The When, What, How & Why’s of Literacy Interventions at

Michael Collins School

Priscilla Piecyk- 5/6 teacherErin Tosch – Literacy Coach

Purpose of Interventions• 45 minute block on each grade level team’s master

schedule where:– All NEW INSTRUCTION stops.– Students are regrouped by need across the grade level

team.– Student Support Teams (special services teachers,

literacy coach, bilingual resource teacher, reading instructional assistant, gifted resource teacher) “flood” the grade level team with support.

– Students below 40th%ile (Tier 2 and Tier 3) on MAP- Measure of Academic Progress- are grouped in intervention small group settings that never exceed the 1 to 8 ratio

– Proficient students receive enrichment and extension instruction in a whole-class setting.

WHEN

•Scheduling•Support Staff

•Common Plan Time

Master Schedule

Our master schedule is designed in a way that provides teams with:– Common blocks of instruction time for

interventions (parallel block)– Common planning time with

intervention teams or grade level teams– Uninterrupted blocks of core instruction

in literacy (shared and guided reading, and writing) and math

Parallel Block Schedule

• 8:45-9:30 3/4 Team A• 9:30-10:15 3/4 Team B• 10:15-11:00 5/6 Team A• 11:00-11:45 5/6 Team B• 12:30-1:10 1/2 Team A• 1:10-1:50 1/2 Team B• 2:15-2:45 Kindergarten

3/4 Parallel Block 8:45-9:30 Rochelle DotyMary GettyAgnes ChmielewskiMarla GarmanEric WiklundRhonda StarrJen DietmeyerErin Tosch Julie QuinnAllison YuciusMarie Taraszka

3/4 Parallel Block 9:30-10:15 Cassie ZinglerShannon FarrisKim Feck Mary Getty Karen Mueller Erin Tosch Rochelle Doty

5/6 Parallel Block 10:15-11:00 Rochelle DotyMary GettyGina WirthPatty KazeosPriscilla PiecykEmily ThielenJanna Howard

5/6 Parallel Block 11:00-11:45Rochelle DotyBrittany AbruzzoKim Savino Kelly Boynton Agnes ChmielewskiMyndi Casey

1/2 Parallel Block 1:10-1:50 Agnes ChmielewskiMariann HyrckoKelly BoyntonJenene SerafiniKelly Phillips Lisa Bochat/ Tricia Kaszewicz Erin Tosch Sue Graw

1/2 Parallel Block 12:30-1:10 Natalie Snow/ Jenny AbrahamBeth Carrion Diana Cooper/ Nancy Lurquin Rochelle DotySue Graw Myndi Casey

Kindergarten Parallel Block 2:15-2:45Kelly BoyntonMelissa BeuchelCheryl MillsAllison Yucius Erin ToschMichelle Shanahan Myndi CaseyAgnes ChmielewskiSue Graw

Parallel Block Support

Scheduling- Common Plan Time

Team Intervention Team Planning Hours per Week

Grade Level Team Planning Hours per Week

3/4 A 4 hours

3/4 B 4 hours

5/6 A 4 hours

5/6 B 3 hours 1 hour

1/2 A 3 hours 1 hour

1/2 B 4 hours

Twice a month Wednesday staff development is also designated as additional grade level team common plan time (2 hour and 30 minutes total)

WHAT

•Structure of Common Planning Time

What does Common Plan Time

look like?

Discuss and determine exactly what ALL students need to learn

What interventions do our students need to attain proficiency?

What enrichment activities will further develop the skills of our proficient students?

Create a Common Assessment

Group students based on MAP data

Who is in need of intervention and who is in need of

enrichment?

Divide support staff

for effective instructionWho will deliver the

instruction?

Plan for instructionbased on data from Common Assessment

HOW

•Instructional Practices•What does it look like?

Guiding Questions for Instruction

(Intervention Team Checklist) Does Your Intervention…• Meet the needs of all students?• Group students appropriately based upon MAP data?• Utilize support staff effectively to best meet the needs of the students in

the group?• Follow guidelines for Tiered students?• Follow a balanced literacy model, having students engaged in all the

components: guided, shared and independent reading and writing as well as vocabulary and word study activities?

• Directly align with the same skills and concepts being addressed during core literacy instruction?

• Use district approved and appropriate materials to meet the needs of all students?

• Use best practices that were shared as a PLC? • Utilize the information from common assessments when planning with your

PLC?

