Goodhue County Education District
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 Inside this issue
  • ESY Reminder
  • MTSS Implementation Plans for 2018-19 
  • 2018-19 GCED Wide FAST Assessment Calendar
  • FAST Assessment Framework - Updated for 2018-19
  • Behaviors: What is the function?
  • READ 180 Universal
  • GCED Hosts Training Sessions
  • ​​In the Spotlight: The Teacher
Important Upcoming Events/Meetings
May 4                  School Psychologist Cohort @ RBEC
May 5                  Principals Day
May 8                  Teacher Appreciation Day
May 9 - 11           MASE Conference
May 15                ADSIS Budgets Due
May 16                Superintendent Council
May 18                MDE Special Education Directors Forum
May 21                SPED Leadership Team 
May 22                ADSIS/Coaches PLC (End of Year Report)
June 4                 SPED Leadership Team
June 5                 PBIS Tiers 2/3 Training @ RBEC
June 11 - 13         CPI Instructor Enhancement Training
June 14-15           PCM Instructor Enhancement Training
June 20               Superintendent Council

The Progress, May/June 2018:  ​Volume 3, Issue 6

The Progress archive
Click here to view past issues from the current school year.
Comments? Suggestions for new articles?
Contact Jillynne Raymond, jraymond@gced.k12.mn.us

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GCED Wide Spring Assessment Window is open May 14 to 25.


NOTE:  The MTSS Section of the GCED Website will be updated in July. 


ESY Reminder

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Extended School Year (ESY) services are provided for students that qualify for ESY under Minnesota Statute 3525.0755. Every year a student's IEP team determines if a student is in need of ESY, given the student's unique needs. 

Case Managers - please remember that this is an annual process.  If a child qualifies for ESY in 2nd grade, it does not mean the child continues to receive ESY services in middle school.  The child would only continue with ESY services if s/he qualified each and every year.  If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to your special education coordinator or assistant director. 


MTSS Implementation for 2018-19

Our Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is a framework of everything we do as educators and is built on the premise that:

1. All children can learn.  Differently yes, but the learning and growth potential exist.
2. Our actions as educators make a difference in the lives of our students.

These are important premises to keep in mind as we face the multitude of challenges in public education because we can do this!  We need our system set up to support the children that are learning, while also supporting the adults that are learning how to best help their students learn.  I hope that we are in agreement that we can't ask our teachers to work any harder; we are learning to work differently though.  From a systems lens, this is essential.  When it comes to our MTSS implementation, remember that this includes all of us - Cannon Falls, Goodhue, Goodhue County Education District, Kenyon-Wanamingo, Red Wing, and Zumbrota-Mazeppa.

We began the journey learning and building together.  Then districts needed time to make MTSS their own, to have their own autonomy.  Now it is time to come back together, build on the good work that has been occurring, and strengthen some system processes. To help with this process:
​
  1. The School Psychologist Team and Jillynne Raymond will attend Dr. Kim Gibbons' MTSS Summer Institute in June.  This team will have clear and common processes to follow​.  Each district still maintains its autonomy, but each district will follow the same process using the same forms.
  2. Principals Meetings for the 2018-19 school year will be combined with four of the school psychologist cohorts for continued MTSS/SAT professional development and team time.  Principals may include others from their team as well. 
​
MTSS implementation at the elementary level continues to grow as districts identify and align their intervention supports in reading and math.  With programs such as Title or ADSIS, elementary schools have clearer paths for intervening with at-risk students than at the secondary level.  

The secondary level is tricky.  Secondary principals have the option to use FAST beyond 8th grade to meet their site needs.  Secondary sites were given the charge to develop their plan to identify, intervene, and progress monitor at risk students.  For some that means offering reading and/or math interventions.   For some that means assigning a one on one mentor to an at risk student (such as Check & Connect) and for others it is about programming.  Schools use a variety of means to engage and/or re-engage students with learning including programs such as STEM, STEAM, robotics, project based learning, individual career pathways, and more. 

Brian Cashman, GCED Coordinator of Alternative Programs and Secondary Coordinator of SE Minnesota Perkins Consortium, shares 
"Career and Technical Education (CTE) offers many features that serve to enhance student engagement through course work and programming that is relevant and personalized.  Research points out the fact that CTE programs have the ability to increase student soft skills (problem solving, communication, etc.) and is a proven drop-out prevention strategy.  More than anything, CTE education is 'real-world' education. With the shortage across all sectors in the labor market, students who have both technical skills and soft skills are in position to pursue a meaningful post-high school experience - whether that be a 2-year college, 4-year college, and/or employment."  Although the secondary level can be tricky, it is never too late for our students; a new look at programming or an alternative approach may be needed to re-engage students.  

