The context – what do we know about our students’ achievement?

Preparing teachers and tutors General strategies to address student

needs:› Affective› Academic› Technical

Content specific strategies

What do the statistics say?

Absenteeism is greater Developmental delays occur at 4 times

the rate reported for housed peers Learning disabilities identified at

double the rate of housed peers Twice as likely to repeat a grade

2005-06 2006-07 2007-08

Grades 3-8 Tested in Reading 136,153 120,770 83,137

Grades 3-8 Proficient in Reading 60,980 59,709 36,395

Percent Proficient in Reading 44.79% 49.44% 43.78%

Grades 3-8 Tested in Math 135,890 119,633 80,886

Grades 3-8 Proficient in Math 62,081 54,092 34,181

Percent Proficient in Math 45.68% 45.21% 42.26%

Academic Progress in Reading and Mathematics, Grades 3-8

Adequate yearly progress (AYP) and disaggregated categories

On Time Graduation Rate Joe Johnson – serve our homeless

students well…we’ll reach everyone

When you find research that makes sense and “fits” what you see…

That’s the research to which you should pay close attention

What do teachers see?

Below grade level (2 years by 6th grade)

Lacking many cognitive strategies (due to lack of mediation from an adult)

Lack of environmental knowledge Weak vocabularies Trouble solving abstract problems and

making inferences

34% genetics 66% environment

BUT THERE IS HOPE!!!› It’s not just critical periods of development› The window doesn’t shut› There are more critical experiences that

we can provide

Federal, state, local policies› Immediate enrollment› Local liaisons and collaboration› School stability

Access, attendance, and success in school

NCHE Efforts› Highly Mobile Students, Reading on the

Go!, Qualities of Effective Teachers

“There is persuasive evidence that students benefit from high quality instructions and that these benefits are cumulative for student who have good teachers for several years.

Teacher effectiveness matters so much that low-income students lucky enough to have three very good teachers in a row in elementary school earn test scores that, on average, are similar to middle class students.”

EFFECTIVE TEACHERS

Prerequisites

Organizing for Instruction

Classroom Management &

Instruction

Implementing Instruction

Monitoring Student

Progress & Potential

The Person

Job Responsibilities and Practices

Used with the Permission of Linda Hutchinson, Doctoral Student, The College of William and Mary

Background

Affective Needs

Academic Needs

Technical Needs

What does it mean?› Focusing on the outside needs of at-risk/highly

mobile students such as assistance with food, housing, referrals to agencies

› Considering relationship with parents in working with students

What does it sound like? It’s not that the parents don’t care and I find the parents increasingly supportive. But the reality is that they also come from highly dysfunctional homes.

-- Tanya

They need to understand how homelessness influences school performance

How do we make this happen?

Students:› Will decide to work in your class IF they like

you

› Love to entertain and tell stories in casual register

› Are disorganized

› Often lack basic classroom survival skills

› May not know or use middle class courtesies

› May not know or use conflict resolution skills

› Get angry and quit working easily (emphasis on present feelings)

Communication skills› Working with parents› Working with other teachers and tutors› Working with other support personnel

Getting outside help› Knowing the resources› Knowing who to call

What does it mean?› Helping students develop a sense of belonging› Developing intrinsic motivation› Attending to emotional needs

What does it sound like?

I work hard to reduce stress in the classroom – to make it very comfortable and positive. I want to be seen as a helper/facilitator, not a dictator.

-- Jeana

Connecting with students Classroom management

“You came back!”

Assimilate quickly into class

Be honest about student’s academic level

Reflect all progress with praise (esp. attitude)

Teach life lessons

Use adult voice (avoid sarcasm)

Appreciate student’s humor and ability to entertain

Show personal interest in the student

Provide individual help

Give “wait time” and give clues when there is trouble answering a question (scaffolding)

CultureThe way we do things around here

ClimateThe way we

feel about the way we do things around here

Rules – standards or expectations

Procedures

Routines

Looks Like Sounds Like

Post them Sing them Cheer them Rap them Rhyme them Let the students help create a method

Describe and demonstrate desired behavior› Give context› Give rationale› Model

Rehearse› Simulated› Guided practice› Distributed

Feedback› Sandwich

Technique› Eye Contact

An ideal strategy would:› Maintain/restore order immediately

› Not affect a positive learning environment

› Prevent repetition of the problem

Minor

Moderate

More extensive

Nonverbal cues Pacing speed

up Proximity Group focusing Behavior

redirect

Instruction Brief desist Student

choice “I” message

Withhold a privilege or desired activity

Isolate or remove student(s)

Use a penalty

Assign detention

Use a school-based consequence

Problem solving Peer mediation/conflict

resolution Conference with a parent Individual contract with the

student

Label the problem

Alternatives are brainstormed

Choose one (+) to implement and gain commitment

Evaluate effectiveness of implementation of outcome

Place event in center of wheel Generate feeling words on one half Generate possible solutions on other

half

Feelings Solutions

Write and model classroom rules Teach and model conflict resolution

skills Teach and model middle class

courtesies (give a second set of rules from which to choose)

Include student in discipline process (alternative behaviors)

What does it mean?› Focusing on the academic achievement› Working toward academic progress

What does it sound like? I think [my relationship with students] it’s a big role because I take ownership into their learning process and involvement and there should be no question on their part that I’m a player and that they don’t stand alone. And I think that makes a big difference.

-- Janice

Reading tests Writing samples Computation probes

Tools kept in students’ boxes› Non-reader skills› Future worksheets› School spelling lists› Copies of report cards

Planning interventions

Balancing student needs and grade level expectations

Systematic building of vocabulary› Important to concept development

Direct teaching of formal register Direct teaching of classroom survival

skills› Hand raising, note taking procedural self-

talk)

Help students set goals (control impulsivity)

Teach students to ask questions Teach students to sort Help students process abstract

information through mental models

Common needs

What works› Instructional techniques/tips

› Resources

Common needs

What works› Instructional techniques/tips

› Resources

Common needs

What works› Instructional techniques/tips

› Resources

“… nothing, absolutely nothing has happened

in education until it has happened to a student”

Joe Carroll, 1994