A Clearinghouse for Martensdale-St. Marys Community Schools Professional Development

Monday, December 6, 2010

Whatever It Takes, Chapter Six

The last few chapters of Whatever It Takes have allowed us to examine the practices of high school and middle school staffs related to DuFour's theory of professional learning communities. This next chapter focuses on an elementary school's response to children who aren't learning. While there may be some differences in instructional practices, pedagogical theory, and content between an elementary staff and a secondary staff, there are some common linear themes in their approaches to struggling learners.

1) Boones Mill began its process of creating a school-wide system of time and support by building shared knowledge of the current reality in the school in terms of how the school responded when a student was not learning. Its staff demonstrated the discipline to confront the brutal facts of that reality. What is your current reality? What happens in your school when kids don’t learn?

2) How did Boones Mill Elementary School . . .
a. Identify students who needed additional time and support for learning?
b. Provide that additional time and support?

3) Review the steps in the “Team Learning Process” utilized by Boones Mill. How did this process contribute to the implementation of Project PASS, the school’s system of time and support for students?

4) Once Boones Mill was able to create a time each day when students were available for additional support, staff members were able to identify a variety of ways to enlist the assistance of others in giving students personal attention. What additional human resources could you enlist in the effort to help all students learn at high levels?

8 comments:

  1. 1) Boones Mill began its process of creating a school-wide system of time and support by building shared knowledge of the current reality in the school in terms of how the school responded when a student was not learning. Its staff demonstrated the discipline to confront the brutal facts of that reality. What is your current reality? What happens in your school when kids don’t learn?

    We have intervention time and data days in place. We do weekly progress monitoring with those below benchmark levels. We collaborate with Title I and Special Education teachers. We also have the Building Assistance Team for those that need to go beyond the normal interventon process.

    We also group kids for learning by skill level and or needs.
    2) How did Boones Mill Elementary School . . .
    a. Identify students who needed additional time and support for learning?

    They created an assessment that students needed to pass with a target score. They had quarterly assessments, instead of doing one test like ITBS.

    b. Provide that additional time and support?
    They hired a part time accessible tutor for 30 minutes per day. They rescheduled their special education teachers. They started the Save One Student Program (SOS) where they matched one teacher with one student. They also did parent workshops. They did peer/buddy tutoring.

    3) Review the steps in the “Team Learning Process” utilized by Boones Mill. How did this process contribute to the implementation of Project PASS, the school’s system of time and support for students?

    It gave them the information on who needed help and what they needed help with. They were taking all data and looking at it as a whole.

    4) Once Boones Mill was able to create a time each day when students were available for additional support, staff members were able to identify a variety of ways to enlist the assistance of others in giving students personal attention. What additional human resources could you enlist in the effort to help all students learn at high levels?

    We could have volunteers come during that time, like parents, grandparents, Lions Club, etc. We could use National Honor Society students or students in a study hall that would be reliable. We could have Title I teachers come into the classroom and utilize them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kim, Terah, & Rana
    1. The school in the book held kids back and realized that it wasn't working. Our current reality is that we move kids forward yet provide reading recovery and title reading. Younger grades students do get held back more often than older grades. It does depend on the student and the teachers around them as to what happens to support that student. A set system is in place called the BAT program, yet over all our school does not have a set system in place for those students.

    2. a. Set a target score for all students to met, common assessments, started a dialog between the teachers as to what was needed, identified the 16-20 most essential outcomes students need to learn.
    b. Used tutoring sessions before and after school, every grade level team had to make their students accessible to the tutors, they had a floating tutor, everyone had a common goal and agreed on what needed to be done.

    3. It provided them with the plan and the dialog of what to do. Gave them a starting point, and set goal of what would happen in PASS.

    4. Time, buddy systems, compassion and support, tutors, interest, parent involvement, sharing ideas with peers, community support, and motivation.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tish, Barb, and Amanda

    Question 1:
    • We have a good system in place with BAT and any associate help that the teachers have this year. We don’t necessarily have as much as other schools but what we have is appreciated. We are also in the process of doing formative assessments which are showing students’ strengths and growths.

    • We do interventions, modifications and BAT. There are caring teachers overall in addition to those who are so dedicated that they work with kids throughout the day to try and get kids to where they need to be. We have a good communication system with parents and teachers.

    Question 2:
    • Teachers shared knowledge regarding content of resources, used consistent standards and processes to pinpoint the specific skills the students need work on. They had ‘pacing guides’ that were developed through collaboration of teachers with other teachers above and below their grade levels. They also had floating tutors.

    • The teachers gave tutorial sessions before and after school, offered a summer school, and cut specials so specials teachers could help assist kids. They also did a lot of grouping with kids.

    Questions 3:
    • It’s very structured, they have designated times and blocks to tutor, the benefit of a collaborative team which opened communication and synchronized schedules and services. They meet the needs of learners in a timely and systematic way.

    Question 4:
    • Enlisting the help of specials teachers, parents, floating tutors, associates, more talented and gifted resource teachers, mentors, and volunteers. We could bring in more speakers and outside resources.