2018-19 GCED Wide FAST Assessment Calendar

The 2018-19 GCED Wide Assessment Calendar is now available. As a consortium we use our data for state and federal reporting, grant applications, and planning.  We universally benchmark kindergarten through 8th grade students in reading and in math.  All districts will follow the same fall and spring window.  The fall assessment window is open from 8/29/18 through 09/21/18 and the spring assessment window is open from 5/1/18 through 5/24/18.  For the winter window, each district may select a window in January OR March.  We will then use the data from 2018-19 to determine which winter window districts will use in 2019-2020.
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FASTbridge™ Assessment 2018-19: Which Ones

by Weston Johnson, GCED Instructional Coach
​
Summer is coming up FAST. It seems like yesterday the 2017-18 school year started, and FASTbridge™ testing is here to wrap things up. During the year, there was a lot that went on between assessment periods. It is amazing how much planning and work goes into supporting learning. Our assessment periods give us a general perspective on the learning occurring with our students and effectives of our support. As each of the assessment periods came and went, feedback was provided on what worked and did not work when assessing and analyzing FASTbridge™ data, so the GCED-wide assessment list was updated for the 2018-19 school year.
 
Changes:
  • Remove universal benchmark screening with CBMmath Process for grades 4-5
    • Difficult and time consuming to score
    • Data did not add value to teams when reviewing benchmark data
    • Still available for multi-gated screening (testing specific students when additional data is desired) and progress monitoring
  • Assessment period windows
    • Reduce variability from district to district
    • Support data analysis across GCED
 
FASTbridge™ has great overall characteristics: simple, quick, reliable, valid, inexpensive, easily understood, can be given often, and sensitive to growth. It makes for a great assessment system for reading, math, and behavior which are all stored at one site online. There many positives to FASTbridge™, but there are things that just don’t work out right. This is why the GCED-wide benchmark assessment list is being improved, and we continue to improve our assessment and data use across the Goodhue County Education District.   

GCED Wide Fastbridge Assessment Framework - Updated May 2018
File Size: 210 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Behaviors:  What is the function?

Behaviors include all that a person says or does. Behavior is:
  • Functional:     People behave for a reason. Most behavior serves a purpose.
  • Predictable:    Behavior does not happen out of a context. Environmental events can set up, set off, or maintain problem behaviors.
  • Changeable:   By altering environmental conditions you can alter the behavior.  Behavior can be taught and learned.

​The basics to remember about behavior include:

Antecedent           Conditions and events occurring just before the behavior (internal or external).
                             Ex:  The teacher is monitoring students as they work.

Behavior               Anything a person says or does. Must be observable and measurable.
                             Ex:  Jake stops working and lays his head down on his desk.

Consequences      Conditions and events occurring immediately after the behavior, intentional or not.
                             Ex:  From across the room, the teacher tells Jake to sit up.

Before addressing a behavior, it is important to first determine why the behavior is occurring. Possible functions of behavior include:
Behavior Function:  GAIN
  • Adult attention
  • Peer attention
  • Access to preferred activities
  • Access to preferred items
  • Access to edible items
Behavior Function:  ESCAPE/AVOID
  • Adult attention
  • Peer attention
  • Difficult tasks
  • Unpleasant stimuli (pain, taste, smell, sound)
Behavior Function:  AUTOMATIC
This behavior is reinforcing in and of itself
  • Hand-flapping
  • Spinning
  • Rocking
  • Head-banging
Notice that this list does not include as functions of behavior:  power, control, revenge, the student is 'bad', the student is from a 'bad' family, ​or a student's disability itself.  As a part of our commitment to continuously improve, GCED will re-train and emphasize Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) with our staff in the 2018-19 school year.  An FBA is a systematic means of identifying variables that may control a behavior identifying the function of the behavior.  It allows a team to determine the function of the behavior, or what it is accomplishing for the person.

