Concord+West+PS

Concord West PS is a school located in Sydney's Inner West. The school has an excellent reputation in Performing Arts and School/Community Partnerships. The school serves an ever increasing multicultural community with 61% of students coming from LBOTE. The predominant languages spoken at home are Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Italian and Hindi. There are 35 cultural groups represented at Concord West PS.
 * When || Plan of Action || How || Who || Completed ||
 * T1 W9 || Discuss focus question with the staff. || K-6 staff meeting || Karen ||  ||
 * T2 W1 || Complete and collate staff and parent surveys. || K-6 staff meeting and informal discussion with targeted parents || Action inquiry research team ||  ||
 * T2 W2 || Discuss comprehension and introduce reading comprehension handouts 1, 2 & 3 and texts to support literacy in the classroom. || Stage meetings x 2 || Karen ||  ||
 * T2 W3 || Complete student pre- assessment material. || Assess small groups which reflect class abilities. To be completed as part of class literacy session. || Action inquiry research team and ES1 S1 S2 S3 ||  ||
 * T2 W3 || Collate assessment data || Team meeting || Action inquiry research team ||  ||
 * T2 W4 || Create explicit lessons sequences that introduce and implement the six steps to successful comprehension. (Connecting, visualising, questioning, monitoring, predicting and summarising.) || In fortnightly cycles, lesson sequences are implemented. Two weeks on factual texts and two weeks on literary texts. || Action inquiry research team per their stage group ||  ||
 * T2 W5 || Consultant visit || Teachers to view consultant teaching visual literacy strategies in 2x30 minute lessons. Team meeting with consultant. || Action inquiry research team ||  ||
 * T2 W6 || Visual literacy staff meeting. Advise staff on the lesson sequences that team members have introduced and implemented. Introduce the staff to the six steps to successful comprehension. || Staff meeting || Action inquiry research team ||  ||
 * T2 W8 || Team reflection after one action research cycle. || Reflection meeting || Action inquiry research team ||  ||
 * T3 W1 || Discuss the implementation of strategies with the team. Re-assess and discuss relevant strategies. || Reflection meeting || Stage meetings ||  ||
 * T3 W1-4 || Complete second action research inquiry cycle. || In fortnightly cycles, lesson sequences are implemented. Two weeks on factual texts and two weeks on literary texts. || Action inquiry research team per their stage group ||  ||
 * || Team reflection after second action research cycle. || Reflection meeting || Action inquiry research team ||  ||
 * T3 W6-10 || Complete third action research inquiry cycle. || In fortnightly cycles, lesson sequences are implemented. Two weeks on factual texts and two weeks on literary texts. || Action inquiry research team per their stage group ||  ||
 * T3 W10 || Team reflection after third action research cycle. || Reflection meeting || Action inquiry research team ||  ||
 * T4 W1-4 || Complete the post- assessment material ||  || Action inquiry research team ||   ||
 * T4 W1-4 || Complete the power point for presentation at “Project Showcase”. Present project to staff. ||  || Action inquiry research team ||   ||
 * T4 W4 || Present project to staff. ||  || Action inquiry research team ||   ||
 * __Context statement __**
 * __Context statement __**

Concord West PS achieved excellent results in the 2009 NAPLAN. In Year 3, 61% of students were proficient and were higher than the state mean in all aspects of literacy. In Year 5, 27% of students were proficient and were higher than the state mean in all aspects of literacy, except reading. Best Start results for Kindergarten 2010 showed that 74% students achieved 1st cluster, 24% achieved 2nd cluster and 2% achieved 4th cluster in the area of comprehension.
 * __Rationale__**

We have a concern about the growth on literacy from Year 3 to Year 5. The School Plan has targeted inferential comprehension as an area for training and development, to further improve student performance. Through best practice, quality teaching and explicit learning programs, students K-6 reading comprehension strategies will be enhanced.

An emphasis on teaching visual literacy strategies and how they support comprehension will be the focus of this action inquiry project. The purpose is for students to have visual literacy skills to enhance comprehension.

One member from each stage has been chosen to complete the project in ordre to look at the K-6 continuum. Intervention strategies will assist in developing deep understanding of a variety of texts. It is anticipated that students will be able to gain access to more complex texts. We aim for at least 96% of students to be beyond minimum standard in NAPLAN 2010 literacy. This project will link with the implementation of Best Start and Reading Recovery programs, which also began in 2010.