Now, that groups are formed, I can begin planning. To start the year off, I'm pulling out a small group of 4th graders for math during the last half of the block. I need to create a differentiated math units. Easier said than done. But this summer I came across any other book written by Robyn R. Jackson "The Differentiation Workbook." Its been very helpful full in pulling apart my districts Curriculum Alignment Project (it's tells us what to teach when) but doesn't do much in the way of differentiation.


I've adopted pieces to meet my needs and have shared a couple. I'll share more as I work through my unit planning.

I start by determining what all students Need to Know and list them out. I then figure out what my criteria for mastery is and what my evidence is that they have it. The Needs to Know become the over arching lessons that I'll shoot for. This is where I what my group to be at the end of the month. These are the grade lesson standards that they will be tested on in the spring. I think with this unit--I will not be doing tons of modifications for students. But this forms makes it clear what the learning targets need to be.

Just a quick note on this long (much needed) relaxing weekend away with my family. I was surprised this past Friday to be awarded with being one of the Top 25 Special Education blogs by Teacher Certification Degrees. To thank my followers and fellow Blog Hoppers, I  have posted my latest High Frequency fluency game here for the next 72 hours for you. Up Against the Wall is a student favorite and great to send home to play with parents. I hope you have an great long weekend and a great first week in September.





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I'm always asked what my job looks like. What kinds of students do I work with throughout the day?

As a Resource Teacher in Exceptional Needs means that I have a room (YEAH) where I can do small pull out groups to provide targeted interventions for students. These days, in my district, I don't just provide services for students with learning disabilities but I also have students with autism, physical disabilities, and speech too. It all depends on what kind of support the student needs to be successful and make progress. I have some students I only see in class for 30 minutes and have others that I see closer to 9 hours in a week. Each year my high needs students shift depending on the grade and how much progress the student made the year before.

I work closely with grade level teams to ensure students are generalizing what I teach in small groups back into the classroom. I plan with grade levels as much as possible-it tends to be with the ones where I have the greatest need. This year its my sixth graders. I have my work cut out.  But with the help of those teachers, we can get those students to grow at least a year or more before they go to middle school. I hate to send on students who struggle with reading anything close to grade level. They are scary low. I help teachers focus on making data based decisions--and that hard with a curriculum that's paced out to ensure that all the tested material is covered before state assessments. It's great that we see the kidoos as ALL of our's--it helps when making the hard calls.

Where do all the RTI kids go? The last two days, my life has revolved about all the students who are reading below grade level 1st to 6th. Our school has 2 Title One Reading Teachers and 2 Exceptional Needs teachers. Myself and my counter part broke apart the students with IEPs because they are our number one priority. Once the students are broken into strategic and intensive, we start looking at how best to group them. Then, we go back and look at who is going to take which group. We look at where the great grade level need is first and start figuring out who is going do take which group and for how long. We make decisions based on the data and putting the kids first. Our Title 1 team may service a student on an IEP sometimes and that's okay. And I may have group that's all RTI kids and that's okay. Because it's about what the kids need not what's best for the adults. (Yes, our district says another interventionist can provide IEP services. It just means that we have to talk way more offend and make sure the parents are okay with that.) the RTI kids get their needs met as well. We make changes as we need to--that's what progress monitoring is for. Kids come and they go as they need to. With the make-up of the group changing as long as the kids are making moves.

So, what does my day look like?? Well, I don't know let. I know that I have students who need in class support for math and pull out for math that I must do. I know that I have students that need an hour a day of reading. I guess--I have a very rough draft of what my day looks like. I think I even have a lunch and plan :-)   Will this plan change if I get more students with IEPs--you bet. IEPs get my time first and then RTI.

That's what Resource is in my building. What does it look like in your build? I hope you have had a wonderful week and are planning something fun for the long weekend.

The term 'progress monitoring' has been around since the beginnings of Response to Intervention (RTI) or in my district is Response to Instruction.


Progress monitoring is the documentation where I assess students using CBM's (Curriculum Based Measurements) to show whether or not the intervention I'm using with the student is working. I collect a baseline score, I determine a goal, draw an aimline and collect weekly or bi-weekly data from the Progress Monitoring CBM probes. The graphs I use depend on what the goal is, what the CBM is and where the student's baseline is. (I've shared several.) My district uses DIBELS Next K-3 but I'm not always responsible for the progress monitoring. But I have IEP goals that I do have to monitor. Some places online to check out:  www.easycbm.com, www.RTIGraphs.com, and www.interventioncentral.com for online graphs if your not wanting to make your own.