An FBA examines 4 main areas:  (1) Setting events, (2) Behavior, (3) Antecedents, and (4) Consequences.  For a complete assessment, multiple data sources are used including interviews (parent, teacher, student), observations (ABC, running records, etc.), and records review.  A complete FBA is necessary in order to design an intervention that connects to the behavior.  Research is clear that linking the function of the behavior to the intervention increases the effectiveness of the intervention.  Recent findings demonstrated FBA-based interventions in schools reduce problem behaviors by 70.5% for students served for EBD (Gage et al., 2012).  Function based interventions not only address the problem behavior, but they help us avoid unintentionally reinforcing the problem behavior.  This is true for students served in general education or special education.  We will work on improving FBAs countywide in 2018-19 in an effort for (1) better Behavior Intervention Plans and (2) improved behavior outcomes.


READ 180 Universal 

Students served in general education and special education need extra help with literacy at times.  One program to help is READ 180, which our member districts have been using since the 2007-08 school year.

According to GCED teacher and READ 180 coordinator, Emily Grobe, the benefit of this program is "student engagement due to high interest readings and multiple work stations that allow for movement around the classroom and access to technology."  An additional benefit for students and staff is "the student dashboard that tracks progress on learned skills and student accomplishments."
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Beginning with the 2018-19 school year, we will make the transition to READ 180 Universal.  The program includes the latest on instructional practices including:
  • Whole-Group Learning
  • Student Application
  • Small-Group Learning
  • Independent Reading 

SAVE THE TRAINING DATES
​READ 180 Universal
Teacher Training

August 2 - 3, 2018
8:00 am to 4:00 pm
​River Bluff Education Center
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How does READ 180 Universal  compare to READ 180 Next Generation? 

Both programs include react and write prompts, multi-paragraph writing, and 21st century literacy instruction. READ 180 Universal also has:
  • Performance-Based Assessments
  • Project-Based Learning Assignments
  • Growth Mindset Getting Started Workshop
  • Academic & Personal Goal Setting/Tracking
  • Foundational Reading Skills Instruction
  • Recursive Academic Vocabulary Instruction
  • Daily Literacy & Language Goals
  • Strategy Toolkits
  • Career Investigations 

GCED Hosts Training Sessions at RBEC


Both of the following PBIS training will take place at River Bluff Education District with Megan Gruis. ​
PBIS - Tiers 2/3
Tuesday, June 5 
8:30 am to  11:30 am

Space is available for teams that wish to continue their work together following the training.
PBIS - Tier 1
Thursday, August 16
8:30 am to 3:00 pm

This condensed training will include the PBIS framework and guided work time for teams to develop their action plans. 
​Box lunch provided.
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PBIS Resources
  • National PBIS Center   
  • Minnesota PBIS  
  • Association for Positive Behavior Support (APBS)
  • US Department of Education: Rethinking Discipline

FASTbridge Assessments
​Facilitated Online Training 

Thursday, 8/16/18
8:30 am to 11:30 am
and/or
12:00 noon to 3:00 pm

River Bluff Education Center
​
Register for either session or both.  An instructional coach will guide you through online training and help with your questions.
Daily 5
Thursday, 8/16/18 
12:00 noon to 3:00 pm
River Bluff Education Center

Daily 5 is a framework that promotes independent readers, writers, and learners.  

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​In the Spotlight:  The Teacher 

Marked for Life

Thin jagged line,
Almost invisible,​
(Because you can barely make it out)
Throbbing with pressure 
Against the third-grade fingertip of your reading
W o o o o r d by w o o o o r d
Like a scar
Marking the process of your struggle to learn
What the words are trying to say
Feeling the hurt
And uneven texture of the page
Blurred by tears
Knowing it will always show
Forever changing the fingerprint of your school life
And holds on oh so tight
Guiding your reading and thinking
Practicing strategies and praising you
Causing the scar to fade.

- Janie Reinart 
​
Teaching Dreams

Some nights
Students return to me
like salmon to the spawning bed.
They shake my hand 
and sit across from me
and tell me what they have done
what they will soon be doing.
I remember all their names
and just where each one sat
in my classroom.
Still, when they tell me   
what they learned, 
It's not what I remember teaching.

- Cecil W. Morris
Thanks to all the teachers....for all that you do!

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Privacy/Disclaimer Statements
District Policies
Goodhue County Education District, 395 Guernsey Lane, Red Wing, MN 55066         651-388-4441      
Goodhue County Education District is a group of six southeastern Minnesota school districts: Cannon Falls, Goodhue, Kenyon-Wanamingo, Lake City, Red Wing and Zumbrota-Mazeppa. Working  together, the districts provide effective and efficient educational services and funding for special education programs, staff development, extended and alternative summer school services.