Spotlight on Quality: Sue Cleveland Elementary

At Sue Cleveland Elementary, teachers are dedicated to ensuring that all students progress toward their individual best each year. Principal Karen Chambers and Instructional Coach, Tammy Boggs, assist teachers as they work through the process of identifying students, who based on PACT data and end of the year testing, require intensive intervention. Last year, for example, students were grouped by RIT range and rotated between reading and math on a fifteen-day cycle for thirty minutes each day. School staff used a variety of Quality Tools during these intensive sessions to provide students with an effective avenue to communicate learning comprehension to teachers. Using Plus/Delta, Bone Diagrams, and Force Field Analysis, students could report what concepts they understood and what concepts they didn’t, providing teachers with valuable feedback on their effectiveness. Additionally, these tools allowed students to visualize their goal; daily, they could see how close they were to advancing into the next RIT range. It was the visual that kept both students and teachers motivated throughout the most challenging moments of the year.

This year, each grade level has a specific focus content area and intervention strategy. Teachers monitor and track progress in the content area, and at mid-year mark, results indicated that 90% of all third grade students were making progress in their learning, a significant accomplishment!

However, results indicated that 50 of the 105 second-graders were not at the mid-winter median range in math or reading. In addition to extra reading time, the use of a PDSA has been used to improve student’s ability to comprehend reading information.

Principal Chambers stresses the importance of consistency with implementation of CFCE strategies. To that end, Sue Cleveland Elementary teachers regularly use Quality Tools in their lessons, including Lotus and Affinity Diagrams. A third grade team is using the PDSA to study and improve students’ skills in writing conventions. Another class is utilizing Plus/Delta, PDSA, and Lotus to improve self-control and listening skills. Principal Chambers stated, “the “Whatever it Takes” motto is our mission at Sue Cleveland Elementary, assuring success for all students.

For more information about how Sue Cleveland Elementary uses quality and intervention strategies at specific grade levels, please contact Karen Chambers or Tammy Boggs at Sue Cleveland Elementary.