June 2022 News


June 29th, 2022

A Family Guide to Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI²) 2022-2023

What is RTI²?

Response to instruction and intervention is the way CMCSS intervenes with students who are struggling academically by focusing on quality core instruction and intervention of specific skill deficits. The purpose of RTI² is to intervene with students quickly in the area of need so skill deficit gaps do not develop as they progress through school.

What does the RTI² Framework look like?

The RTI² Framework has three tiers; each tier provides intensifying levels of support.

  • In Tier l, all students receive evidence-based, high-quality, general education standards-based instruction that incorporates ongoing universal screening and assessments to inform instruction. Tier I is another name for the regular core instruction all students get every year.
  • In Tier ll, students identified as having significant skill deficits receive intervention targeted to the specific area of need. Student progress is consistently monitored during intervention and decisions about tier movement are based on progress monitoring data.
  • In Tier III, more intensive interventions are provided to students who have not made significant progress in Tier II, or who demonstrate a deficit significant enough to warrant immediate Tier III intervention. Students are monitored closely to determine if the intervention is effective. Movement from Tier III is dependent upon intervention success.

Tier II and III intervention occur in addition to regular classroom instruction. Schools will communicate with parents in writing when students go into and out of intervention, as well as update progress during intervention.

What are the key components of RTI²?

RTI² has been around for many years and is proven to improve instruction for all students by identifying areas for improvement in core instruction.

Schools assess all students in the fall, winter, and spring using what is called a Universal Screener. This is a skills-based measure students are given to quickly check how they perform compared to grade-level expectations. Screeners are brief and measure math and reading proficiency, as well as social-emotional protective factors. School teams consider data from a variety of sources, including the screener, to determine the level of intervention most appropriate and the specific skill deficit.

Another key component of RTI² is progress monitoring. Progress monitoring is a way for teachers to take a snapshot of how children are doing on a specific skill. It includes formal and informal assessments. Progress monitoring helps determine whether an intervention is successful or needs to be changed. Data from this type of monitoring is shared with parents on a regular basis (every 4-5 weeks).

When progress monitoring indicates a student is not responding to the intervention at an acceptable rate (gap closure is not occurring at a reasonable rate), another approach or intervention may be implemented. If a higher level of support is needed, students may be provided more intensive intervention that further focuses on the supporting skills they need to be successful learners (Tier lll). Students who do not respond to Tier III interventions may be referred for a special education evaluation.

What if I think my child needs special education?

If at any time parents/guardians become concerned that their child needs special education services, they should contact their child’s teacher or administrator. Other forms of evaluation, in addition to information gathered through the RTI² framework, are needed to determine if a student is eligible for special education services. A parent’s written consent is required for these evaluations to be conducted.

Additional information about RTI² implementation will be provided by each school.

A SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING SCREENING AND CONTINUED INTERVENTION

If your student was recommended to continue participation in tiered intervention in the spring, that intervention will be continued this fall. The district will begin administering fall universal screening measures to gauge student progress and make instructional plans to meet the needs of all students as soon as students return to school. Data from the fall universal screening will be used in conjunction with previous screening, progress monitoring, and curriculum-based data to determine the need for continued intervention, tier level, and pinpoint specific deficits. After universal screening measures are administered, parents/guardians will be provided information if the continued or initial placement of their student(s) in tiered intervention is recommended. All data will be treated as continuous (i.e., the summer break does not necessitate a ‘restart’ on data collection and/or delay progression toward referral) and data teams will meet frequently and consistently to review student progress and make informed decisions.

TENNESSEE LITERACY SUCCESS ACT AND THE CMCSS FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY SKILLS PLAN

In compliance with the Tennessee Literacy Success Act, each district and public charter school must submit a Foundational Literacy Skills Plan. School districts and public charter schools must create a local Foundational Literacy Skills Plan for students in kindergarten through fifth grade and submit the final approved plan to the department for approval. The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System’s Foundational Literacy Skills Plan has been approved by the Tennessee Department of Education and may be found here.

We wish you and your student(s) a healthy, productive school year! Should you have any questions, please contact your school’s RTI2 lead or the district RTI2 data team at [email protected].


