Caught in the “Middle” with Interventions: Innovative Solutions for Every Student

1. Caught in the “Middle” with Interventions: Innovative Solutions for Every Student Montevallo Middle School Shelby County School District Presenters: Mr. Jason Tiffin Mrs. Tamara Wilson

2. Session Outline • Essential Questions • What the Research Says… • Framework for Interventions: Past and Present • The Big 5ive: • What, Why, and How • Benefits and Challenges

3. After this session you should be able to answer these questions… • Why are interventions so important? • What should interventions do? • How can our school implement interventions that target the whole child? • How can we adapt the interventions to the needs of the students?

4. What the research says… Academic failure is often associated with the beginning of delinquency…interventions that improve a child’s academic performance have been shown to reduce delinquency. -- Maguin and Loeber

5. What the research says… Grades, behaviors, attendance, and tardies are better predictors of student drop out than race, test scores, and socioeconomic status. -- Balfanz

6. Report from Johns Hopkins • Four common reasons students drop out: • Life events • Pregnancies • Arrests or a pressing need for full time employment • Frustration or boredom with school

7. Report from Johns Hopkins • Four common reasons students drop out (cont’d): • Strained relationships with faculty • Discouragement from teachers/administrators • Labeling of students • Repeated failure to succeed

8. Interventions: Past & Present • Academics • Behavioral • Social

9. With regard to implementing interventions in the schools, what are the external factors and influences that may hinder progress?

10. External Factors

11. Big Deal…What is so awesome about these interventions? • Means to an End • Teacher/Student Relationships • Mandatory Attendance • Self Reflection for Students • Raise Self Esteem / Students • Teacher Empowerment • Increase Student Confidence • Builds Administrator/Student Relationships • Increase Grades • Increase Parental Involvement • Student Accountability • Increase Critical Thinking w/ Students • Targets Student Interest • Quality Student Products • Creates Parent Partnerships • Increase Student Attendance • Sense of Belonging/Connectedness • Non Punitive • Sense of Purpose • Decrease Missed HW Assignments

12. Data to Support Claims: • Student Failures • 1 student failed for the 2008-2009 school year • Parent Survey • 94% of parents surveyed rated the school good-excellent in assisting their child in acquiring skills and knowledge • Friendly and welcoming school • 90% - 97% - according to faculty and staff on the culture survey said MMS is friendly and welcoming • Discipline • Intentional Touching decreased from 51 incidents to 15 school wide

13. Data to Support Claims:Academics • Writing Assessment (49%-66%) • ARMT Reading • (6th 77-83); (7th 63-70); (8th 58-65) • ARMT Math • (6th 47-56); (7th 48-47); (8th 37-54) • Moved from School Improvement (Year 2) to achieving AYP goals

14. Our Big 5ive • LOT/Ambassadors • iBAPs • COTs • 7-3 Recovery • Privilege Card

15. LOT/Ambassadors • Defined – • Seventh grade students • The potential for leadership • “Across the board” kids • Activities – • A plan for developing good community leaders • Familiarize students with the community • Make students aware of being tomorrow’s leaders • Show students they can make a real difference • Criteria: Potential for Leadership • Students become a team with peers who they may have previously not associated.

16. Benefits T-Shirt for the team! Once a month field excursions Local and area sites Hands-on experiences Learn about the community past, present, future Role models at school and in community Opportunity to join MMS Ambassadors Challenges Teambuilding difficulties Acceptance of new behaviors Peer pressures to remain “cool” LOT/Ambassadors

17. LOT/Ambassadors • Ambassadors • Tour guides • Greeters for events • Service work • Mentors to 6th graders • Ambassadors and LOT members represent the school and community • Many are active in leadership at Montevallo High School and beyond!

18. Intensified Behavior Assistance Programs (iBaps) • What- iBaps are administrator lead classes that target a small cohort of students and/or parents who need assistance with behavior (iBAP), homework/academics (iAAP), or parenting (iPAP). • Why- Final step before severe punitive consequences are undertaken.

19. iBaps The Process: • Identify participants • Mandatory parent meeting with signed contract • Meeting times set (1 hour, once/week) • Data kept (Logs, Journals) • Rewards for graduating • 6-8 week sessions

20. Benefits Targets students who need help Builds student relationships Increases self esteem Challenges Time Student/Parent Apathy Commitment of Student and Parent iBaps

21. Clubs, Organizations, & Teams (COTs) • What – Clubs with a purpose. Students and faculty small groups designed to develop relationships while sharing common interests, hobbies, and concerns. • Why – In order for students to have a sense of purpose, belongingness, and connectedness with their school. A mechanism for keeping students interested in school.

22. COTs • Teachers and administrators serve as COT sponsors. • Specific activities, criteria, and guidelines that pertain to overall goals and objectives of each COT are identified and submitted to principal by the end of the second month of school. • Each student is a COT member. • Students identify their top 3 COT choices (on a form) during the first week of school (during advisory).

23. COTs • Students not meeting academic standards (failing grades) do not attend a COT but instead attend the Intervention Club • Intervention Club is supervised by certified members of Montevallo Middle School.

