Scheduling Continuums of Instructional and Intervention Support

1. Scheduling Continuums of Instructional and Intervention Support Middle and High School

2. What Does Creating a Continuum of Support Mean? • What is the desired outcome? • Graduation-decrease in drop-out • Successful transition to post-secondary or career opportunity • Increase in advanced course taking • Increased attendance • Increased homework completion • What does the data indicate? What type of supports will be needed?

3. Once the “Given’s” Are Covered • How will students be grouped? • Who will conduct the intervention? • Staff with good rapport and management of students being served • Training or knowledge to carry out the intervention and engage students • When and where will the intervention take place? • What will be needed to implement the changes

4. How Students are Assigned • Grade level teams • Intervention Planning teams • Principle, data guru, counselor, content area representatives • Other models of assigning students?

5. Data-based Decisions Data Dashboards Sample Evidence MCA-II score MAP scores General Outcome Measure – Oral Reading Fluency or MAZE (with predictive validity) Formative Assessments CARI Gates McGinitie-RT Teacher input about performance Grades Attendance Homework completion

6. When Does Intervention Take Place? • Assumption • Most students get rigorous core instruction during X time. • For students who need intense intervention, we will have an additional X minutes of intervention. • For students who need enrichment or advancement sometimes a replacement of core is appropriate • Group make-up and size are important. • Sometimes, the “who” of the group is most important.

7. Influences on the Master Schedule Model

8. Overall Scheduling Considerations • Evaluate what is negotiable and not negotiable • Don’t confuse tradition with non-negotiables • Data • Think about reading needs • Students receiving strategic instruction should be in groups no larger than 5 • Students receiving intensive instruction should be in groups no larger than 3 • Integration may be necessary • Students who are indicated as needing strategic intervention should not be missing any core subject area curriculum in order to receive intervention • It is best to build your schedule to minimize any loss to core subject area curriculum or specials for students receiving intensive instruction • Contingency Plan • May need to create 2-3 schedules based on predictions for potential additions/deletions to grade-level sections and district specialist allocations

9. Scheduling Team • Who makes up our scheduling team? Who is missing? • Based on the work done by the scheduling team, the schedule will be brought back to the faculty. • Overall district-wide effort to look at entire system at once (Services, Curriculum, Technology, and Professional Development ) Nothing in isolation as impact stretches far and is interwoven. • Other ideas

10. What Do Models of Intervention Look Like?

11. Model 1: Pull Out Intervention delivered by assigned teacher, educational assistant, etc.

12. Lake Woebegone School Fall Data

13. Pull Out Model Advantages • Most similar to traditional practices • Minimal logistical planning needed Disadvantages • Transition time to intervention necessary • Most schools have more students to serve than this model accommodates • Collaboration time between teachers necessary

14. Variations on the Pull-Out Model • Bursts of service • Inter-sessions • Summer courses • After school sessions

15. Scheduling/Resource Considerations • Works best when numbers of students needing assistance is small because students in group have to have similar needs • Typically, each grade level receives support ½ hour each day • Can be done while other students participating in workshop

16. Model 2: In Class

17. Utopia School Fall Data

18. Variations on the In Class Model • Content Literacy Continuum • Skills taught within core-subject areas • Students requiring additional practice with skills receive additional intervention at different time • Intervention Course • Traditional course is compressed into 90 min for 1 semester • Intervention course is 90 min for 2 semesters • 45 min. grade level course • 45 min. targeted instruction

19. In Class Model Advantages • Students stay in class during intervention time • Classroom teacher is able to work with at least one group of his/her own students • Flexible grouping may be easier to do given the daily contact between teachers • Opportunity to use common vocabulary and align expectations Disadvantages • Most schools have more students to serve than this model accommodates • Collaboration time between teachers necessary

20. Scheduling/Resource Considerations • Works best with small numbers of students • Typically, each grade level receives support ½ hour each day • Can be done while other students participating in workshop • Classroom supervisor may be necessary to protect uninterrupted intervention time

21. Model 3: Intervention Power Hour Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 1

22. Heaven School Fall Data • Each grade level was assigned an intervention time • Available resources included what was called the “Swoop Team”. The team consisted of both certified and non-certified staff, all led by the Literacy Coach in the building.

23. Intervention Power Hour Advantages • A team can accommodate a larger number of groups • Larger number of groups can make for more options when student’s needs change • Typically allows more time for additional support to students with intensive needs Disadvantages • Transition time to new groups needed (if not at beginning of day) • Content area teacher disconnected from student and intervention planning • Interventionists report wanting to having the students for longer periods of time • Training and support for interventionists needs to be coordinated • May be easier to overlook need to make core curricular changes

24. Scheduling/Resource Considerations • Most likely used when number of students needing intervention is large, or beyond what can be done by the teacher and one support staff. • Depending on the number of intervention groups necessary, resources may need to be rethought in the school (aide duties). • Make sure students most in need have the most qualified interventionists.

25. Variations of Power Hour • Split Lunch—20 minutes to eat, 20 minutes study hall • Students in interventions required to attend study hall in content area they need help • Coffee clutch—students arrive 30 minutes prior to start of school for intervention • After school or on-line intervention sessions

26. Model 4: Cross-Class

27. Shangri la School • Each grade level selected an intervention time • Available resources included 4 grade level teachers, 1 reading specialist, 2 reading paras

28. Cross Class Model Advantages • Coordinating workshop time as intervention time assures students needing strategic support are not missing core subject area instruction • Allows for several certified staff to be providing reading interventions and more creative groupings • When teachers have built in collaborative time, discussions about groupings and individual students can take place • Easier for reading specialist to be available for additional intervention time for students needing intensive instruction • Allows for creative groupings for students needing intervention that is an enhancement of skills. Disadvantages • Transition time to new groups needed. • Classroom teachers sometimes disconnected from student and instructional planning

29. Scheduling/Resource Considerations • Similar to intervention team approach, but grade-level teachers used as interventionists. • Each grade level coordinates intervention time with other reading teachers or special education teachers.

30. Model 5: Cross-Grade

31. Eden School Fall Data • Lower primary and upper primary have 3 hour reading blocks. Students are grouped according to both reading level needs and intervention needs during that block. • Available resources included all grade level, special education, and ELL teachers, Reading Coach, Reading interventionists, and 2 paras.

32. Cross Grade Model Advantages • Allows for more individualized and intense instruction based on reading and skill level • Focus on reading increased because no transition time necessary • Teacher provided time to know student’s skill level and increased time allows him/her more flexibility in meeting needs Disadvantages • Requires integration of other core subject areas into literacy and math blocks • Requires thinking about things very differently

33. Variation of Cross-grade Grouping Using Block Scheduling • See handout • 1 Block set aside for school-wide enrichment, re-teaching, electives • 1 Block set aside for each grade to have enrichment, re-teaching, or planning time

34. Scheduling/Resource Considerations • Consider when number of students on track is considerably less than those not on track • Scheduling takes into consideration resources needed and grade level requirements • Resources can be allocated in larger chunks of time

35. Our Data and Preference • As we look at our data, there are likely some models that do not apply. • Just working from those that would make sense, talk at your table about the advantages and disadvantages to the models that we will consider. • Based on the combined advantages and disadvantages, select the model that you would like to build your schedule around.