Increasingly, educators -- policymakers, administrators, teachers, and researchers – are viewing response to intervention (RTI) as an essential method of integrating instructional and assessment components into an effective prevention system. When educators systematically monitor students’ academic and behavioral progress to make data-based instructional decisions, educators teach more effectively and their students’ achievement increases considerably. This model, with its associated elements of screening, progress monitoring, and tiered instruction (utilizing universal, secondary, and tertiary interventions), has the potential to enhance student achievement and to reduce the prevalence of reading and math disabilities. Additionally, RTI holds promise that disproportionality in special education may be effectively addressed by integrating proven models for RTI with Early Intervening Services (EIS) for minority students who are not progressing in the general education curriculum. 1" (National Center for Response to Intervention)
Materials List and Resources
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
TIER ONE (I) INTERVENTION PROCESS
The focus is on improving the core classroom instruction that ALL students receive. Tier I instruction is designed to address the needs of the majority of a school's students. By using sheltered instruction, flexible grouping, ongoing mini assessments, and targeting specific skills through pacing guides, classroom teachers will be able to meet instructional goals.
Intervention and Enrichment
The SMART Advisory (School Math and Reading Time) program allows teachers to work one-on-one with students to improve their specific academic deficiencies, thereby reducing the number of students at academic risk in school. A 30-minute time period is available during SMART time on Monday through Fridays for those students who need re-teaching opportunities and individualized instruction in reading and math. SMART time will be held during the second and third quarters of the school year for Tier II interventions. Since the re-teaching and tutoring are delivered by the student's own core subject teachers, the decision on SMART placement is based on the second and third quarter benchmark assessments and the Kansas State Assessments in reading and math.
After School Intervention
This program is designed to provide a supervised study environment and individual tutoring for students who are identified by mini-assessment scores as academically at-risk in one or more of their core subjects. The normal term of placement for this program is eight days, depending on individual student needs. Most likely, the same students will enter and exit the program throughout the school year. It is helpful for students who need a study environment because their homes may not be conducive to learning or because they find it difficult to study within the regular classroom. It also makes available tutors who specialize in the various core curriculum areas. The tutoring aspect of this program is important because at-risk students learn better through small group instruction with time for one-on-one. There are many tutoring resources within any community.
· After School Session I: Start September 28th
· Post Test October 9th
· After School Session II: Start November 2nd
· Post Test November 13th
· After School Session III: Start December 7th
· Post Test December 18th
· After School Session IV: Start January 11th
· Post Test January 22nd
· After School Session V: Start February 8th
· Post Test February 19th
TIER TWO (II) Intervention Lab (KMRA)
Tier II intervention strategy will include the KMRA intervention lab and the after school program. KMRA is a Tier II course that provides specific instruction for reading (Study Island) and math (BAIP - Blending Assessment with Instructional Program) Kansas indicators. Students who do not meet the overall criteria for Tier III are grouped by nine weeks based on their previous year's performance who are approaching standards. The standards pacing guide is another criteria used to determine student placement students into the program as it relates to what will be taught during a nine week period. The focus of instruction will be on researched based practices that engage students through hands on activities, projects, and technical labs. Any student that scores a 59% or below on the state assessment in specific math and /or reading standards and are not currently placed in a tier three program are given the opportunity to take advantage of this nine week course.
· Blending Assessment with Instruction Program (BAIP)
The Blending Assessment with Instruction Program (BAIP) aligns Kansas’s mathematic curriculum standards into instruction that supports teaching and learning. BAIP is based on the logic that students learn best in an environment where assessment and instruction are blended to support teachers and engage students. The program provides teachers with high-quality instructional resources aligned with curriculum standards and timely access to student performance data. The program provides three sets of Web-based resources for students and teachers in grades 3 through high school that are based on Kansas mathematics standards and indicators.
· FASTT Math Fluency and Automaticity through Systematic Teaching with Technology
FASTT Math, which stands for Fluency and Automaticity through Systematic Teaching with Technology, delivers individualized instruction and practice that helps students develop automatic recall of basic math facts from numbers 0-9 or 0-12. Computer-based, customized practice activities and worksheets help students achieve math-fact fluency. In addition, the Fact Fluency Foundations Guide provides instruction in number sense and operations for those students who lack a foundation in basic math concepts. FASTT Math will not be part of the regular math classroom curriculum, but will monitor student’s progression. FASTT Math will be utilized in the Connect classrooms. FASTT Math will also be exercised by the Tier II and Tier III students.
