Chequamegon School District

Implementing schedule changes to meet student needs

When
Over the past two years, the Chequamegon High School team has been working on efforts to improve unexcused absences, missing assignments, and office referrals.

Why
Many students were not showing growth in reading. There were constraints and barriers in the school schedule along with inefficient use of resources to provide needed supports and interventions.

What
The Chequamegon leadership team identified they needed to meet students’ needs with differentiation and they also needed their new systems to alleviate the constraints of the current high school schedule. They implemented schedule changes so students could receive interventions without students missing study hall and additional opportunities. They also added incentives for completed assignments and fewer absences in their action plan. Students who continue to meet criteria earn early release day privileges such as the opportunity to leave after lunch, or receive gift certificates for lunch.

How
There was lack of time allocated for effective and consistent data review and a lack of curriculum to meet all needs and the standards; this prompted a look at the universal system and comprehensive, support curriculum. Now, three times a year, the school administers MAP/AIMSweb data, which also undergoes review every six weeks.

From the data, at-risk students are identified and progress monitored every two weeks. The equitable, multi-level system of supports team (MTSS) began meeting weekly to review systems and student data, needs, etc.

Data informed the team that study hall time was not an effective use of time for many struggling students. Work quality did not increase and consistency of expectations among staff was a challenge. Community and family concerns also existed for missing instructional time during the half days when students could leave if all work was completed.

Flexible time was added into the schedule so students could get support and intervention, and the school could efficiently use resources to support all learners. Challenges included communication (including with families) and testing engagement for students.

Using data to provide interventions

The school team saw growth for students and an increased use of data with staff. Through the strategic use of data, the staff was able to provide targeted interventions and inclusive environments, as well as increased student choice in classroom settings. Student absences greatly decreased and there was less missing work and higher grades overall. Behavior referrals decreased and student responsibility and staff accountability increased.

Problem solving efforts have been put into place to create actions plans around the above mentioned barriers and challenges the team encountered.

Inside takeaway: It was very beneficial to have the librarian as part of the team. She knows and interacts with all students and staff, and her schedule allowed her to be able to support classroom teachers with data reports and additional needs while they were in class. This unique opportunity reduced the amount of time the team needed to gather data and complete tasks outside of the school day.

http://www.csdk12.net/