Identify the school-based RtI Leadership Team.

Terry Broadnax - Principal: (Required Member) The Principal provides a common vision for the use of data-based decision –making, models the Problem Solving Process; supervises the development of a strong infrastructure for implementation of PS/RtI; ensures that the school-based team is implementing PS/RtI; conducts assessment of PS/RtI skills of school staff; ensures implementation of intervention support and documentation; ensures and participates in adequate professional learning to support PS/RtI implementation; develops a culture of expectation with the school staff for the implementation of PS/RtI school wide; ensures resources are assigned to those areas in most need; and communicates with parents regarding school-based PS/RtI plans and activities.

Karen Irace - Assistant Principal: Assists Principal in providing a common vision for the use of data-based decision-making, assists in the development of a strong infrastructure of resources for the implementation of PS/RtI, further assists the principal in the assessment of PS/RtI skills, implementation of intervention support and documentation, professional learning, and communication with parents concerning PS/RtI plans and activities.

Cathy Jones and Elaine Yaw - Selected General Education Teachers: (Recommend at least one Primary Teacher and one Intermediate Teacher) – Provides information about core instruction; participates in student data collection; delivers Tier 1 instruction/intervention; collaborates with other staff to implement Tier 2/3 interventions; and integrates Tier 1 materials/instruction with Tier 2/3 activities.

Judy Lyon and Lee Tops-Ward - Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Teachers: Participates in student data collection, integrates core instructional activities/materials/ instruction in tiered interventions; collaborates with general education teachers.

TBA - Academic Intervention Facilitator: Develops, leads, and evaluates school core content standards/programs; identifies and analyzes existing literature on scientifically based curriculum/behavior assessment and intervention approaches. Identifies systematic patterns of student need while working with district personnel to identify appropriate, evidence-based intervention strategies; assists with whole school screening programs that provide early intervening services for children to be considered “at risk,” assists in the design and implementation for progress monitoring, data collection, and data analysis, participates in the design and delivery of professional development; and provides support for assessment and implementation monitoring.

Mark Neely - School Psychologist: Participates in collection, interpretation, and analysis of data; facilitates development of intervention plans; provides support for intervention fidelity and documentation; provides professional development and technical evaluation; assists in facilitation data-based decision making activities.

Krystal James - PS/RtI Behavior Representative (PBS): Participates in collection, interpretation, and analysis of data; facilitates development of intervention plans; provides support for intervention fidelity and documentation; assists with professional development for behavior concerns; assists in facilitation data-based decision making activities.

Emily Lietz - Speech Language Pathologist: Educates the team in the role language plays in curriculum assessment, and instruction, as a basis for appropriate program design; assists in the selection of screening measures; and helps identify systematic patterns of student need with respect to language skills.

Sandy Mathieu - Guidance Counselor: Provides quality services and expertise on issues ranging from program design to assessment and intervention with individual students. Communicates with child-serving community agencies to support the students’ academic, emotional, behavioral, and social success.

Teresa Yearicks - Technology Specialist: Develops or brokers technology necessary to manage and display data, provides professional development and technical support to teachers and staff regarding data management and graphic display.

Describe how the school-based RtI Leadership Team functions (e.g. meeting processes and roles/functions).

The PS/RtI Leadership Team will focus meetings on how to improve school/teacher effectiveness and student achievement using the Problem Solving Model.

The PS/RtI Leadership Team will meet at least once per month (or more frequently as needed) to engage in the following activities:
o Review school-wide, grade level, and teacher data to problem solve needed interventions on a systemic level and identify students meeting/exceeding benchmarks as well as those at moderate or high risk for not meeting benchmarks. This will be done at least three times per year or more frequently if new data is available.
o Help referring teachers design feasible strategies and interventions for struggling students by collaborating regularly, problem solving, sharing effective practices, evaluating implementation, assist in making decisions for school, teacher, student improvement.
o Facilitate the process of building consensus, increasing infrastructure, and making decisions about implementation.
o Focus on improving student achievement outcomes with evidence based interventions implemented with fidelity and frequent progress monitoring.
Intervention teams also foster a sense of collegiality and mutual support among educators, promote the use of evidence-based interventions, and support teachers in carrying out intervention plans.

Describe the role of the school-based RtI Leadership Team in the development and implementation of the school improvement plan

The PS/RtI Leadership Team met with the School Advisory Council (SAC) and principal to help develop the SIP. The team provided data on: Tier 1, 2, and 3 targets; academic and social/emotional areas that needed to be addressed; helped set clear expectations for instruction (Rigor, Relevance, Relationship); facilitated the development of a systemic approach to teaching (Gradual Release, Essential Questions, Activating Strategies, Teaching Strategies, Extending, Refining, and Summarizing); and aligned processes and procedures.

