Innovation: Secondary Strand

Innovation: Secondary Strand
Rebecca Sarlo, Ph.D. Hollie Pettersson, Ph.D.

The Why: High Expectations for All Students
“All students need to develop the knowledge and skills that will give them real options after high school. No student’s choices should be limited by a system that can sometimes appear to have different goals for different groups. Educating some students to a lesser standard than others narrows their options to jobs that, in today’s economy, no longer pay well enough to support a family of four.” ACT, Ready for College and Ready for Work: Same or Different?(2006)

The Why: High Expectations for All Students
ready for college and career, by the end of high school. Period.” Students must possess higher level skills than ever before to be competitive in our global economy - “On the Road to Implementation.” Achieve, August 2010

High Expected Outcomes for All Students
“The highest level of mathematics reached in high school continues to be a key marker in precollegiate momentum, with the tipping point of momentum toward a bachelor’s degree now firmly above Algebra The world has gone quantitative: business, geography, criminal justice, history, allied health fields—a full range of disciplines and job tasks tells students why math requirements are not just some abstract school exercise.” Clifford Adelman, The Toolbox Revisited, March Feb. 2006

High Expected Outcomes for All Students
“The levels of readiness that high school graduates need to be prepared for college and for workforce training programs are comparable.” ACT, Ready for College and Ready for Work: Same or Different? (2006) “An estimated 85% of current jobs and almost 90% of the fastest growing and best paying jobs now require postsecondary education.” Alliance for Excellent Education, (September 2007) “An estimated 40% of all students who enter college must take remedial courses.” Gates Foundation, Toward a More Comprehensive Conception of College Readiness.

US Global Competiveness
Our relative performance is weak and declines dramatically the longer our students are in school

Our high school graduation rate lags nearly all other OECD countries.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and DevelopmentThe Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, French: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, OCDE) is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. It is a forum of countries committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a platform to compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices, and co-ordinate domestic and international policies of its members. The OECD originated in 1948 as the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), led by Robert Marjolin of France, to help administer the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. Later, its membership was extended to non-European states. In 1961, it was reformed into the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development by the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Most OECD members are high-income economies with a high Human Development Index (HDI) and are regarded as developed countries.

College Completion Rate
Of 36 OECD countries, the U.S. is one of only three countries to show no gain in the past 30 years, dropping from 3rd in the world to 12th. Our college completion rate has stagnated, allowing our economic competitors to pass us.

Wage Trends for Men by Education Level
A high school diploma used to be sufficient to have a fair shot at the American dream, but no longer. A college degree is required. Utah has the lowest college graduation rate for women… Income and economic viability gaps Source: Inherited Opportunity for Higher Education, Association for Institutional Research, 5/16/06.

69% scored Below Proficient
NAEP DATA 2009 8th Grade Reading Performance: 2% Advanced 28% Proficient 43% Basic 26% Below Basic 69% scored Below Proficient

68% scored Below Proficient
NAEP DATA 2009 8th Grade Math Performance: 7% Advanced 25% Proficient 39% Basic 29% BELOW Basic 68% scored Below Proficient

The Why- Dropouts are Costly
High school dropouts and ill prepared graduates are incredibly costly to our society and to their students as individuals Cost to our nation is more than $325 billion in lost wages, taxes, and productivity

“In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity -- it is a prerequisite. The countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow.” President Barack Obama (2/24/09)

Education is also highly correlated with employment and workforce participation.
Tell story of my family member Have them stand up – how many of you have a family member who’s lack of education has negatively impacted their economic standing during this downturn in the economy?

A lack of education is literally deadly.
People with education are more likely to seek help More likely to have the mental and material resources to enact important changes in their lives

Academic Achievement? More than one in five young people who graduate from high school do not meet the minimum academic standard required to enlist in the U.S. Army. Employers estimate that 45 percent of recent graduates who have entered the workforce lack the academic preparation they need to advance beyond entry-level jobs.

The Why- What educators do matters
The quality of instruction students receive in their classrooms is the most important variable in student achievement Same studies also noted the wide disparity in quality of that instruction within the same school Hattie, 2009; Marzano, 2003

John Hattie, Visible Learning “Meta-Meta-Analysis”
Variables Contributing to Student Learning Student Teacher Peer Effects Homes Schools 50% 30% 5-10% IQ – Race/Ethnicity – Prior Experiences John Hattie, Visible Learning “Meta-Meta-Analysis” (800 Meta-Analyses)

Effective Teacher vs. Ineffective Teacher
On average, the least effective teachers (Q1) produce gains of about 14 percentile points during the school year. By contrast, the most effective teachers (Q5) posted gains among low-achieving students that averaged 53 percentile points This data is from an article entitled: Good Teaching Matters: Vol. 3, Issue 2 A Publication of The Education Trust Summer 1998 In the report, Education Watch: The Education Trust National and State Data Book, we document the clear relationship between low standards, low-level curriculum, under-educated teachers and poor results. We argue, further, that if states and school districts work hard on these three issues, they can close the achievement gap. Vol. 3, Issue 2 A Publication of The Education Trust Summer 1998

For example, the average reading scores of a group of Dallas fourth graders who were assigned to three highly effective teachers in a row rose from the 59th percentile in fourth grade to the 76th percentile by the conclusion of sixth grade. A fairly similar (but slightly higher achieving) group of students was assigned three consecutive ineffective teachers and fell from the 60th percentile in fourth grade to the 42nd percentile by the end of sixth grade. A gap of this magnitude—more than 35 percentile points—for students who started off roughly the same is hugely significant.

Long range effects

Instructional Quality
“The major message is simple—what teachers do matters… the greatest source of variance in our system relates to teachers…” Hattie, Visible Learning (2009)

Variability by Educational System

Educators Impact Student Engagement
National Research Council publication, “Engaging schools: Fostering high school students’ motivation to learn” I can, I want to, I belong Competence, Autonomy, Belonging The other “ABCs” URL: Engagement is becoming a major issue among educators across the nation. Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Connell & Wellborn, 1990; NRC, 2004; Ryan & Deci, 2000 25

Educators Impact Student Engagement

Educators Impact Dropout Rates
47% said a major reason for dropping out was that classes were not interesting 69% said they were not inspired to work hard 35% said that “failing in school” was a major factor for dropping out 45% said they started high school poorly prepared by their earlier schooling. The Silent Epidemic, 2006

Educators Impact Dropout Rates
29% expressed significant doubts that they could have met their high school’s requirements for graduation even if they had put in the necessary effort. 50%-65% missed class often the year before dropping out. 38% believed they had “too much freedom” and not enough rules The Silent Epidemic, 2006

Effective Dropout Prevention Services
Effective Schools and Teachers Promote: Students’ understanding of what it takes to learn Confidence in their capacity to succeed in school A sense of belonging by personalizing instruction, showing an interest in students’ lives, and creating a supportive, caring social context. High expectations for all students And, Provide: Challenging instruction Support for meeting high standards Opportunities for choice and control Curriculum and instruction that is relevant to adolescents’ experiences, cultures, and long-term goals National Research Council, 2004

What Schools Do Matters!
Freshman with weak academics entering high school who reported having a positive 9th grade year were almost twice as likely to graduate from high school than students who entered with strong academics but reported a negative 9th grade academic experience Dropout prevention strategies which focus on improving school climate, academic rigor, and student support and monitoring have been found to reduce dropout rates by as much as 50% These results were independent of family adversity and 8th grade academic achievement test scores

