What is Response to Intervention? (RtI)

Response to Intervention (RtI) provision included in the 2004 re-authorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is one of the most significant recent developments in education, requiring a renewed focus on collaboration among general and special educators in order to promote the achievement of struggling learners. RtI is an approach that instructs and monitors the progress of all students to ensure they receive interventions, supports and accommodations as needed to meet local, state, and national standards (Yell & Drasgow, 2007). The model is predicated on a set of assumptions that includes the use of scientifically-based curricula in the general education setting, regular administration of universal screenings, use of a problem-solving or standard-protocol approach to making data-based decisions, identification and use of a tiered system of intervention and support, assurance of fidelity in the delivery of instruction and targeted interventions, and ongoing progress monitoring for identified students (Fuchs et al, 2005; Fuchs & Deshler, 2007; Fuchs, Fuchs & Prentice, 2005). Students who fail to make progress within the RtI model may be referred for a special education evaluation, with available data being used to documents the presence of a learning disability (Batsche et al., 2006; Gresham, 2002; Peterson & Shinn, 2002). RtI would be infused across both VEIN priorities as an effective early intervention strategy for regular classroom teachers.

Individual Leadership Development Plan Instructions

Click here to view podcast.

http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/hrd/podcasts/video/2006/mp4/A9.ILDPinstruct.mp4

What about Departmentalization?

We've discussed departmentalization on the video conference today.  We know that departmentalization will:

• Provide the opportunity to intensify the focus on the need to meet standards, indicators and benchmarks of the curriculum.
• Allow teachers to specialize in a specific subject area and to maximize the use of resources/instructional time.
• Offer academic specialization and takes advantage of the best of teacher resources and facilitates instructional planning.
• Provide the opportunity for incoming teachers to narrow their focus to a specific content area.
• Provide the school with the opportunity to maximize the use of district and other resources.
• Provide instruction of a higher quality since teachers are focused on specific subject-matter discipline and can concentrate on preparing comprehensive lessons that are structured around making the needs of individual sub-groups. 

How do you feel?  What concerns do you have?  Please post!

The Power of Test Specs

For those principals attending this week's workshops on Item Specifications or Test Specs, FCAT item specifications were just a portion of the tools that were provided by FL DOE. In order to help you to provide information to your faculty, we are adding a detailed Test Specs Tool and Resource Section to our blog.

We hope you will collaborate on this subject and share any best practices.

It's Time to Think Scheduling

Working with students' schedules is an integral component of leadership development for all school-based administrators. Student academic success is dependent upon a schedule that meets the needs of the individual student.

Scheduling can't be a random assigning of students into classrooms, lunch assignments, and special activities.
You need:

• Assessment Data
• Student Data
• Teacher Data
• AYP Subgroup Data
• Students needing special assistance
and more!!!!

We're adding resources to help you with Spring scheduling. We invite you to make comments about your success and submit resources to add to this blog. Keep checking the blog as we will invite guest principals to write about their successes.

Share the wealth--BLOG!!!

What's in a Curriculum Guide?

We know that course information needs to be included in the curriculum guide, but what other information do students need?

• Graduation Requirements
• Early Graduation
• College Prep Requirements
• Promotion Requirements
• Early Admission to College
• Honors/Advanced Classes
• Advanced Placement Classes
• Tech Prep
• ESOL
• Exceptional Student Education
• Dual Enrollment
• Bright Futures Scholarship Program
• Academic College CORE Preparatory Courses
• FL Academic Scholars Award
• Medallion Scholars Award
• Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award
• Bright Futures
• Institutional Matrix (GPA & SAT Accepted in FL Universities)
* General Statements Regarding College Admission
• College Ready Diploma
• Talented Twenty Program
• The College Academy @ BCC Central
• Broward Virtual Education and Florida Virtual School
• Silver Cords at Graduation
• Silver Knight Awards

Did we remind you of something to add? Did we omit something? Let us know?

Tis the Season-- 10 Resolutions for Crunch Time

1)Examine the results of the latest writing prompt administered at your school. Create a list of students by rubric scores. Intensify and differentiate instruction for the students based on this latest data point.

2)Revisit your list of the top 45% in science to ensure that all students are currently performing at the levels they should. Intensify the enrichments these students receive.

3)Revisit your list of students who received an Achievement Level 2 last year in reading or mathematics (bubble students). Provide additional support to ensure they move to the next level.

4)Revisit your list of students who were retained last year in any grade (3-10). Look at the available data points to see what their progress has been like this year. Remember to get a learning gain—they must go up an achievement level.

5)Look at the tutorial/enrichment lists. Look at the available data points for these students. Has there been progress? If not, what changes need to be made?

6)Revisit your list of students who scored at Achievement Levels 3, 4, or 5. Look at the available data points to see if their progress is in the upward direction. What will you do in the last 9 weeks to maintain or increase their achievement level?

7)Senior high schools should look at all the students who are currently retained in the computer but are attending night school or participating in virtual school to ensure that if they complete the credit needed, the student is appropriately promoted in the computer.

8)Make sure your teachers are fluent with the Item Specifications (Test Specs). If not provide immediate professional development because this is crucial during this crunch period.

9)Examine exposure rates your students are having to Informational Text. If you are satisfied with the rate and results, continue. If not, make adjustments now to increase the exposure. Use all of your resources effectively and efficiently.

10)How many points are you away from the next accountability grade? What do you feel is your probability rate of achieving the next level? What are you doing differently during the next nine weeks to maintain standards where mastery was achieved and improve standards that were weak?

For more informations see: Effective Data Usage : Utilizing Data to Effectively Drive Instruction Powerpoint