Working from isolation to collaboration is the key to consistent success and steady growth. Three and one half years ago we started on our journey. Upon hearing of the success of a colleague following PLC concepts, I also embarked on a journey that has resulted in some very excellent results. Hardisty has grown in all areas that are measured by the province of Alberta in Canada. The collaboration of our staff working hard on refining and developing essential learner outcomes has been the most powerful part of our journey. Everything we do at Hardisty is to answer four questions: what do we want our students to learn; how will we know when they have learned; what will we do when they have not learned; and, what will we do when they have learned? This unified purpose has brought our staff together in a very real and practical way. Our school has improved in all areas over the past three years: Math + 12%, Science + 15%, Social +23% and LA + 15%. The level of excellence has also increased by similar margins. The Accountability Survey has Hardisty School higher than the district and provincial average and has displayed an overall school improvement from 76% to 94% over the three years. Hardisty is now higher than the district and the province in all measures of school success. Our staff believes strongly this has much to do with our collaborative means of working together. Staff meet weekly to discuss student progress and continue to work together to refine practice. We have become a community which has moved from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning. As a result of collaborative processes, we continue to show improvement. We collectively believe we will continue to grow in all areas and truly be a school that ensures learning for all.

For more information about Hardisty, visit http://hardisty.epsb.ca/