This chapter reinforces what I know to be true. As teachers we need to be very aware of where our students are and have quantitative data to design intervention for those that do not meet the standard and for the purpose of tracking how students are performing. We cannot pull students from their grade level core instruction. Students need to hear grade level vocabulary, work with other students in homogeneous groupings, and allow all students to participate in discussion. Kids learn from each other and learn the most when they have to teach another.
The students I am working with on my portfolio project this year are all in the yellow and red zones on the data triangle. My most intensive kids have historically been pulled from core instruction and go to the title room for reading and vocabulary instruction. They are not progressing and haven't for years, and there is no data to indicate if anything was ever done to help them bridge the gap.
. It take a lot of work initially to set up the intervention. I have to schedule time that does not conflict with core instruction when I can work with individual students or small groups. I have to make sure the rest of my class is working independently on worthwhile and challenging activities. I have to set up a progress monitoring system to make sure I am keeping appropriate data that will be formative as well as summative. It can feel overwhelming but when a student begins to feel good about reading and school I will take the sleepless nights!
We, at Green Acres, are doing the same thing..it had been standard practice to to have interventions during core instruction. We changed this last year and had positive results.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to hear that. We have had kids at Pioneer pulled for title help during core in the past and those tend to be the kids that are not progressing. Kids that are behind grade level need extra help not being pulled from grade level. Way to go Green Acres!
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ReplyDeleteKathy---This is one thing that I really appreciate about our school. None of my students get title 1 but for LRC time was flexible around my schedule as to when was best to pull the kids instead of just saying well this is the only time we have. I really appreciate that as it is hard enough for these kids to leave in the middle and come back in the middle of something else every day. I totally agree with you that students---no matter their level---have to be receiving grade level vocabulary in mixed ability groups in order to progress. Yes we have to differentiate but they also need exposure to the rigor of their grade level. Thanks for a great post! Keep up the good work! I would love to hear more about your portfolio project and what you are doing!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you feel that the scheduling from the LRC is working well for you at Pioneer! Pat, Dannielle, and I work very hard to fit our services in around the core instruction so students don't miss out on grade level instruction.
DeleteI meant to say heterogeneous groupings. Ones where kids are at all ability levels. They should be grouped by ability during intervention and have their work begin where they are - no matter the level. I would love to talk with you Janelle about my portfolio project. I am excited by the results I am seeing in the two boys I am following for the year.
ReplyDeleteKathy I agree on so many levels. I believe all students should receive the grade-level core instruction so they have that exposure. The problem I see with many students is the lack of experiences, vocabulary, and exposure which inhibits their ability to connect and make meaning out of the core instruction. I am trying to accomodate 1 student in particular who gets pulled several times throughout the day and I feel so bad when he is coming and going. I know he's making progress with the pullout, but it still doesn't always feel like the best thing even though I know I alone cannot always meet his needs for every lesson.
ReplyDeleteI recently had a conversation with an administrator who was saying that the past practice in the building was to "take students out of core and slow it down so that they could catch up" and they were shocked when the administrator suggested that maybe the students would never catch up that way. But when they thought about it, they realized that the common practice of the past that they were used to defied logic! You have to have the core teaching and THEN break it down as an intervention for some kids. Not just slow it down until they have grown roots they are moving so slowly.
ReplyDeleteCertainly, most students need core instruction. All of this is good in theory, but is hampered by the scheduling difficulties that create nightmares for specialists. When I check with other specialists in the district, I hear familiar difficulties with carving out times for interventions, finding adequate time to collaborate with teachers about the needs of students, and using support staff effectively within the classroom to provide interventions. Since most of my students need interventions in reading, writing and math, I'm looking for ways to be more effective -- and efficient -- in doing so.
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