Thanks to our Fund-A-Need auction at the 2015 Almond Acres Annual Gala, we were able to supplement the amount budgeted for our intervention specialist, bringing the position up to an 80% full-time equivalent position. This has made a tremendous impact on student success so far this year.
Joy Rose is our Intervention Specialist, partially funded through our FAN auction last year. In addition to providing support for students in the classroom on a daily basis, she also provides coverage for teachers so they can attend IEP meeting, schedules and facilitates all of the Student Success Team meetings and 504 Plans meetings, and manages the process for all struggling students.
The success we are seeing in these students is positive, measurable, and a direct result of Mrs. Rose’s work with them. In Joy Rose’s own words:
“Currently I assist in each classroom, K-8, focusing primarily on the students who are either on the Watch List or have SST/504’s. My time is spent assisting them on specific academic or behavioral needs. In Kinder, I specifically work with students, identified by teachers, who may need additional assistance. In Kinder, we are focusing on early intervention, working on basic letter recognition, letter sounds, basic sight
words, and classroom behavior. We have seen improvement in many of these students. The list of kids I see has changed, as some have grasped their letter names and letter sounds, and no longer need the focused assistance on this. The others are getting closer each time.
One kinder student entered school not knowing his letters or letter sounds. After 3 ½ months, he now knows 19 of his letter sounds, and is able to identify most letters. Students ask me often if I will “play games” with them that day. Little do they know, these “games” are helping them learn.
In 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades, I have been working individually and in small groups to assist students with their reading and with word recognition. Second and third grades are also working on sight word lists. Currently all but three third graders are working on their grade 3 lists and many are working on lists up to three grade levels above. Some of these students started this year testing at a kindergarten level. Most of the second grade classes are also at grade level on their lists, with only a few who require additional assistance. These students have been given ideas how to work on the words at home and during their word work times during Daily 5.
One first grader asked me to read with him, so I was challenging him to read the words he knew or could easily sound out. He said he couldn’t read, but would try. He ended up sounding out a word and identified a few of his sight words on the page. The excitement on his face was precious. After high fives, I asked him how that felt and he told me that it felt really good and that he wanted to learn to read. We continued talking about what he could do to get better and he agreed to work on reading at home. He no longer seemed discouraged, but rather excited to think that someday he, too, could read books.
With 4th-8th grades, I have been working with specific students on their academic needs. While in their classes, I have been assisting with small groups and individually with their classroom work. Some students need the instruction reworded or repeated and even need some of the basic concepts retaught.
This is something the classroom teacher wouldn’t be able to focus on, while continuing on with the rest of the class. Being in the classroom I have been able to assist those needs and help scaffold the learning for those students. Since the beginning of the year I have seen such a difference in disposition in these students, now welcoming the help and ask when I will be back in. They have started to see success and feel good about it.”
Thank you for your support for this important position for the 2015-2016 school year.
