JUNEAU \u2014 The Juneau School District is using a new approach to help struggling students meet the standards of the district\u2019s core curriculum with a program that tracks students\u2019 academic progress and identifies which ones need extra help.<\/p>\n
Bridget Weiss, the district\u2019s director of student services, said the program uses data to categorize students based on their performance. The district can then determine whether students are meeting standards, have a higher level of need or are falling behind.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a program based on the philosophy of identifying students\u2019 needs early and attacking those with special interventions outside of the regular core curriculum,\u201d Weiss told KTOO-FM.<\/p>\n
The Response to Instruction program is being used in other schools across the country. A few Juneau schools have implemented parts of the program in the past, but now it is going into effect districtwide.<\/p>\n
Weiss said elementary schools used Response to Instruction last year to improve reading skills.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome schools are saying, \u2018Hey, we really want to spend another year just focusing on reading, because we\u2019re close, we\u2019re not quite there, we really want to get expert at this whole RTI process with reading.\u2019 Some schools are saying, \u2018We\u2019re chomping at the bit. We really want to get after math,\u2019\u201d Weiss said.<\/p>\n
The program places students into tiers according to their performance. Tier 1 is the district\u2019s core instruction that all students receive and allows educators to evaluate how effectively they are reaching every child. Tier 2 is for kids who have a higher level of need and require \u201cadditional time in a small group, adding some instructional methods to what they\u2019re getting in the regular classroom,\u201d Weiss said.<\/p>\n
A student who falls under Tier 3 is considered \u201csignificantly behind,\u201d which Weiss said means they just need more attention.<\/p>\n
If a student doesn\u2019t show improvement after receiving the additional help, the district will consider whether it needs to move them toward special education.<\/p>\n
Weiss said the program is a good way to ensure students don\u2019t fall through the cracks.<\/p>\n
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