Evidence-based Interventions/Strategies

Mid-Year Reflection

During the Fall semester, the school encountered several implementation challenges related to improving outcomes for students in the lowest quartile. At the start of the year, only 43% of students in the lowest quartile made a learning gain, which fell short of our expectations and prompted the school to set a goal of increasing this percentage to 53%.

One key challenge was not student proficiency, but rather shifting instructional practices to more intentionally target the needs of our lowest-performing students. Teachers were accustomed to whole-group instruction that supported overall proficiency; however, adjusting instruction to focus on differentiated, data-driven small groups required a change in mindset, planning, and instructional routines.

To address these challenges, the school implemented several targeted changes. The Math Coach began working closely with teachers to support them in identifying students in the lowest quartile using assessment data. Teachers received guidance in developing targeted small-group lesson plans aligned to specific student skill gaps. Additionally, students in the lowest quartile who were on the cusp of making a learning gain and reaching proficiency were identified and provided with additional targeted instruction through pull-out support with the Math Coach. These adjustments ensured more intentional use of data, increased instructional precision, and greater support for students most in need, strengthening the school’s approach to closing learning gaps.

The school implemented several evidence-based interventions to improve learning gains for students in the lowest quartile, each with identified strengths and weaknesses. One key strategy was the data-driven identification of lowest-quartile students. This approach allowed teachers to clearly and accurately identify students most in need of support using assessment data, ensuring instructional decisions were grounded in evidence rather than perception. However, this strategy required additional time and training for teachers to consistently analyze and interpret data, and early implementation revealed inconsistencies in data use across grade levels during the Fall semester.

Another major intervention was the use of data-based small-group instruction. This strategy strengthened instructional differentiation by allowing teachers to target specific skill gaps, which increased student engagement and supported learning gains without negatively impacting overall proficiency. Despite these strengths, teachers found that planning high-quality, data-aligned small-group lessons was time-intensive and required a shift in instructional practices. Ongoing coaching was necessary to help teachers refine pacing, lesson design, and implementation.

Additionally, targeted pull-out support provided by the Math Coach for students on the cusp of making a learning gain and reaching proficiency proved effective. This intervention offered intensified, focused instruction to students most likely to benefit, maximizing instructional impact and strengthening alignment between classroom instruction and intervention support. However, the strategy was limited by the Math Coach’s availability, which restricted the number of students who could be served, and by scheduling challenges that made it difficult to provide support without disrupting core classroom instruction.

Evidence-based Interventions/Strategies

Mid-Year Reflection

During the Fall semester, the school encountered implementation challenges related to staffing and instructional capacity in reading intervention. One significant challenge was the limited number of Reading Endorsed teachers, which created constraints in serving students requiring the highest level of support. This challenge was intensified by the large number of students identified in Tier 3, as district and state requirements mandate that these students receive instruction from Reading Endorsed teachers. As a result, scheduling and providing consistent, high-quality intervention for all Tier 3 students proved difficult.

In addition, the school set an ambitious goal of increasing lowest quartile learning gains from 64% to 68% to align with district expectations. Meeting this goal required more intensive and targeted reading instruction than current staffing levels initially allowed. To address these challenges, the school adjusted its instructional approach by prioritizing the use of Reading Endorsed teachers for Tier 3 instruction, refining intervention schedules to maximize their availability, and strategically targeting students in the lowest quartile with data-driven supports. These changes were designed to strengthen instructional delivery, increase access to qualified reading intervention, and improve learning gains for students most in need.

he school implemented evidence-based reading interventions to strengthen foundational literacy skills, each with identified strengths and weaknesses. One key strategy was the use of Magnetic Reading to build students’ comprehension skills. This program’s strength lies in its structured approach to explicitly teaching comprehension strategies and engaging students in meaningful text-based discussions. However, a challenge during the Fall semester was that the 3rd grade team did not have access to Magnetic Reading books at the beginning of implementation, which limited full and consistent use of the program. This issue has since been resolved, and the materials are now in place.

Additional strategies included Horizon and UFLI to support phonics instruction. Both programs are evidence-based and provide systematic, explicit phonics instruction that strengthens students’ decoding and foundational reading skills. Their strengths include clear instructional routines and alignment to student skill needs. A limitation was the need for continued teacher training and consistent implementation across classrooms to maximize effectiveness. Overall, while initial resource and implementation barriers existed, adjustments have been made to strengthen fidelity and impact of these interventions.