Ch+6-+Results-+Ques+1

=New Question as of TH, April 9th... = = = 1. Do we do a good job of forming goals based on our real data and our real hopes for improvement? 2. Do we do a good job of communicating those goals to you? Do you feel clear about what your priorities are? 3. Do we do a good job of setting up adequate benchmarks along the way to the big goal? Are they "real" enough to tell you whether or not the child is progressing? 4. Do we do a good job of helping you know //what to do// to intervene when there is no progress? Do we do a good job of providing you with //what you need// to intervene when there is no progress? 5. Are we better in some subject areas/ academic areas than in others? What makes things better in the "good" areas?
 * Thinking about the District's Leadership and Continuous Improvement...

(You may choose to answer one or all of these questions individually and specifically, or you may choose to write one comment that addresses quite a bit of this at once.) **

As E. Harris and J. Thomas have said already, reading is covered. I believe district leadership is certainly headed in the right direction. Pacing guides are obviously helpful. **Are** there district benchmarks in place, other than standardized tests (in subject areas other than reading)? Obviouly, we all use the Alabama Course of Study, which should be a blueprint of what students need in any given year. We can evaluate student performance in the classroom against what we KNOW they should know. I appreciate the direction our data meetings are going.....using data to drive instruction. I would **love** to have more ideas as to what to do with kids who just don't progress the way we would like them to. (A. Harris) At the present time, reading is receiving more attention. Math series will be adopted in a couple of years and we are already looking ahead at options for this. I feel that administrators, as well as teachers, are aware that this is a weaker area than reading. We realize the need for a system wide method for teaching math so that we can have common assessments and follow a pacing guide. (R. Hames) We are more on the right track of using our data in a productive way in reading than we have ever been. However, I feel we are lacking the same pacing and tracking to best use our data in math. It seems we barely have time to adequately teach math and science much less track the data that would best benefit our kids. Most teachers are reteaching when needed and now we have AM in place which sends up a flag when intervention is needed. I still feel like our math needs are screaming out at us...hope we can hear them. (C.Hagemann) Regina and Cindy are right-on. Our reading series has equipped us with the tools we need to set goals, receive data and use it for improvement. Goals are openly communicated and we clearly know our priorities and intervention is data-driven. We really have our act together when it comes to reading. Hopefully, math will follow suit in the future when we all have the same series. (K. Smith) When there is no progress, BBSST should be involved. Many times fresh ideas can be helpful. (C. Riddlehoover) Providing and maintaining necessary resources (time, expertise, materials, etc.) will continue to be a challenge as we use data to measure student learning and improve instructional effectiveness. From trouble-shooting technical or software problems to having books and other materials ready and accessible when needed, support provided through the library media program contributes greatly to improved student achievement. (E. Land) Our BBSST does a good job of helping us intervene when a student is making no progress. Because of ARI/Dibels/new reading series our reading goals and benchmarks have the main focus of our instruction. We would never be able to give other subjects the same amount of focus as reading - there's not enough time in the school day. (L. Adams) Benchmarks have proved invaluable for individual, class and grade level evaluations. I see a great awareness on the part of students, parents, support staff and teachers to seriously consider responsibility for progress. This is character building for our learning community, and the pride of accomplishment is lifting us all up. I see this in music classes when we tackle a new song or idea. All students are eager to read, think and participate. It's a courage to explore new things, because we have so many more tools to make us successful. (S.Rahm) I agree with S. Rahm that with with ARI more people that are involved with our students are taking a collective responsibility for each students reading progress. That is a great thing, but we need to remember that for a small number of our students growth is going to be very, very slow no matter what interventions are put into place. (A. Land)I think reading goals are very well communicated. How to get there is not always clear. We are very good at deciding who needs help, but no so good at determining how to help. Put them in small group is not the whole answer. What do we do when we get there? Does more of the same fix the problem? I'm not sure our goals are always realisitic. As teachers we want to help all students and we try, but with every minute you spend on one thing something else suffers because you take the minutes away. We need to be realistic about having all students on a certain level at a certain time. This doesn not reflect society.(E Lee) Our goals are definitely driven by data, and our curriculum is research based. Reading is our priority, which it should be at this level. Children need to learn to read well at this age and practice reading daily to maintain growth. If a child struggles in reading, he/she will struggle in all academic areas.