Education and Early Childhood Learning

Nurturing Excellence Through Outcome-Based Learning and Well-Being Measures

This story of practice focuses on building and nurturing a culture of elevated expectations for all students and teachers by enhancing assessment practices using outcomes-based assessment. This approach allows teachers to provide clear, descriptive feedback to students by moving away from the traditional “one-and-done” style of task-based assessment. Instead, it ensures that all students have meaningful entry points into the curricula and that learning outcomes are communicated clearly in relation to student performance and well-being.

Setting the Context

This story of practice was initiated and supported by the school leader and a school division coordinator. The school is a rural Kindergarten to Grade 5 school with a student population of 223. It benefits from access to various community supports, including family services, a friendship centre, a student-at-risk program, and a community mental health facility. The school serves a diverse population with a range of socio-economic conditions that influence the school’s culture and climate. While 20 percent of the student population self-identifies as Indigenous, the actual number is believed to be significantly higher.

The school’s mission is to ensure that all students feel safe, accepted, and valued within the school culture and environment. To support this, the school has adopted a 3-Rs philosophy: be respectful, be responsible, and be ready. These three principles serve as the foundation of the school environment and promote student learning and engagement, social-emotional well-being, and healthy lifestyle choices.

Story of Practice – Pre-conditions

The effectiveness of the practice was contingent upon several existing conditions that supported its implementation. In the 2022/23 school year, the school division revised its student assessment procedures to include specific processes for outcomes-based assessment. These procedures require teachers to use outcomes-based assessment to determine students’ levels of performance and well-being. They also provide administrators, principals, and staff with a clear understanding of the purpose, guidelines, expectations, and goals of outcomes-based assessment. Teachers use the locally developed administrative procedures document to guide their instructional practices and improve student learning. Additionally, the administrative procedures document supports teachers in reporting student progress in a way that is meaningful and accessible to all members of the learning community. Effective reporting of student performance has fostered ongoing engagement among educators, students, and parents/caregivers, helping everyone better understand the classroom assessment and evaluation process.

In addition to the administrative procedures document, several divisional support documents were available to assist with outcomes-based assessment, including the gradebook descriptors document and the English language arts (ELA) curriculum support document. The gradebook descriptors document provides teachers with a list of curricular outcomes based on the Manitoba curriculum in the four core subject areas: mathematics, English language arts, science, and social studies. It also includes a “Levels of Competence” section, which helps teachers assess the complexity of text, content, and tasks to determine student proficiency. The ELA curriculum support document connects Manitoba’s ELA curriculum with the division’s Indigenous education framework and assessment procedures. These locally developed resources have been instrumental in building staff capacity in outcomes-based assessment.

Another key tool supporting the implementation of outcomes-based assessment is the PowerTeacher Pro assignments tool. This tool breaks down and categorizes ELA curriculum outcomes and aligns them with the provincial report card categories of comprehension, communication, and critical thinking. It helps teachers create authentic, descriptive comments for both parents/caregivers and students on the provincial report card. The tool also allows parents to view their child’s outcomes-based assessments through an online portal or application, giving them insight into their child’s strengths and areas for growth.

A further contributing factor was that some staff had prior knowledge of outcomes-based assessment, and a few had piloted the outcomes-based assessment template in the gradebook. These early adopters played a key role in supporting their colleagues as they transitioned to the innovative approach.

Story of Practice – Leadership Actions, Purpose, and Outcomes

The following leadership actions, their purposes, and the resulting outcomes map the school’s journey in implementing outcomes-based assessment.

The first leadership action was for the school leader to receive training on an outcomes-based gradebook tool. To effectively support staff in building their capacity, the school leader began by deepening their own understanding. They attended training provided by the division coordinator and familiarized themselves with the division’s support documents that were developed to guide the implementation of outcomes-based assessment. Through this learning, the school leader came to understand that outcomes-based assessment is an established best practice for supporting student learning and communicating student performance. The school leader also recognized the importance of having ongoing support from the division to help staff transition successfully to this approach.

