 The context – what do we know about our students’ achievement?  Preparing teachers and tutors  General strategies to address student needs: › Affective › Academic › Technical  Content specific strategies

What do the statistics say?

 Absenteeism is greater  Developmental delays occur at 4 times the rate reported for housed peers  Learning disabilities identified at double the rate of housed peers  Twice as likely to repeat a grade

Grades 3-8 Tested in Reading136,153120,77083,137 Grades 3-8 Proficient in Reading60,98059,70936,395 Percent Proficient in Reading44.79%49.44%43.78% Grades 3-8 Tested in Math135,890119,63380,886 Grades 3-8 Proficient in Math62,08154,09234,181 Percent Proficient in Math45.68%45.21%42.26% Academic Progress in Reading and Mathematics, Grades 3-8

 Adequate yearly progress (AYP) and disaggregated categories  On Time Graduation Rate  Joe Johnson – serve our homeless students well…we’ll reach everyone

 When you find research that makes sense and “fits” what you see…  That’s the research to which you should pay close attention

What do teachers see?

 Below grade level (2 years by 6 th grade)  Lacking many cognitive strategies (due to lack of mediation from an adult)  Lack of environmental knowledge  Weak vocabularies  Trouble solving abstract problems and making inferences

 34% genetics  66% environment  BUT THERE IS HOPE!!! › It’s not just critical periods of development › The window doesn’t shut › There are more critical experiences that we can provide

 Federal, state, local policies › Immediate enrollment › Local liaisons and collaboration › School stability  Access, attendance, and success in school  NCHE Efforts › Highly Mobile Students, Reading on the Go!, Qualities of Effective Teachers

 “There is persuasive evidence that students benefit from high quality instructions and that these benefits are cumulative for student who have good teachers for several years.  Teacher effectiveness matters so much that low-income students lucky enough to have three very good teachers in a row in elementary school earn test scores that, on average, are similar to middle class students.”

EFFECTIVE TEACHERS Prerequisites Organizing for Instruction Classroom Management & Instruction Implementing Instruction Monitoring Student Progress & Potential The Person Job Responsibilities and Practices Used with the Permission of Linda Hutchinson, Doctoral Student, The College of William and Mary Background

 Affective Needs  Academic Needs  Technical Needs

 What does it mean? › Focusing on the outside needs of at-risk/highly mobile students such as assistance with food, housing, referrals to agencies › Considering relationship with parents in working with students  What does it sound like? It’s not that the parents don’t care and I find the parents increasingly supportive. But the reality is that they also come from highly dysfunctional homes. -- Tanya

 They need to understand how homelessness influences school performance  How do we make this happen?

 Students: › Will decide to work in your class IF they like you › Love to entertain and tell stories in casual register › Are disorganized › Often lack basic classroom survival skills › May not know or use middle class courtesies › May not know or use conflict resolution skills › Get angry and quit working easily (emphasis on present feelings)

 Communication skills › Working with parents › Working with other teachers and tutors › Working with other support personnel  Getting outside help › Knowing the resources › Knowing who to call

 What does it mean? › Helping students develop a sense of belonging › Developing intrinsic motivation › Attending to emotional needs  What does it sound like? I work hard to reduce stress in the classroom – to make it very comfortable and positive. I want to be seen as a helper/facilitator, not a dictator. -- Jeana

 Connecting with students  Classroom management

 “You came back!”  Assimilate quickly into class  Be honest about student’s academic level  Reflect all progress with praise (esp. attitude)  Teach life lessons  Use adult voice (avoid sarcasm)  Appreciate student’s humor and ability to entertain  Show personal interest in the student  Provide individual help  Give “wait time” and give clues when there is trouble answering a question (scaffolding)

Culture The way we do things around here Climate The way we feel about the way we do things around here

 Rules – standards or expectations  Procedures  Routines

Looks LikeSounds Like

 Post them  Sing them  Cheer them  Rap them  Rhyme them  Let the students help create a method

 Describe and demonstrate desired behavior › Give context › Give rationale › Model  Rehearse › Simulated › Guided practice › Distributed  Feedback › Sandwich Technique › Eye Contact

An ideal strategy would: › Maintain/restore order immediately › Not affect a positive learning environment › Prevent repetition of the problem

 Minor  Moderate  More extensive

 Nonverbal cues  Pacing speed up  Proximity  Group focusing  Behavior redirect  Instruction  Brief desist  Student choice  “I” message

 Withhold a privilege or desired activity  Isolate or remove student(s)  Use a penalty  Assign detention  Use a school-based consequence

 Problem solving  Peer mediation/conflict resolution  Conference with a parent  Individual contract with the student

L abel the problem A lternatives are brainstormed C hoose one (+) to implement and gain commitment E valuate effectiveness  of implementation  of outcome

 Place event in center of wheel  Generate feeling words on one half  Generate possible solutions on other half Feelings Solutions

 Write and model classroom rules  Teach and model conflict resolution skills  Teach and model middle class courtesies (give a second set of rules from which to choose)  Include student in discipline process (alternative behaviors)

 What does it mean? › Focusing on the academic achievement › Working toward academic progress  What does it sound like? I think [my relationship with students] it’s a big role because I take ownership into their learning process and involvement and there should be no question on their part that I’m a player and that they don’t stand alone. And I think that makes a big difference. -- Janice

 Reading tests  Writing samples  Computation probes

 Tools kept in students’ boxes › Non-reader skills › Future worksheets › School spelling lists › Copies of report cards  Planning interventions

 Balancing student needs and grade level expectations  Systematic building of vocabulary › Important to concept development  Direct teaching of formal register  Direct teaching of classroom survival skills › Hand raising, note taking procedural self- talk)

 Help students set goals (control impulsivity)  Teach students to ask questions  Teach students to sort  Help students process abstract information through mental models

 Common needs  What works › Instructional techniques/tips › Resources

 Common needs  What works › Instructional techniques/tips › Resources

 Common needs  What works › Instructional techniques/tips › Resources

“… nothing, absolutely nothing has happened in education until it has happened to a student” Joe Carroll, 1994