Students at Newberg-Dundee Public Schools bested the average on recent state assessments in many, but not all, areas. Many grade levels may also have improved their own scores from the year before on assessments for Math and English/Language Arts.
For Newberg-Dundee education leaders, it is valuable to not only celebrate that academic success but also to continue that success and note where student performance could grow. However, why does academic performance matter? Because it helps students now and after high school graduation.
“We want to ensure that students who graduate are ready to enter the workforce, the world with the best ability to succeed,” Morales explained. “Student achievement is our top priority as it relates to our students, families, and community. The Newberg-Dundee community is a proud group of individuals who want our students to succeed, and our purpose is to ensure that that happens.”
How are Newberg-Dundee education leaders planning on improving academic performance this school year? Newberg-Dundee education leaders are:
- Helping to pilot research-based programs in math and reading at the K-5 level,
- Connecting with national experts in their field, and
- Honing their knowledge of best instructional practices.
Research Programs
A pilot involves evaluating a research study. After experts have used analytical data to create a program, they test the program in an environment where they believe it will be successful. The researchers for the local programs don’t want to reveal too much yet in order to avoid tainting the research.
Yet it bears mentioning because school districts often covet participation in pilot studies. These studies often provide access to cutting-edge education research and brand-new materials. Pilots also create an environment that welcomes student-centered innovation, says education research expert Dr. Mary Klute in an article on the Regional Educational Laboratory Program website.
A Visit from a National Expert
Award-winning, nationally known curriculum author Anita Archer, a Portland resident, visited Newberg-Dundee to share her wisdom about core reading instruction with reading specialists on Oct. 18.
Archer is known for emphasizing the value of how you teach, over the type of program or materials that you use to teach it. Education experts from the Teaching and Learning Department of Newberg-Dundee shared a few of the one-liners that have made Archer famous.
“There’s no magical program; ‘the magic is in the instruction,’” said Pam Mears, Newberg-Dundee Literacy Teacher on Special Assignment.
Teacher and Learning Coordinator Brittany Morales said one of her favorite Archer quotes is: “Teach the stuff and cut the fluff.”
Best Instructional Practices
Morales noted that a program has value in the same way that pliers can be valuable in the hands of someone with the skill to use them effectively. Her colleague, Teaching and Learning Department Director Jillian Felizarta, agreed.
“The tool is important; it needs to be research-based,” so educators know that tool is effective, Felizarta said. “But it’s the instruction that matters most.”
Felizarta said that’s why local educators are not simply exploring these research-based pilot programs in math and reading. The Teaching and Learning Team is also keeping Newberg-Dundee educators up-to-date on “best instructional practices.” These practices offer insight into the best ways to interact with students in order to encourage them to learn. Best instructional ideas include:
- Asking all students to respond in chorus, rather than having the same few students raise their hand with the answer each time;
- Offering specific, rather than general praise, such as “yes, the answer is photosynthesis”;
- Giving students multiple ways to answer (via writing, peer discussion, and verbal expression); and
- Telling students what you expect them to do during a lesson, so they will have a goal to move toward.
Background
Newberg-Dundee has always strived to improve students’ academic performance. The School District uses tools such as Response to Intervention (RTI), an educational strategy to provide effective and high-quality instruction, monitor student progress, and give additional support (also called intervention) to students who are struggling. RTI aligns with a framework that Newberg-Dundee is using, the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). MTSS is also designed to offer students support through prioritizing research-based curriculum instruction, monitoring students’ progress, and offering targeted support to students.
How are MTSS and RTI different? RTI is more focused on improving academic outcomes for struggling students, while MTSS is more broadly designed for all students and looks beyond academics. MTSS addresses students’ social and emotional learning and behavior, as well as school culture and community/family involvement. However, all students need growth and some students need additional support, so MTSS and RTI are especially effective in combination.
How It All Works Together
How do MTSS and RTI link in with Archer’s visit, the best instructional practices that teachers are fine-tuning this year, and the pilot programs in math and reading for K-5 students?
Since RTI and MTSS are data-driven, they work well with research-based programs such as the current pilot programs.
In addition, MTSS and RTI are intended to work in conjunction with best instructional practices.
Since it can be complicated for educators to figure out how to put all this together in their instruction, a visit from a veteran education leader like Archer was invaluable to the reading specialists she saw this week.
“Archer is a beacon of teaching, reading, and literacy,” Morales said.
“It was an honor,” Felizarta added.
Photos
Who is Anita Archer? In the photo, Archer is the one in the middle, surrounded by Newberg-Dundee teachers and administrators and her own staff. In her professional life, Archer is a best-selling author who has received several major awards, served on the faculty of three universities (the University of Washington, the University of Oregon, and San Diego State University), and co-authored many curriculum materials. Renowned as she is, she also took the time to visit Newberg-Dundee teachers and administrators to offer general advice about best practices in core reading instruction. Learn more on the School District website about Archer’s visit and new academic performance initiatives.