The Why: We Have the Power
We can meet the needs of all students through targeted strategic planning, multi-tiered service delivery, progress monitoring, and early identification

90-90-90 Schools Same union contracts
Same teacher and administrator time Same budget Same facilitators Same teacher and administrator assignment polices Same attention from district office Same materials and standards Same social and home challenges Doug Reeves, 2004

Despite these common challenges…
Schools Despite these common challenges… 90% or more of students met grade level expectations Significant gains made over 2 years and sustained over more than 10 years Gains maintained even with staff and leadership turnover Doug Reeves, 2004

Quick Write Jot down your WHY for systematic renewal in your school/system to increase college and career readiness for students. Your WHY sums up your reasons for your commitment to school improvement and effective instruction for ALL students. Break after quick write

The How: Focus on What Matters
“Let’s focus on behaviors, not just test scores. In other words, measure what the grownups do. We need to set as many standards for the adults … as we do for kids.” Douglas B. Reeves, in Harvard Education Letter, March/April 2002

Unproductive Question
What about the student is causing the performance discrepancy?

Productive Question What part of the interaction of the curriculum, instruction, learner, and learning environment should be altered so that the student will learn?

Quick Write What are the key features of high quality instruction?
What curricular variables are most critical to achieving high student achievement? What environmental conditions most critical to achieving high student achievement?

Discuss your quick write ideas
Table Talk Get in groups of 3 to 4 1-4, 5-8 Discuss your quick write ideas Poster your group agreement of TOP 5 features of effective/high quality instruction and critical curricular variables and environmental conditions Each BLT will have at least two groups

Focus on What Matters Capacity for Continuous Improvement Standards Based Instruction Student Engagement Differentiation and Intervention

Capacity for Continuous Improvement
Focus on What Matters Capacity for Continuous Improvement Established Mission and Vision: A laser-like focus on student achievement continuous improvement Effective School-Based Leadership Team Distributed leadership Sets clear expectations for professional practice and provides high quality feedback Allocates sufficient resources for school improvement efforts (time, instructional and assessment resources, feedback)

Capacity for Continuous Improvement
Focus on What Matters Capacity for Continuous Improvement Teaming Structure and Effectiveness All teams essential and aligned with school improvement goals Established norms, communication plans Effective use of data-based problem solving process

FULL OPTION GRADUATION FOR ALL STUDENTS
The How- How do we do it? Establish a laser like focus on the end in mind FULL OPTION GRADUATION FOR ALL STUDENTS Align all resources toward accomplishing this goal including the use of: Time Personnel Space Materials

Targeting the End in Mind
Effective District Leadership… Establish and communicate a K-12 vision Sunshine State School District creates a sound educational environment that provides all students the academic and social emotional competencies and skills necessary to become full option graduates And, support all schools in redefining their own mission statements to align with the K-12 vision Redefining Elementary , Middle and High School’s mission to include preparing students to successfully transition to the next school level will help to strengthen vertical articulation and the effectiveness of feeder patterns

Establishing a Clear Vision
Ridgewood High School creates a sound educational environment that provides all students the opportunity to develop their individual talents, to meet and exceed graduation requirements, and to become productive citizens in an increasingly complex and global society What does it mean to become productive citizens?—what academic and social-emotional skills are necessary to produce full option graduates and thus productive citizens?

Ridgewood High School creates a sound educational environment that provides all students the opportunity to develop their individual talents, to meet and exceed graduation requirements, and to become productive citizens in an increasingly complex and global society

Ridgewood High School creates a sound educational environment that provides all students the skills and habits of mind to meet and exceed graduation requirements and to become full option graduates

A Call to Action 48

District First Steps… Schools will be empowered to prevent engagement/skill gaps and readily respond to them when they occur when the District establishes… A K-12 vision and aligns the curriculum and instructional goals of each school level with the vision Communication plans, protocols and practices for vertical and horizontal articulation of student needs, gaps, and strengths A data system which allows for the integration and fluid analysis of engagement and academic data AND the vertical articulation of both engagement and academic data between grade/school levels

Table Talk Does your system/district/school mission statement accurately communicate the purpose of your organization? Does your system/district/school vision statement communicate the student results your team is striving to achieve? Can progress toward the vision be measured through the analysis of student outcome data? Is the mission and vision of your system/district/school understood and owned by all stakeholders? Does your mission and vision drive instructional and intervention planning and evaluation?

Focus on What Matters Leadership and effective teaming structures are critical for PS/RtI implementation and all school improvement efforts System Leadership- using fair and transparent accountability systems to develop effective learning systems Administrative Leadership- creating and sustaining conditions for success Teacher Leadership- providing direct modeling of effective practice Doug Reeves, 2010

Effective Teaming Structures
BLT provides priorities for action Work Groups provide monthly data and action reports to BLT. District Office; External Coach Lit. wk. Group Math wk. Group Building Leadership Team BLT identifies and passes along level issues to appropriate teams. Levels reports back on action taken, results, & needs. Beh. wk. Group BLT provide info, training, and reminds staff of Priorities (WHYS) Staff informs BLT of needs All Staff GRADE/DEPT. LEVELS

District & Building Leadership Teams
Goal of the district leadership team is to standardize expectations and structures Goal of the building leadership team is to customize the implementation There are two main distinctions between the district SIT/RTI management team and the building team. (read the slide)

Ecology of Change Urgency for improvement around real data
A shared vision of good teaching Meeting content and processes focused on good instruction A shared vision of results Effective supervision Professional development Diagnostic data with accountable collaboration

Function of District Leadership Team
District Leadership Teams: Set clear expectations for student outcomes Establish PS/RtI as a way of work and provide ongoing guidance and support for schools Allocate sufficient resources to support full implementation at all schools Utilize school outcome and implementation data to provide tiered implementation support Acknowledge EBL and District folks who are supporting schools with communication and connections with all levels of the system.

Building Leadership Teams
Building Leadership Teams (BLTs): Provide strong organizational process for school renewal and improvement Orchestrate the work of school professionals, administrators, families and students through the school improvement process Determine effectiveness of current practices Plan for progress, achievement and risk Manage implementation teams The Building Leadership Team – National Institute for Urban School Improvement (2005)

Building Leadership Team
Purpose: Establish and monitor the school-wide learning and development goals, the instructional/intervention plans (tier 1 and 2) developed to achieve goals, and allocate the resources needed to fully implement instructional/intervention plans with fidelity. Activities: Determine school-wide learning and development areas in need of improvement Identify barriers which have or could prohibit school from meeting improvement goals Develop action plans to meet school improvement goals (e.g., SIP) Distribute and assign resources to implement plans Monitor fidelity and effectiveness of core and tier 2 instruction Manage and coordinate efforts between all school teams Support the problem solving efforts of other school teams Avoid: Individual student progress monitoring Meeting without a clear agenda or goals Making decisions without input from key stakeholder groups Developing action plans without communicating the purpose, goals, and responsibilities to other stakeholders Delegating school-wide action planning responsibilities to teams with less decision making power or control over resource allocation Provide as handout

Building Leadership Team Key Questions
What are the predictable needs/failures? What can we do to address needs and prevent failures? How will we maintain consistency? How will we know if it is working? Passing Rates – Identify successes and predictable failures – what can be done?

