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May 20 th , 2013

“Tweaking Project MORE for Students in Grades 6-8” By: Jessica Anderson Project MORE Coordinator Gahanna Middle School East. May 20 th , 2013. About GMSE . Building of 550 students grades 6 th , 7 th and 8 th 14.4% Economically Disadvantaged 16.2% Students with Disabilities

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May 20 th , 2013

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  1. “Tweaking Project MORE for Students in Grades 6-8”By: Jessica AndersonProject MORE CoordinatorGahanna Middle School East May 20th, 2013

  2. About GMSE • Building of 550 students grades 6th, 7th and 8th • 14.4% Economically Disadvantaged • 16.2% Students with Disabilities • 2011-2012 “Excellent” Rating, AYP Met • Value Added Met for 6thand 8th Grade Reading • “Above” Value Added for 7th Grade Reading • Central Ohio school, located in a suburban area

  3. Project MORE at East • Began in February 2011(third school year) • 2012-2013 we had 25 students in the program • See gains of three to five levels annually • Program runs from Mid-September until week before OAA • Program Materials are kept in a central location • Sessions take place in 4 different areas of the building

  4. What’s the problem? • Older students reading lower-level interest books • Motivation with students (repetitive) • Pull-out program, away from peers • Coordinator cannot be in two classrooms at once! • Students are unaware of progress

  5. Older Students Reading Lower-Level Interest Books • Problem typically with 7th and 8th grade students • Use “Hi/Lo” books with students who choose to focus on provided Reading-Tutors Material • Allow last 5 minutes of each session to work on something outside of class. • 8th grade – allow to skip game and develop conversations with mentors • Choose more non-fiction texts

  6. Motivation with Students (Repetitive) • Middle School students quickly become bored with the repetitiveness of Project MORE. • Re-reading book: Ask students to complete some extended response questions. If they are detailed and correct, they do not have to re-read the book. If not, they are expected to read-read. • Change-up steps by day to add variety (example: play game first) • Candy, front of the line lunch passes, stickers (yes, MS students love candy and stickers!)

  7. Pull-out Program • Project MORE is completed during a 30 minute grade level intervention time. MSE provides separate classrooms during intervention time for Project MORE • During intervention time, Channel One is played in other classrooms • Our Project MORE students feel like they are missing out, especially since other classrooms do not have interventions (typically socializing or silent reading time)

  8. Pull-out Program • 6th grade PM area is located within the 6th grade classrooms, so our students don’t feel so left out • 7th and 8th grade were held in different rooms, away from their peers • Mentors were “hunting down” their students, trying to get them to attend sessions • 7thand 8th: Right before lunch, so they always want to leave early!

  9. Coordinator cannot be in two classrooms at once! • Trying to keep small environments for maximum learning (fewest distractions) • One place to store materials that all mentors can access • Need for a teacher to be present at all times • Our 2012-2013 schedule allowed for an 8th grade teacher to monitor one 7th grade classroom • A 6th Grade IS teacher helped monitor one classroom • I floated between all classrooms once sessions began • Sessions from 11:08am-12:21pm – non-stop moving, assessing, conferencing and planning

  10. Students are Unaware of Progress • How can students take ownership of their progress? • Do students truly know how much they have gained (benchmark levels, fluency scores)? • Will sharing data motivate students?

  11. Example of Data Sharing Sheet (Handout Provided)

  12. Video Clip of Student Conference

  13. Changes for 2013-2014 School Year • Project MORE Coordinator and the OTES • How does this impact you? • Do you meet linkage requirements or are you writing SLOs? • Instructional Planning versus Implementing Instruction • LLI+ program in addition to Project MORE • Our goal is to relieve stigma from older-age (7th and 8th grade) students

  14. Example of 2013-2014 Coordinator Schedule • 8:45-9:30 • 9:32-10:25 • 10:25 – 11:08 • Working with At-Risk Students. One class period will be a conference period • 11:08-12:21 – Project MORE/LLI+ Sessions • 12:21-12:40 – Lunch Duty • 12:40-1:09 - LUNCH • 1:09-1:53 – 6th Grade Study Hall Intervention • 1:54-2:40 – 8th Grade Study Hall Intervention • 2:41-3:30 - 7th Grade Study Hall Intervention

  15. SUCCESS! • End of Year Celebration Breakfast • Invite participants and their parents and mentors • Menu: Store bought donuts, milk, OJ and Panera Bagels. “Tote” of Coffee for adults (Panera includes cups, stir sticks, creamer and sweeteners) • Use PM provided certificates • Personally acknowledge each student and mentor • Purchased each student a book of his/her choice or a $5.00 GC to Barnes and Noble

  16. Changes to Breakfast • First year to invite parents • Emailed and Sent home printed invitations • Requested RSVP’s from mentors, students and parents • I knew everyone involved, so it helped with acknowledgements

  17. What I heard… • “My child has never enjoyed reading. He just asked me to take him to Barnes and Noble to purchase more books. Thank-you!” • “I don’t know what you are doing, but my son has never stayed focused on anything, especially reading. I have never seen him so proud of what he is accomplished or this excited about school.”

  18. Goals for Next Year • Quarterly conferences with students in order to share data and progress • Pizza party for 8th grade mentors • Continue with celebration breakfast • Motivational “treats” for all mentors • Establish a fluid relationship with Project MORE and LLI+ • Possibly continue sessions past the week of OAA in order for more students to fully complete the program

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