The Waterloo Region District School Board’s (WRDSB) Annual Community Report shares the efforts of staff as they support students to:

  • Work towards their goals
  • Feel seen and included

This aligns with WRDSB’s North Star that identity and social location no longer predict outcomes, and to ensure success for all.  

Student achievement and well-being is a result of:

  • Engaged students
  • Family and community involvement
  • Innovative education practices

Strategies Supporting Student Success

This report highlights some of the strategies implemented across the WRDSB. 

Central staff supported students in learning to read using a structured literacy approach. This was done in partnership with families, caregivers and community groups. Staff provided resources and tools to allow them to support their child’s learning. 

Literacy Skills Are Fundamental

A number of strategies are focused on supporting students’ reading skills. Over 900 educators volunteered to be trained to use a tool to screen the literacy skills of students. This led to the screening of more than 7,000 students in five months. 95% of students assessed showed improvements in their reading skills. In Grade 2, 70% of students are reading at grade level by the end of the school year. 

Partners in Education

Families and caregivers are our partners in educating students. Together with community agencies, we provided families with learning opportunities. These focused on supporting their child’s literacy. The Special Education team held 27 sessions for families that focused on using assistive technology. Participation in these sessions continues to grow:

  • 111 participants in 2022-23
  • 127 participants in 2023-24

Families have shared positive feedback about these opportunities. They said it helped them learn more about the technology available to support their child’s learning. 

To Graduation and Beyond

WRDSB is committed to supporting students on their pathway to graduation and beyond. Our strategies include: 

  • Access to post-secondary institution information sessions and classroom experiences
  • Participation in career-focused programs like the annual Build a Dream Career Fair for Grade 7-12 female and female-identifying students
  • Co-op placements within the WRDSB 
    • Starting with two positions in the Communications Department
  • Universal access to dual credit opportunities for Grade 9 to 12 students
  • Virtual Desktop program gives 7,756 students in 66 courses access to specialised software at home

These strategies have helped to increase our five-year graduation rate to 86.9% from 85.2%. 

WRDSB students have varied personal successes, including 21 who received approximately $640,000 in scholarships. This year sets a benchmark for future tracking of student achievements in academics, arts and athletics. 

Exploring Student Strengths and Interests

All students are supported in exploring their strengths and interests to help them choose their post-secondary pathways. One program offered students the chance to learn about systems thinking to address complex problems. In addition, WRDSB’s Student Agency and Voice program encourages students to: 

  • Tell their stories in their own voices 
  • Access funding for student-led initiatives
  • Have a means to affect change in our schools and board 

Together, these efforts support students’ confidence and their ability to self-advocate. 

Our Schools and Classrooms

The physical spaces where students learn support the achievement and well-being of all. 87%, or 106 out of 122 WRDSB sites are fully accessible. The remaining 16 include 8 partially accessible and 8 not accessible. Facility Services staff are working hard to make all sites fully accessible by 2026. This is bolstered by developing a design standard for accessibility upgrades focused on vision and hearing impairment. 

Our schools and classrooms are also healthy spaces. 95% of schools have full mechanical ventilation and 5% have partial mechanical ventilation. 

Our School Board

We’re also making the WRDSB more energy efficient by: 

  • Building a network of electric vehicle charging stations
  • Expanding the number of electric Facility Services vehicles 

The Financial Services team developed a balanced budget. This allows us to: 

  • Continue to invest in our strategic priorities
  • Meet our legislative requirements for fiscal responsibility
  • Support the success of students and staff

WRDSB also obtained approval and funding to plan and build new schools in:

  • Cambridge
  • South Kitchener

Welcoming Our Youngest Learners

We’re supporting families across Waterloo Region in accessing high-quality and affordable childcare. Offered at 75 of our schools, we serve 4,900 students between Junior Kindergarten and Grade 6. This has grown from 4,156 students in 69 programs in 2022-23. It also means that our childcare programs are fully registered. The Extended Day Care team is working to provide 137 new spaces for infants to pre-Kindergarten age children through independent providers. 

The Path Ahead

WRDSB celebrates the achievements of students and staff. However, we know there is still work to be done to improve:

  • Student and staff well-being
  • How we deliver education 
  • Engagement with families