Sunday, September 22, 2013

Tiered Instruction


Tiered Instruction Has Begun!

 
By now, you have received the email from Dr. Bates and me in which we describe the start of our Massachusetts Tiered System of Support program, more familiarly known as Tiered Instruction or RtI by students and staff.  This is our third year of implementation of the program and we are excited by some of the changes that we are including this year. 
 

First, the entire faculty met last Saturday for professional development to learn how to administer Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessments in literacy.  Teachers in kindergarten through sixth grade will record data in every student's rate of reading, decoding errors, and comprehension.  Though we have used several different tools to track fluency, automaticity, and comprehension over the years, this will be the first time we have vertical data from kindergarten through the sixth grade using the same assessment tool to track children’s progress throughout their education at Blanchard. 

 
In addition, these initial weeks of school have been very busy for both students and staff.  Students have taken several assessments in every grade and we are now in the process of collecting data using other assessment tools in reading, writing, and mathematics.  With all of this data, we then meet by grade level every month to discuss children’s progress and determine the appropriate instruction and intervention for the children.  It is a time-consuming process, but well worth it to understand the effectiveness of our instruction and efforts.  In the discussions, teachers determine who will teach which intervention group and which children will be in a specific group.  In the process of making these decisions, the meeting becomes a forum for teachers to offer suggestions to one another and the development of shared responsibility for all the students’ progress in the entire grade.  The new teacher evaluation system contributes to this because teachers develop team goals for the grade level students’ progress as well. 
 
Students who have been placed in intervention groups as in Tiers 2 or 3 will have a letter sent home to indicate the tier that the children have been placed and in which subject or subjects.  If parents do not receive a letter, this means that the children are in Tier One and are engaging in enrichment activities.  The groups of students in Tier One, Two, and Three will change throughout the year, depending on the curriculum and the children’s needs.  If you have any questions about the tiers or the intervention instruction, please call at any time.

We are proud of the tiered instruction and interventions that we provide at Blanchard.  However, we need your help.  All students will benefit from reading at home for 30 minutes a day and working on math problems on the computer using the IXL program that children can access at home.  Anytime that you could encourage your children to write about family activities or their hobbies such as sports, music, or dance, you will be helping your children to organize their thoughts, summarize and sequence, and prioritize their ideas. 
 
I know family life is busy and some days it is all you can do to get dinner on the table and help the children to complete their homework.  I have felt the same way with my own children.  However, if you can think of reading every day in the same way that you stress brushing their teeth every day, you will be establishing a great foundation for the rest of their lives.  Thanks for all the help that you give your children and the school. 

 
Best Wishes for the New Year,

Dr. Tower

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