.Tierney's appointment,theschoolhadbeenbuiltand administeredbyone Catholic religious order. Theprevious administration of the school retJectedthistraditionandtended 10behierarchical.withdecisionsbeingmade at the board or administration levelandshareddecisionmakingwiththeteaching staff rarely occurring.

This top-<lown process of decisionmakingdid not take into consideration theneedsand feelingsoftheteachingstaff andas aresultthere

was

tension between the teachingstaffand administration.

OuBrin(1995)inhisbookLeadership: Research Findings, Practices,andSkills.

states that the transfonnationalleader aspires to renovatetheculture or subculture of the organization. Transformation takes place when the leader. "(a) raises people's awareness, (b)helps people lookbeyondsdf·interest (c)helps peoplesearch for self-fulfillment. (d) helps people understand theneedfor change (e) invests managers with sense of urgency(f)is committed to greamess"(p. 69). The arrival ofDr.Tierney and her transformational leadership style brought about positive. major changes to the school.

Her focus on cooperation, collaboration and buildingtrustis outwardly displayed when she treats her staff and studentswithdignity and respect. Over thepastyear a partnership hasbeen builtbetweenthe administration and the staff.Thisis represented by a balanceofpowerwith allparties. With this new leadmhip approach, power is not enforced by the principal, but "opportunities are built for others to assume leadership roles through involvement and empowerment" (StoU&Fink, 1996, p_ 52). Thus, power and leadership are shared by many within the school.

44 Through dialogueanddiscussionwiththeSlaf(Dr.Tierneybastriedto create a positivescboolclimateandimprove schoolspiritSomeofthese initiatives were: repainting parts oftheschoolwithmore pleasant colours anddesigns, encouragingthepublic display and recognition of students accomplishments,and byestablishingnew traditions at St Gregory's School. Allofthese efforts wue directedat changing negative attitudes and buildinga positivespiritwithinthe school. These werealldonein consultationwithvarious members afthe school community.

Dr.Tierneyrecognizeda need for team building(inorder to break-down the cliques that hadbeenestablished). Thestaff'neededto build apositiveschool climate where there was an environment of teamwork andtrust (Heck,Larsen andMarcoilides. 1990).Ifthis issuewasnotaddressed positive ctwlges would not haveOCCUlTed.Staffmeetings

were

dirc:eted tothismatter.Dr.Tierneybroughtina psychiatrist from an outsideagencytowork withher staff'in creatingnewstaffdynamics wbich includedtrust,sharing, risk taking and working together Theprincipal's efforts towards (team) building requiredboth empowerment and vision(DuBrin,1995).

Themajor taskthatDr.TierneytackledwithlIle student population

was

violence.In a survey tbat was takenin1995·1996, students and parents showed a concern towards the personalphysicalsafety of the students andtheirproperty. Counteracting this problemwas achieved through the implementation of a school wide anti·violence programandzero tolerance for displays of violence.Dr.Tierneyand the school improvement committee is in theprocess ofestablishing a partnership betweenthe RoyalNewfoundland Constabularyand

45 St.Gregory'sSchoolinorder to promote thesafety oftbe students and school community Dr.Ttcroey'spositionISprincipalofSt. Gregory's Schoolisfar more extensivethen thatof a traditional school administrator. There are many roles thatshemust Wldertake 10 bringaboutchange.Dr.Tierneyisaware thatthesechanges will not occur over night,and sheispersonallyand professionallypreparedforthis cballenge.

Schoo!Improyemem

Schools arebeingmade more accountable to theDepartmentof Education, school boards and communities fortheinstructionthatis beingdelivered to students.Asa result.

they haveencouragedand,in!lOme instancesmandatedthat theirschoolsengageinschool improvemeut.School improveroc:m: isseeDas a means of improving thequalityofeducation oftheirstudents.Teachersare seen as the implementors oftbispositivechange by engaging inplanning. taking action, and participating in ongoing evaluation.

Patterns of behaviourmustbe modified.This is a lengthy process that takestime School improvement requiresthe cooperative efforts ofaUmembers to pull togetherand strivetowards a cormnon goal.Theefforts ofthe groupareexhibited inthe results of stUdent learning.This isan ongoing cyclical process..The process of school improvement requires thestaffto growand developtogether as a ttam. As a teamtheirefforts ace recognized and supported. Thisbuildstrustandsupport.Schoo!improvement"'hasthepotentialto generate theenergy andknowledge neededtosupponhealthy learningcommunities" (Calhoun, 1993, p.68).

46 In tbepast.theschoolroftureat St.Gregory'sSchoolhas workedagainsttheefforts of school improvement. Thescboolculturewas closed andDOtconducive to innovation Duringthe1995-1996school yearthe school board steppedinandrequiredSt. Gregory's School. to participateintheschool improvement process. Wrth the direction of school board penormd, St.Gregory'sSchool wentthroughtheinitial steps of school improvement.The principalappointedstaffmembeR tob«:omcpartoftheschoolimprovement committee.The staDdardizedquestionnaires were dimibuted. collectedand analyzed. Afinalreport was compiledandsharedwiththestaffduringan inservice day.After discu.ssing the report, a draftversion of a mission statementwas developed bythestaff Ittooktheschool improvement committee a year to finallybring thedrafted version afthe missionstatement 10acceptance.

Thestaff:however, never genuinelyboughtintotheconcept of school improvement.

Theywere unable to work together as one cohesive unit in establishingandobtainingtheir goals.Itisimperative thatthestaffbuyinto the concept of school improvement and take ownership and responsibility for their effons (Stoll&Fink, 1996).Itis important that the group stay focused and committed to the process.Iftheylose sight oftheirfocus., their efforts may produce lessthanfavourable results.

The arrival ofDr.Tierney and her background knowledge in school improvement initiativesprovedtobepositiveinthe process of school improvement.Dr.Tierney opened upthecommitteetoallstaffmembers and welcomed their efforts.The school improvement committee createda subcommittee thatfocusedonschool discipline.InOctober 1996.the

47 school discipline committee (comprised of four teachers, one parentandtwo students) worked towards creating areportthatdealt with topicssuchasthephilosophy for dealing with discipline issues, school-wide expectations. and the processandprocedures tobe followed in dealingwithbehavioural problems. Up until this pointintime.therewasDO written school policy. It

was

expectedthat everyoneknew therules becauseitbadalway1:

beenthatway.Thisallowed for inconsistencyamongthestaff.especiaIJy betweenthe cliques that bad formed. Acopyof the reportwascirculatedtoallstaff and patents for their input.

Once

revised.

thereport

was

approvedbytheschool improvement committee.

Theschoolimprovementcommittee metinIwe (for a one day inservice) to establish thedirect:i.onthatitwouldfollowduringthe 1997-1998school year. Its first decision was for allstaffrnc:mbcfstoimpIememconsistendy theschooldiscipIi:nepolicy as of September. The school improvement committee was given a brief synopsis ofthedraftoftheschool profile report(chapter three). The report showedthatthestudents have consistently donepoorly onstaDdardizcdtests and criterion referenced tests. It

was

stressed that therewasa definite needto concentrate school effortsinthe areas ofLanguage Arts.

Theschoolimprovementoomrnitteeagreedthat duringthe 1997-1998 school year the entire school would place a strong emphasis on LanguageArts.Thiswillinclude a cross-- curricular approachthatwillheavily involve Resource-based Learning.Inconjunctionwith the resource teacher. each grade levelwillengageinresource-based thematic units that include specificskilldevelopment, the use of progressive strategies,andcontain general and specific learner outcomes based ontheAtlantic Provinces Education Foundation.