Panorama Park Elementary 25-26

Our Focus: A Growing Journey in Writing

Over the past three years, the learners at Panorama Park Elementary have been on a purposeful journey to strengthen student writing. What began as a shared inquiry has grown into a cohesive, school-wide commitment to developing confident, capable writers.

Today, our learners are deeply engaged in the English Language Arts Curricular Competency of Writing, using a variety of strategies to communicate and articulate their ideas with increasing clarity and purpose. Students demonstrate their thinking through oral, written, visual, and digital forms, with a strong emphasis on voice, agency, and authentic expression.

Across the school, students engage in rich literacy experiences: read-alouds, story workshops, morning meetings, journaling, “walk and talk,” imaginative play, and the intentional use of the writing process. Tools such as TouchChat, visuals, and structured supports ensure that all learners can access and engage in writing.

Our Journey (2023–2026)

Our school-wide writing focus began in the 2023–2024 school year with a simple but powerful first step: a baseline writing sample connected to identity during Black History Month. Students explored the contributions of Black Canadians, connecting historical learning to present-day relevance. Through research, reflection, and creative expression, they developed writing that was thoughtful, purposeful, and deeply personal. Classroom displays and student work demonstrated not only improved writing skills, but a stronger sense of voice and identity.

This experience brought staff together to co-create a shared writing rubric aligned with BC Curricular Competencies, establishing consistency in both instruction and assessment as well as engagement in writing resources. More importantly, it created a common language around writing across the school.

These curricular competencies include:

• Use writing and design processes to plan, develop, and create texts for a variety of purposes and audiences

• Use language in creative and playful ways to develop personal style

• Communicate in sentences and paragraphs, applying conventions of Canadian spelling, grammar, and punctuation

In the years since, this work has deepened:

• Writing instruction is now intentionally embedded across all classrooms (K–7)
• A writing cohort with learners from Grades 1-6 has been established to monitor student growth over time
• Staff collaboration has strengthened through shared practices and professional learning
• Learners now engage in authentic writing opportunities that connect to identity, inquiry, and real-world contexts

Evidence of Growth

Over time, multiple sources of evidence show clear and measurable progress:

• Writing Samples (Monthly): Demonstrate growth in organization, idea development, and conventions from baseline to end-of-year
• Rubric-Based Assessments: Show steady improvement in paragraph structure, sentence fluency, and editing
• Speech Fest: Provides an authentic, summative opportunity for students to apply the full writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, presenting)
• Student Reflections: Indicate increased confidence and ownership of writing goals
• Conferencing & Observations: Show greater independence in applying feedback and revising work

We can confidently report that student writers across Panorama Park are making meaningful progress. Our growing Indigenous learner population is also demonstrating continued development within an inclusive and responsive learning environment.

Measurable Targets (Current Stage of Our Journey)

As our work has evolved, so have our expectations. We now use the following measurable targets to guide instruction and monitor impact. This year, we also shifted from whole school tracking and began tracking a cohort of 15 learners across Grades 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6, and they will continue to be monitored over the coming years. Our analysis of the data is:

We have measurable growth within:

• Organization of writing (clear paragraph structure)
• Development of ideas (supporting details)
• Use of Canadian conventions
• Writing stamina
• Independent completion of writing tasks
• Setting and monitoring personal writing goals
• Willingness to take risks in writing
• Stronger expression of voice and identity
• Reflection on growth using self-assessment tools
• Greater participation in sharing opportunities

                              Growth Over Time

Writing achievement has shown substantial improvement over the past three years. The percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations (Proficient or Extending) remained stable at 44% in both 2023–2024 and 2024–2025, before increasing dramatically to 80% in 2025–2026 among students receiving targeted writing support.

Important Statistics:Key Gains Over Three Years

Reduction in Emerging Writers

• Emerging writers decreased from 26% in 2023–2024 to 24% in 2024–2025 and to 0% in 2025–2026.
• This represents a 100% reduction in students performing at the Emerging level among the Writing Plan Cohort of Learners.

Increase in Proficiency

• Learners achieving Proficient increased from 40% to 66.7% over the three years.
• This is a gain of 26.7 percentage points, representing a 67% increase in learners meeting grade-level writing expectations.

Growth in Extending Achievement

• Learners achieving Extending increased from 4% in 2023–2024 to 13.3% in 2025–2026.
• The proportion of  learners exceeding expectations has more than tripled over three years.

Students Meeting or Exceeding Expectations

• The percentage of students achieving Proficient or Extending rose from 44% in both previous years to 80% in 2025–2026.
• This represents:
  • 36 percentage-point growth
  • An 82% increase in learners meeting or exceeding expectations.

Writing Achievement Continues to Rise

Panorama Park's focused writing interventions have resulted in significant improvements in student achievement over the past three years.

• The percentage of students achieving Proficient or Extending increased from 44% in both 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 to 80% in 2025–2026.
• The proportion of students performing at the Extending level more than tripled, increasing from 4% to 13.3%.
• Overall, four out of every five students receiving targeted writing support achieved proficiency or higher, demonstrating the positive impact of ongoing assessment, intervention, and responsive instruction.