· FASST Math Daily (10 Minutes) (10 Minutes Every Other Day in Connect) Average 20 Minutes Weekly
· KRA Reading Study Island Daily
The content on Study Island is written from state standards. The program gives diagnostic, formative and summative results to teachers and administrators. In addition, it allows for an assessment feedback loop, reinforces learning through practice, motivates students, supports mastery, and uses a web-based platform.
Study Island allows students to practice and to build skills over time toward mastery. Students can practice math, reading, writing, science or social studies. Once students are connected to the online program, they choose how many questions they want to answer. If they are not familiar with an indicator or standard, basic lessons are available. When they begin their session, they receive immediate feedback for their answers. Students and teachers can see the progress in any subject and/or indicator on the computer screen.
This supports the research from the report that says that the best feedback encourages students to keep working until they succeed and tells students what they know about the target knowledge instead of telling how they did in comparison to others.
Research also recommends that teacher assess students in ongoing classroom assessments called Formative Assessment. Not only do students receive immediate feedback when working, teachers can keep track of student performance at any time as well. How teachers use this assessment data to change teaching practices and for remediation is the key to helping students. In addition, the reports offer diagnostic data to show student weaknesses and summative data that shows their mastery of indicators or objectives.
· Tier II After School Program
The After School Tutoring program is also available for KMRA students and is designed to provide individual tutoring for students who are identified as academically at-risk in one or more of their core subjects. The normal term of placement for this type of program is ten days, depending on individual student needs. It also makes available tutors who specialize in the various core curriculum areas. The tutoring aspect of this program is important because at-risk students learn better through one-on-one instruction.
Tier Three (III) Assisted Learning Center
The Assisted Learning Center will use new reading and math developmental approaches to enhance basic skill attainment. The use of Read 180 and Do the Math foundational approach will allow our teachers to further diagnose student deficiencies and provide intervention to target those specific deficiencies. The Assisted Learning Center allows students to enter the intervention lab for eighty-four minutes per day and begin their own individual intervention program under the supervision of a highly qualified teacher. The Read 180 (System 44) and Do the Math along with BAIP intervention approach to learning provide students with immediate correction and constant reinforcement. It also provides continual evaluation of student performance and keeps records of student progress.
· READ 180
Read 180 is an intensive reading class combining research-based practices of reading instruction with the most effective use of technology in the classroom. READ 180 offers students and opportunity to achieve reading fluency through a combination of instructional, modeled, and independent reading components. Students are placed in 180 based on teacher recommendation, student reading inventories, and reading test scores.
· Blending Assessment with Instruction Program (BAIP)
The Blending Assessment with Instruction model is based on the logic that standards based assessment must be aligned with curriculum standards and integrated with instruction. Students can only be expected to demonstrate effective performance if they are provided an opportunity to learn in an environment where assessment and instruction are blended in a way that supports teachers in their decision-making and systematically engages students. BAIP has been designed to, first and foremost, benefit students through providing their teachers the instructional resources and timely access to students’ performance data that they deserve to have available in a routine manner.
· BAIP lessons are tied to state indicators and developed for integration into instructional programs.
· BAIP tutorials are related to state indicators and are designed to provide independent learning experiences to assist students in learning the associated skills and concepts.
· The BAIP management system provides teachers with immediate student performance data on BAIP tutorials and quizzes.
· DO THE MATH
Do the Math is a two hour course for students who are two years behind their grade level expectations. Students will receive both foundational and regular math assistance. Do The Math gives students who have fallen behind the chance to catch up and keep up. Focusing on Number and Operations, the cornerstone of elementary mathematics, the program teaches students the basics of math—computation, number sense, and problem solving. Do The Math helps students develop the skills they need to compute with accuracy and efficiency, the number sense they need to reason, and the ability to apply their skills and reasoning to solve problems. Students are placed in Do the Math based on teacher recommendation, student math inventories, and math test scores
· FASTT Math
FASTT Math employs a proven approach called “expanding recall” to help students move newly acquired math facts from working to long-term memory. No more than three new facts are introduced during any given 10-minute session. Students practice holding new facts longer and longer in working memory until they make the leap to automatic retrieval. Developing automatic recall of basic facts provides the foundation needed for later development of higher-order math skills.