So what's monitoring progress??? It's a core instructional practice that involves monitoring the academic growth of all students. My school wants to makes sure that ALL students are growing, from the low ones all the way up to the high ones because every child deserves a "years’ worth of growth" no matter where they started. 

This make sense because you are always changing your instruction to help the student make that target. The target doesn't move because students know where the target is. I have to help them get to the target. (Learning Targets: Helping the Students Aim for Understanding in Today's Lesson by Connie Moss & Susan Brookhart--is my current read)

Monitoring how students interact with the curriculum is how they will make that years growth. Doesn't is matter what you call it-Progress Monitoring or Monitoring Progress--I'm not so sure. What I do know is that you have to monitoring the students to ensure they are getting it; so that can make those targets.

I'm a firm believer that if you make students responsible for their own data, they will challenge themselves they will work harder and smarter than with me just telling what their goal needs to be. Over the last year, I've shared a number of pieces that I put in my students data notebooks to own and keep track of their data.

The piece I want to share today, I believe is the one that helps students be smarter about the goals they set. It's a reflection sheet. Just as teachers need to reflect on their own practices and student data--students need to do the same thing. I'm always asked, "How do you get students to make reasonable goals?" I always tell them "You don't." I guide my students. I tell them where they are and where they need to be be. (On some of the graphs I do put what the grade level goal is.) At first my student make wild goals and don't make it. But even in the failure--I find a success and celebrate. No matter what it is--I find something that we can celebrate. Those failures help them set smarter goals as the year progresses. Before too long the goals students set begin to make more sense but they own it.

Once the end of the four week cycle comes to an end and I've talked to all the students in the group. I hand out the reflection sheet. I tend to work through it as a group. I provide them with ideas about things that they could have done or those things that went well. After they have reflected on what they did. Students then create a new goal. Having them reflect on what they did, gets them to be smarter about what they did the last time. It's also a great way to see what strategies they are using and which ones students need more direct practice with. Does anyone you some kind of student reflection tool?

This week marked my 6th year teaching Exceptional Needs students in Lakewood. It also means the usually beginning of the school year changes. My team has two big changes this year--1) a new Exceptional Needs Teachers who's joining us from the great Arizona and 2) DIBELS Next.

Well to be fair, everyone in the building is taking on DIBELS Next. So what the big deal, its not that different than DIBELS 6th edition. I like that Initial Sound Fluency is no more. YEAH!!!! This was a pain. Instead its First Sound Fluency which replaces Initial Sound Fluency of early phonemic awareness. The Oral Reading Fluency is closer and consistency at grade level across all passages. Plus the retell means something.  New scoring directions for Nonsense Words. We'll have to see how it all goes Friday, when we have flex testing. I'm looking forward to seeing how students score on this version and if it provides better information to place students in interventions to help them make moves. Anyone use DIBELS Next?? I'd love to here how it helped students.




I hope that the beginning of your school year is awesome!!

This past week, I went back for three days of professional development before students start on Monday. I had my beginning of the year meeting with my instructional coach about last year. We talked about what worked well, things that I wanted to change, and things that I needed to work on for the coming year. She made a point that I also need to do a better job at celebrating the daily achievements that I make as teacher. Its hard when working with exceptional needs students to look at the successes that I make in my instruction each day. I always celebrate my students successes. Like most, I am my own best friend and my own worst enemy. I wanted to share a quote that I stumbled across after our meeting to made me think about the work I need to do this year as I continue to grow as a teacher-leader-learner. Have a beautiful and restful day.

I have something short to share as I'm busy getting ready for the first day of school on Monday.

I send home many things throughout the year depending on information I wish to share. I do data folders (Boomerang Folders) for all my students. It doesn't matter if they are general education or have an IEP. I started this last year. I would send home newsletters, weekly data, homework, etc. Most of the pieces go home within the first ten weeks of school--depending on when the SMART goal is completed. Many parents are not familiar with what a SMART if or why they should they should know about them, so I created a 1 pager that I send home with the first round of data.

When I start sending homework, I send parents a "Questions you Can Ask" 1-pager. (As well as bring it to conferences.) It's lists out sample questions that parents can ask before, during, or after reading something. The questions are not reading level specific so they are good for the whole year and easy for parents to use at home.

