Strategies for Success: Empowering Students and Teachers for Achievement

1. Strategies For Success Wanda Treitler Riverside Unified School District

2. What is it and how does it work? • SFS class is one period of special education support • Students are in all other general education classes • Daily lesson (20-30 min) • Daily homework support time (30 min) • SFS teacher maintains close communication with general ed teachers

3. Benefits of SFS- In General… • Students are able to succeed in general ed curriculum with this added layer of support • Behavior improves • Self- Esteem improves • Students are truly in the “Least Restrictive” setting • Increases student achievement • Many opportunities to address Transition

4. For Teachers… • General Ed teachers are supported by SFS teacher • They can send students over to test • SFS teacher can re-teach, tutor, post and check assignments. • Increases collaboration- sharing best practices, troubleshooting problems

5. For Students… • SFS class provides a safe haven • Provides individual help/tutoring in all subjects • Helps students stay organized with planner checks, notebook checks, posting assignments • Due to clustering, students help each other with core assignments and can study in teams • SFS curriculum is meaningful and engaging • No homework!!

6. Grading • 10 Elective credits per year • Daily points = 35 • 5 On time • 10 Planner completed • 10 Participation in lesson • 10 Quiet, focused homework time • An easy class to get an A!

7. Grading Continued • Weekly Points- (35 per day x 5+ 175) • Weekly Notebook Checks 20 points • Bi- weekly Grade Checks returned 40 points • Assessments, Projects , Career Reports between 50-100 points • Instructional Aide checks planners daily, notebooks every Friday and records all points on clipboard. Other items go in the Inbox and are graded every Friday

8. Great Ideas That Work • Ideas that work! • Having a monthly calendar posted. The plastic pockets hold any handouts. Great for make-up work. Student just go grab what they missed!

9. 10th Grade CAHSEE • On the calendar, Mondays and Wednesdays are CAHSEE ELA days • Tuesdays and Thursdays are CAHSEE Math days • Student make a graph and graph their scores daily. • Students draw a line at the 60% mark. We can visually see how strong they are. As long as they average above the line, they are looking good for the test. The graphs looked something like this.

10. 10th Grade CAHSEE Prep Focus

11. CAHSEE Support • Graphs are posted with names on the back and are updated each week. We will look at them when scores are back to see how well they predicted our success. • Students use color pencils and enjoy charting their success. • Charting also builds math skills by requiring students to figure out their percentages. If there were 5 questions /problems, they are each worth 20 points, so 2 wrong is 60%- still on the pass line!

12. Ideas… • Novel Units- typically read two novels per year. It takes about three weeks to finish a novel unit. • Resistant Readers are able to read aloud in a safe environment and then complete daily log noting metaphors, similes, and new vocabulary they found in the day’s chapter. They then write a one sentence summary and make a prediction of what will happen next. • Reading log takes only 5 minutes to complete each day.

13. After Novel Unit • Characterization Project • Student pairs, using narration and dialogue as evidence, write a statement about a key character.

14. Transition Materials Support • Reading and Comprehension • Expository Text • Mathematics • Workability team have a wealth of materials to share • Materials are up to date and high interest. • Career Choices- Bingham and Stryker • **A Few Words About Poverty • **Money Isn’t Everything • **Ask Someone Who’s Been There

15. More Ideas that Work- Cars and Driving • Life Skills Literacy • Things to Know About Cars and Driving • Lesson 1- • “Who Should Have a Car?” • Lesson 2 • Who Can Drive a Car? • Lesson 3 • Kinds of Cars • Build and Buy a Car Name_________________ • Log on to computer • Select Internet Explorer • Search Overstock.com • Select 2nd tab Cars • New cars • Select Search New Cars • Enter Make on drop down menu and school zip code 92503 • Model • Submit • All the models will now appear. Click on each that interest you. Follow the 3 steps on the left side of your screen. You can compare prices, check specifications, order optional items and build your car. • Record your selection here: • Make_____________________________ • Model____________________________ • Base Price­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_$________________________ • My price with options____$_____________________ • DO NOT give any personal information, DO not have anyone contact you for more details. This is a live, online site. This is a class assignment only. Once you have this information recorded, shut down computer and complete financing worksheet. Turn all in to box at end of period.

16. Transition Fridays • Guest Speaker Presentations • Banking Units • Cars and Driving • Career Reports • Interview practice • Resume Writing • Senior Portfolios • All transition activities are recorded in Transition Folders provide by Workability

17. Record Friday Transition Work

18. Our Successes • SFS students are achieving at higher levels than they thought possible • Continued gains in CAHSEE scores • General Education students come by and ask to be in the class. • SFS Students enjoy the Transition activities and speakers and tell their friends .(Who then want to join the class) • Students say that they don’t feel like they are in Special Ed anymore.