Small Town, Big Intervention: Extra Time and Support for All Students
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Date
2020-09-24
Authors
WALSH, BRENT
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Brent Walsh
Doctor of Education
Department of Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership
June 2020
Title: Small Town, Big Intervention: Extra Time and Support for All Students
Students in rural Oregon, as well as nationwide, face many obstacles that impact academic success. The focus of this study was to provide all students with additional time and support to face this challenge and address the achievement gap. Two school-wide interventions were deployed: Response to Intervention (RtI) for screening students at risk and Professional Learning Community Process (PLC) to support them. By combining the principles of RtI with the PLC process, a small rural school in Central Oregon created and implemented targeted support by (a) identifying what standards students need to master and (b) measuring their levels of mastery. Students were placed in small groups to apply targeted support through interventions and extensions for 175 minutes per week. The intervention was labeled REACH, short for Reinforce, Extend, Achieve, Challenge and Help for All.
In this mixed methods case study, two sixth grade cohorts were observed from fall to spring with one group receiving the intervention (REACH) and the other group receiving only core instruction without additional targeted small group intervention. Quantitative data included the easyCBM Multiple Choice Reading Comprehension (MCRC) assessment Lexile scores collected in Fall (September) and Spring (May). Qualitative data were collected through observations of PLC meetings, the REACH intervention and teacher perception of the PLC and REACH process. While this study identified positive student outcomes for the REACH intervention, as an aspect of the school wide instructional plan, it also exposed systematic and functional inefficiencies in the process. The results of this study can inform school officials about the impact of providing extra time and support for all students within the school day. Additionally, the results support providing staff with the time and resources to plan, implement, and evaluate best practices to ensure equitable academic access for all, especially students eligible for Special Education, English Language Learners, and those from minority backgrounds.
Description
Keywords
PLC, School wide Intervention