Pleasant Valley Parent Information Night

1. Pleasant Valley Parent Information Night

2. Connecticut Summit Message: We Have A Reading Problem In Connecticut • Many entering K students do not have expected language and literacy skills. • CMT, CAPT & NAEP reading scores continue to be flat over the past decade. • Students with disabilities and English language learners perform at very low levels. • Many regular education students fail to meet state goal in reading across grades. (Connecticut State Department of Education Status Report 2008)

3. Message (continued) • There are persistent large gaps in performance between non-poor and poor students and between white and their black and Hispanic classmates. [CMT] • Female students outperform male students, particularly at the secondary level. [CMT]* (Connecticut State Department of Education Status Report 2008)

4. Scientific Research-Based InterventionSRBI …emphasis on providing more effective instruction for all children through sound core curricula and early interventions for youngsters experiencing learning difficulties. (Connecticut State Department of Education Status Report 2008)

5. Scientific Research-Based Intervention • Evidence-based classroom instruction aligned to state standards. • Common assessments used to evaluate the effectiveness of classroom instruction and to identify and monitor students who require additional support to meet grade level academic and behavioral goals. • Coordinate personnel, expertise, materials, and scheduling to provide a seamless continuum of intervention supports. (Michael Coyne, University of Connecticut, Neag School of Education)

6. Higher Expectations for All Students • Current difficulties in reading largely originate from rising demands for literacy, not from declining absolute levels of literacy • Increasing demands for higher levels of literacy in the workforce require that we do better than we have ever done before in teaching all children to read well. • (Michael Coyne, UConn, Neag School of Education)

7. Complexity of Teaching • Limitations of a “solo practitioner” model • It is unrealistic to assume that individual teachers, working independently, can implement and sustain the host of research-based practices that we know are necessary to enable all students to reach grade level goals. (Michael Coyne, UConn, Neag School of Education)

8. Professional Learning Community(PLC) • Are we clear on the knowledge, skills, and dispositions each student needs to acquire? • Have we agreed on the criteria we will use in assessing the quality of student work, and can we apply the criteria consistently? • Are continuous improvement processes built into our routine work practice? (Connecticut State Department of Education Status Report 2008)

9. PLC Questions (continued) • Have we developed assessments to monitor each student’s learning on a timely basis? • Do we use the formative assessments to identify students who are having difficulty in their learning? • Do we make decisions by building shared knowledge regarding best practices rather than simply pooling opinions? (Connecticut State Department of Education Status Report 2008)

10. PLC Questions (continued) • Do we demonstrate, through our collective efforts, our determination to help all students learn at high levels? (Connecticut State Department of Education Status Report 2008)

11. SRBI: A School-wide Approach Tier 3: Specialized, Individualized Intervention for Students with Intensive Needs ~5% ~15% Tier 2: Supplemental Intervention for Students Performing Below Grade Level Tier 1: Comprehensive & Coordinated Instruction for All Students ~80% of Students • (Michael Coyne, UConn, Neag School of Education)

12. SRBI: A School-wide Approach • Comprehensive & Coordinated Classroom Instruction for All Students • Aligned with key student outcomes • Evidence based instruction & materials • Implementation coordinated & prioritized • Ongoing teacher support 100% of Students • (Michael Coyne, UConn, Neag School of Education)

13. SRBI: A School-wide Approach • Intervention for students with disabilities is more effective when it builds off of powerful classroom instruction. • When students with disabilities move from grade to grade, they benefit from a coordinated approach to classroom instruction. • Stronger classroom instruction for all students could decrease the number of students that become eligible for special education.

14. Purposes for Assessment Screening – Brief assessments administered to determine which children are at risk. Diagnosis - Assessments that provide in-depth information. Progress Monitoring – Regular, brief assessments that determine if students are making adequate progress. Outcome- Assessments that provide a bottom-line evaluation of the effectiveness of the instructional program

15. Intervention Options Interventionist • Student • Volunteer • Paraprofessional • Classroom Teacher • Specialist Interventionist Expertise • Amount of training with intervention • Experience implementing intervention • Student success • Availability of coaching/support

16. Intervention Options • Grouping • Size of intervention group • 10 students, 4 students, one-on-one • Within class grouping • Across class grouping • Across grade grouping • Dosage • How much time per day? • How many days per week? • How many weeks? • Scheduling • When will intervention take place? • Where will intervention take place?

17. SRBI: A School-wide Approach • Breaks down the disciplinary boundaries of who can provide what type of intervention to whom. • Provides more intervention options (content, materials, expertise, grouping scheduling) available to better meet the needs of students with disabilities. • Availability of intervention options within general education allows special educators to focus on students with the most intensive needs.

18. Special Education • SRBI is a coordinated school-wide approach for providing quality instruction for all, and providing interventions for all students at risk, INCLUDING students with disabilities. • Our remarkable special education services remain in place. • SRBI is now a part of the process for determining eligibility for special education services. An alternative to the IQ/Achievement discrepancy approach for determining the presence of a learning disability. • (Michael Coyne, UConn, Neag School of Education)

19. Scientific Research-Based InterventionSRBI …emphasis on providing more effective instruction for allchildren through sound core curricula and early interventions for youngsters experiencing learning difficulties. (Connecticut State Department of Education Status Report 2008)

20. Using Scientific Research-Based Interventions Connecticut State Department of Education Publication http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/pressroom/SRBI_full.pdf