If your students are like mine, they are always asking "What's my password?" And then it depends on what system they are trying to log in to. So, then I spend the next 5 minutes finding the right log in. AHGGGG!!

Last year I put them on index cards for all my students and put them on the wall. If you didn't know it, they went there first before raising their hands. One problem with this system is that students have to go through all the cards to find their's. Not that they would know what to do with someone else log-in but getting students to be responsible consumers of technology; they need to know that it's for their eyes only. (I have problems getting them to log out correctly.) I came across this today and love it. No more worrying about wondering eyes and everyone has their own color strip. Even my kindergarten students can find theirs.

Why is teaching writing so hard? I don't remember it being so difficult but that was ages ago. Things have changed so much since I was 12. Back then, things like Common Core, State Standards or State Testing were not on anyone radar.

Did you know on average American students spend less than three hours per week on structured writing activities? Or that it's possible to increase the amount of time students spend writing to 4 hours a week. Until I went to the Every Child a Writer training--I had no clue.

Common Core aligned writing to include post high school needs and increasing students ability to complete expository writing. Most of the writing students do is narrative and the rest of the world wants employees who can write a description or argument. Being an Elementary Special Education teacher, I'm always looking at what students need to be successful after they leave me. Thinking down the road is hard but it helps in planning where students need to go.

I many cases my students don't have IEP goals for writing but they have problems writing more complex pieces once they move beyond a paragraph. Helping them move pass this is difficult. I hoping that by using ECAW in small group with I have them that they can go back to class with a strong knowledge in writing that their classroom teacher can help fine tune their writing--to move them forward.

I have put together the the begins of I Can posters for my students. As my students work through writing this year, I will be adding to them. I hoping that these target will focus students to work on one thing at a time. This way when they go to work on their own writing they a focus on one thing instead of several. Once one is mastered they can focus on anyone.

I'd love to hear how others teach writing. Do you go into class, pull out? Classroom teachers what works for you??  Enjoy a beautiful and restful weekend.

Be sure to stop by my TpT store during the Back to School Sale!!

I send home or give parents lots of things over the year--data, progress reports, and newsletters. I have many parents that ask for about reading levels about what students need to do either to move up or simply give them an idea about where they are in the big picture. The "Parent's Guide to Reading Levels" contains both DRA and Fountas and Pinnell reading levels 1st to 6th grade with a brief list of major themes that have to be mastered. The other form I use to track my students over several years. It's great for IEP meetings because everyone can see the students progress over the years. It is labeled in Fountas and Pinnell. My building uses both-we give the DRA twice a year and our core reading curriculum in labeled in Fountas and Pinnell. I'd love to hear what you share with parents throughout the year. Have a great Wednesday!!

Last week, I had the pleasure to trained in "Every Child a Writer." Every Child a Writer is a resource by the National Literacy Coalition.  Over the last couple of years, my building has been training teachers to use this resource. I love the fact that it moves students--no matter how they write. I'm so excited to use this next month with my students. Guided writing groups are created using a scored writing sample at the beginning of the year. Students are moved between groups depending on they did on their daily independent writing. Students are writing daily--at least 15 minutes. Writing just like reading, if you don't practice you don't get better.

Mark Barnes posted on his ASCDedge blog this week about guided reading highlighting the top 5 reasons why it should be eliminated. You can check it out here.

I'm always on the hunt for anything that I can give parents to help them through the IEP process. Being in the Elementary grades, we are often the first ones to guide them through the process and should feel empowered not intimidated by the process.

Math for many of my students is like going to the dentist. They either love it or hate it. Sometimes it depends on the teacher and how much time they spend teaching the skill vs having time to just practice it. Many times students with disabilities need lots to time to practice the new skill and then they need to see it over and over again. I don't know about you-but mine are really good about knowing it at school and when they get home well:)  I like using a warm-up as a formative assessment and create small groups for remediation.

Incorrect

Correct

Making 10 Goldfish Math

A shout out goes to Stacy at Shoot for the Moon for sharing this information. How true this information is.

For those of us in elementary education, we are offend the first to tell parents that their child needs extra help. Getting to that meeting sometimes is a great relieve and sometimes its not. I think that it depends on how the parents feel about the whole process along the way. RTI demands us to keep parents in the loop about student progress the whole way through. By the time you start thinking, the child needs an IEP (Individual Education Plan)  it shouldn't be a surprise.