    ReplyDelete
  4. PLC Group 1: Caleb, Don, Noel, Paula

    1. Most of our students have a severe lack of motivation. They don't seem to value education. In our school they are placed on the ineligibility list and cannot participate in sports. We also have BAT referrals for students who are struggling. We also have probes as well. Reading recovery class for students who are not proficient in reading.

    2. a)They identify the students by administering established assessments and analysis. The set a proficiency level or benchmark score that each student should attain.
    b)Tutoring for 30 minutes a day. Intervention and enrichment activities. Teachers provided workshops for parents of students who were struggling to make sure parents are equipped to help them at home. Peer tutoring or a buddy system was also implemented.
    Many other support services as well.

    3. Once they started identifying students through the TLP, they had to figure out a solution for students who weren't succeeding. It told them where they were gonna go and how they were going do it.

    4. Time is our biggest problem. Current staff do not have adequate time to work with students. The only feasible way to implement additional support is to hire additional staff or free up time for current staff.

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  5. by Mollie, Dianne, Sara F., Jen P., Amanda P.

    1. Individual teachers attempt interventions in own classrooms. Then, we discuss more intervention ideas with cooperating teachers , past teachers, and parents. Then, we move ahead to the BAT team / AEA process of Suspicion of Disability.
    2.a. Students were identified viewing test results from formative and comprehensive assessments / observations.
    2.b. A floating tutor during common grade-level scheduled time provided support, Peer Tutoring/Buddy Program, Save One Student Program, Parent workshops. Teachers were also given 45 minutes at the end of each school day to collaborate about students.
    3. This made teachers look at the variety of resources and organization of the resources and time, which allowed them to utilize various outlets for kids dependent on individual need.
    4. We could use a certified educator as a floating tutor, enlist parents as volunteers, or contact colleges to encourage student teachers to put in hours with students. In order to use these people effectively, we also need to plan their time, which is one more task to put on ourselves... We need to have very efficient time management to make this work.

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  6. 1. The current reality in our school when kids do not learn is we communicate with the student and the parents to try to encourage them. If that is not successful we refer them to the BAT Team, talk with other teachers for help, and attempt various interventions. Many times this takes a long time before there are changes made.

    2. They identified those students by whether or not they met the school standards. Frequent formative assessments.
    The school provided additional time and support for those students by providing funds for a floating tutor, by offering peer tutoring/buddy programs, and the staff choosing one student to take a personal interest in (Save One Student).

    3. Steps in the "Team Learning Process:
    Step One: Identify the 16 – 20 most essential outcomes (knowledge and skills) that all student s MUST learn in each content area at each grade level this year.
    Step Two: Develop at least four common assessments designed to assist each team in answering the question, “ How will we know when each child has learned the essential outcomes?”
    Step Three: Select a target score all students must achieve to demonstrate proficiency in each skill on each common assessment.
    Step Four: Administer the common assessments and analyze results.
    Step Five: Celebrate strengths and identify and implement improvement strategies.
    It is providing an educational opportunity for all students.
    4. What additional human resources could you enlist in the effort to help all students learn at high levels? Cooperative teaching, guest speakers, more preparation time and money.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 1)When a student isn't learning, we first try in-class interventions. After that, we may refer the student to the BAT team, to decide on more intensive interventions. We look at grade reports and district-wide assessments.We sometimes have a parent-teacher conference to discuss actions needed.
    If a disability is discovered in the areas of reading, writing, and/or math, we then work with the AEA to get a referral for staffing the student into Special Education.
    2)a)The team developed and administered common assessments with a target score, and analyzed the results.
    b)First, they provided floating tutorial assistants. Then, they offered grade-level parent workshops. They also developed peer tutoring/buddy programs, and the "save one student" program. They streamlined and connected the special and general education, with the special and general education teachers to provide support for student learning. The extended coordination among classroom teachers and support services staff included weekly feedback sheets, newsletters, team meetings, and other emphasis of communication.
    3)They shifted resources and schedules; provided tutors and designated times.
    4)Volunteers from the community, college students working on volunteer hours,collaboration among teachers, and team teaching in the classrooms.

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  8. 1. This school is more applicable to the elementary. In the elementary they have quite a bit of intervention time. Associates and aids continually pull kids out of class to offer extra help. The Dibble test also assesses learning success and difficulties early on. High school kids can get extra assistance before and after school but it is mostly based on initiative by the teacher. When we have run out of options we can refer students to the BAT team.
    2.
    a. Standardized testing, identified outcomes and assessed success of meeting outcomes
    b. Used extra resources to hire a floating tutor (certified teacher), taught test taking skills, parent workshops, buddy programs
    3.
    a. This is what we want them to learn
    b. This is the assessment tool
    c. How do we know if they have succeeded (assessment criteria)
    d. Here are the standardized tests assessing the identified learning outcomes
    i. Results are analyzed
    e. Identify problem areas & come up with a plan, identify strengths & celebrate
    4. The floating tutor, collaborating with other teachers, struggling students in smaller groups, more aids and associates to help struggling students
    a. Idea: Early at work team (collection of people and administrators) discussing students that are struggling and low achieving, develop a plan or discuss options for helping students (parents and students are contacted)

    ReplyDelete