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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 2016)
8 Wednesday, February 10, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Reading program key to student success By erin Borla Correspondent Students at Sisters Elementary School have a team of people looking to ensure all students are pro- vided the instructional sup- port they need to make them successful. One of the key pieces is the reading program. Stephanie Jensen, the Title I Reading Specialist, along with Kori Cantrell, the special education teacher, and other teachers and administrators work to “close the achieve- ment gap” for all students by working together to develop reading skills early. The Federal Title I Program is one of the nation’s oldest and largest federally funded programs for educa- tion — around $14 billion annually. The original Title I program was enacted in 1965 within the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to bridge the discrepancy between low-income students and other students. In 1994, the policy was rewritten to include helping all students at risk of failing. A recent revision of the original act, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) will continue academic sup- port for students regardless of outside factors like race, income, zip code, home lan- guage and others. In Sisters School District staff and administrators review all students’ progress three times a year. “It really is a team effort,” Jensen says. “Parents are the students’ first teachers. We try to create a partnership between classroom teach- ers, parents and specialists in order to best serve each student.” While all students are pro- vided with strong skills-based core instruction in the class- room, students that may need additional academic support in reading and math are iden- tified. This multi-tiered level of support allows for addi- tional instruction and parent participation. “Outside programs like SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) are wonderful to help focus on early liter- acy,” says Sisters Elementary School Principal Becky Stoughton. “The SMART program’s involvement in the SPRD Community Preschool helps to support Sisters younger learners. Parents can help at home too by reading to their children every night. “Research shows that if parents and guardians read to their children, they will become stronger readers,” says Stoughton. “Reading to children from birth to school- age years also helps to begin early literacy skills and sup- port what we are doing in the classroom.” Through the identification process, students who demon- strate a need for support and small group intervention are typically placed with between four and five students with similar skill levels. “We try to get to know the students as a whole, as a collaboration between the student, the teacher and a spe- cialist,” says Jensen. “When the kids come to group we work to help grow their skills.” Community members may remember specialized read- ing instruction as being a disruption to the school day. Students used to have to miss out on a class like PE, music or art to attend a special read- ing study group. All that has changed. “The older model didn’t feel good for the students,” says Jensen. “They felt as though they were missing photo by erin borla Reading is the most important component of student success. out on something they really enjoyed — like art or PE — in order to be in the reading pro- gram which led to the group being less successful. Now, we try to schedule the special- ized program at a time that works well for the students. It’s very fluid – it moves from room to room and even instructor to instructor.” Those students who receive specialized instruc- tion have their progress monitored frequently. If, after a period of instruction See ReaDINg on page 9 TREATING SPORTS INJURIES Children & Adults Three Sisters Chiropractic 270 S. Spruce St., Sisters Dr. Inice Gough, DC, 541.549.3583 ThreeSistersChiropractic.com � � � � � � � � � � � � A Sweet Deal! � � $300 � Discount the rest ! A cut above in the small groups, there is still a concern, school staff For the month of February when you start a comprehensive treatment program! Smile by Shae New Patients Only. Not valid with any other offer. 541-382-0410 152 E. Main Ave. • 541-549-8771 Jeff • Theresa • Ann • Jamie • Shiela • Terri • Shanntyl • Brittany 410 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters CentralOregonBracePlace.com Oregon’s Premier Equine Hospital Oregon’s Premier Equine Hospital Bend Equine Medical Center Small Animal Division February and March are Small-Animal Dental Months! $30 OFF $50 OFF your horse’s dental fl oat/ equilibration through the end of March! Dental Cleaning & Treatment! Wayne Schmotzer, DVM, Dipl. ACVS • Jessie Evans, DVM Wendy Krebs, DVM • Shannon Findley, DVM • Liz Pollak, DVM www.bendquine.com | 541-388-4006 19121 Couch Market Rd., Bend, Oregon 97703 Give your dog or cat a clean, healthy mouth! Digital dental X-rays included with every dental.