· FASTT Math (10 Minutes Daily) (10 Minutes Every Other Day in Connect)
· FASTT Math for Tier II and Tier III students (Average 60 Minutes Weekly)
AFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT
Educational and Occupational Exploration
The school counselor and principal will work with classroom teachers to define methods of integrating career-development activities into the ongoing educational program. The program will be based on the premises that students who make tentative plans and decisions with effective guidance programs in place to assist in their career development. This dynamic process will involve: Self Awareness, Option Awareness, Decision Making, Planning, and Placement. These objectives will be recycled throughout the educational process in order to help all students regardless of their current stage of career maturity.
Just as a student would develop an academic skill, so must a student develop his/her career development skill. Just as one would not hand a first grader a dictionary and say, "Read," one cannot hand an eighth-grader a plan of study and say, "Complete it." It is much like any other subject--you must learn skills at the current level before you can progress to the next level. In English, one must learn how to write a sentence with proper structure and grammar, then a paragraph, then a one-page report, before attempting to write the senior research project. So it is with career development. Skills must be developed in career awareness, career exploration, and career preparation and planning to help students progress through a successful career pathway.
Educational Career Planning And Transitions
Starting in 2009 all seventh grade students participate in a full year Career Enhancement course, a 42 minute class that emphasizes the importance of working hard in middle school, taking challenging courses, strengthening communication and study skills, and making middle school an important step toward the future. English teachers help students develop writing skills. Social studies teachers offer tips on taking notes, studying, listening, and managing time. Students will also participate in The Real Game, an exercise on calculating the cost of raising a family and the level of income needed in a variety of career paths. A guidance counselor will help students develop personal skills such as conflict management. Students receive a grade in Career Enhancement as they would in any other class.
One of the most difficult tasks faced by adolescents, and by adults considering a career change, is to find occupations appropriate to their goals and personal characteristics. The ACT Interest Inventory provides a focus to career exploration, not by singling out the one "right" occupation, but rather by pointing to world-of-work regions individuals may wish to explore. By the time a student completes eighth grade at our school, he/she will take to the next level of schooling the Kansas Career Pipeline portfolio, which contains examples of the student's career interest and academic accomplishments. The eighth grade counselor will integrate the EXPLORE results into the eighth grade technology education curriculum, (Connect classes) utilizing such things as the World of Work Map.
The EXPLORE® program is designed to help 8th graders explore a broad range of options for their future. EXPLORE prepares students not only for their high school coursework, but for their post–high school choices as well. It marks an important beginning for a student's future academic and career success. Additionally, the Career Clusters model provided by the Kansas Career Pipeline categorizes all jobs into 16 clusters. This system allows students to identify their skills, interests, and work values, then find jobs best suited to their career needs.
During the spring of the eighth grade year parents will receive Career Paths, a booklet that describes the three pathways: college preparatory, tech prep and dual. The publication also describes the four clusters, the careers reflected in each cluster, related elective courses, and the academic core that students must complete. Middle School and high school counselors and teacher will present an overview of the explore exam, career clusters and a four year plan of study will be established. The spring Plan of Study meeting are designed to help parents understand what is required of their children at each grade level and beyond. Our goal is to have more than 85 percent of our parents attend these planning conferences.
Transitions from Intermediate to Middle School
In order to better assimilate sixth graders coming from the two intermediate schools in the district, several programs have been implemented at the middle school level. Sixth graders are first introduced to the middle school through a student tour of the campus each spring. A group of sixth graders, who attended their particular intermediate school the previous year, lead the campus tours and answer questions during the orientation session. The sixth graders may also recognize familiar faces as they have an opportunity to view a student-produced video by the video production class, concerning life at the middle school. A similar orientation for the parents of sixth graders is held in the evening. Parents tour the campus, view the video, and also participate in an orientation session where they too have the opportunity to ask questions. At the parent night, policies and procedures of the school are explained in an attempt to familiarize parents with the middle school concept. Another practice of our school which eases the transition from an intermediate to a middle school is the formation of teacher teams at the seventh grade level. The six teacher teams are responsible for core subjects of reading, math, English, science, and social studies. Counselors work with the intermediate schools students to secure recommendations for team placement and for academic and behavioral support. Counselors visit the schools and help explain the middle school concept and help students to choose elective courses. In April of each year incoming 7th graders and parents spend an evening at the middle school. Currently the transitions from Intermediate school to Middle school are accomplished in the following ways:
· Counselors work with the intermediate schools to secure recommendations for team placement and for academic and behavioral support as well as School Improvement Team review.