Recommended SBLT Meeting Schedule
Meet Weekly 60 to 90 minute meeting times Utilize a revolving schedule to make sure that major goal areas are addressed at least once per month Example Week 1: Reading and Writing Week 2: Mathematics Week 3: Attendance and Behavior Week 4: 9th Grade Cohort or 12th Grade Cohort Revolving schedule includes the reveiw of data from all tiers- what is effective what needs barrier problem-solving and if any new concerns have surfaced Amber 2/11/2011 May need to include grade cohorts and or alignment with schools/district intiatives/SIP/ etc..

Team Membership Selection of team members should aim at creating a well-rounded team with specific skill sets represented Critical skills needed for effective team functioning include: Instructional leadership Data management and analysis Content specialization (minimally Reading, Math, Behavior) Student advisement, mentoring, and guidance Knowledge of evidence-based instruction/intervention Exceptional Student Education specialist English Language Leaning specialist (if warranted by population) Parent/Community involvement strategies

Team Talk: Article Jigsaw
Use your teamwork skills to ensure that each member of the team reads at least one section of the article: Sharing Leadership Building the Team Making Meetings Productive Decision-Making Processes Working Important Topics Read the article Come together to discuss Complete WHY – HOW- WHAT for your audience describing the rationale for BLTs (step one of action plan) Point out standard and customization Gallery Walk

Content/Engagement Area Teams
Grade Level Teams Department Level Teams Content Area Teams Course Alike Teams Positive Behavior Support Team Attendance Team Literacy Leadership Team Administrative Team Coaching Team Etc., Etc., Etc.

Content/Engagement Area Teams
Purpose: Implement instructional/intervention plans with fidelity to achieve established content/engagement area goals utilizing the allocated resources while monitoring student response to instruction/intervention Activities: Review and analyze student data to build consensus around the content/engagement area goals Discuss identified barriers and provide feedback to leadership team Review action plans and provide feedback to leadership team Implement action plans with fidelity Collect and analyze student data to determine student response to intervention Recommend programming changes to leadership team as necessary Engage in professional development which allows for continuous improvement Avoid: Implementing action plans without understanding their purpose, goals and assigned responsibilities Individual student intervention planning Meeting without a clear agenda or goals Making changes to instructional/intervention plans without communicating with the leadership team Implementing action plans without monitoring the impact on student learning and development Provide as handout

No Implementation Team
Implementation Teams Implementation Team No Implementation Team Percent of Implementation 80% 14% Time 3 Years 17 years Balas & Boren, 2000 It takes an estimated average of 17 years for only 14% of new scientific discoveries to enter day-to-day clinical practice (Balas & Boren, 2000) Balas EA, Boren SA. Yearbook of Medical Informatics: Managing Clinical Knowledge for Health Care Improvement. Stuttgart, Germany: Schattauer Verlagsgesellschaft mbH; 2000. With the use of competent Implementation Teams, over 80% of the implementation sites were sustained for 6 years or more (up from 30%) and the time for them to achieve Certification was reduced to 3.6 years. Fixsen, D. L., Blase, K. A., Timbers, G. D., & Wolf, M. M. (2001). In search of program implementation: 792 replications of the Teaching-Family Model. In G. A. Bernfeld, D. P. Farrington & A. W. Leschied (Eds.), Offender rehabilitation in practice: Implementing and evaluating effective programs (pp ). London: Wiley. Balas & Boren, 2000; Fixsen, Blase, Timbers, & Wolf, 2001

Specialist Teams Purpose: Identify barriers to academic/developmental progress for individual students, implement individualized intervention plans with fidelity to achieve established goals while monitoring each student’s response to intervention Activities: Meet with specialists, teachers, and parent to identify barriers to individual student progress Develop individualized action plans to address identified barriers to meeting core goals. Implement intervention plans with fidelity Collect and analyze student data to determine the student’s response to intervention Make adjustments to intervention plans as indicated by the student data Avoid: Developing action plans without clear purpose, goals and assigned responsibilities Developing action plans without the direct involvement of the parent and student Developing action plans which are not aligned with core expectations and goals Implementing action plans without monitoring the impact on student learning and development Provide as handout

Team Roles and Responsibilities
All school teams are problem solving teams and will benefit from members with the following skills/roles: Coordinator Meeting Facilitator Content Specialists Behavior Specialist Resource Specialists Data Analyst Time Keeper Recorder Consultant

Process: Developing a Way of Work
To work within a PS/RtI Framework ALL teams need: Ready access to student academic and behavior data To be skilled in managing student data (e.g., data collection, data entry, graphing of group and/or individual student data) To be skilled in the problem solving process Knowledge of research-based instructional/intervention strategies

Find and Make Time to Collaborate
Reduce the aggregate time spent in meetings by identifying and collapsing teams which have the same purpose Protect Scheduled Time: Begin and end on time Set and stick to agendas Complete all preparation activities prior to coming together Make sure all the right people are at the table Focus only on the “essential few” goals None of the tasks can be completed without adequate scheduled time to collaborate as a team. Teachers cannot be expected to problem solve collaboratively without scheduled time set aside to do so. Begin and end on time- This is where Timekeeper and Facilitator roles become vital to the focus and efficiency of teams Complete all preparation--Have all the data/information (scores, schedules, reports, etc) necessary to make decisions- one of he biggest time-suckers and reasons for inefficiency is hunting down needed information Leadership teams need to meet at a minimum of bi-weekly What about ensuring adding items to action plans and all tasks have been assigned to a person along with a deadline for accountability

Team/Meeting Mapping Activity and Table Talk
Complete the Meeting Map and discuss the following: In an average month, how many minutes are spent in meetings? Were there any teams/committees with overlapping purpose? Circle or highlight them. Across identified teams with overlapping purpose, how many members do they have in common? Given the overlap, what actions can be taken to align/merge teams? What infrastructure can be built for communication between remaining teams?

The How- Early Warning Systems
Develop and Utilize an Early Warning System (EWS) to identify students as early as possible Identify ineffective courses and educational pipelines Utilize EWS data to guide vertical articulation and programming

Developing a District-Wide Early Warning System
The best predictor of future failure is current failure and disengagement Assessing risk across multiple variables allows teams to provide early intervention and prevent disengagement from school and course failures At-risk and off-track students are identified through analyzing a combination of engagement and academic data. Many students experience course failures as a result of disengagement (e.g., excessive absenteeism, lack of productivity, inattention) Systematically assessing student engagement allows schools to identify students in need of support before they have failed courses or acquired skill deficits related to missed instruction By the time students enter secondary schools they typically have years of data which indicates whether or not the student is at-risk for school failure and high school dropout.

