This quote is a fairly common one in education circles. I’ve heard it before, but it hit me like a ton of bricks this week.
I’ve been working with Zach, an amazing high school special education teacher, around a goal of improving reading outcomes for his students with reading goals. I have run diagnostic assessments on each of the students and have drawn the conclusion that two targeted groups would benefit from a multisyllabic word reading intervention. I chose Dr. Jessica Toste’s Word Connections program, and am convinced that it will make a positive impact for these students.
However… and here comes the ton of bricks…I have not outlined a clear goal with Zach for our coaching work. I have not focused on student data. I have not helped Zach clearly communicate the goal of our work to the students. I have not implemented a true student-focused coaching cycle. Yet.
What have we been focusing on during our time together? Primarily, we have focused on the structure of the intervention, it’s systematic and explicit format, and the management of materials. We have previewed lessons during planning sessions and discussed how best to implement with the two groups of students we are providing the intervention for. We now need to add a focus on data and student learning with this (terrific!) group of kids.
It is not too late. We are six lessons in to this 40-lesson intervention. We have learned a lot about implementation. We have been reminded of spelling patterns, the importance of accurate and automatic reading, and the power of gradual release through modeling, guided practice, and individual performance. (Have I mentioned what a phenomenal program Word Connections is?!)
I am embarrassed that I didn’t recognize my misstep (not focusing on data collection around student learning, but rather focusing on the teaching of the intervention) until just a few days ago. Even though I whole-heartedly believe in the quote below, I think I’m just frustrated with myself because I should have already known how to better launch this coaching cycle.
I have persistently questioned my selection of this intervention for these students. The diagnostic assessments for each student showed that they have solid foundational reading skills, but struggle with reading multisyllabic words. As we work with these two groups of students, they have (so far) gone through the lessons with relative ease, causing me to ask myself, “Is this too easy for them? Is there a different, more appropriate intervention for them?”
One might wonder why I chose this intervention based on what I wrote above. Again, diagnostic assessments indicated that these students would benefit from a focus on reading (and writing!) multisyllabic words. In addition, Word Connections says this of itself:
“There is evidence that the 40-lesson Word Connections program improves reading outcomes for students in the upper elementary grades (3rd to 5th grades). Specifically, the program has been tested with students identified as with or at-risk for reading disability. Students who participated in the intervention showed greater gains in word reading and decoding, reading comprehension, spelling, and accurate reading of both isolated affixes and multisyllabic words.”
This group of high school students falls into the latter category. They are struggling older readers, and their skill gaps do align with the skills covered in the intervention.
As I question whether or not I chose the right focus, I am comforted by the reminder that Dr. Jan Hasbrouck and Daryl Michel include in their phenomenal book, Student-Focused Coaching:
They go on to say:
“As as SFC [Student Focused Coaching] Collaborative Problem-Solver, your professional obligation is to help the teacher develop and successfully implement an intervention that has a good chance for success, not one that is guaranteed to solve the targeted problem.”
What now? I will spend some time this weekend compiling student data including screener, diagnostic, progress monitoring, and outcome (state) assessments for each of the students receiving this intervention. I will continue to go back to It’s Possible by Pati Montgomery and Angie Hanlin for practical advice around data collection. I will add my proposal for data collection to the agenda for my next coaching conversation with Zach, and plan to adjust after collaborating with him. AND the data will be graphed and monitored by the students!
The data will be our source of truth. It will continue to guide the decisions that Zach and I make to ensure high levels of learning for his students. Data will be central to our coaching cycle because, as Jan Hasbrouck and Daryl Michel remind us:
Finally, I will absorb all that I can on Tuesday night of this week with Dr. Matt Burns who is graciously giving of his time to host a virtual event for The Reading League Iowa. I can’t wait to learn more about effective interventions from one of the best in the field. At the time of this writing, we have 350 people signed up to attend this event!!!
