Governor’s Teacher Network Project Submitted by: Suzanne K. Jones August 2014-June 2015

What is the Governor’s Teacher Network anyway?   Please click on the link above for a quick video (3:43) of what the GTN is all about.  I’m excited about this opportunity and was charged with letting my staff know what I’ll be working on this year.  The following 3 slides explain the basis of my project. There is also an online course we are participating in for the entire year that gives assignments for us to complete as we move through the various stages of the project itself.

My Action Research Project Focus Statement:  With the state of NC requiring the use of the mClass assessment tools for testing reading skill development (DIBELS NEXT) and reading comprehension (Reading 3D) for grades K-3, I decided to make this my focus for my action research project. The particular area I am focusing in on is whether or not doing a FULL implementation of the mClass assessment program available to us for a full school year WILL indeed make a significant difference in the reading skills of a classroom of heterogeneously grouped 2nd grade students.  My specific area of focus question is:  How can I structure an intervention block, using the mClass NOW WHAT? tools ( in a 2nd grade classroom) that will ensure students needing foundational reading skills and beyond will receive the targeted interventions and/or enrichment activities they need on a daily basis in order to raise student reading achievement over the course of the year?

So How Will That Look at VWES?  I have asked Callan Sibson, 2 nd grade teacher, to allow for the implementation of my project to take place in her classroom for the school year. I asked Callan because serving as her mentor, I knew this would give us an opportunity to work closely together not only on this project but give me multiple opportunities to exist in her classroom community and “live” with she and her students as they embark on this journey with me.  My ultimate purpose for this project is to see if the time utilized by classroom teachers using mCLASS assessments is indeed beneficial to students and whether following the mCLASS protocols will truly increase student achievement in reading.

How will final results be shared?  I will be creating professional development for teachers across the state of NC, sharing the process used to set up intervention groups, how progress monitoring is done along with data collection techniques we use, and the student reading results from EOY (End of year) compared to scores at BOY (Beginning of year) solely using mCLASS components as our content.  Professional development will be created and shared via Home Base in the following ways:  A. An overview of the project, activities, or learning to orient the staff at the school to the work being undertaken as a part of this project (via PowerPoint)  B. A face to face professional development session to showcase the project, activities, outcomes, and reflections to orient educators outside the school to the work being undertaken as a part of this project  C. A professional development resource that allows other educators across the state to understand the work undertaken in the classroom, including reflections on the instructional change and professional learning associated with the project.