Middle School Risk Indicators
Academic and Engagement Indicators Attend school less than 80% of the time Due to absenteeism or discipline issues Excused or unexcused absences Receive a low final grade for behavior Fail either math or English/Reading Retention 64% of students repeating a grade in elementary school eventually drop out 63% of students held back in middle school eventually drop out Mobility Multiple schools during educational career Kennelly & Monrad, 2007 More than half of 6th graders with the 3 criteria eventually left school 6th graders who received poor behavior marks were found to have only a one in four chance of making it to 12th grade on time and graduating 8th graders who miss 5 or more weeks of school during the year OR fail math or English more than a 75% chance of dropping out of school Gender, race, age, and test scores did not have the strong predictive power of attendance and course failures for future drop out

High School Risk Indicators
Academic indicators GPA less than 2.0 Course Failures Behind in Credits Behavioral/Engagement indicators Attend school less than 80% of the time Consistently miss instruction due to behavioral issues Psychological or Social disengagement Lack of peer group Lack of involvement in school extracurricular activities Low educational expectations Lack of personal relationship with adults at school Retention Retained 1 or more years Mobility Multiple schools during educational career

Pasco County Schools Extreme Off Track 2-3 Years Behind
No chance for graduation in a traditional school setting Disengagement Example: Credits Earned 1st Semester 09-10 < 3 Credits 08-09 < 9 Credits 07-08 <15 Credits 06-07 < 21 Credits High Off Track Lacking 2 or more graduation requirements Behind 4 or more Credits Currently failing 3 or more classes Excessive Referrals and/or Absences Off Track Lacking 2 graduation requirements Behind 1-3 Credits 10% Absences 3 or less Level 2 referrals or 2 Level 3 Referrals 9th graders indentified “at high risk” (3 F’s in 8th grade) First develop a generic system taking into account Florida’s graduation requirements Second, apply the generic system to the specific grade levels using grad plan year. For example, see credits earned as an example in box Third, identify off track for incoming 9th graders – use data from middle school – see bold for example Fourth, determine the percentage of students that fall under each risk factors – by Grad Plan Year Fifth, create master schedule with data in mind At Risk for Off Track Lacking 1 of 3 Graduation requirements < 5%Absences 3 or less Level 1 or 2 referrals On Track Exceeding or Meeting all graduation requirements (Credits, FCAT Score, GPA) 6 or less Absences No referrals Pasco County Schools 74

Early Warning Systems Data
52.8% (210) of last year's 9th graders are off-track for graduation 19% (75) are off-track due to failed FCAT, Credits and GPA 13% (52) of exiting 9th graders failed 3 or more courses Almost all of these students are part of the lowest 25% Many of these students will count in the total graduation and at-risk graduation rates These students have less than a 15% chance of graduating without significant intervention Course Failures Algebra % Spanish % World History- 29% English % Hope (Health and PE) - 58 students- 17%

Early Warning Systems and Vertical Articulation and Programming
While in Middle School, entering 9th graders… Demonstrated disengagement through absenteeism (32%) Demonstrated disengagement through excessive behavioral referrals/suspensions (22%) Had a history of course failures in English/Reading (29%) 48% scored non-proficient on the Reading FCAT Had a history of course failures in math (37%) 41% scored non-proficient on Math FCAT Had a history of retention (24%)

The bottom line… Disengaged students are likely to be disengaged at the next grade/school level in the absence of prevention and intervention support Students with a history of academic underachievement or failure are likely to continue to fail without prevention and intervention support Addressing academic and engagement issues earlier rather than later is more successful and more cost effective Preventing disengagement and/or academic failure is more effective than reacting to them once they occur

Table Talk How could the implementation of an early
warning system improve your school’s ability to provide timely intervention services to students? How could your school utilize early warning system data to promote and guide vertical articulation?

Focus on What Works Best
“We can, whenever we choose, successfully teach ALL children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to know to do that. Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.” ~Ron Edmonds, 1982

Focus on What Works Best
The University of Auckland 9 January A study by Professor John Hattie into what actually works in schools to improve learning has been lauded as education's "Holy Grail" by the UK media. Titled Visible Learning, it is believed to be the largest evidence-based study in the world into what works for students. It found that improving student-teacher interaction is the key to schooling success. The study ranked the power of teacher feedback and interaction far above influences like the school a student attends, reducing class sizes, frequent testing or a pupil's gender.

It’s all about the CORE! Effective interventions must be built on a solid foundation of effective core instruction We CANNOT intervene our way out of a core instructional problem This approach leads only to overtaxed intervention providers and diluted, ineffective intervention systems Practices over programs There is no magic pill The old boxes are very strong and they need to be replaced because the new information goes into old boxes 82 82 82

Pyramid Response to Intervention, 2009
“Educators who rely on interventions alone to meet the needs of students who score below proficiency will never solve the basic problem these children face.” Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, Pyramid Response to Intervention, 2009 If a school does not address the core program’s effectiveness, roughly the same percentage of students will require interventions year after year. Likewise, if a large number of students are receiving D’s or F’s on assignments, and teachers do not use that formative assessment to adjust classroom instruction and curriculum, interventions will probably prove insufficient for many students. 83

The 11th Commandment Thou shall not address inadequate Tier I (Core)
through Tier II and Tier III supports alone.

Focus on What Matters 90-90-90 Schools Practices, not programs
Change practices without changing budgets Collaboration is the way of work Collective responsibility for all students Relentless pursuit of success Appropriate-proactive consequences for failure Practices, not programs- all schools employed common best practices, responded to less than ideal outcomes by adjusting practices collectively, and studied the impact of the practices on student results. Common programs were not found. Change practices without changing budgets- schools did not have larger budgets but instead actively changed the way they spent their money as their students’ needs indicated Collaboration is the way of work- teams actively collaborated around common assessments, scoring, and continuous improvement efforts Collective responsibility for all students- students were received as “our” students instead of mine and yours Relentless pursuit of success- had a never good enough attitude. ALL students truly meant EVERY student Appropriate-proactive consequences for failure- Student academic failure was met with re-teaching and multiple chances for success and was not regarded as an indication that the student was lazy or not capable Doug Reeves, Accountability in Action (2004)

Intensifying Core Instruction
Increase time and response opportunities. Improve core program efficacy. Improve core program implementation. Decrease group size. Increase coordination of programming and instruction. Simmons, 2003 Differentiated instruction and small-group activities Prioritized curriculum so students have ample opportunity to master power standards Analysis of assessment data to help inform staff about quality of the core Focused PD for quality teaching Programs implemented with fidelity Maximized instructional time

Focus on What Matters Standards-Based Instruction
Unpack, prioritize, and vertically align standards Set and communicate learning objectives and goals Plan and deliver engaging lessons aligned with standards

Focus on What Matters Standards-Based Instruction
Plan and implement lessons utilizing a gradual release of responsibility model Ensure appropriate rigor of instruction, questioning, tasks and assessments Emphasize non-fiction writing across all subject areas (non-fiction writing in all courses for all students at-least once per month)

Measure what Matters Standards-Based Instruction Observation Tool Example Rigorous Instruction Observation Tool Example Gradual Release of Responsibility and Student Engagement Observation Tool Example

Setting and Communicating Instructional Purpose
Component Evident Not Evident Lesson begins with a discussion of desired outcomes and learning goals Learning goal (essential questions) is written in student friendly language and posted so that all students can see it. Lesson goal (essential questions) are directly related to what students need to know, understand, and be able to do to master the benchmark. The lesson goal/essential question is a clear statement of knowledge or information as opposed to an activity or assignment. The lesson goal/essential question requires higher order thinking, problem solving or decision-making The teacher explains how the class activities relate to the learning goal and to answering the essential question. Teacher has a scale or rubric that relates to the learning goal posted so that all students can see it. Teacher makes reference to the scale or rubric throughout the lesson.