To build staff capacity in outcomes-based assessment, the school leader introduced the locally developed outcomes-based gradebook to ensure that learning was clearly communicated and aligned directly with the provincial curriculum. Outcomes-based assessment emphasizes evidence-based practices, ensuring that student performance is measured using data rather than intuition or tradition. To support teacher learning, the school leader invited the coordinator, who had extensive knowledge of outcomes-based assessment, to meet with all PLC groups in the spring to prepare for the upcoming year. A second training day was offered to individual teachers or pairs to build confidence in using the required technology. Additional PLC time was provided for staff to review their year plans and make necessary adjustments to incorporate outcomes-based assessment.

The coordinator and school leader worked together to share and review key documents with staff, including the revised administrative procedures, the gradebook descriptors document, the ELA curriculum support document, the PowerTeacher Pro assignments tool, and other examples of outcomes-based assessment in practice. These resources helped teachers understand what outcomes-based assessment looks like and how to use it effectively. The school leader recognized that teachers’ knowledge and expertise existed on a spectrum and that this would be a continuous improvement process requiring ongoing support. They also emphasized the importance of bringing in divisional supports and using collaborative structures like PLCs to create a safe space for teachers to reflect on their practice and learn together. Teachers engaged in meaningful conversations around questions such as How do we know a child has reached the outcome or is moving toward it? and What tools and strategies are we using, and are they successful? This shift in focus from individual tasks to learning outcomes encouraged more inclusive practices.

Once staff had a foundational understanding of outcomes-based assessment, the next leadership move was to identify a clear and achievable target. During a staff meeting, teachers discussed and agreed that staff would implement outcomes-based assessment in at least one subject area throughout the school year. This target aligned with divisional procedures and was supported by the school leader, who ensured progress was made. Staff began setting up their gradebooks using the outcomes-based descriptors provided by the division. A consistent template was used across all gradebooks to streamline administrative and parental/caregiver review.

To monitor progress and provide additional support, the school leader attended PLCs and followed up with teachers who needed extra help. The coordinator met with teachers from each grade group and with the school leader to review progress and offer further training. After these meetings, the coordinator and school leader debriefed to identify next steps, and follow-up meetings were held with each PLC team to address concerns and answer questions. Recognizing that every teacher was at a different point in their understanding, the school leader ensured that individualized support was available. As a result of these efforts, all teachers were able to incorporate outcomes-based assessment in at least one subject area.

Lessons Learned

Outcomes-based assessment and outcomes-based gradebooks provide common language and facilitate collaboration. They give teachers the creative freedom to innovatively teach in their classrooms. This also provides students with the opportunity to work at their own pace for assignments and provide multiple entry points into the curriculum. As well, this type of assessment has helped teachers to think critically and become more efficient in their teaching practice by being curious about the purpose and pace of activities.

The school was the early adopter of outcomes-based assessment, and the school leader, along with the coordinator, strived to create the conditions within the school to ensure success in implementing this practice. They were able to master the practice by having a structure in place, bringing teachers together, and providing scheduled time to learn and apply the practice. Teachers were also provided with a clear understanding of why they are doing this practice and how it will positively impact their work. It is important to note that all teachers who requested training or required additional support regarding outcomes-based assessment were given the support, time, and opportunity to gain experience and further expand their knowledge. As well, teachers were provided with the resources and tools for a successful implementation of this practice.

The school leader and the coordinator’s key takeaways from implementing this promising practice are to ensure teachers are provided with explicit instruction, time, and ongoing supports to build assessment plans that are aligned with outcomes and gradebooks. They believe that outcomes-based assessment promotes inclusion by creating entry points for all students into grade-level curriculum and sets elevated expectations for all. Additionally, they believe that gradebooks should be a neutral platform that communicates strengths and identifies areas of growth and next steps regarding student performance in relation to provincial curricular outcomes. Furthermore, they believe that for outcomes-based assessment to be successful, there needs to be a solid and organized assessment plan for the year.

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