Instructional Practice

Within the classroom, educators support and implement:

• The writing process (plan, draft, revise, edit, publish)
• Common instructional language aligned with ELA Curricular Competencies
• Use formative assessment to guide instruction
• Collaborate through professional learning to refine practice
• Monitor a longitudinal cohort to track sustained growth over time
• Communicate ideas clearly and effectively
• Demonstrate writing growth
• Celebrate student voice and learning

Classroom Practice in Action

This growth is reflected in our classrooms, where students engage in intentional and creative writing experiences:

• Descriptive Non-Fiction Writing: Learners research, organize, and present ideas using structured writing and text features
• Creative Writing with Loose Parts: Learners build oral language and imagination, transitioning ideas into structured written narratives
• Narrative Writing: Learners develop stories with a clear structure, supported by mentor texts and guided practice
• Speech Fest: Learners craft and present persuasive writing, strengthening both written and oral communication

Where We Are Now

Three years ago, our focus was on establishing a baseline and a shared understanding of writing. Today, we are a school where:

• Writing instruction is intentional, consistent, and collaborative
• Learners see themselves as writers with voice and purpose
• Evidence of growth is clear, measurable, and ongoing

Next Steps: Deepening Student Writing

Analyzing Student Writing Data & Identifying Strengths

Through the analysis of student writing samples, assessment data, and student voice, several consistent strengths have been identified. Our learners:

• Clearly articulate their ideas when writing is connected to personal identity and lived experiences
• Learn and apply writing strategies with increasing confidence (ELA Curricular Competencies)
• Engage in authentic, school-wide writing opportunities that support communication and idea development
• Demonstrate confidence in sharing their thinking (Personal Awareness & Responsibility)
• Recognize the importance of brainstorming as part of the writing process
• Benefit from scaffolds such as:
  • Word banks and visuals
  • Multimedia supports (e.g., videos)
  • Graphic organizers
• Participate in meaningful peer discussions that foster creative and critical thinking

These strengths form a strong foundation for continued growth in writing.

Next Steps in Our Writing Journey

Based on formative and summative assessment data, Panorama Park will continue to focus on English Language Arts and Writing within the Student Learning Plan.

Student Learning Goals: Our learners will:

• Set personalized writing goals (e.g., improving conventions, expanding vocabulary, strengthening storytelling techniques)
• Engage in regular reading across genres to build awareness of structure, voice, and style (Big Ideas in ELA)
• Write consistently across contexts (journals, creative, and non-fiction writing) to build fluency and stamina
• Strengthen the use of Canadian writing conventions through editing and revision
• Build academic and descriptive vocabulary to communicate ideas clearly and effectively
• Use feedback and self-assessment tools (checklists, peer input, teacher conferencing) to revise and refine their work

School Commitments: To support this work, we will:

• Monitor a cohort of learners over multiple years to track longitudinal growth
• Use ongoing formative assessment to guide instruction and measure progress alongside summative data
• Continue to embed inclusive, culturally responsive teaching practices, including Indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing
• Apply the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, and editing) to complete a summative assessment, using Speech Fest as an authentic platform to present and share learning.

Instructional Response: To support student growth, educators will:

• Provide explicit instruction in paragraph structure, idea development, and writing conventions
• Model effective writing strategies aligned with ELA curricular competencies
• Incorporate frequent opportunities for guided, independent, and collaborative writing
• Use formative assessment and feedback to support continuous improvement
• Integrate inclusive and culturally responsive practices, including Indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing, where appropriate

Targeted Instructional Focus Areas

Descriptive Non-Fiction Writing

Learners will:

• Conduct research and identify key information
• Use tools such as Venn diagrams and graphic organizers to compare and analyze ideas
• Draft writing that clearly organizes and interprets factual information
• Apply the writing process (plan, draft, revise, edit) to produce polished, publishable work

Creative Writing & Literary Paragraphs

Learners will:

• Use writing prompts and hands-on materials (e.g., loose parts) to generate ideas
• Incorporate descriptive language (adjectives, vivid verbs, transitions)
• Use organizational tools such as graphic organizers and brainstorming strategies
• Focus on sentence clarity, structure, and conventions
• Revise writing to improve coherence, detail, and overall impact using editing checklists

Narrative Writing Process

Learners will:

• Plan writing using story maps and outlines
• Draft narratives with clear structure (beginning, middle, end)
• Revise for organization, clarity, and flow of ideas
• Edit for grammar, punctuation, and spelling
• Share, publish, and celebrate their work, strengthening their identity as writers

Goal and Looking Ahead

Through these next steps, Panorama Park is committed to developing confident, capable, and engaged writers. By strengthening students’ ability to communicate ideas with clarity, creativity, and purpose, we support their success across all areas of learning while fostering a strong sense of identity. Grounded in equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive practice, our ongoing journey is not only about improving writing skills but about empowering every learner to express their voice with confidence and make a meaningful impact.