Strategies: Sequoia Middle School

Total Student Engagement and an emphasis on Academic Vocabulary are two instructional strategies adopted by our school to better meet the needs of our students and ensure all students are given the same standards-based curriculum. The Language Arts program includes Language!, Rewards, and Step Up to Writing. Our Math program emphasizes hands-on strategies as well as incorporating the My Skills Tutor on-line program for student use.

The master schedule is designed to allow for the sharing of resources and computer support. Intervention classes are scheduled at the same times to enable movement among the classes by skills level and collaboration among the teachers. Administration monitor the progress of at-risk students by grade level and a Learning Center was established to provide additional individual instruction as needed for our students. In addition to providing the special education support in Math and English collaborative classes, we are working om expanding this model into our Social Studies amd Science classes.

The concept of providing the least restrictive environment for the educational services of our Special Ed students as governed by the federal law (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) is the primary bases for our collaborative model. Work by Marilyn Friend and Lynne Cook, as well as Richard Dufour, on the collaboration skills for school professionals has provided guidelines for our co-teaching approaches. Adoption of research-based practices, such as Kate Kinsella's Academic Vocabulary and Total Student Involvement and research-based programs such as My Skills Tutor and Step Up to Writing, are an integral component for our project.