July, 2007

Mid-Semester/Sense of Urgency Data Meeting

School Level

Plan Ahead:

1.  Secure materials and Progress Monitoring Class Data forms.

2.  Principal and reading coach review agenda; make adaptations as necessary and plan for allocated time.

3.  Review notes and next steps from previous data meeting.

4.  Notify grade team members (include resource and special education teachers) of what to bring and how to prepare for the meeting.

Materials Needed:

  1. Progress Monitoring booklets and Progress Monitoring Class Data form
  2. Data Meeting Journal
  3. Data tri-folds or data boards generated in the previous data meeting
  4. Folder of Diagnostic Tools
  5. Candy Jar or other “sense of urgency” activity items

Outcomes:

1.  Review current DIBELS progress monitoring data to determine percentages of students on track to meet next benchmark goal.

2.  Analyze most recent progress monitoring data to form instructional groups and evaluate effectiveness of current intervention efforts; identify which students require changes for supplemental (Tier 2) intervention and intensive (Tier 3) intervention.

3.  Celebrate successes.

4.  Set a “sense of urgency” for the remaining instructional days in the semester.

5.  Other:

Led by Principal: The principal should encourage teachers to record their own notes throughout the data meeting in a Data Meeting Journal; the principal and reading coach should also model taking notes in a journal or ARI binder.

1.  Briefly review meeting norms/parameters; designate someone to serve as timekeeper to signal a “ten minute warning”.

2.  Refer to notes from the previous data meeting and reflect on the next steps that were identified at the last data meeting. What has been accomplished concerning those “next steps”? What has not yet been addressed?

3.  Review meeting outcomes listed above.

4.  Ask teachers, “What is the goal for the upcoming benchmark for this grade level?

Refer to Progress Monitoring Booklets or Progress Monitoring Data Class forms:

·  Ask teachers to group students’ Progress Monitoring booklets into intensive, strategic, or benchmark using winter (or spring benchmark if this is the second semester) criteria OR use the Progress Monitoring Data form to highlight the students into the three categories (NOTE: First grade students need to meet the criteria of 50 NWF and 15 recoded (blended) to be considered in the benchmark category).

·  Calculate percentages for each of the three categories. This percentage will help teachers see how students would perform if the benchmark assessment were administered today.

·  Ask teachers to adjust the data boards or tri-folds to reflect student performance based on winter (or spring) benchmarks.

5.  Using the Progress Monitoring Class Data forms, calculate the percentage of students in your class who have Re-Tell Fluency (RTF) of 25% or higher.

·  Use the Re-Tell Fluency Question Prompts to further examine comprehension instruction.

6.  Ask each teacher to share a student success story detailing the changes to instruction most related to the success.

Led by Reading Coach:

7.  Using items from the Folder of Diagnostic Tools and progress monitoring booklets, facilitate a miscue analysis for targeted students:

  1. Review the Factors that Influence Reading Comprehension or other tools that will assist with the discussion.
  2. Select 1 or 2 targeted students who are not making adequate progress (students who have 2 or more progress monitoring scores falling below their aimline); analyze the student’s progress monitoring booklet using miscue analysis forms and guiding questions.
  3. Brainstorm strategies; select one or two that the teacher will commit to consistently use for the targeted student.
  4. Decide when the reading coach will meet to assist with developing further intervention lesson plans for other students who are not making adequate progress.

Led by Principal:

8.  The principal will review the Cycle of Student Learning to help teachers understand the connection between the teacher’s learning (i.e. teacher’s own research, reading, and investigation, job embedded professional development opportunities, or coaching) and improved student learning. Furthermore, point out the connection between research-based classroom practices (as determined from walkthroughs) and increased student learning.

9.  Explain that upcoming walkthroughs will focus on the data we reviewed today and strategies and changes to instruction to which teachers committed.

10.  Ask teachers if they have any professional development or coaching needs that have arisen from today’s data meeting?

11.  CREATING A SENSE OF URGENCY – “Candy Jar Activity”

·  How many actual “instructional days” do we have remaining in the semester?

o  Place a number of M&M’s, pieces of candy, marbles etc. in a class jar or bowl to represent the number of calendar days (Monday-Friday) remaining in the semester. Have teachers tell you the number of items that will be removed to represent each non-instructional day:

o  Holidays: First Semester - Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, etc.

o  Second Semester - Spring Break

o  Field trips, field days that would keep students from reading classes

o  Special programs that would interrupt reading classes

o  Content training that would take place during the reading block

o  Teacher absences – estimate based on trends or patterns

o  Holiday parties that interrupt reading instruction

o  Testing times that interrupt reading instruction

o  Other events/activities that would interrupt reading instruction.

Ask: How many “actual days for reading instruction” do we have left based on what is left in the jar/bowl? What must we do to maximize student learning time in order to see students reach the next benchmark? How can we assure that reading will be taught each day? (Example: readjust daily schedule)

12.  Data Meeting Journal: Take 3-5 minutes to reflect on today’s data meeting and list “next steps” for changes to instruction. Principal, reading coach and teachers share out.

Follow-Up:

1.  Principal and reading coach debrief the meeting; include ARI regional staff and/or central office leaders if present

·  Were meeting parameters met?

·  Were outcomes for the meeting met?

·  Were participants open to sharing practices and thoughtful about next steps?

·  How can the meeting process be improved?

·  How will we monitor the “next steps” established?

2.  Send copies of meeting notes to all participants and place copies in principal and reading coach notebooks.

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