Effective Grade Level Teams Minnesota RtI Center Conference March 26, 2009 Kerry Bollman St Croix River Education District

…The Groups That Make This Happen!

Making Good Teams Tick

One Team Out Of Many… Building Council Safe and Welcoming Sp.Ed. Services Grade Level Teams Problem Solving Team

Grade 4 ELL Title 1 Sp.Ed. Reading ParaAdmin Student Data Hello From Our Grade Four Team!!!

Grade Level or Core Teams Membership –All Homeroom teachers, Reading teachers, Title 1 teachers, Sped teachers, ESL teachers, Gifted teachers, Specials teachers, & Instructional coaches who serve the grade level Inclusive group Students belong to the whole team

Formally Scheduled Regular Meetings

Grade Level or Core Teams Meetings –Meet monthly for data review & planning (Typically an extra meeting is needed in Sept) –30-40 minutes works (25 minutes is tight!) –Standard agenda of predictable tasks –Plan for data display –Follows problem solving framework generally –Facilitator and note-taker roles needed

Grade Level Team Tier 1 Mission Collaborate to provide general ed instruction that meets the instructional needs for most children 1. Problem Identification Is the core program sufficient? 2. Problem Analysis If the core program is not sufficient, why isn’t it? 3. Plan Development How will the needs identified in the core be addressed? 4. Plan Implementation How will the effectiveness and efficiency of the core be monitored over time? 5. Plan Evaluation Have improvement to the core been effective?

September Agenda: Tier 1 Tasks Review Fall benchmark data, Fall MAP data, previous Spring MCA II data as available Identify the percentage of students who are falling in each tier based on the assessment data, and record this information (chutes & ladders) Establish an end of year team goal to work toward for the percentage of students you would like to see in each tier based on assessment data If the percentage of students in tier 1 is below 80%, discuss grade level wide opportunities for making the core program more robust for this cohort (how to best use core instructional time for all students) Discuss what you are doing to challenge your highest skilled students

Fall Grade 4 Data

Winter Grade 4 Data

Grade Level Team Tier 2 Mission 1. Problem Identification For which students is the core program not sufficient and why? 2. Problem Analysis What specific supplemental and intensive instruction is needed? 3. Plan Development How will supplemental and intensive instruction be delivered? 4. Plan Implementation How will effectiveness of supplemental and intensive instruction be monitored? 5. Plan Evaluation Which students need to move to a different level of instruction? Collaborate to provide interventions in support of students within general education that meet the instructional needs for an additional group of children

September Agenda: Tier 2 Tasks Identify the initial list of students who should be monitored more frequently than 3x per year using fluency measures (typically every student scoring below target on fall measures Plan 1-3 standard intervention options that would address common concerns at this grade level, or refine previously designed plans –Record these plans as standard treatment protocols –Discuss the basis for selecting students for these interventions –Select students for participation in specific interventions –Discuss logistics of intervention delivery (time, space, people) –Discuss plans with building administration

Discussion Items Flexible Grouping –Use of within curriculum data, local common assessments Time and Materials Used Use of Reading or Other Non- Classroom teachers –To strengthen core instruction? –To provide supplemental support?

Ongoing Tier 2 Tasks Review team goal Confirm that all students below target have progress monitor graphs using fluency measures Review graphs for all students –Record decisions about program changes on Aimsweb graphs –Decide if there are students who should be referred to the building level Problem Solving Team Discuss what you are doing to challenge your highest skilled students

Student began year just below target Team decided to monitor frequently, but not to intervene Student continues to progress toward goal

Student began year farther below target Team decided to monitor frequently, but not to intervene Began intervention as data points fell below aim line

Student began year farther below target Team decided to monitor frequently, then to add intervention Definitely time to revise intervention

Reflection If grade level teams believe in shared ownership of students, and meet frequently to collaborate on the design and delivery of core and supplemental instruction, using data to match student needs and services… what happens to a traditional “referral driven” model?

MN RtI Center, 2009

Facilitator Training 1 per grade level Stipend position August training - 1 day Monthly conference calls Facilitators to prepare data and lead meetings

Kerry Bollman Academic Collaborative Planner Reading Center Director St. Croix River Education District