Project Title: Teaming for Success

Columbia Middle School Columbia School District Contact: Mike Taylor mtaylor@csd.wednet.edu 835 Maple Burbank, WA 99323 (509) 545 8571

Population	Special Educ	504	Title I/LAP	ESL
227	28	1	45	3

Columbia Middle School: OSPI Inclusion Grant Progress Report 2001

 

The biggest barrier to implementing the inclusion model that we have identified is time. To be successful we realized we had to set aside one planning period every week that is devoted to planning the next week's learning. This helps us overcome another barrier of communication. Committing to meet formally each week to discuss observations we have made about student learning throughout the week alleviates any difficulties that may arise. There are also many informal conversations that take place in hallways, the staff lounge, and parking lots. Lack of knowledge of ways of helping these students ceases to be a barrier when the specialists contribute to the lesson formation. The goal is set out on the table, along with the students' capabilities and limitations. With these factors acknowledged, the collaboration begins. Without this knowledge by all members of the team, successful learning cannot happen in the classroom. For collaborative teaching to become true collaboration and not two teachers teaching their own subject in the same classroom, the student learning objective must be the focus of planning meetings. This is the best advice have received and it has helped make our collaboration effective. All members of the collaborative team (regular education teachers, reading specialists, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals) should contribute ideas and strategies for meeting those objectives. This will keep feelings from being hurt when a favorite lesson is rejected because it is believed to be unsuitable for the ability level of the students. Instead, the learning objective is identified and ideas are submitted for ways of assisting students to obtain that goal. Ways are found to change the lesson so that the learning objective is still the same, just the method of obtaining it has changed.

Personalities, turf, teaching style, tolerance, and discipline beliefs are small barriers that can become large if not addressed in the beginning. Collaborative teachers do not have to be best friends to be effective. There does need to be respect, trust, and parity within the team. The three of us sat down before school started and listed what could and could not tolerate in a working relationship and classroom. After sharing these lists we found we had more in common than we thought. We decided on a discipline plan, tolerance levels of noise, mess, and responsibility of students. Communication with parents throughout the year and at conference times is a bit of a juggling act, but all parents are thrilled that their child is getting the amount of individualized attention collaborative teaching affords.

The barriers of teacher fear and students' attitude toward the included student will cease to be an issue when the teachers adopt the belief that all students can and will learn. It may not be at the same pace or be in the same form as their peers, but as each student is unique, so should the instruction that takes place in the classroom. Good instruction benefits all students. It is up to the teachers to model this belief and the students will follow our lead.

COLUMBIA MIDDLE SCHOOL BELIEF STATEMENTS

1. Collaboration and collegiality amongst staff is essential to student learning and a positive environment.

2. All students can achieve a high level of success when appropriately challenged in a physically and emotionally safe environment.

3. All students need to feel a sense of belonging and respect for themselves, school and community in order to achieve success.

4. All students have unique gifts that need to be identified, validated, and opportunities provided to encourage their development.

5. All learning, including the use of technology as a learning tool, should empower students to meet their future.

6. All staff, parents, students, and community share in the responsibility of creating and maintaining a successful learning environment.

7. Responsibility and independence are essential to continued success.

 

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

We proceeded with our staff development plan with the belief that to the greatest extent possible, presentations to the entire staff were most effective. We established three summer institutes centered around areas identified by the entire staff. Those institutes are as follows:

• Reaching the Hard to Teach - Dr. Judy Wood
• Reading in the Content Areas- Mary Lee Barton, MEREL
• Empowering Discipline - Vicki Phillips

Also included in our plan was the time for staff to meet in teams in order to establish best practice and plan curriculum. Staff met to discuss the needs of each student as it related to their participation in the general education curriculum.

After each of our summer institutes, staff was asked to respond to an open ended question regarding our next steps. Those suggestions continue to guide me as the principal of Columbia Middle School. One of the questions was, how do we insure that our learning translates into practice'? At one of our early staff meetings we broke into three groups. Each group had the task of brainstorming best practices, concepts, or ideas suggested through one of our institutes. We used the 1-3-6 brainstorming method. Groups then presented to the entire staff and ideas were recorded on color coded cards that are kept in staff notebooks and are posted on the staff room walls. It is rewarding to see ideas and strategies being put into practice in order to insure student success.