Describe the data management system used to summarize tiered data.

Baseline data is gathered through August and September. FAIR data is processed through the Progress Monitoring and Reporting Network (PMRN). Kindergarten and First Grade data is gathered for the SBAR. First and Second Grade instructional data is gathered from the previous year SAT 10. Third through Fifth Grade, instructional data is gathered from the previous year’s FCAT scores.

Progress Monitoring data is gathered mid-year and toward the end of the year. FAIR data is processed twice more through the PMRN. Kindergarten and First Grade data is gathered for the SBAR every nine weeks. Other Progress Monitoring data is collected as needed for classroom or student progress. This information may be obtained by probes, Quick Reads, Fluency checks, etc.

Diagnostic Assessment data is gathered through the FAIR, ERDA, and DAR

End of Year data is gathered through FAIR, SAT 10, FCAT, and SBAR.

Data is discussed and analyzed at least monthly at the PS/RtI Leadership Team Meetings.

Describe the plan to train staff on RtI.

Professional learning will be provided during the teachers’ common planning time and sessions will occur throughout the year. The PS/RtI Overview will be provided in mid-August/September. The District has five other mini-modules that will be provided throughout the year.

The PS/RtI Leadership Team will evaluate additional staff Professional Learning needs during the monthly PS/RtI Leadership Team meetings.

Data Disaggregation 2008-2009 FCAT Data

What strengths and weaknesses were identified in the 2009 data by grade level, subject area, and clusters/strands?

Strengths: 4th grade Writing: Grififin had 100% of our students score a 3.0 or higher, the requirement for Adequate Yearly Progress. Griffin has significantly raised the percentage of students from the lowest quartile making gains in reading and math. In reading, 76% of students made gains while 72% made gains in math.
Weaknesses: Griffin has a large low socio-economic population and needs to increase reading and math scores in this subgroup in order to reach AYP. We will focus on our African –American population as well as the Hispanic population in both Reading and Math in order to achieve the targeted goals.

Instructional Calendar Development

What is the process for developing, implementing, and monitoring an Instructional Focus Calendar for reading, writing, mathematics, and science?

As an initial step towards implementing FCIM Griffin will focus on the area of reading, writing, math and science. The district has created curriculum maps for each of these subjects that are accompanied by a course timeline. The course timeline is the starting point for Griffin’s Instructional Focus Calendar. The district has also developed a timeline for Reading comprehension Mini-Lessons which will serve as Griffin’s Reading Instructional Focus Calendar. Math mini-lessons have also been developed. The implementation of the mini-lessons will be monitored by the AIF, school leadership team, and administration. Monthly Professional Learning Community meetings will be held to adjust the pacing of the mini-lessons.

Which instructional Benchmarks will be given priority focus, based on need, for each content area (reading, writing, mathematics, and science)?

Based on FCAT 2009 results Reading will focus on the benchmarks addressing main idea and author’s purpose, Writing will target elaboration and vocabulary skills, math will address needs in Number Sense and Geometry, and Science will target Physical and Chemical science as well as Earth and Space Science.

What is the process to ensure instruction is based on individual students’ needs, as opposed to the master schedule?

Disaggregation of FCAT data and monthly data PLC’s will use the data from FAIR and other progress monitoring tools to identify student needs and provide appropriate intervention and instruction.

How does the school incorporate applied and integrated courses to help students see the relationships between subjects and relevance to their future?

Students see the relationship between subjects through acquisition of skills through curriculum integration across content areas. At Griffin, we teach the children that school is their first job and this is where they learn the fundamental skills that will allow them to be a productive, successful member of society.

How does the school incorporate students’ academic and career planning, as well as promote student course selections, so that students’ course of study is personally meaningful?

Students see the relationship between subjects through acquisition of skills through curriculum integration across content areas. At Griffin, we teach the children that school is their first job and this is where they learn the fundamental skills that will allow them to be a productive, successful member of society.

Direct the Instructional Focus

How are lesson plans and instructional delivery aligned across grade levels and subject areas?

Aligned and prioritized curriculum maps and time lines are used in all core areas. Teachers implement the EATS model for planning, and delivery of core curriculum which includes essential questions, activating strategies, high-yield teaching strategies, summarizing and then reteaching as necessary. The district-wide Monthly Reading Comprehension Focus will be used as the basis for reading mini-lessons. Griffin’s school-wide Math Problem Solving skills will be the basis for problem solving activities that align with the curriculum maps.