· ELL placement coordinated by ELL Interventions Coordinator by reviewing KELPA scores and teacher recommendation.
· Counselors visit the schools and help explain the middle school concept and help students to choose elective courses.
· In August, an Open House for students and parents provides team and class schedule orientation
· In April of each year incoming 7th graders and parents spend an evening at the middle school.
· We hope to ensure that all students on IEPs have a transitional meeting including staff members from both buildings to make sure appropriate accommodations are met for these students from the intermediate level.
Transitions from Middle School to High School
As the eighth graders prepare to enter high school, their transition is made easier by a series of events that will be ongoing all year. Through our Connect computer education program, the eighth graders are introduced to Career to Work plans and the world of work through the Kansas Career Pipeline. Here they are given the Career Interest Inventory. They are introduced to different vocations by our career counselor and then explore the different career opportunities available through a Career Curriculum Fair. Beginning the 2009 school year eighth grade, students will be administered the EXPLORE assessment to help with future plans. Eighth graders will also be given the state mandated exam to help determine their current status in relation to the priority academic skills as set by the State of Kansas. The high school counseling staff works with the 8th grade students as they go through the pre-enrollment process for their 9th grade.
The students/parents are sent a copy of the high school course catalog in the mail approximately one month prior to the time the counselors meet with the students to assist them in selecting their courses for the following year. The high school counselors go to the middle school building and meet with the students in small groups so they can give the students as much one on one support as needed for each student. All students on IEPs have a transitional meeting including staff members from both buildings to make sure appropriate accommodations are met for these students at the high school level. All parents are sent a copy of the courses selected by the 8th grade students for their approval before their schedules are finalized. In February of each school year, DCHS hosts a Curriculum Fair providing the incoming freshman students and their parents an opportunity to visit with teachers from each academic department about courses offered. State assessment and local CRA test scores are evaluated, particularly 8th grade scores are used to determine appropriate placement in 9th grade reading and math courses. 8th grade teacher input is also considered in the placement of students.
Each student receiving ELL support at the middle school is enrolled in the ELL program at the high school program based upon teacher recommendation. High School Spanish teachers interview each 8th grade student requesting a Spanish course in the 9th grade. By the time a student completes eighth grade at the our school, he/she will take to the next level of schooling a portfolio, which contains examples of the student's writing accomplishments.
All of these assessments will be pulled together at the end of the year for a high school planning and orientation night for eighth graders and their parents. The students and their parents will meet by teams and go over these test results with junior college, high school, and middle school counselors. The emphasis is on utilizing these test results for future goal setting and life planning. The high school counselor then goes over the four-year plan for high school and explains academic requirements for graduation.
The final transition into high school is held the week before school starts with a ninth grade student and parent night. At this meeting, students and their parents view a student-made video of high school life, receive their schedules, meet their teachers, and receive information about policies and procedures of the high school. Currently the transitions from Middle School to High school are accomplished in the following ways:
· In February of each school year, a Curriculum Fair providing incoming freshman students and parents an opportunity to visit with high school teachers regarding courses offered. This takes place before the counselors meet with the 8th grade students to pre-enroll for their freshman year.
· The high school counseling staff works with the 8th grade students as they go through the pre-enrollment process for their 9th grade.
· The students/parents are sent a copy of the high school course catalog in the mail approximately one month prior to the time the counselors meet with the students to assist them in selecting their courses for the following year.
· The high school counselors go to the middle school building and meet with the students in small groups so they can give the students as much one on one support as needed for each student.
· All students on IEPs have a transitional meeting including staff members from both buildings to make sure appropriate placement is made for these students at the high school level.
· 9th grade student/parent night (one week before school)
· All parents are sent a copy of the courses selected by the 8th grade students for their approval before their schedules are finalized.
· PALMS (Post-Secondary Access for Latino Middle School Students)
· ELL placement coordinated by ELL Interventions Coordinator by reviewing KELPA scores and teacher recommendation.
· Kansas Career Pipeline
· EXPLORE assessment
· Multi-level curriculum articulation (MS – HS, hopefully Intermediate Centers)
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