Webb’s Depth of Knowledge
Webb’s DOK Level 1 Webb’s DOK Level 2 Webb’s DOK Level 3 Webb’s DOK Level 4 Emphasis is on facts and simple skills or abilities to recall or locate facts verbatim from the text. (e.g., What is the capitol of Florida?) Reproduction of previously taught information such as a fact, definition, term or a simple procedure. Simple steps, recipes, or directions. Requires reasoning which is often to carry out some procedure that can be performed mechanically. The focus is on basic initial comprehension, not on analysis or interpretation. Items require only a shallow/literal understanding of text presented. Students find “the right answer,” and there is no debating the “correctness,” it is either right or wrong. It is not left to the student to come up with a low complexity original method or solution. Requires both initial comprehension and subsequent processing of text or portions of text. Important concepts are covered, but not in a complex way and involve more flexible thinking and choice among alternatives than low complexity items. Items at this level may include words such as paraphrase, summarize, interpret, infer, classify, organize, collect, display, compare, and determine whether fact or opinion. (e.g., What is the difference between a tornado and a hurricane?) Requires a response that goes beyond the habitual, is not specified, and ordinarily has more than a single step. The student is expected to decide what to do—using informal methods of reasoning and problem-solving strategies—and to bring together skill and knowledge from various domains. Students must explain “how” or “why” and often estimate or interpret to respond. One right answer. Strategic reasoning and thinking where students must reason or plan to find an acceptable solution to a problem. Requires deep knowledge, complex or abstract thinking, and application of knowledge or skill in a new and unique situation (e.g., Review hurricane occurrences over the past five years in Florida. Analyze the effects of the hurricanes. Hypothesize the impact on the environment.) Students need to provide support for thinking, reasoning or conclusions and are encouraged to go beyond the text to explain, generalize or connect ideas by citing references from the text or other sources. Items involve abstract theme identification and inferences between or across passages, Students’ application of prior knowledge, or text support for an analytical judgment made about a text. More than one correct response or approach is possible. Requires extended complex/abstract reasoning, planning, developing, analysis, judgment and creative thinking (generally over extended periods of time) where students typically identify a problem, plan a course of action, enact that plan, and make decisions based on collected data. Students often connect multiple content areas to come up with unique and creative solutions (e.g., Conduct a project that requires specifying a problem, designing and conducting an experiment, analyzing its data, and reporting results/solutions.) Students may be asked to relate concepts within the content area and around other content areas. Students make real-world applications in new situations. Assessment activities have multiple steps with extended time provided. Multiple solutions are possible. Requires an investigation; time to think and process multiple conditions of the problem or task.

Instructional Rigor Instruction and Questioning Tasks and Assignments
Rate complexity of Examples (E),Models (M), and Questions (Q), and Responses (R) Describe and Rate Tasks (T) , Assignments (A), and Assessments (T) Classroom 1 Classroom 1 Classroom 2 Classroom 2

Instructional Rigor Percentage Observed Percentage Observed Level 4

Gradual Release and Student Engagement

Focus on What Matters Student Engagement
Active monitoring of and focus on maximizing student engagement in learning at school Positive behavior support program Teacher student relationships Peer support for learning Student perceptions of competence and control Student future aspirations and goals Family support for learning

What is Engagement? Engagement in schoolwork involves both behaviors (e.g., persistence, effort, attention) and emotions (e.g., enthusiasm, interest, pride in success) Both academic and social aspects of school life are integral for student success; engagement at school and with learning are essential intervention considerations. Engagement is the primary theoretical model for understanding dropout and is, quite frankly, the bottom line in interventions to promote school completion. Student engagement has emerged as the cornerstone of high school reform initiatives. Engaging Schools, 2006

Behavioral Engagement
Academic Engagement The amount of time spent engaged in academic work “I can” Behavioral Engagement School attendance and participation in school “I will” Psychological Engagement Feelings of competence and control investment in learning, self regulation, goal setting and progress monitoring “I want to” Social Engagement Identification and affiliation with school, sense of belonging, perceived social support “I belong”

Academic Engagement Indicators
Course Failures Particularly Math and English in Middle School Credits earned GPA Homework completion Time on task Academic engagement variables have a moderate to large effect on achievement Most visible form of engagement and the most often tracked by school personnel

Behavioral Engagement
Indicators Attendance Suspensions Participation in classroom activities Among the most common concerns expressed by educators and parents Significantly related to academic achievement and school dropout

Social Engagement Indicators
Perception of support Affiliation with school Sense of belonging Perception of the value of school and school related activities Early intervention in this area is associated with reduced grade retention, misbehavior, violence, sexual activity, and teen pregnancy.

Identifying Socially Disengaged Students
List all students names at grade levels and have adults in school initial next to students with whom they have a personal relationship. Students with no initials by their names may be socially disengaged Utilize a survey to identify students who are bullied, alienated by peers, or who simply perceive that they have difficulty connecting with peers Determine which students are not actively engaged in extracurricular activities through the review of club and sport rosters and attendance logs

Psychological Engagement
Indicators Sense of confidence and control Use of learning and problem solving strategies Investment in learning Perceived relevance of school for future outcomes Significantly related to academic achievement, school attendance, and high school graduation

Identifying Psychologically Disengaged Students
Utilize a survey to assess students’ sense of control, relevance of schoolwork, and future aspirations and goals Employ a systematic student-nomination process within which school personnel indicate the students whom they are concerned regarding their interest in learning or lack post-secondary goals

Identifying Specific Engagement Issues
Survey students regarding barriers to their attendance, engagement, work completion, etc. All Students or a Subset of students (e.g., at-risk) Survey Monkey Open ended Multiple Choice Hold focus groups with at-risk and high performing students to identify barriers and potential strategies for addressing the barriers.

“The Rich Get Richer” Time Spent Successful Perceive more
Academically Performance teacher and Engaged peer support Intervening with any one of these points will likely have an exponential effect for student participation leads to successful performance, promoting feelings of identification or belonging at school; which in turn, promote on-going participation. Opportunities for participation change as students progress through the educational system. Initially, successful participation may involve attending school and being prepared for class; in later years, class preparation requires greater effort (e.g., homework, outside projects), and there are more opportunities to participate in nonacademic aspects of school, such as band, clubs, or other extracurricular activities (Finn, 1989) For students who are at risk for dropping out - this cycle starts to break down. Less likely to show the increased and varied forms of participation as they go through school, less successful, reduced feelings of belonging… Begin to disengage Flip back Feelings of Connection and Identification w/ School Feelings of competence and control Participation in School Activities 105

Contextual Variable related to Student Engagement and Academic Outcomes
Family Academic and motivational support for learning Goals and expectations of successful school performance Monitoring/supervision Learning resources in the home Peers Educational expectations Shared common school value High attendance rates Academic beliefs and efforts Peers’ aspiration for learning School School climate Instructional programming and learning activities Mental health support Clear and appropriate teacher expectations Goal structure (task vs. ability) Teacher-student relationships

Don’t Assume--Go to the Source!
School assumed that source of dropout/underachievement problems were a lack of family support and a lack of future aspirations and goals Students showed strong agreement with all of the following items What survey is this?

Don’t Assume--Go to the Source!
School principal also spoke regularly of his commitment to developing a family/community climate at his school and in fact felt strongly that the goal had already been accomplished Students showed strong disagreement with all of the following items What survey is this?

