Leadership Matters February 2014

Poverty in the public education classroom

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private agencies to ensure coordination of care of students and their families. A Check-n-Connect Mentoring Program was in place where identified Tier III students were paired with a staff mentor (teacher, secretary, principal, etc.) The student met with the mentor in the morning to review expectations for the day and to verify that they were safe physically and emotionally. At the end of the day, students’ progress for the day was reviewed and their safety verified. This care team included: a licensed clinical social worker, a special education social worker, the school psychologist, the principal, the RtI interventionist, The Center's interventionists, a lead teacher and the superintendent. The social worker served as team leader. The system of care was supported by assessments, monitoring, a one-to- one net book community and embedding instruction on test-taking and performance. Our fifth year, both schools and the district met AYP. A special note of thanks to former Champaign Superintendent Arthur Culver and Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and Administration Dorland Norris for their instructional strategies, to Martha Herm of the Center of Prevention of Abuse, the McPheeter's grant for the Interventionists, to Katie Jones and the Mindock Association for their counseling strategies, and to Jeanne Williamson, retired Dunlap superintendent, for the testing and performance strategies .

approximately 30 boys, and, to date, 60% of the boys improved their grades in one or more core subject areas (25% in two areas; 20% in three or more). MAP scores indicated that 95% of the boys improved their scores in at least two of the three areas tested and 55% improved in all three areas. Of the students involved in these two groups, 34 had discipline referrals in FY2011. To date, 50% of those students have had fewer referrals this year than last. One student in the Mind Over Muscle group has reduced his referrals from 26 to seven! Tier III intervention for up to 5 percent The Tier III level of intervention was reserved for up to 5 percent of the students who had persistent behavior and academic challenges. These interventions were highly individualized and usually required functional behavioral analysis and inter- agency collaborations (e.g. children's home, police department, Hospitals, DCFS). A full-time academic interventionist worked regularly with Tier III identified students to assist with class work in order to improve academic progress and grades. Social workers and/or school psychologist met with students as part of individualized behavioral health treatment plans, which might include counseling, mentoring, obtaining community resources for individual families, home visits. School personnel (social workers, principal, teachers, etc.) worked collaboratively with outside community or

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