Our Vision: A future in which all students achieve their full potential in literacy.
The purpose of the HWDSB Literacy Improvement Project is to:
- enhance student performance by building teacher capacity in instruction and assessment
- improve student performance in oral and print communication skills, particularly reading, in schools where pupils have been identified as high needs based on literacy performance indicators
- bring about a sustained narrowing of the performance gap between less and more advantaged learners within the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board.
Identification of Literacy Project Schools:
Literacy performance indicators from EQAO scores over the last number of years were first considered at the beginning of the Literacy Project; however, EDI results and status as a Comprehensive Education School were also reviewed. Eighteen schools were initially identified as being in need of this support, of which the eleven most needy were included in the first cycle of intervention. In January, 2004, the Literacy Improvement Project was refined and six additional schools were added. Subsequently, in November, 2004, an additional 7 schools were added, and in September, 2005, one additional school was included bringing the total number of Literacy Improvement Project Schools to 25. At the present, every school within the HWDSB has an allocation of at least .5 of a Literacy Improvement Project Teacher.
Staff Allocation
In our schools, the Literacy Improvement Project Teacher’s main focus is to support teachers by providing in-school training on specific literacy initiatives, running book clubs, modelling specific strategies and classroom literacy routines for teachers, working with small guided reading groups, helping to begin and maintain a levelled book room, and many other programs.