(I. Fisher) I agree that at the lower level (K-2) reading should be the priority. Students who tend to struggle in the upper grades with content area instruction are often the ones who struggled in reading or never learned to read well. If you can read and read well, you can be successful in many other areas. I believe being a good reader also builds a sense of confidence that students will be successful in other areas. In the lower grades we do use reading materials to build background and teach content specific lessons. The new reading series has definitely helped us move forward and stay on the right track in reading. I do think that adopting a good math series should be our next step. Math is also a strong focus in the primary grades. We have to build real number sense early on for students to be successful in math as well. (K.Hargett) I also believe that we are on the right track with reading. I think the unity was well needed. Now that reading is in place and each year is building on one another, I hope to see a lot of progress with our children. I do feel that we progress monitor and have adequate benchmarks that are helping us know where the holes are for reteaching. I do feel that math has suffered this year because of the extreme focus on reading. Next year will be different. I think teachers are more prepared and comfortable with the new series at this point and energy can be better spent toward our goals in math and science. It all has to be balanced. AM is in place now and will be used at the beginning of the year so we will be more prepared to use the data collected from AM to drive our math instruction. Change is very difficult for many of us, including myself, but I think we are all doing our best to spend each day helping our students reach the goals that are set. We have a group of excellent teachers.(K.Powell) Through our data meetings, new reading series, pacing guides, etc... we are more unified in reading goals among classes, grades, and schools. This has been accomplished through the dedication and flexibility of all of the teachers. The students are the ones that are going to benefit. Next year will be even better. (M. Parker)There are many ways we are acquiring data and accessment in the different academic areas. This will benefit both teachers and students in so many ways. Reading does seem to weigh heavier than other subjects. However, the data we acquire from the weekly selection test and the unit test are very benefical in accessing what reading skills need to be retaught to our students.(B.Spur) Reading is the "word" these days and we have made tremendous strides toward accumalating the data and then allowing the data to dictate our next move. For the most part, paths to take are clear on how and when to make the next move with the students. E. Lee makes some valid points, however, with the "give and take" of our minutes. It does become frustrating when time is taken from other subjects to administer the interventions required with Reading. Math is next with the accumalation of dat. I shudder at the time that we will have to dedicate to this subject the way we do Reading. Overall, though, we do a good job with what we are given and how it is given. It's the "time thang" that becomes an issue with me (J.Waynick) I think our teachers are becoming more comfortable with using the various test results to redirect their teaching in Reading. This will eventually encompass Math and the other subjects as well. (J.Hall) With the DATA we collect with our new reading program I have come a long way just this year. I am wondering if we will continue with the same kind of system for other subject areas. (L Wren) I don't do a lot with the reading series, but I feel like I have great support on the district level with my IEP goals I have to meet. I am very gratful for the help that I get at the CO. If I have a question, I know the answer is only a phone call away!!! (J.Haynes) I believe as a system we have made great strides in reading and that we are on the right track. We are beginning to focus a little on our math needs with AM. I do worry, however, about where we will find the time to address the math needs appropriately. And what about science? (T. Bates) I think we do a good job of setting goals, but sometimes I think the goals aren't the most realistic. Of course as a teacher, I would love for all of my kids to benchmark in DIBELS, learn their math facts, and have beautiful cursive handwriting. However, realistically and according to informal data, that is probably not going to happen. I appreciate encouragement for me as I try to do the best with my students; however, it can be frustrating when there is so much pressure toward a child who just isn't improving at the rate he/she "should" be. I feel that some benchmarks are adequately set up, yet others aren't. Also, I would love to get more help from others with students who are really struggling. It can wear a teacher down to do everything he/she knows to do and still not see much progress. I am thankful that education is moving in the directions of using data more to improve reading instruction--I'd like to see a little less focus on reading in the upper grades and start putting more focus on math and science. (J. Layman) I have taught in three different school systems, in two different states. I have been thoroughly impressed with the quality of professional development opportunitites given to really improve what I do and to get me help in the areas that I need. I also feel that my expectations have been clearly stated and given to me and that follow up in continuous through the monthly data meetings. Data collected over time is important and helpful. I believe that we are provided many opportunities to collect and interpret data and in turn adjust our instruction. Jessica Wimberley
 * Adequate benchmarks are set along the way and help is provided when intervention is needed. I believe that reading is addressed much more than some of our other subjects. Science does not get the attention that math and reading do but with the addition of science tested on ARMT, that will probably begin to have more emphasis as well.(EHarris) I answered question two first and addressed this very thing. Again, I agree with E. Harris. Reading is addressed more than other subjects. We have more training and materials. I think that testing can be a good thing to assess what students know and need to know, however, I have been concerned in recent years that we are testing more than we are teaching. And I teach first grade - we don't do as many of the standardized tests as the upper grades! I think we are continuing to use our data in better wasy all the time. I think that is one of our strengths. (J. Thomas) **