Today I'm frustrated by how the system that we have in place doesn't always help students. In fact, right now I feel like because of some restrictions we have in place, I have students that aren't getting the same help and support that other students are receiving when they would benefit from some of those resources as much or more than some of the students currently receiving help.
I have a girl who was in math lab last year. That meant she had math 2 periods a day. They focused on preteaching what the students would see in their math class as well as ITED prep during that 2nd math class. This student passed her math classes last year. She was proficient on her Iowa Assessments. (Although, had she scored one point lower she would not have been, and would have been automatically eligible for lab this year.) Since she was proficient by one point, the only way she would be put in lab this year was if her interim test scores last year were below an average of 50%. She was just barely over. So now I have a student in my class who probably only passed her classes and was probably only proficient on the standardized tests because of the extra help she was getting from her extra lab math class last year. Because she just BARELY improved, she is no longer able to receive help or be in the math lab this year. I feel like this student is being punished for improving.
Not surprisingly, she is struggling quite a bit already this year. She only has one math class, so she's not getting the practice that she got used to last year in lab. Granted, she needs to make sure she's doing the practice on her own, but if she's not sure how to do the problems because it takes her longer to learn something, then of course trying homework is going to be a challenge, too. It's so frustrating to me that one point can keep her from getting that help.
Now onto my next frustration... This same girl doesn't meet 2 of the 4 criteria for being considered "at risk." (Attendance/ Connectivity/ Failed a class in the past/ Non-proficient) Since she doesn't meet 2 of the 4 criteria, she is unable to receive help from our Math Resource Teacher... I understand that they want her to focus on students that are in the most desperate need of her help, but it just doesn't seem right that she has absolutely no way to receive any extra help except what I'm able to give her in the classroom and any time she comes in outside of the normal school hours. I'm doing as much as I can to differentiate in my classroom. I've worked with small groups based on data that shows which students need help with certain topics. I help her when I can on an individual basis. Other classes are co-taught and have two teachers in the classroom. The Math Resource Teacher is going into classrooms where the most students do meet 2 of the 4 criteria, but the period when I have the student I've been talking about doesn't have very many "at risk" students. She will almost never be in my classroom. How can refusing this student help be what's best for her? I know we always want to do what's best for students, but this girl is getting overlooked, and I don't think it's right.
I have a girl who was in math lab last year. That meant she had math 2 periods a day. They focused on preteaching what the students would see in their math class as well as ITED prep during that 2nd math class. This student passed her math classes last year. She was proficient on her Iowa Assessments. (Although, had she scored one point lower she would not have been, and would have been automatically eligible for lab this year.) Since she was proficient by one point, the only way she would be put in lab this year was if her interim test scores last year were below an average of 50%. She was just barely over. So now I have a student in my class who probably only passed her classes and was probably only proficient on the standardized tests because of the extra help she was getting from her extra lab math class last year. Because she just BARELY improved, she is no longer able to receive help or be in the math lab this year. I feel like this student is being punished for improving.
Not surprisingly, she is struggling quite a bit already this year. She only has one math class, so she's not getting the practice that she got used to last year in lab. Granted, she needs to make sure she's doing the practice on her own, but if she's not sure how to do the problems because it takes her longer to learn something, then of course trying homework is going to be a challenge, too. It's so frustrating to me that one point can keep her from getting that help.
Now onto my next frustration... This same girl doesn't meet 2 of the 4 criteria for being considered "at risk." (Attendance/ Connectivity/ Failed a class in the past/ Non-proficient) Since she doesn't meet 2 of the 4 criteria, she is unable to receive help from our Math Resource Teacher... I understand that they want her to focus on students that are in the most desperate need of her help, but it just doesn't seem right that she has absolutely no way to receive any extra help except what I'm able to give her in the classroom and any time she comes in outside of the normal school hours. I'm doing as much as I can to differentiate in my classroom. I've worked with small groups based on data that shows which students need help with certain topics. I help her when I can on an individual basis. Other classes are co-taught and have two teachers in the classroom. The Math Resource Teacher is going into classrooms where the most students do meet 2 of the 4 criteria, but the period when I have the student I've been talking about doesn't have very many "at risk" students. She will almost never be in my classroom. How can refusing this student help be what's best for her? I know we always want to do what's best for students, but this girl is getting overlooked, and I don't think it's right.
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