When the student is part of the RTI process, you have the time to share with the parents and classroom teacher how the student is responding to the intervention(s). Its during these meetings that you can have the tough conversations about process/lack there of and what will happen next. Having open lines of communication is key. In Colorado, this information becomes the backbone of our IEP reports and evidence reports for giving a learning disability label. Its important to document the parents voice throughout the process and listening to them. This is a chance to educate them on what special education is and isn't. By the time you get to that conversation about looking at special education it should be a no brainer. Parents questions and concerns should have been answered about what they can expect prior to the first IEP meeting. I have created a parent checklist that can be given to parents when you send home an IEP prior to a meeting or have it for them at a meeting. You will find below a checklist that my team used last year as a checklist for ourselves. I'm planning on using it with my parents this year.

Click on the picture to grab your copy.  Have a beautiful Sunday and smile. Hug your family members a little more and tell them you love them.

I have DRA, Fountas & Pinnell, and Lexile scores, they all tell me how hard a text is. I start the a book level and then think about my readers. I think about what skills they need to have to read the book I selected with as little support from me as possible. Common Core is all about text complexity. Common core asks students to gain a deeper understanding of text. They need to be able to answer a variety of questions both literal and inferential.  Even Kindergarten students can answer higher order thinking questions. 

Out blog hopping this morning and stumbled on to An Organized Mess. She hosts a weekly Truth or Dare Linking Party. I'm linking up with Shades of Gray and a Pinch of Pink, Kiss, Laugh and Dream, and Special Teaching in the Middle for Truth or Dare.  


The Rules:

1. Follow your hosts via GFC or RSS: An Organized Mess, Shades of Gray & A Pinch of Pink, & Kiss Laugh & Dream2. Choose truth, dare, OR if you're feeling frisky - do BOTH!3. Be sure to visit a few other blogs & leave feedback on their blogs.4. Have FUN & Be YOURSELF!


This week's prompts:Truth: Have you ever stolen anything? If so, what?OR...Dare: Post a photo of yourself taken first thing in the morning right after waking up. 
Being the chicken that I am -- I suppose I'll choose...Dare: Here is a photo of what I typically look like in the mornings (other than the smile) after my morning run. 



Now looking for the coffee. Have a beautiful Tuesday.

Part 2 of RTI Q and A:

1) What is student progress monitoring?
Progress monitoring is defined as repeated measurement of performance to inform the instruction of individual students in general and special education. The amount of progress monitoring depends on where the student is in the pyramid. A student our is only needing core instruction-benchmarks assessments are all you need to do. Like DIBELS where you give beginning, middle and end of the year screening. Students in Tier 2 it's suggested that they are progress monitored bi-monthly.

Tier 3 students weekly or bi-weekly. It should be noted that progress monitoring Tier 3 weekly allows you to make changes more quickly and move these students through the referral process in a timely fashion. Depending on the skill, I'm working on, I do daily collection with things like letter identification, letter sounds, or number identification.

I'm a huge fan of having my students do their own graphing of their progress. It keeps them motivated and moving towards goals. I also send on these graphs home weekly. This is one way to keep parents in the loop on student progress. Parent involvement in the RTI process is huge and in Colorado required by the time a student is staffed for a learning disability. Part of our paperwork is to document what we did to keep parents informed through the whole process.

2) What are culturally and linguistically responsive practices?
The use of culturally and linguistically responsive practices by teachers involves purposeful considerations of the cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic factors that my have an impact on students' success or failure in the classroom. Attention to these factors, along with inclusion of cultural elements in the delivery of instruction, will help make the strongest possible connection between the culture and expectations of the school and the culture(s) that students bring to the school. Instruction should be differentiated according to how students learn, build on existing student knowledge and experience, and be language appropriate. In addition, decisions about Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions should be aware of students' cultural and linguistic strengths and challenges in how they respond to instruction.

In Colorado, (and I'm sure with others) this means making sure core instruction in the classroom uses those research based strategies. That doesn't mean teachers providing interventions should tune in to those strategies. This is were my team tends to get hung up in the referral process. We have to prove that students are receiving those strategies in core and not making progress-when compared to others ELL students in the grade. This is where progress monitoring is a huge help.

Sites to check out: