Using Data to Improve Learning and Well-Being

Great teaching starts with listening. In 1977, a St. George’s alumnus observed that our school is defined by its ability and willingness to change. Nearly fifty years later, that spirit is still very much alive. On Friday, May 15, our faculty gathered for our first annual Data Day, a dedicated professional development day grounded in data drawn directly from our own classrooms and students.

Rather than turning to outside benchmarks alone, our teachers examined what was happening here, in our own school. They analysed data drawn directly from our own students and classrooms, with a clear goal: take honest stock of what is working, and identify where we can do better.

The day was designed by Laura Officer and Dani Jansen, Teaching and Learning Coordinators at the Elementary and High School, respectively, in collaboration with Dr. Megan Webster of Expertise by Design. A former St. George’s teacher, Dr. Webster helped shape the structure and approach in the planning stages.

Understanding the Whole Picture

Teachers worked with a wide range of information, including internal academic results and competency scores, early literacy assessments, and school health data such as attendance patterns. Teachers also examined results from a national student and teacher survey, which measures wellbeing, relationships, and learning conditions across Canadian schools. This gave our faculty a meaningful way to see how St. George’s compares to schools nationwide.

What the Data Showed

The data told an encouraging story. At the High School, 69% of students reported a strong sense of belonging, compared to a Canadian norm of 62%. Positive peer relationships were even stronger, with 81% of High School students saying they have friends at school they trust, against a national norm of 76%. When asked an open-ended question at the end of the survey, nearly two-thirds of High School students specifically named our warm community and supportive faculty as a strength.

Teacher-student relationships also scored well. High School students rated the quality of their relationships with teachers above the Canadian norm. Academically, 75% of High School students reported feeling confident in their skills and genuinely challenged in class. The Canadian norm is 63%.

“Strong relationships are central to our approach, so as we work on other areas, we will rely on this strength.”

— Dani Jansen, High School Teaching and Learning Coordinator

At the Elementary School, the results were equally encouraging. Nine in ten students in Grades 4 to 6 reported feeling interested and motivated by their learning, thirteen points above the national norm. 96% said they try hard to succeed, against a national average of 88%.

“It was incredibly meaningful to dive into real data from our own students. The data spoke and gave us things to highlight for future growth.”

— St. George’s Educator

Looking Ahead

The data confirmed teachers’ observations. Our Elementary students are motivated, confident, and eager to go further. Teachers are already in conversation about how to build on that energy. Across the hall at the High School, teachers were asking their own questions, looking closely at consistency in classroom expectations and what that means for students day to day.

Students used the survey to tell us what belonging really means to them. Those insights are shaping how we continue to build a community where every student feels genuinely welcomed and respected.

“Many teachers shared that the day helped them generate ideas for their own classes, in addition to the whole-school work we will do together.”

— Dani Jansen, High School Teaching and Learning Coordinator

Working across departments gave teachers the chance to share observations and build on each other’s thinking. That conversation is continuing. A shared data folder keeps the work alive between now and next year, and when Data Day returns, teachers will have the data in hand before they even walk in the room.

In the coming weeks, parents will receive their own surveys. Because the fullest picture of a student comes from everyone who knows them.