Dr Oakley Elementary and Junior High School Exemplary Reading Program Earns International Reading Associations Award 'Dare to Soar'
Dr. Oakley Elementary and Junior High School is the provincial recipient of the International Reading Association's Exemplary Reading Award. This adjudicated award honors a school that demonstrates excellence in developing student literacy while encouraging literacy beyond the classroom walls. Dr. Oakley School was judged to excel in both domains.
Principal Sharon Rogerson accepted the award on behalf of Calgary Board of Education on May 1 in San Antonio at the 50th Annumal International Reading Association. Of the event she said, “It was an honour to receive the award and to be able to share our success story.”
Twenty-eight schools from North America received the award. There were over 24 000 people at the conference. Following the awards the participants gave a poster session that was very well attended. The responses Ms Rogerson received were very positive and in particular people were interested in the idea of providing a very intensive literacy program to complex learners in a congregated setting for no more than 2 years with results that enabled 70% of them to return to their community schools.
Dr. Oakley School is a specialized setting for students between grades 3 and 9 who have complex literacy learning disabilities. Students from across the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) are screened to enter the school. During their maximum two years of study at the school, students are immersed in rich literacy experiences, while also gaining a better understanding of their learning strengths and challenges. The average student gains 3.5 years of reading growth - a rate that is more than 3 times their previous learning. While some students continue to struggle with literacy, 60% of the students rejoin their neighborhood schools reading at or above grade level.
As a CBE Centre of Inquiry for Students with Learning Disabilities, the School constantly inquires into best educational practice. A low pupil/teacher ratio, rich print resources, the infusion of technology, specialized teacher training in phonemic awareness, multiple literacy partnerships and inquiry support the school's balanced literacy program. Staff continually seeks out professional development opportunities that enhance their knowledge of the literacy learning process and carry out action research to validate their teaching practices. The school's partnerships with community agencies, the university, The Calgary Learning Centre and CBE specialists ensure that they are continually using the expertise of others to establish quality programs.
Teachers support the development of literacy outside of the classroom through the relationships that they establish with the parents. Four Parent Forums are offered annually to provide them with information on how they can actively support their child's learning and to increase their personal understanding of the lifelong nature of learning disabilities. In addition to these forums, teachers work individually with parents providing them with literacy and learning strategies 'coaching skills'. Home reading programs at the 'just right reading level' showcase the child's learning to the family while providing insights as to how reading skills develop.
Links to other CBE schools are an essential component of the Dr. Oakley program. When students are transitioning back to their neighborhood schools, teachers work with the receiving school to ensure that there is an understanding of learning disabilities, strategies and accommodations. In addition to the classroom teacher support, the school has two teachers designated as a 'Collaborative Support Team' who are there to work intensively with transitioning students and to provide professional development for schools seeking to learn more about differentiated instruction, core literacy, learning strategies and learning disabilities.
