School Plan

Our Story: Clinton Elementary

Clinton Elementary School is a vibrant and inclusive community school located in Burnaby, British Columbia. We serve students from Kindergarten to Grade 7 and take pride in offering a well-rounded educational experience. Our students have opportunities to take part in a variety of sports, fine arts programs, and extracurricular activities that support their growth and creativity. Clinton is fortunate to have dedicated staff, enthusiastic volunteers, and an active PAC that work together to enrich learning and build strong connections between school and home. At Clinton we value our Clinton Thunderbirds and all strive to be a Clinton STAR – Staying Safe, Taking Responsibility, Acting respectfully and Remembering to be inclusive.

Clinton Elementary is a vibrant and diverse learning community where teachers and support staff are deeply committed to meeting the needs of every student. We offer a wide range of programs that promote both academic achievement and social-emotional well-being. These include:

  • In-school services such as a hot lunch program run by our PAC, healthy snack initiative
  • A variety of extracurricular athletic programs designed to build teamwork, school spirit, and physical literacy. These include volleyball, ultimate, basketball, cross-country, and track and field, all coordinated by our staff.
  • A multitude of clubs, committees and leadership opportunities for students including the leadership team, classroom monitors, school patrol, technology support team, morning announcements, assembly MC’s

 

School Community Highlights

  • 24 home languages are represented in our student population including English, Cantonese/Mandarin, Tagalog and Hindi
  • 38 students have Ministry of Education Special Needs Designations, supported by 14 full-time Education Assistants including the district Alternative Education program integrated into our school
  • 7 Indigenous students are enrolled across all grade levels
  • 203 students are designated as English Language Learners
  • 411 Students enrolled across 17 divisions

 

Goal 1: Implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to Foster Inclusive Education

By the end of the academic year, staff (teachers and EA’s) will incorporate UDL principles into their lesson planning to ensure that students with diverse learning needs are supported through multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression.

 

Strategies:

Professional Development on UDL:

  • Workshops and training sessions focused on the core principles of UDL: providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression.
    • UDL Learning Series with Katie Novak – 7 part series.
    • Sharing at staff meetings – monthly. UDL series handouts and district professional resources
      • The universal Design for Learning Guidelines, UDL Guidelines (Engagement, Action and Expression, Representation)
      • CAST- UDL Tips for Designing Learning Experiences
      • Responsive and Inclusive Literacy Framework
      • Universal Classrooms Supports for Access and Inclusive Assessment
    • Partner with UDL experts to provide ongoing coaching and classroom observation to help staff adapt their practices.
      • Carolyn McInnes – Nadine Trottier – Working Towards Independence (Sept. 2024)
      • Kaori Ohashi – Carolyn McInnes – Emerging Learners Series 1) model and showcase emerging learner skills which include expressive/receptive object/photo identification, matching, imitation and one-step directions, 2) to help develop access points in the UDL classroom. (Nov. 2024)
      • District Helping Teachers

 

Classroom Differentiation Tools:

  • Provide teachers with digital and physical tools such as assistive technology, flexible seating, visual aids, and interactive learning platforms to support differentiated instruction.

 

Collaborative Planning Sessions:

  • Establish regular teacher collaboration time to plan UDL-aligned lessons, share best practices, and reflect on student progress.
  • Create a shared online resource bank where teachers can access UDL strategies, lesson plans, and materials.

 

Data Collection:

  • Teacher Surveys: Conducted survey to gather teacher feedback on challenges or obstacles within classroom (Sept 2024). Key concepts to arise: Differentiation and UDL implementation, training effectiveness, and resource usage.
  • Enhancing Student Learning Report (ESLR): connect ESLR to Achievement of students with Disabilities or Diverse Abilities
  • Lesson Plan Review: Periodic reviews of lesson plans to assess the integration of UDL principles.
  • Student Engagement Tracking: Use classroom observation checklists to track student engagement and participation, focusing on diverse learners – Class reviews and Team meetings (Sept/Oct 2024 – Follow-up May 202 ).
  • Student Performance Data: Analyze student performance to see if there is an improvement in learning outcomes, particularly for students who require differentiated support.

 

 

Goal 2: Strengthen Assessment Practices with Clear, UDL-Aligned Rubrics

By the end of the academic year, teachers will consistently use UDL-aligned rubrics to assess student learning, ensuring clear success criteria and diverse assessment options that cater to varying student strengths and learning preferences.

 

Strategies:

Use of Formative Assessment:

  • Reinforce teachers assessment practices using standard rubrics (BC writing performance standards) and exemplars (both given and staff choice) to create assessment consistency and conversation – Nov Pro D
  • Familiarize teachers on how to use rubrics for peer assessment and self-assessment, encouraging student ownership of learning.
  • Implement formative assessments more frequently, allowing teachers to provide timely feedback and adjust instruction as needed based on student progress.

 

Develop UDL-Aligned Rubrics:

  • Provide training on creating rubrics that reflect UDL principles, ensuring they offer multiple ways for students to demonstrate understanding (e.g., written work, presentations, projects).
  • Collaborate with teachers to create rubric templates that are flexible, student-friendly, and focused on growth rather than solely content mastery.
  • Establish a peer observation system where teachers can visit each other’s classrooms to see how rubrics and differentiated assessments are being used effectively.

 

Data Collection:

  • Rubric Analysis: Collect and analyze rubrics used across different grades and subjects as a learning and development process to ensure alignment with UDL principles and consistency in assessment.
  • Student Feedback: Conduct student surveys to gather their perspectives on rubric clarity, fairness, and the extent to which they feel empowered to demonstrate their learning (May 2025).
  • Teacher Feedback: Gather teacher reflections on the impact of rubric-based assessments on student performance and instructional practices.
  • Student Achievement Data: Track and analyze student assessment results over the year to evaluate the effectiveness of rubric use in improving learning outcomes and promoting student growth.