Strong Beginnings

PRSD supports Strong Beginnings and believes that assessment for learning is professional practice which strengthens

student achievement.

Strong Beginnings refers to beginning of the year assessments in kindergarten to grade six. Strong Beginnings includes all

the observations and assessments which take place over the first few weeks of the school year. Teachers use various

assessment strategies such as observation of hands-on tasks, interviews, and paper/pencil tasks, in a variety of

individual, small group, and whole group formats to get to know the students.

Through in-depth assessment, teachers extend and consolidate their understanding of each student in order to plan for

differentiated instruction which addresses learning needs as early as possible in the new school year. All students are

included in this process. These “beginning of the year activities” yield information which creates a “Strong Beginning”

for each student.

Teacher’s working individually with students, in an atmosphere of support and encouragement, have an opportunity to

collect first-hand information about:

• how each student works best

• the student’s confidence as a learner

• the student’s foundational skills and strategies in literacy and numeracy

• the student’s approach to problem solving

• the student’s attitudes towards school and learning

• the student’s ability to reflect upon and set goals for their own learning