The When, What, How & Why’s of Literacy Interventions at
Michael Collins School
Priscilla Piecyk- 5/6 teacherErin Tosch – Literacy Coach
Purpose of Interventions• 45 minute block on each grade level team’s master
schedule where:– All NEW INSTRUCTION stops.– Students are regrouped by need across the grade level
team.– Student Support Teams (special services teachers,
literacy coach, bilingual resource teacher, reading instructional assistant, gifted resource teacher) “flood” the grade level team with support.
– Students below 40th%ile (Tier 2 and Tier 3) on MAP- Measure of Academic Progress- are grouped in intervention small group settings that never exceed the 1 to 8 ratio
– Proficient students receive enrichment and extension instruction in a whole-class setting.
WHEN
•Scheduling•Support Staff
•Common Plan Time
Master Schedule
Our master schedule is designed in a way that provides teams with:– Common blocks of instruction time for
interventions (parallel block)– Common planning time with
intervention teams or grade level teams– Uninterrupted blocks of core instruction
in literacy (shared and guided reading, and writing) and math
Parallel Block Schedule
• 8:45-9:30 3/4 Team A• 9:30-10:15 3/4 Team B• 10:15-11:00 5/6 Team A• 11:00-11:45 5/6 Team B• 12:30-1:10 1/2 Team A• 1:10-1:50 1/2 Team B• 2:15-2:45 Kindergarten
3/4 Parallel Block 8:45-9:30 Rochelle DotyMary GettyAgnes ChmielewskiMarla GarmanEric WiklundRhonda StarrJen DietmeyerErin Tosch Julie QuinnAllison YuciusMarie Taraszka
3/4 Parallel Block 9:30-10:15 Cassie ZinglerShannon FarrisKim Feck Mary Getty Karen Mueller Erin Tosch Rochelle Doty
5/6 Parallel Block 10:15-11:00 Rochelle DotyMary GettyGina WirthPatty KazeosPriscilla PiecykEmily ThielenJanna Howard
5/6 Parallel Block 11:00-11:45Rochelle DotyBrittany AbruzzoKim Savino Kelly Boynton Agnes ChmielewskiMyndi Casey
1/2 Parallel Block 1:10-1:50 Agnes ChmielewskiMariann HyrckoKelly BoyntonJenene SerafiniKelly Phillips Lisa Bochat/ Tricia Kaszewicz Erin Tosch Sue Graw
1/2 Parallel Block 12:30-1:10 Natalie Snow/ Jenny AbrahamBeth Carrion Diana Cooper/ Nancy Lurquin Rochelle DotySue Graw Myndi Casey
Kindergarten Parallel Block 2:15-2:45Kelly BoyntonMelissa BeuchelCheryl MillsAllison Yucius Erin ToschMichelle Shanahan Myndi CaseyAgnes ChmielewskiSue Graw
Parallel Block Support
Scheduling- Common Plan Time
Team Intervention Team Planning Hours per Week
Grade Level Team Planning Hours per Week
3/4 A 4 hours
3/4 B 4 hours
5/6 A 4 hours
5/6 B 3 hours 1 hour
1/2 A 3 hours 1 hour
1/2 B 4 hours
Twice a month Wednesday staff development is also designated as additional grade level team common plan time (2 hour and 30 minutes total)
WHAT
•Structure of Common Planning Time
What does Common Plan Time
look like?
Discuss and determine exactly what ALL students need to learn
What interventions do our students need to attain proficiency?
What enrichment activities will further develop the skills of our proficient students?
Create a Common Assessment
Group students based on MAP data
Who is in need of intervention and who is in need of
enrichment?
Divide support staff
for effective instructionWho will deliver the
instruction?
Plan for instructionbased on data from Common Assessment
HOW
•Instructional Practices•What does it look like?
Guiding Questions for Instruction
(Intervention Team Checklist) Does Your Intervention…• Meet the needs of all students?• Group students appropriately based upon MAP data?• Utilize support staff effectively to best meet the needs of the students in
the group?• Follow guidelines for Tiered students?• Follow a balanced literacy model, having students engaged in all the
components: guided, shared and independent reading and writing as well as vocabulary and word study activities?
• Directly align with the same skills and concepts being addressed during core literacy instruction?
• Use district approved and appropriate materials to meet the needs of all students?
• Use best practices that were shared as a PLC? • Utilize the information from common assessments when planning with your
PLC?
