HOW TO IMPROVE PROVOST

ELEMENTARY BY ANDY BRACE

Aim; systemic change to make all succeed by helping to drive instruction

1. MAKE SURE ALL STUDENTS WITH I.E.P’S HAVE TIER 1 TIME WITH SUPPORT IN THE CLASSROOM

To do this we need to ensure that Tier 1 time is uninterrupted. It has been suggested that 90 minutes is preferable.There should also be no pull-outs during that time. If aide power or special education teachers are available they should be pushed in to the classroom. Tier 2 and 3 and specialized instruction should be done at a different time also.

2. A,B & C STUDENTS TO GET THE SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION.

A & B Students to get differentiated delivery and content in the classroom setting.

C Students to get System 44 and Reading 180 in a more specialized setting.

3. TIER 1 IS TAUGHT TO ALL STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF CLASSIFICATION.

There should be uninterrupted Tier 1 time for math and language. It has been suggested that 90 minutes would be preferable.

4. AFTER DIBELS BENCHMARK BOY

Each teacher at the very next PLC should set up a databoard for their red, yellow and green students and discuss how small groups can be made up, based on that data, and instruction decided upon. Classes should be combined so that aides can be sent in to help.

PROGRESS MONITORING

This could be done each Friday, with aides going into the classroom to allow PM be done by teachers.

On the new schedule Friday would be a test taking time in language and math( Treasures and common assessments) so aides could monitor classes whilst PM happening.

REDS 1st , 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th fridays in the quarter

YELLOWS 2nd, 6th, 8th, 12th fridays in the quarter

CENTRALIZED SCHEDULE

With a centralized schedule aides can be sent where needed, and can be utilized as much as possible. There will be training implications but hours will be better usedand fridays aides can be sent into classes so Progress monitoring could be done, and therefore not be disruptive.

USING DATA TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

Both DIBELS and I-Ready have a huge amount of information that can be used to direct instruction, down to scripted lessons and tier 2 interventions. Dibels has a groupinator section to allow for better grouping.

SPECIALTIES

With P.E, music etc placed in 45 minute chunks and not 30 minute chunks it helps to allow Tier 1 to be done and with one block only rather than 2 blocks of time, it also gives more time for RTI. The P.E and music teachers could be used as push-in aides when they are not teaching classes.

AIDE POWER

Currently I use the following aides: Morena ( 15 hrs + lunchroom), Andrea ( 15 hrs + lunchroom), Kim Baker ( 8 hrs + other duties), Julie C ( 8 hrs), Emily Russon ( 10 hrs), Tamara ( 8 hrs per week), Barbara Clark ( 12 hrs per week), Annalea G ( 7 hrs per week), Julee ( 9 hrs per week), Cami ( 19 hours per week), Jan ( 19 hours), Athena ( 7 hours pw). This amounts to 137 hours per week in aide power. I could make this about 175 hours per week but very targeted. I consider 20 hours not targeted sufficiently right now. THis also allows me to employ 12 aides only, 4 of which can also be used for BASC, than the current 15.

RTI

Tier 1 can be covered if each grade sends those below level students into one classroom to be with one aide. THose grades with 3 classes could send to two classes with aides.

Tier 2 can be covered as aides supervise in computer labs or other areas.

DANCE

To make Dance less of a Tier 1 intrusion it would replace one music rotation, when it happens.

PLC’S

PLC’s should be used to decide on Instruction for the next week, shared learning targets, group formats and what aides and other staff can cover as a targeted skill.

Databoards allow constant view of failing students and those who need small group help.

TRAINING

Identify strategies that are working in grade levels and teach others how to use those strategies.

Have the faculty fully conversant with item level advisor and group level advisor, and also home connect for parents.

From Dibels EOY establish Summer Bridge Activities so that we do not fall back before August.

DIBELS

Do not look at the composite scores but at individual scores to see where they need help.

There is a free website where resources can be found. This site is : www.freereading.net

Grouping for DORF and accuracy should not be done by composite score but as follows: Fast and right.( Core, bookclubs, vocab builders), Slow and Right ( Fluency practice), Fast and wrong ( advanced phonics), slow and wrong (NWF-CLS)

DIBELS CONTINUED

The whole idea of DIBELS is to analyze, strategize and then progress monitor to see if it is working. It has to be data driven.

Focus kids should not be sticking, cutting, making BUT should be in remediation.

TIER 1,2,3

Tier 1 is uninterrupted time in the classroom and each class gets at least 1 hour of uninterrupted tier 1 language time per day, half hour of uninterrupted tier 1 writing time each day, at least 1 hour of uninterrupted tier 1 math time each day.

Tier 2 time is for teachers to take small groups and aides to supervise in labs or elsewhere. Each class gets half hour of math and half hour of language tier 2 each day, 4 days a week.

Tier 3 is available for lower grades during centers time, each day. Tier 3 is to teach pre-requisite skills from previous years, and could be taught by an aide or spec ed aide/teacher. Example 4th grade student to be retaught 3rd or 2nd grade skills to help them access the core.

FRIDAYS

Friday is not a normal scheduled day so can be used for other subject areas, testing, formative testing, some small group work, projects, and some specialty use as needed.Progress Monitoring would be a good use of the time with in class support by aides.