· Administered the Grade 8 Reading Fall Assessment across all Block B classes.

· Convened a cross-departmental team (Social Studies, Math, Science, ELL, Literacy Coordinator, District Consultant) to analyze assessment results.

· Identified and prioritized literacy strategies for improvement:

• Teach two-column notes and mind maps.
• Explicitly teach paraphrasing and annotation.
• Model framing answers using question wording.
• Emphasize depth of response and making connections.

·  Gap Identified: Students struggle with:

• Showing their thinking clearly.
• Providing detailed responses.
• Matching responses to the question asked.
• Annotating texts and engaging deeply with reading.

·  Why chosen: These strategies directly target comprehension and critical thinking skills, which are foundational for success across all subject areas. Improving literacy will enhance students’ ability to access curriculum and demonstrate learning effectively.

·  Quantitative: 93% of students completed the Fall Assessment, indicating some similar student patterns.

·  Qualitative: Teacher review revealed:

• Limited annotation on texts.
• Responses lacked depth and detail.
• Students often misinterpreted questions.

·  Effectiveness so far: The assessment provided valuable baseline data and highlighted areas for improvement, and implementation of strategies will be discussed at our next grade 8 team meeting

• Next Steps:
  • Share with staff on teaching note-making, paraphrasing, and annotation.
  • Embed literacy strategies across all subject areas.
  • Monitor progress through ongoing formative assessments and student work samples and look towards gathering more student data in the next assessment
• Adjustments:
  • If goals are not met, increase targeted interventions (e.g., small group support, literacy workshops).
  • Revisit strategies and refine based on student feedback and performance data.