FUTURE PLANS AND INSERVICE

We want to stay the course with the areas established during our summer institutes. This will include follow-up with our institute presenters as well as new inservice from others on the same topics. We have also added training and events for our students. The following is a list of planned activities:

• Conflict Resolution Through Peer Mediation- CRU Institute
• Reading in the Content - Wilson Anderson Wilson Anderson will spend half a day observing each team of teachers and the other half working with them on strategies specific to their classrooms.
• Brain Research - Dr. Bob Sylwester
• Study Groups - Differentiating Instruction ASCD Inquiry Kit by Carol Ann Tomlinson
• Student Presentation - Topic: Individual Differences
• Summer Institute - To be Determined

TOOLS

Student Weekly Planner- Students have the planner with them at all times to record assignments. Some of our teachers have students list all assignments for the week on Monday, and others have the students record work when assigned. Spelling words are also recorded in the planner. I carry a student planner, too, to record the assignments and then transfer the information to a weekly planner poster in the Resource and Title Reading classrooms. If there is homework, reading assignments, or tests to be pre-taught, these teachers are aware of the assignments. As a para- educator, I collect all spelling lists, worksheets, and tests with the answer key. Copies are made and given to the resource teacher so she may pre-teach or re-teach lessons.

Post Weekly Grades- The posting uses student numbers rather than names. I make copies of the grades for the resource teacher and check with students if they have any missing assignments. Most of the time the student has completed the work, he/she just hasn't turned it in.

No Roadblocks- Our teachers do not put up roadblocks. They accept late work. If a student "bombs" an assignment or test, many times the teacher will allow the student to correct or retake the test. Again, we try to re-teach the lesson before retakes are given. There is always time for students to work on assignments in class, so there is no excessive homework. Test days are staggered. Science tests are on Wednesday, Math tests on Tuesday or Thursday, and Spelling and Social Studies tests are on Friday.

Few Pull-Outs- I rarely pull students out of class. Occasionally I will suggest to a teacher that I pull students out to do a test orally or to read a long assignment. When I do this, I don't take only IEP students. Students who are struggling with reading are also invited. They know that it is their choice to come along. One day as I was leading the way to an empty classroom to read with what I thought were a few students, it dawned on me that I had half the class in tow. So much for small group work!

Training- I am grateful for the training our entire staff has received and continues to receive.

A positive attitude, the ability to communicate with others, the willingness to be inclusive of all students and staff are important tools that we have at Columbia Middle School. An inclusive attitude is our most important tool, but we still need some how-to information. I sincerely believe inclusion and teacher teaming is the right direction and best practice for our staff and all our students' education.

MODIFICATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS IN THE CLASSROOM

• Modified spelling lists
• Frameworks for writing assignments
• Paired reading, guided reading, books on tape
• Extensive vocabulary work--Vocabulary study guides
• Frayer Model vocabulary study
• More kinesthetic learning styles explored
• Drama and art--students allowed to act out or illustrate vocabulary
• Visual learners--words in print around the room
• Near point copy vs. far point copy
• Concrete leaming--tactile and physical manipulation to assist understanding
• Cooperative learning strategies employed in learning

IEP

Before: Isolated objectives related to skills the student needs to master in order to advance to the next grade level.

Now: Curriculum-based objectives that reflect the Washington State EALRs, the grade level curriculum, the adaptations and modifications necessary for the student to be successful in the general education curriculum, all tied together with individualized objectives that the student needs to master in order to raise his/her reading, writing, and/or math levels.

Collaboration

Before: The special education teacher would talk to the regular education teacher during the IEP meeting.

Now: The special education teacher talks with the regular education teachers at least once a week, whether it be in a formal meeting or just a quick chat in the hallway. We seize the opportunity to talk about what's working, what's not, and collaborate on ways to improve education for our students.

Learning Models Developed at Columbia Middle School

---

Directory of Programs

---

This article is in the public domain and can be freely copied and used in trainings as handouts at parent and community meetings, and in creating your school or district programs. (Please cite all sources of materials you use.)

This information is provided by:
Office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Special Education
P O Box 47200
Olympia, WA 98504-7200
(360) 725-6088
Fax (360)586-1631
E-mail: dgill@ospi.wednet.edu