These points were created based upon district guidelines and suggestions for creating effective intervention practices.

Balanced Literacy FrameworkTime is flexible based on the needs of the students. 5 mins. Vocabulary/Word Work5-10 mins. Shared Reading (teacher models)15-20mins. Guided Reading (student application)10-15mins. Writing/Written Response to Reading35-45min Intervention Period

A Balanced Literacy Framework

within Intervention Time

Interventions for Tier 1

• Enrichment activities from our core literacy series.

• Literature circles using on-level texts and novels.

• Extension lessons led by our Gifted Resource Teacher.

• Independent research projects.

Interventions for Tier 2• Mirrors the Balanced

Literacy Model: shared reading, guided reading, word work, writing

• Instruction in groups 8 or less

• Highly structured environments

• Extra dose of instruction aligned with the core curriculum

• Re-teaching concepts not mastered on grade level common assessments.

Interventions for Tier 3 • Mirrors the Balanced

Literacy Model: shared reading, guided reading, word work, writing

• Instruction in groups 4 or less

• Highly structured environments

• Extra dose of instruction aligned with the core curriculum

• Re-teaching concepts not mastered on grade level common assessments.

WHY

•Transparency•Data

Transparency • All teachers have access to student data through

the use of the school share folders• Intervention teams and support staff meet to

discuss student data – Results are reported out by the intervention group leader

• Collaboration meetings to discuss student data with Principal and Literacy Coach

Kelly/Miller – 64%, 7 out of 11 studentsBeth/Sidra – 100%, 1 went down in score, 2 stayed the same out of 18 studentsDiana Cooper – 80%, 1 out of 5 studentsErin – 100%, out of 3 studentsRochelle – 100%, 2 went down in score, 1 stayed the same out of 8 studentsSuzanne – 100%, out of 2 students

Grade level

Total # of Students

Total # of Students in 40%ile or lower on Fall MAP

% of students above 40th %ile on Fall MAP

Total # of Students in 40%ile or lower on Winter MAP

% of students above 40th %ile on Winter MAP

Total # of Students in 40%ile or lower on Spring MAP

% of students above 40th %ile on Spring MAP

K 44 20 54.5% 14 (0) 68% 3 44 93%

1 49 5 90% 10 (1) 80% 5 48 90%

1/2 51 11 78% 18 (9) 65% 18 54 67%

2 50 12 76% 10 (0) 80% 8 50 84%

3 43 7 84% 8 (1) 81% 10 47 79%

3/4 51 9 82% 10 (1) 80% 6 52 88%

4 39 9 77% 3 (0) 92% 4 39 90%

5 44 7 84% 8 (0) 82% 3 44 93%

5/6 52 16 69% 13 (3) 75% 8 53 85%

6 52 10 81% 13 (1) 75% 11 51 79%

Sample Reflection Questions

• What percent of the students met the standard on the pre-test?

• What percent of the students met the standard on the post-test?

• What conclusions can you draw from the data the common assessment offers?

• How did you feel about the common assessment you designed/used? Was it an accurate reflection of student learning for the essential outcome?

• Describe the success of your grade level plans for intervention/enrichment. How did each group perform? What was the impact of your interventions?

• How does this work contribute to the students’ overall academic success?

• What will you do differently?• How can we (Laura, Erin Hall, or Erin Tosch) support

you better?

0

20

40

60

80

100

% of Students Exceeding

40th Percentile

Collins School MAP Reading Performance Over Time

% of StudentsExceeding the 40thPercentile

82 81.4 84.4 80 80 84

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Comparison of READING MAP 2009-2010% of students above the 40th%ile

80%83%6

91%78%5

91%76%4

80%85%3

79%73%2

81%78%1

93%88%K

Spring 2010 Spring 2009Grade

80%83%6

91%78%5

91%76%4

80%85%3

79%73%2

81%78%1

93%88%K

Spring 2010 Spring 2009Grade

Reading Over TimeISAT Total % of Students

Meet/Exceed

Why is it all worth it?

• “Sometimes in the big group I can’t concentrate. I hear papers rustling and all that stuff. I wish this could be my classroom.” (In response to working in a small group)

• “Do you remember last year? I was all mushy. Then you met with me in the mornings and straightened me out.” (In response to working together and building a relationship)

• “Wow! That is a lot of checks. I didn’t use to get all those checks.” (In response to a running record, where checks mean he is reading the words correctly)