These points were created based upon district guidelines and suggestions for creating effective intervention practices.
Balanced Literacy FrameworkTime is flexible based on the needs of the students. 5 mins. Vocabulary/Word Work5-10 mins. Shared Reading (teacher models)15-20mins. Guided Reading (student application)10-15mins. Writing/Written Response to Reading35-45min Intervention Period
A Balanced Literacy Framework
within Intervention Time
Interventions for Tier 1
• Enrichment activities from our core literacy series.
• Literature circles using on-level texts and novels.
• Extension lessons led by our Gifted Resource Teacher.
• Independent research projects.
Interventions for Tier 2• Mirrors the Balanced
Literacy Model: shared reading, guided reading, word work, writing
• Instruction in groups 8 or less
• Highly structured environments
• Extra dose of instruction aligned with the core curriculum
• Re-teaching concepts not mastered on grade level common assessments.
Interventions for Tier 3 • Mirrors the Balanced
Literacy Model: shared reading, guided reading, word work, writing
• Instruction in groups 4 or less
• Highly structured environments
• Extra dose of instruction aligned with the core curriculum
• Re-teaching concepts not mastered on grade level common assessments.
WHY
•Transparency•Data
Transparency • All teachers have access to student data through
the use of the school share folders• Intervention teams and support staff meet to
discuss student data – Results are reported out by the intervention group leader
• Collaboration meetings to discuss student data with Principal and Literacy Coach
Kelly/Miller – 64%, 7 out of 11 studentsBeth/Sidra – 100%, 1 went down in score, 2 stayed the same out of 18 studentsDiana Cooper – 80%, 1 out of 5 studentsErin – 100%, out of 3 studentsRochelle – 100%, 2 went down in score, 1 stayed the same out of 8 studentsSuzanne – 100%, out of 2 students
Grade level
Total # of Students
Total # of Students in 40%ile or lower on Fall MAP
% of students above 40th %ile on Fall MAP
Total # of Students in 40%ile or lower on Winter MAP
% of students above 40th %ile on Winter MAP
Total # of Students in 40%ile or lower on Spring MAP
% of students above 40th %ile on Spring MAP
K 44 20 54.5% 14 (0) 68% 3 44 93%
1 49 5 90% 10 (1) 80% 5 48 90%
1/2 51 11 78% 18 (9) 65% 18 54 67%
2 50 12 76% 10 (0) 80% 8 50 84%
3 43 7 84% 8 (1) 81% 10 47 79%
3/4 51 9 82% 10 (1) 80% 6 52 88%
4 39 9 77% 3 (0) 92% 4 39 90%
5 44 7 84% 8 (0) 82% 3 44 93%
5/6 52 16 69% 13 (3) 75% 8 53 85%
6 52 10 81% 13 (1) 75% 11 51 79%
Sample Reflection Questions
• What percent of the students met the standard on the pre-test?
• What percent of the students met the standard on the post-test?
• What conclusions can you draw from the data the common assessment offers?
• How did you feel about the common assessment you designed/used? Was it an accurate reflection of student learning for the essential outcome?
• Describe the success of your grade level plans for intervention/enrichment. How did each group perform? What was the impact of your interventions?
• How does this work contribute to the students’ overall academic success?
• What will you do differently?• How can we (Laura, Erin Hall, or Erin Tosch) support
you better?
0
20
40
60
80
100
% of Students Exceeding
40th Percentile
Collins School MAP Reading Performance Over Time
% of StudentsExceeding the 40thPercentile
82 81.4 84.4 80 80 84
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Comparison of READING MAP 2009-2010% of students above the 40th%ile
80%83%6
91%78%5
91%76%4
80%85%3
79%73%2
81%78%1
93%88%K
Spring 2010 Spring 2009Grade
80%83%6
91%78%5
91%76%4
80%85%3
79%73%2
81%78%1
93%88%K
Spring 2010 Spring 2009Grade
Reading Over TimeISAT Total % of Students
Meet/Exceed
Why is it all worth it?
• “Sometimes in the big group I can’t concentrate. I hear papers rustling and all that stuff. I wish this could be my classroom.” (In response to working in a small group)
• “Do you remember last year? I was all mushy. Then you met with me in the mornings and straightened me out.” (In response to working together and building a relationship)
• “Wow! That is a lot of checks. I didn’t use to get all those checks.” (In response to a running record, where checks mean he is reading the words correctly)