SST/RTI News
February, 2015
From the Desk of Deanna Rogers
Of course, our work is never done and we still have lots to do! Our next step is to schedule update meetings for those meetings held first semester and to review our Tier 2 lists of students and progress monitoring data to see who is not responding to interventions so a meeting can be scheduled. Please read carefully the rest of the newsletter outlining next steps. Of course, we will review in more detail at our upcoming meeting on Friday, February 20.
I continue to be in awe of the great work I see so many of you doing! For the month of February, I am highlighting Holly Brookins at Sara Smith Elementary School! Be sure to check out the "Spotlight" corner below.
Lastly, I am in the process of planning our next meeting together on the 20th! Troy Keller will be joining us for part 2 of the Behavior training we delivered in January. We need your feedback so the session can be designed to meet your needs. Please click on the link here to provide feedback. At the end of the newsletter, you will find a draft agenda of what has been planned thus far. Please provide feedback no later than Wednesday, February 11. If you were NOT present at part 1 of the training, please understand that questions/topics already addressed will not be covered again during this session, but we will include in a Q & A document.
Remember, as your RTI/SST/504 Coordinator, I am here to assist you! As most of you have figured out by now, I respond pretty quickly day or night. Please don't hesitate to call, email, or even stop by! We are in this together! Remember..."Good, better, best; never let it rest; until your good becomes your better; and your better becomes your best!" This will be our best year yet!
Deanna Rogers, Ed.S, NBCT
RTI Coordinator (SST, 504, & PBIS)
404.802.2665
Optional Google Doc Training
Update on 504 Testing Accommodations
The Read-Aloud Guidelines Specific to Georgia Milestones are posted here.
Georgia Milestones Read-Aloud Guidelines
Below is the CRCT Read-Aloud Tutorial which has information regarding the basic approach to the read aloud guidelines that continues with Georgia Milestones.
CRCT Read-Aloud Online Tutorial
Please work with your testing coordinator to see if any updates are needed to 504 accommodations and schedule a meeting appropriately. Remember, all decisions are made as a team:)
Hospital Homebound Updates from Stephanie
To Do List for February!
With that said, our next steps are to schedule the remaining "review" meetings for Tier 3 students met on first semester. Ideally, this should have been done by now, but many of you had large number of Tier 3 students and were working on "cleaning" up your numbers. To save time, I would recommend emailing teachers and requesting progress monitoring in advance of meeting. (Tip: Ask for a copy to be sent via email so that you can easily upload into IEP online versus having to scan!).
Next, it is time to check on the progress of your Tier 2 students! (Note: This should be on-going). Each grade level (or teacher) should be able to provide you a list of students that are at the Tier 2 level. To save time, attend an upcoming grade level meeting to discuss the data of these students and identify those students that have not been responding to interventions. Of course, remember, the teacher should have tried more than one intervention before deciding it is time to move to Tier 3. More specifically, an intervention (with at least 3-4) data points before deeming it ineffective and changing the intervention whether its intensity or a new one altogether. This is also an opportunity (if you haven't done so already) to build capacity amongst your teacher leaders and show them how to lead a data discussion of Tier 2 students on a regular basis.
Once you have reviewed the progress monitoring data and identified those students that have not responded to interventions at Tier 2, schedule a Tier 3 meeting for this month.
Lastly, I have mentioned several times how important it is to keep your administrators abreast of the work you are doing as well as the challenges (if any) that you face. I wanted to share with you one way one of your colleagues, Shaakira Akbar, keeps her administrators informed of her work. She sends them a weekly newsletter. Click here to view it. Of course, this doesn't replace real conversations, but it is something that works for her as she moves between schools until she has time time to stop by and talk.
10 Minute Smack Down!
We were able to learn so much from each other last month! Let's continue to share and support each other! I need 5 new people to volunteer for each session for the February meeting. If you would like to do so, please click this link to sign up!
Please also note the following: Many of the SST/RTI Specialists have spent a lot of time creating a lot of great tools, forms, etc to help support the work they are doing in their schools. Please remember to give the person credit, if you choose to adapt their idea. Most importantly, please be sure to share whatever idea you choose to implement with your administration for approval. While I may say, I love the tool, form or idea, it doesn't mean it is the "right" thing for your school AND my "ok" doesn't mean you must use the idea, etc. It is something that worked for that particular school and you may need to adapt for yours.
Don't forget to sign-up! Click here!
Spotlight Corner!
February is the perfect month to spotlight Holly as she is definitely one of the "sweetest" SST/RTI Specialists! With all that everyone has to do, there are not many days that go by that I don't hear from Holly. If it is not sharing resources, she will contact me to volunteer her time to help others! Most recently, we had added a new school to our list and before I knew it, Holly came to the rescue volunteering to mentor our new Specialist! I also know that whenever I need anything I can count on her (as well as many others) to assist without hesitation!
Holly has been instrumental to the success of RTI at Sara Smith. When she meets with teachers, she discusses the students', which intervention will work best and then she gathers everything the teacher will need (including intervention materials and the probes). She also meets with teams of teachers every other week to discuss their data, needs and trains them on interventions during their planning time. Occasionally, she will send her teachers YouTube videos on interventions in action (after previewing it, of course). Holly also keeps in contact with La Amistad, an after-school program that many of her ESOL students attend for extra academic help. She has trained their staff members and volunteers on interventions and progress monitoring.
One very interesting fact about Holly ~ She used to show Cavalier King Charles Spaniels! An author wrote a children's book about her classroom and a therapy dog, called Mondo Man: Smartest Dog in all the Land!. She was featured on 11Alive news to promote the book and even got to attend the launch party in NYC as well as the Westminster dog show that same weekend! Holly is still heavily involved in Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Rescue and oftentimes has an extra foster dog at her house! Who would have known! :)
Monthly SST/RTI Specialist Meeting
Elementary Session (8:30 - 11:30)
- Behavior Training Part 2 (Functional Behavior Investigation & Behavior Action Plan) w/Troy Keller
- Practice writing a General Ed FBI and BAP
- Behavior Q & A (Questions submitted ahead of time)
- Tier 2/Tier 3 Processes and Procedures
- 10 Minute Smack Down
Middle/High School Session (12:30 - 3:30)
- Behavior Training Part 2 (Functional Behavior Investigation & Behavior Action Plan) w/Troy Keller
- Practice writing a General Ed FBI and BAP
- Behavior Q & A (Questions submitted ahead of time)
- Tier 2/Tier 3 Processes and Procedures
- 10 Minute Smack Down
Friday, Feb 20, 2015, 08:30 AM
Atlanta Public Schools, Instructional Services Center/ Room 122
Office of Student Services
RTI Coordinator (SST, 504 & PBIS)
CLL Building - 6th Floor
Email: dtrogers@atlanta.k12.ga.us
Website: atlanta.k12.ga.us
Location: Atlanta Public Schools, Trinity Avenue Southwest, Atlanta, GA, United States
Phone: 404.802.2665
Twitter: @deannatrogers