Focus on What Matters Differentiation and Intervention Frequent formative assessment of student progress and multiple opportunities for improvement Interventions are aligned and integration with core instruction Interventions address both academic and engagement needs of students Intervention programs are evaluated by examining both skill acquisition and the impact of supports on student success within core content areas

Spend Resources on What Matters Most
“Professional development, when embedded within a systems- change perspective that is focused on the issues of adoption and implementation, will help to create an environment that can sustain evidence-based practices… training practitioners in the use of evidence-based practices without systems- change is not enough. The ability to implement practices with fidelity and sustainability is limited without adequate system supports” OSEP, December 2007 Refer to CCSS and the work that is being done with math and ELA – that focusing on “cool techniques” is not enough – must systematically address data, practices, and adult supports

Ensure that teacher leaders have the skills and efficacy to effect change Provide high quality professional development with follow-up coaching, opportunities for deliberate practice, and high quality formative feedback

Focus on increasing teacher efficacy levels in relation to best practices #1 antidote to stress, frustration, and burnout Embrace deep implementation 7:1 Rule- for every 1 day of sit and get professional development, provide 7 days of on-site job-embedded implementation support Plan for deliberate practice hours to learn and apply new professional practices with fidelity Doug Reeves, 2004

The How- Integrated Multi-Tiered Supports
Develop and implement integrated multi-tiered intervention which address both student engagement needs and academic skill gaps/deficits ADAPTED FROM PASCO District facilitates discussions among schools on curriculum standards preschool through12th grade. Systematic process for monitoring, evaluating, reviewing curriculum. 113 113 113

A Shift in Thinking From: To:
Targeted Instruction Time = Learning Constant Constant Variable To: Targeted Instruction + Time = Learning Variable Variable Constant If a school’s mission is to help all students achieve high levels of learning, then learning must become the constant, while instruction and time become the variables. When creating an effective intervention program, h Differentiate instruction and programming in terms of time and instructional focus to yield high results for all students Fullen, 2009 114

Instructional/Intervention Design
Teams need to be knowledgeable of research-based instructional/intervention strategies and programs when developing the school’s intervention programming. Teams should implement scientifically validated instruction/interventions in order to ensure that students have access to instruction that has been proven to be effective with other (preferably similar) students. Intervention plans must be multi-tiered to meet the needs of all students

Instructional/Intervention Design
The most effective intervention plans are derived from a comprehensive understanding of the underlying barriers which prevent success “Both pupil and teacher must know where the learner is now, how that compares to ultimate learning success, and how to close the gap between the two” Stiggins, 2007, p.15

Involving Students is VITAL!
Secondary students must be involved in the identification of barriers and as much as possible in the selection of strategies to address barriers Effort spent personalizing instruction/intervention is typically well spent At the very least, secondary students must understand the “compelling why” of programming changes

Facilitating Problem Analysis
Survey students regarding barriers to their attendance, engagement, work completion, etc. All Students or a Subset of students (e.g., at-risk) Survey Monkey Open ended Multiple Choice Hold focus groups with at-risk and high performing students to identify barriers and potential strategies for addressing the barriers.

Understanding Skill Barriers
Administer diagnostic assessments to all students who are below grade-level in reading, writing, or mathematics Reading diagnostic assessments should assess student’s ability to decode words, read text fluently as well as provide measures of the student’s vocabulary development and reasoning skills. Writing diagnostic assessments should assess student’s writing organization, writing fluency, mechanics, and spelling abilities Mathematics diagnostic assessments may measure numeration, rational numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, measurement, time and money, estimation, interpreting data, problem solving, statistics, algebra, and geometry Aligned with the pre-requisite skills students will need to be successful in their current math course

Assessment Plans Assessment for all students must:
First and foremost be designed to answer specific questions Focus on essential, important skills Be instructionally relevant Be efficient to administer Be sensitive to change in skill performance Measure fluency of performance Be easy to use and understand

Facilitating Problem Analysis
Secondary school staff typically require significant support for problem analysis in order to move past student motivation and parent involvement barriers Without this shift in thinking, school staff often feel helpless in improving student outcomes Consensus wanes Fidelity suffers Data collection and analysis become less frequent and less valid Developing effective intervention plans is dependent upon a team’s ability to take a transparent look at the instructional, curricular, and environmental barriers to student engagement and achievement

Team Talk What are your team’s hypotheses regarding why students are not meeting expected levels in reading? Hypothesis: 52% of students are proficient in reading while the expectation is 80% because _________________…. Prediction: If we ________________...then reading outcomes will improve

Team Talk Let’s say you also have data that indicates… Instruction:
The majority of instruction is explicit followed by independent practice Questioning, tasks and assessments are primarily basic level (i.e., fact finding) Students are often unaware of the purpose for instruction

Team Talk Let’s say you also have data that indicates… Curriculum:
Content area texts are well above most struggling students’ reading level Reading intervention classes utilize only instructional level (not grade level) materials and texts. Students have very little choice when it comes to choosing books for recreational reading or assignment completion

Team Talk Let’s say you also have data that indicates… Environment:
Teacher-student relationships are strained (e.g. students do not feel their teachers are interested in them as individuals, only as students) Peer relationships negatively impact students’ willingness to ask questions or seek help during or outside of class Students report that their basic needs are not always met (i.e., bathrooms are unclean, rooms are too cold, lunches run out after 2nd lunch)

Team Talk Let’s say you also have data that indicates… Learner:
45% of students have missed more than 10% of school Skipping is the top referral reason with 24% of students receiving referrals for skipping While 95% of students report that receiving an education is important for their life goals and plan to continue after high school, only 62% report feeling hopeful about their futures, and only 58% believe that what they are learning in school relates to their future goals

Where to Begin??? Identify barriers which are foundational in nature
Identify barriers which are cross content Identify barriers which are immediately actionable The school has the expertise and resources to address the barrier right now Identify barriers which if addressed could possibly also lessen the impact of other barriers

Team Talk Given the barriers that your team identified and the guiding principles for prioritizing barriers… Which barriers would you address first? Why?

Integrated Intervention Programs
Failed Leaners Disengaged learners Targeted, differentiated instruction Additional instructional time Pre-teach essential skills, content, and vocabulary Review/Reteach prerequisite skills to address the learning gap Prevention (requires vertical articulation with middle/elementary school and early identification of at-risk students) Mentoring programs Goal Setting & career planning Frequent progress reports Targeted rewards Mandatory study hall Mandatory homework help Study skills classes CAUTION: By the secondary level, failed Learners have become disengaged learners and require both categories of intervention support A successful Tier 1 should meet the needs of 75% of students. Tier 2 should meet the needs of at least 15% more. Students who struggle fall into 2 categories: intentional nonlearners (those who fail to try) and failed learners (those who fail to learn). In a traditional school, one that believes its mission is to provide students with the OPPORTUNITY to learn, intentional nonlearners are left to suffer the consequences of their choices. A PLC school designs supplemental interventions that require intentional nonlearners to make the effort necessary to ensure success. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between an intentional nonlearner and a failed learner. Failed learners who have failed for a long time tend to give up trying. To a teacher new to this student, the lack of effort might appear to be that of an intentional nonlearner. It is also possible for a student to be an intentional nonlearner in one subject and a failed learner in another. For disenganged learner teaching a replacement behavior that is tied to reinforcing the use of the replacement behavior 129

Designing a Comprehensive System to Address Student Engagement
Because student engagement is multi-modal so must be our intervention plans to address student engagement issues Plan should be multi-tiered in order to prevent disengagement and address disengaged students’ needs Positive behavior support programs should address all engagement areas and focus on teaching, modeling, and reinforcing pertinent skills.

