Finishing the School Year: A Time to Review, Reflect, and Redirect

As educators, one of the simplest methods for obtaining student perspectives and feedback is to ask these three questions:

• What should I keep doing?
• What should I stop doing?
• What should I start doing?

As school and district leaders who are finishing up the school year, we can use these same questions to guide our reflections on our implementation of RTI²-A + RTI²-B. The end of the school year is a good time to celebrate what we have done and are currently doing that demonstrates positive outcomes for students and staff. The end of the school year is also a time to review our data and determine what we may be doing that does not reflect improvement. With SIFA and DCAT scores in mind, now is a good time to think about and prioritize RTI²-A + RTI²-B changes for next year.

As you review your data and update your action plans, consider the following for a fresh start next year:

• Leadership: Review your infrastructures to set students and staff up for success.  Contemplate planning for professional development and coaching, development and dissemination of new policies, procedures, or budgeting that supports the implementation of the RTI²-A + RTI²-B.

• Data-Based Decision Making: This can be the overall approach we use in our reflections and celebrations of our current year and in our plans for next year. Actions can include reviewing current data systems for accessibility and discuss whether they are current, comprehensive, and user-friendly.
• Assessment: Consider creating and reviewing your assessment resource map to make sure you are using resources efficiently and effectively. Plan to prepare and provide training for any assessments that will be introduced for the upcoming school year (e.g., universal screeners, diagnostic assessments, progress monitoring tools, and implementation fidelity measures).
• Instruction and Intervention: What do student grades and assessment scores tell us about the learning in our schools? Refine your schoolwide expectations, acknowledgement systems, and staff response to challenging behavior. Encourage problem-solving teams to improve cultural responsiveness and provide flexible access in core instruction. 

As you review, reflect, and refine at the end of this school year, remember that you can reach out to your Tennessee Tiered Supports Center (Tennessee TSC) team members for assistance in your reflections and plans.

(Newmark & Norville, 2019) 

Newmark, A., & Norville, D. (2019). Chicken Soup for the soul: Think positive, live happy: 101 stories about creating your best life. Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC.