XLT Overview
For the Spring 2012 Semester, Southeast High School will be operating under a new system of student support and intervention in math and reading. The following is a synopsis of what this system will look like.
During 4th period, students will be offered a number of elective opportunities including: Broadcasting, Advanced Woodworking, Research Skills, Individual Art Studio, Business Projects, Weights & Conditioning, Career Development Events, Intensive Spanish Language, Botany, Ag Shop, Civil Air Patrol, and Jazz Band.
During this same period, we will also be focusing on providing select students with extended learning time (XLT) in the areas of math and reading. All sophomores and some juniors (those who have not passed math and reading assessments) will be given a benchmark assessment in math and reading to determine levels of proficiency on each indicator addressed on the math and reading state assessment. For those who are unable to show mastery based on predetermined goals for each indicator, those students will be given the opportunity to attend the XLT period in order to work on the deficient areas.
Each student in XLT will have 30 minutes per day to work with a math and/or reading teacher for intensive small group or one-on-one instruction. After receiving this intensive instruction and when the student determines that he is ready, he will then be given the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of each indicator that he failed during the benchmark assessment. This will be done one indicator at a time through a five-question progress-monitoring quiz through the Study Island system.
As students show mastery of these indicators, they will receive a blue ribbon through the Study Island reporting system. Once they have obtained blue ribbons on each previously failed indicator, they will then be able to move into the elective of their choice. These students will continue to take short quizzes every two weeks in their regular math or reading classroom, and as long as they continue to show mastery of each indicator, they will remain in their elective class. If it is determined based on their progress monitoring data that they need a refresher in a given indicator, they will then go back to XLT until mastery level is again achieved.
Our focus for this system is to ensure that each student is receiving the support he or she needs in order to find success in the areas of math and reading based on standards established by the Kansas State Department of Education. This system is based on using student data to drive instruction during our XLT period. Content area teachers, student teachers, special education teachers, paraprofessionals, the at-risk tutor, student tutors, and a PSU tutor will all be utilized in the student support system during XLT time. The math and reading team will establish specific procedures for the 30-minute periods and will meet weekly to ensure that the support system is providing students with adequate support to see consistent growth and improvement in student performance.