Addressing Academic Disengagement
Universal Use mastery learning principles to guide instructional planning and delivery Incorporate service learning and community projects into core instruction Allow students to have choices within course selection and assignments Supplemental and Targeted Provide leveled text books in content classes Check-In Check-Out focused on academic preparedness and effort Seek out college outreach programs and tutors for students

Academic Engagement Example
Strategic Literacy Project Addresses: Reading across subject areas The social and personal dimensions of reading Reading strategy instruction Expanding repertoires in knowledge of topics including knowledge of topics, vocabulary, genres, and text structure All 6th or 9th grade students receive a course in academic literacy in order to prepare them for the demands of reading across the content areas

Results: Produced greater than one year’s growth at the 9th grade level. Student reported more than doubling the number of books that they had read in the last year Students could describe an array of reading strategies available to them to understand what they read These rates did not vary as a function of teacher, or student ethnicity or language background

Zeros Are not Permitted (ZAP) Program Main Objectives: Improved academic performance by students Increased sense of responsibility for academic success Development of better study habits and higher quality work Increased communication between school and home Increases academic outcomes by increasing the amount of time that students are engaged in academic work by not allowing students to escape the work

ZAP Process ZAP will meet five days per week during the students lunch hour. Students will be assigned by their classroom teacher for not completing work by the required due date. The teacher assigning the ZAP will meet briefly with student when assigning the ZAP to provide the student with necessary information to complete his/her missing assignment. The student will then be directed to the designated staff-supervised room to complete the homework. Completed assignments will be collected and placed in the teachers’ mailbox for their review the next day. Completed assignments will max out an 80% of original assignment.

ZAP Considerations The ZAP program is not a form of punishment rather a program to send the message that failure is not acceptable. For this program to be effective, all staff must adopt the following policy: assignments must be completed in a timely manner. Failure to do so will result in the student being assigned a during lunch or after school homework session because Zeros Aren’t Permitted (ZAP).

ZAP on Steroids Augment school’s master schedule to incorporate an intervention/enrichment period around the lunch periods Results in minute lunch periods Plan enrichment and extension activities, clubs, and service learning opportunities for all students who are on-track for graduation and are caught up/passing their current courses Plan mandatory, facilitated study halls, tutoring, and social-emotional skill support for students who are off-track for graduation or behind/failing one or more courses Ensure that on-track criteria is transparent and understood by students, teachers, and parents

Team Sharing What other strategies/programs could be employed to increase the amount of time students spend engaged in academic work? Do the strategies require a change to your master schedule or could they be integrated into your existing instruction/intervention programming? 5 minutes

Addressing Behavioral Disengagement
Universal Implement a school-wide positive behavior support program Offer developmentally appropriate social skills instruction as part of the curriculum Create an orderly routine environment which promotes consistency Gather student input on school rules and climate and evaluation of coursework/assignments Supplemental and Targeted Check and Connect program Implement student advisory program Implement school-to-work programs that foster success in school and relevant educational opportunities

Positive Behavior Supports
Expectations for behavior must be defined and taught to students explicitly Students should be reinforced for appropriate student behavior and school attendance Group contingencies and competitions are powerful at the secondary level because they encourage social engagement Secondary students are typically more interested in earning privileges and autonomy than in earning tangibles Positive reinforcement should be awarded to students for the amount of time and effort students spend academically engaged

Team Sharing What other strategies/programs could be employed to encourage and support consistent attendance and compliance with school rules and expectations? Do the strategies require a change to your master schedule or could they be integrated into your existing instruction/intervention programming? 5 minutes

Addressing Psychological Disengagement
Universal Provide students with choices when completing assignments Focus on necessary steps to reach/pursue personal goals and career exploration- align data chats to this purpose Provide students with challenging and motivating assignments that relate to their lives outside of school Begin lessons by activating background knowledge and relating to student’s personal goals. Supplemental and Targeted Check and Connect focused on goal setting and progress monitoring Self-monitoring interventions Metacognitive strategies, effective note-taking, and study skills Design assignments to ensure behavioral momentum

Psychological Engagement Example
Teacher/Advisor-Student Data Chats Be driven by students’ long term and short term goals Help students to see the relationship between their academic progress and attainment of their goals Empower students to develop action plans related to maintaining or improving their progress Be supportive and promote teacher-student relationships Video Example

Team Sharing What other strategies/programs could be employed to increase students’ perception of instructional relevance and goal setting and progress monitoring skills? Do the strategies require a change to your master schedule or could they be integrated into your existing instruction/intervention programming? 5 minutes

Addressing Social Disengagement
Universal Implement adult and student advisory/mentoring programs Develop intermural sports teams Expand available extracurricular activities, survey students to assess interest Enact zero tolerance for bullying and student alienation Implement a small learning community structure Implement summer community building activities, particularly for transitioning students which promote social connections and affiliation with the school Implement 6th and 9th grade academies Supplemental and Targeted Maximize at-risk students exposure to and interaction with on-track students Provide service learning opportunities at the school site which involve high status jobs Facilitate involvement in extracurricular activities by providing adult and peer support and encouragement

Team Sharing What other strategies/programs could be employed to increase students’ perception of peer and adult support, affiliation with school and sense of belonging? Do the strategies require a change to your master schedule or could they be integrated into your existing instruction/intervention programming? 5 minutes

The Good News… Most of these interventions can be integrated into a school’s existing master schedules. Additional time is typically only required during transition years 6th grade and 9th grade “transition” classes are a perfect place to directly address engagement and get students off to a great start

District First Steps… Communicate the need and expectation of instructional/intervention plans to address student engagement barriers while simultaneously addressing student skill deficits and learning needs Provide professional development and coaching for SBLT to ensure their understanding of the relationship between instruction, curriculum, and environmental variables and student engagement and achievement Provide professional development and coaching for instructional personnel to support their ability to improve student engagement and academic outcomes through the manipulation of instructional, curricular, and environmental variables

Scheduling of Multi-Tiered Supports
Districts should support school’s efforts to… Maximize academic engaged time in critical areas Develop master schedules that reflect the needs of students Maximize use of all staff Ensure time allocated for Tiers 1, 2 and 3 Provide meeting time for tier integration work Be flexible enough to provide timely intervention and re-integration

Scheduling of Multi-Tiered Supports
District’s should support school’s efforts to… Direct a significant amount of resources to critical transition years (6th and 9th) to prevent academic and behavioral problems Provide opportunities for mentoring, advisement, and academic support within the master schedule for all students Include classes which provide instruction in organization, study skills, note- taking, problem solving, and communication in the school’s master schedule Intensify instruction by providing additional time and personnel or smaller class sizes for classes which typically result in high rates of courses failures

The How- Integrate Technology
Technology integration to: teach 21st century skills, engage students in the learning process, and accommodate for significant skill gaps/deficits and allow students true access to content area curriculum

The How- Create One Unified System
Engage in vertical articulation and programming k-12 driven by a common vision and supported by predictive, vertically aligned common assessments

