Standard B: Culture for Teaching and Learning

dd. Act in the capacity of the administrator for an after school program for an extended
period of time. Address all student, faculty, instructional, curricular, management and budget
issues. Assume 3 hours per day

First Steps Forwards 20 Days x3Hours = 60 Hours

Description:
This summer, I worked with my principal to create a Title One summer program to
address our needs for bridging a gap between kindergarten and first grade. We have many
students who enter kindergarten unprepared and make limited growth through kindergarten. This
creates challenges through the students academic career. We wanted to offer intensive
intervention early to help students make progress instead of falling further behind. The summer
program was Monday through Thursday during the month of June.
I met with kindergarten teachers to identify which students would benefit most through
the extra intervention being offered. We targeted students that were one to two reading levels
behind because they would be more capable of moving to grade level at the end of the summer.
In the long run, this would lower our school RTI numbers. A letter was sent to those parents
inviting them to participate in the program.
What went well?
Throughout the program, I worked with another teacher to offer intensive literacy
intervention using the balanced literacy model. Each day, students participated in guided reading
groups, shared reading, an interactive read aloud, a phonics mini lesson, and writers workshop.
With only twenty days, we saw high levels of growth. Most students moved one reading level,
and some students moved two to three reading levels, which is half a years growth. This was

accomplished by the small group and one on one instruction that could be accomplished with the
small number of students.
What did not?
When the students signed up for the summer program, they signed an attendance program
that stated if they had two absences, tardies, or late pickups that they would be removed from the
program. Out of the 20 students that we started with, three students were removed for poor
attendance. One student moved to another school during the summer for the next year.
There were many students in kindergarten that could have benefitted from this program,
and it was a shame that four spots could have been given to students with better attendance.
Given the chance to do it again, how would you do it better?
This year, when working with kindergarten teachers to choose the students to invite to the
summer program, we should include a discussion about students who have had high attendance
and have the parental support needed for students to come each day at the correct time. When
using funds from the Title One budget, we need to ensure that they are being spent in areas to
benefit the most students.