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.