24. COTs Intervention Club • Assists students with academic achievement in their core subjects. • Make up tests • Complete missed assignments • Obtain tutorial assistance in core subject areas • All students are provided the opportunity to attend the Intervention Club and may be hand selected by administration or faculty.

25. COT Carnival Takes place at the end of the year for incoming 6th grade students, parents and PTSO members.

26. 7-3 Recovery • Step 2 It • Academic Monitoring (AM in the AM) • Student Intervention/Collaboration (SIC) • Prepare for the Day (PFD) • Second Helping (Double Dipping)

27. Student Intervention & Collaboration (SIC) • What – A program that serves to reinforce students learning in the core subject areas. Each instructional team is responsible for their students’ program. • Why – The original purpose was to give extra help to students who scored poorly on standardized testing in Reading and Math. Later, the program served as individualized core subject tutoring.

28. Benefits Helped some students improve test scores and class grades Gave teachers the ability to pull students from elective classes Students were able to make up absentee work and improve failing grades Challenges Students were not receptive Difficult to plan since there were no parameters Made it difficult for teams to have cooperative planning time SIC

29. SIC • Taught students that the teachers would do anything to help them pass & limited student responsibility • Like many programs, it helped some students and not others

30. Prepare for the Day (PFD) • What – PFD is a before-school intervention designed to assist students with being more responsible for recording and completing HW assignments. • Why- Students not writing down and/or completing HW assignments.

31. PFD The Process: • Identify participants. • Inform stakeholders. • Ensure all students have planner and know the procedures to follow for the PFD class. • Develop and maintain check sheets. • Record data consistently. • Reward students for meeting goal.

32. Benefits No cost involved Promotes student accountability Increase HW grades Builds Relationships Challenges Late bus Student Defiance Availability of Administrator PFD

33. Step 2 It • What – An Extended Learning Time Referral • Why – To provide opportunity for students to complete, improve, or refine work products. • Student is not completing assignments. • Student is not attending class/school regularly. • The student needs additional time to complete the assignment. • The student needs to improve the quality/revise the assignment.

34. Academic Monitoring (AM in the AM) • Designed for students who are failing numerous subjects or severely failing a subject. • Students meet in the lunchroom when they arrive on campus (between 7:15-7:40) and work until the 1st period bell (8:12) • Administrator lead. Administrator meets with team weekly to discuss progress and update folder with unfinished work. • Students can be dismissed at the end of each progress report period (every 3 weeks)

35. Benefits Students bring grades up Focuses only on work that needs to be completed Grades in other classes increase Challenges Student Apathy Late bus/Late arrival to school Communication with classroom teacher(s) AM in the AM

36. AM in the AM Results • 1 student out of 64 failed • 20 of 64 (31%) were dismissed altogether • Increases in Core Subjects ► 1 subject – 5 (8%) ► 2 subjects – 5 (8%) ► 3 subjects – 13 (20%) ► 4 subjects – 18 (28%) ► 5 subjects – 20 (31%)

37. Second Helping (Double Dipping) What – Students in the 7th and 8th grades can take a lower grade (6th or 7th respectively) subject that was failed in the previous school year. Why – Allows students to pass onto the next grade if they only failed one subject instead of repeating the entire grade.

38. Benefits Student moves to the next grade with his/her peers Allows schools to maintain academic integrity Provides for mastery of class (whole year v. 2 weeks of summer school) Challenges What happens if student fails double dipped class? Students know that they can double dip Behavior problems with older student in classroom Second Helping

39. Privilege Cards • What – Students receive a card that when presented, gives them special privileges during school and after school hours • Why – Allows MMS to move towards a more positive instead of punitive culture

40. Benefits Rewards students for displaying the right behavior and attitude Teaches responsibility Generates enthusiasm and positive peer pressure Challenges What to do when student loses card When the 3 punches are gone for the month, what do we do to keep the student from losing hope Student “doesn’t have” card when asked Privilege Cards

41. Privilege Cards Events used in conjunction with the privilege card: • Discounted drinks at lunch • $1 off admission to a dance • Lunch in the gym and outside with music and games • Administrator giveaways • Teacher giveaways • Skip period • Teacher in-class rewards

42. Data to Support Claims:Interventions • PFD – Student participation decreased from 14% to <2% • Step 2 It – 31% of student body participated and benefited • iBAPs – 80% of students completed successfully • COTs – Over 95% of students enjoyed attending COTs – Over 90% of students claim it built relationships w/ stakeholders • Academic Monitoring – 64 students participated. 20 dismissals. 94% increased grades in at least 1 subject.

43. MMS Pyramid of Interventions

44. Lose Yourself - Eminem EminemLose Yourself Look, if you had one shot, one opportunityTo seize everything you ever wanted…One momentWould you capture it or just let it slip?You can do anything you set your mind to, man

45. Jason Tiffin jtiffin@shelbyed.k12.al.us Tamara Wilson twilson@shelbyed.k12.al.us Montevallo Middle School 235 Samford Street Montevallo, AL 35115 (O) (205) 682-6410 (F) (205) 682-6415 Contact Us