How are instructional focus lessons developed and delivered?

Model instructional focus lessons were developed by master teachers and are posted within the district curriculum maps for all to use for core instruction. Collaborative PLCs will use the EATS model for creating additional acquisition lessons. Best practices, coaching and support fur using Learning Focused Strategies will be provided by the principal, assistant principal, and leadership team. Reading comprehension mini-lessons have been written for grades 3-10. Each grade level/department/team will schedule the pacing of the mini lessons as well as the time of delivery during the monthly PLCs dealing with curriculum and instruction. The mini-lessons are organized by instructional day as well as strategy.

How will instructional focus lessons be revised and monitored?

Vertical teams and articulation centered on high quality student work and the results of mini assessments will guide further revisions or refinements of the instructional focus lessons. Classroom walk-through will be used to monitor the quality and effectiveness of the lessons.

Assessment

Describe the types of ongoing formative assessments to be used during the school year to measure student progress in core, supplemental, and intensive instruction/intervention.

FAIR, FAST Forward, Harcourt Trophies, Voyager, Compass Odyssey, AR will be sources of ongoing formative assessments and data.

How are assessments used to identify students reaching mastery and those not reaching mastery?

Achieving threshold s will be set for each grade level and subject area. Students not reaching the thresholds will be targeted for additional support as well as monitoring. Formative benchmark assessments are consistently used: school-wide and in all core areas. They are given frequently and used for monitoring student progress, as well as for planning and instruction.

Maintenance

How is ongoing assessment and maintenance of Benchmark mastery for each grade level and content area built into the Instructional Focus Calendar?

Dates for ongoing assessments and spiraled review are built into the instructional focus calendar at the conclusion of each month’s comprehension focus. Additional learning opportunities will be offered to struggling students.

Describe the process and schedule for teams to review progress monitoring data (summative and mini assessments) to identify the required instructional modifications that are needed to increase student achievement.

PLC’s (grade level/department/team) will meet monthly to review the most current progress monitoring data and in turn make instructional recommendations to include both interventions as well as enrichment strategies for subgroups of students as well as individual students.

Monitoring

Describe the Principal’s and Leadership Team’s roles as instructional leaders and how they will be continuously involved in the teaching and learning process.

The administrators and the leadership team facilitate PLCs with staff members/teams which address data, student work, instruction and curriculum. The administrators and the leadership team schedule coaching and monitoring visits to classrooms on a regular basis.

Supplemental and Intensive Instruction/Interventions

Identify the core, supplemental, and intensive instruction and interventions.

The classroom teacher will provide the core curriculum with research based instruction utilizing county curriculum maps which are derived from the Sunshine State Standards. Supplemental instruction will be provided by classroom teachers and instructional resource staff through small groups and before and after school tutoring. In addition, Soliloquy, Spell Pat Read, Fast Forward, Odyssey, and Trophies Intervention series will be used. Intensive Instruction and Intervention will be on a one to one intervention based on school PS/RtI meetings and recommendations.

How are supplemental and intensive instruction/interventions and tutorials structured to re-teach non-mastered target areas?

Multiple opportunities for researched based extended learning activities including: extended time for math and/or reading, extended day, summer school, accelerating and previewing, as well as re-teaching.

How does the school identify staff’s professional development needs to improve their instructional strategies?

The Learning Focused Implementation Tool will be administered at the start of the 2009-2010 school years to help identify areas of need for professional development.

Which students will be targeted for supplemental and intensive instruction/interventions?

Any student scoring a Level 1 or 2; a student with an ASP; or a student who is struggling with the Core Instruction.

How will the effectiveness of the interventions be measured throughout the year?

Ongoing progress monitoring, mini-assessments, formative assessments, student data charts and FAIR will be used to measure the effectiveness of the interventions.

Enrichment

Describe alternative instructional delivery methods to support acceleration and enrichment activities.

Griffin uses Smart Boards in 3rd and 5th grades to challenge/accelerate students. Teachers provide differentiated instructional strategies in lesson planning. Online programs such as AR, Odyssey, FCAT Explorer, and approved school sites are used for enrichment. Identified gifted students attend the gifted program at Sleepy Hill Elementary 1 day each week for approximately four hours.

Describe how students are identified for enrichment strategies.

Ongoing progress monitoring, mini-assessments, formative assessments, student data charts and FAIR will be used to determine those who require enrichment.