How It’s Being Done in Burlington Public Schools!

Susan AstoneEllen Johnson

John LyonsDeborah Dressler

Dr. Eric ContiSuperintendent of Burlington Public Schools

We’re all working together; that’s the secret….

-- Sam Walton

OF THEIR SUCCESS!OF THEIR SUCCESS!

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Burlington Public Schools Elementary

Neighborhood Schools Grades K-5– Fox Hill - 400 – Francis Wyman – 530– Memorial - 400– Pine Glen – 300

Class Size – 17-22 studentsSpecial Education Students – 13.9%

Our Strengths & Our Challenges-2009

• Highly Motivated Teachers• Quality Instruction• Central Administration

Support• Community Values

Educations • Financial Support• Informed and Supportive

School Committee

• Fragmented Schedule• Splintered Resources• No Common Planning

Time/Lack of Teacher Collaboration

• Inconsistent Understanding of Curriculum and Expectations

• Referral Rate Too High/Hit Rate Too Low

• Many Retentions District Wide

• Child Study Teams Without Parent Participation

Our Performance and Outcomes

• ELA MCAS Scores were consistently flat • ELA MCAS scores were lower than expected based

on demographics, skill level of teachers, quality of instruction and hard work

• 65%-70% of all students were not meeting grade level expectations in reading & math despite quality curriculum and instruction

• Special Education was viewed as “the solution”

Our Solution

Response to Intervention

Master Schedule4 Essential

Non-Negotiables– 90 Minutes of Uninterrupted Time for ELA– 75 Minutes of Uninterrupted Time for Math– Daily Common Planning Time for Teachers– 30 Minutes of Non-Overlapping Intervention Time– Weekly Grade Level Data Meetings

AssessmentUniversal Screening 3x a year-• DIBELS – Kindergarten• I-Ready Reading– Grades 1-5 • DRA2 – K-5• Symphony Math K-2• I-Ready Math Grades 3-5

Progress Monitoring•Reading - DIBELS •Math – Curriculum Based Measures

Tier 1 ELA Core Curriculum• Read Alouds, Shared Reading, Guided Reading,

Independent Reading (Blended Literacy)

• Learning Centers

• Fundations K-3

• Non-Fiction Writing K-2, ( 3-5)

• I-Ready Reading Lessons

Tier 2 ELA Interventions & Organizational Structure

• Phonemic Awareness-Florida Center for Reading Research

• Phonics : Double Dose of Fundations and Wilson Reading

• Fluency - Read Naturally

• Comprehension –Leveled Literacy Intervention by Fountas & Pinnell

• Small Similarly Skilled Groups of 3-5 Students

• Increased time on Learning 2-3 times a week

• Progressed Monitored every 2-3 weeks

• Data Analysis every 1-2 weeks• Adjustment to Intervention

Practice

Tier 3 ELA Interventions & Organizational Structure

• Orton Gillingham

• SRA Reading Mastery

• SRA Corrective Reading

• RAVO

• Highly Individualized & Focused Skilled Instruction

• Small Similarly Skilled Group of 2 Students or Individual Instruction

• Increased time on Learning 4-5 times a week

• Progressed Monitored every 1-2 weeks

• Data Analysis every 1-2 weeks

• Adjustment to Intervention Practice

Core Math Curriculum & Tier 2 & 3 Supplementary Curriculum

Tier 1 Core Curriculum• Envision Math

Tier 2 Supplementary Interventions• Symphony Math• ST Math• I-Ready Math Lessons• Focus Math Tier 3 Intensive Intervention • Saxon Math

Behavior

Tier 1• Building a School-wide Positive Behavior System• Building a Classroom Positive Behavior System• Guidance Counselors Teaching Life Skills Curriculum, Dr. Greg Hanley

Tier 2• Guidance Counselors-Individualized Behavior Plans• Guidance Counselors – Social Thinking

Tier 3• School psychologist-In-Depth Behavior Plans• Consultation with BCBA

The Principal’s Journey and Growth for Leading Response to Intervention

• Increased Capacity for Strengthening Sound Curriculum and Instructional Knowledge- Instructional Leader

• Increased Capacity for Understanding Students as Learners- Instructional Leader

• Increased Capacity to Maximize Time, Resources and Focus-Efficient & Supportive Leader

• Increased Capacity for Analysis, Collaboration, Problem-Solving, Solution Oriented- Collaborative Leader

• Increased Capacity for Increasing Achievement and Growth in Students- Teacher Leaders

Progression

• 2008-2009 Reading• 2009- 2010 Reading, Math • 2010-2011 – Reading, Math• 2011 – 2012 – Reading, Math, Behavior• 2012 – 2013 - Reading, Math, Behavior

Increased Staffing

• 2008-2009 – Currently staffed with Math Coach, Literacy and Math Tutors

• 2009-2010 – Additional Literacy and Math Tutor Hours

• 2010 – 2011 – Literacy Coach and “RTI Tutors” • 2011- 2012 – Building Level School

Psychologist, District-Wide BCBA

Moving Forward Next Steps to Ensure our Continuous

Growth & Learning• Sustaining Fidelity to Master Schedule• Reflecting and Using Data from our Universal Screening Tool• Increasing Understanding and Implementation of Common

Core Curriculum • Understanding and Aligning Common Core Expectations with

Burlington Public School Expectations• Increased Efficiency and Common Expectations at Grade Level

Meetings• Increase Knowledge of Scientifically Research Based

Interventions & Strategies• Efficient and Viable Problem Solving Process that Effectively

Narrows the Learning Gap• Increased Understanding about the Meaning of our

Assessment Data

Principal Dilemmas

• Translating our Student Performance on District Assessment Measures to State Assessment Measures.

• Developing and Strengthening the Capacity of New Administrators and Teachers

• Ensuring Commitment and Fidelity to the Response to Intervention Process to Distribute Decision Making to Teacher Leaders

• Aligning Curriculum School-Wide

2013-2014 Success Continues

• Continuous Progress in all Facets • Data- Driven Decisions the Norm• Reaching 80/15/5 in Reading • Adoption of a New Math Program• Reduced Behavior Referrals to Principal • Cultural Shift for Teaching, Practicing and Reinforcing

Behavioral Expectations• Special Education Referrals Decreased and Accurate• Teachers Leading - Increased teacher knowledge,

collaboration, and shared decision making, • Strong parental support and participation

How It’s Being DoneThe conditions necessary for the equity and excellence for all students

Karin Chenoweth (2007)

1. Outstanding Teaching2. Teacher Collaboration3. A Laser-like Focus on What We Want

Students to Learn4. The Use of Individual and Common Student

DATA to Inform Instruction5. The Use of Intervention Strategies for

Students Who did not Master the Material6. Personal Relationship Building

Burlington 2013 - 2014Lessons Learned

• Teacher Knowledge Matters• Time Matters• Curriculum Matters• Collaboration Matters• Data-Based Decision Making Matters• Relationships Matter• Persistence & Motivation Matters

If your experiences would benefit anybody, give them to someone.

-- Florence Nightingale