“One Unified System” Successful high school completion begins with kindergarten Each grade/school level inherits an aggregate of student gaps, weaknesses, and strengths produced in the previous grade/school level Most successful “intervention” is to ensure that students enter each grade/school level with as much strength as possible With both the academic and social-emotional skills needed to be successful

“One Unified System” Vertical Programming—articulation K-12- is the most effective way of ensuring that students graduate from the system as full- option graduates An agreed upon “method” of vertical communication of student data/needs—that leads to vertical programming– is critical All grades/school levels need to know student needs prior to their entry—preferably months ahead of time The best “screening” tool is the compilation of student historical data This becomes more evident as students move beyond elementary school

PRIORITIES Elementary prepares students for success in middle school
Middle school prepares students for success in high school High school prepares students for success in college and careers

Every System Is Perfectly Aligned to the Results That It Gets
--George Batsche-ism

What Does this Data Seem to Tell Us?
“Low” Performing School Without significant organizational changes, the school should expect approx. 68% of its students to need support in Reading. “High” Performing School Without significant organizational changes, the school should expect approx. 28% of its students to need support in Reading

What Does this Data Seem to Tell Us?
“Low” Performing School Without significant organizational changes, the school should expect approx. 40% of its students to demonstrate disengagement by missing school “High” Performing School Without significant organizational changes, the school should expect approx. 21% of its students to demonstrate disengagement by missing school

Maximizing Student Outcomes
To improve student outcomes and allow for full-option graduation, districts must build systems which allow schools to more effectively… Prevent disengagement and academic skill gaps from occurring in the first place Respond more readily to student engagement and academic deficits when they do occur

Full Option Graduation Begins Before High School
The Forgotten Middle “Making sure that all eighth-grade students have attained the knowledge and skills that put them on target to becoming ready for college and career is the single most important step that can be taken to improve their college and career readiness.” The Forgotten Middle: Ensuring that All Students are on Target for College and Career Readiness before High School (ACT, 2008)

Remember this Scenario???
52.8% (210) of last year's 9th graders are off-track for graduation 19% (75) are off-track due to failed FCAT, Credits and GPA 13% (52) of exiting 9th graders failed 3 or more courses Almost all of these students are part of the lowest 25% Many of these students will count in the total graduation and at-risk graduation rates These students have less than a 15% chance of graduating without significant intervention Course Failures Algebra % Spanish % World History- 29% English % Hope (Health and PE) - 58 students- 17%

Early Warning Systems and Vertical Articulation and Programming
While in Middle School, entering 9th graders… Demonstrated disengagement through absenteeism (32%) Demonstrated disengagement through excessive behavioral referrals/suspensions (22%) Had a history of course failures in English/Reading (29%) 48% scored non-proficient on the Reading FCAT Had a history of course failures in math (37%) 41% scored non-proficient on Math FCAT Had a history of retention (24%)

The bottom line… Disengaged students are likely to be disengaged at the next grade/school level in the absence of prevention and intervention support Students with a history of academic underachievement or failure are likely to continue to fail without prevention and intervention support Addressing academic and engagement issues earlier rather than later is more successful and more cost effective Preventing disengagement and/or academic failure is more effective than reacting to them once they occur

Designing Multi-Tiered Supports
Multi-tiered supports should focus on: Pre-teaching skills critical to successful transition to the next grade/school level Horizontal alignment of instruction and curriculum for teaching grade-level standards and behavioral expectations Teaching missing skills or providing necessary supports (e.g., mentoring, advisement) for student who arrive with or acquire skill/engagement deficits

Example Vertical Articulation Protocol
Overview of Benchmark MA.3.A.1.1 Model multiplication and division including problems presented in context… Required Prior Knowledge as Identified in Prior Year(s) Standards Grade-Band Content as identified in current grade level standards Expected Student Knowledge as Identified by Standards for next grade levels

District First Steps… Designing multi-tiered supports which prevent and respond effectively to academic/engagement deficits will be greatly facilitated if the District… Sets clear expectation for vertical articulation between grade/school levels Establishes protocols, procedures, and processes for articulation Allocates resources necessary to support articulation between grades/school levels Data systems that allow for sharing of data both vertically and horizontally Time for collaboration between grade/school levels Trained facilitators/coaches Support for unpacking of standards

The How- Program Evaluation
Evaluating the impact of instructional/intervention programming on student outcomes will allow teams to identify ineffective instruction and intervention, make timely instructional changes, and identify students who require more intensive intervention support.

Without Assessment Districts and schools lack of direction to know what needs to be improved, who needs intervention, and whether or not interventions have been effective.

Without examining rate of learning over time in comparison to the rate required to meet the learning goal in the available time, teams sometimes celebrate “insufficient” responses.

Learning Rate Over Time

High Quality Feedback and Evaluation?
American students score highly in only one area relative to their international peers: self-confidence.

National Center for Educational Accountability
State: High Stakes Assessment State: High Stakes Assessment OF District: Common Benchmark Assessments OF/FOR School/Course: Common Unit Assessments FOR Teacher: Daily Monitoring Teacher: Daily Monitoring OF/FOR

Using Early Warning Data to Monitor Progress
The indicators in the Early Warning System can continue to be used to monitor the progress of students participating in dropout prevention interventions Interventions should be considered effective for students who move back on-track for graduation Students who continue to be identified as off-track for graduation may require more intense drop out prevention interventions. When evaluating results, be sure to check for delayed outcomes associated with early interventions

Data Chats Data chats between administrators and teachers should occur at least quarterly to: Set and monitor student outcome goals Problem Solve barriers to achievement such as skill deficits and behavior or attendance problems Identify the professional development and resource needs of teachers Building consensus with secondary students is facilitated by frequent data chats which focus on their progress: In specific courses, On state assessments, and Toward graduation Relate data chats to the student’s personal goals

Data Chat Example Video Exemplar
What is the driving force of this data chat? How does this example differ from “typical” data chats?

176 176

Engage in a Relentless Pursuit of Success for Every Child
If the data indicates that a strategy does not work for all students, teams should… Ensure that the instructional/intervention programming was implemented as planned (i.e., fidelity) Return to the problem solving process to address barriers to implementation fidelity and/or to augment the instruction/intervention plan

The What- What should we expect if we do it?
A better understanding of our students’ needs and the practices that either get us or do not get us the results that we want More timely, systematic, and systemic response to students who have not learned A need for less and less intervention services over time More effective transition from grade level to grade level and from school level to school level

The What- What should we expect if we do it?
More effective courses and academic pipelines Increased graduation rates Interventions which improve student success within core instructional settings Improvements in the percent of college-ready students Increased graduation and full option graduation rates

Every System Is Perfectly Aligned for the Results That It Gets

Percentage of students passing all classes in Quarter 3
12th – 79% 11th - 69% 11th – 76% 10th – 62% 10th – 72% 9th – 54% 9th – 68%

1530 Days of Lost Instructional Time
Recouped with only Tier 1 Supports

315 Days of Lost Instructional Time
Recouped as a Result of Tier 1 Supports

Percentage of students with 5 or more absences in any period during Quarter 3
11th% - 68% 11th – 78% 10th – 75% 10th – 41% 9th – 74% 9th – 54%

Data from July 2010

Innovation: Secondary Strand

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