June 12th, 2022

CMCSS 2022-2023 In-Person Learning COVID-19 Overview

CMCSS has communicated with families since last year that schools cannot eliminate the spread of COVID-19 during in-person learning, but our collective actions can help mitigate the spread. The District’s COVID-19 mitigation strategy has always been about using multiple layers to improve success, sometimes referred to as the Swiss Cheese model. For the 2022-2023 school year, CMCSS is using the following mitigation layers:

  • Using MERV 13 instead of MERV 9 filters in all buildings
  • Increasing outdoor air ventilation
  • Employing enhanced two-step cleaning throughout buildings
  • Encouraging self-screening, masks, handwashing, covering sneezes, and staying home when sick for all students, employees, and visitors
  • Replenishing hand sanitizing stations
  • Promoting the use of personal water bottles and filling stations
  • Providing and COVID-19 testing for employees and their families at Onsite Employee Health and Wellness Clinics
  • Updating and implementing the Return to School/Work Flowchart

 COVID-19 Exposure Response Plan

When a CMCSS student or CMCSS employee tests positive for COVID-19, they will need to notify either the school nurse (if they are a student) or their supervisor (if they are an employee). The medical office that performed the test will notify the Montgomery County Health Department for contact tracing. Click here for the CMCSS Communicable Diseases and/or Illness Management Policy.

Click here for the current CMCSS Return to Work/School Flowchart developed by the CMCSS Safety and Health Department in collaboration with the Montgomery County Health Department. For the Spanish version, click here.

Self-Screening

Employees will be expected to self-screen before entering school premises.

Self-screening protocols for students and visitors will continue. Families are strongly encouraged to engage in self-screening at home prior to each school day. Click here for updated guidance from the CDC regarding screening K-12 students for symptoms of COVID-19.

Self-Screening Protocol

Have you had any of the below symptoms as a new-onset in the past 72 hours? (This does not include chronic conditions)

  • fever of 100 degrees or greater
  • new onset of a cough
  • new onset of shortness of breath
  • new onset of sore throat
  • new onset of body aches
  • diarrhea
  • new onset of headache
  • new onset of loss of taste or smell
  • nausea or vomiting
  • congestion or runny nose
  • chills
  • fatigue

If “yes”, please consult your personal health care provider before returning to any CMCSS locations. Students, employees, and visitors who are sick must follow the CMCSS Flowchart.

 

Effective June 10, 2022. Subject to change based on updated guidance and local, state, or national recommendations or mandates.

If you have any questions or feedback on the plan, please email [email protected]


June 10th, 2022

Administrative Appointments Announced in June 2022

Director of Federal Programs

Lisa Baker has been selected as the Director of Federal Programs, replacing Dr. Phyllis Casebolt who was selected as the principal of Middle College at APSU. Baker has served as the principal of Richview Middle School since 2010. She began her career in public education in 1995 and has served as an assistant principal at Richview Middle and Glenellen Elementary schools, academic coach at Richview Middle, and teacher at Richview Middle, Sango Elementary, and Sycamore Intermediate (Cheatham County) schools. Since 2020, she has served as an adjunct professor for educational leadership at Austin Peay State University. Baker earned her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and B.S. in Education from Austin Peay State University.

Kenwood High School Assistant Principal

Valerie Bosley has been selected as an assistant principal at Kenwood High School. She currently serves as a CMCSS K-12 Virtual School math teacher and previously taught math for 17 years at Richview Middle School. She has served as the CMCSS Lead Math Teacher, on the CMCSS Minority Recruitment Committee, and in several school-level leadership roles. Bosley earned her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University. She is a graduate of the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy.

Kenwood Middle School Assistant Principal

Amanda Adcock has been selected as an assistant principal at Kenwood Middle School. She currently serves as a teacher at Northeast Middle School. With nearly 20 years of experience in education, she has previously served as a teacher in Metro Nashville and Killeen, TX and as a Lead Child Youth Program Assistant for Fort Campbell. Additionally, she has served as a tennis coach and in several school- and district-level leadership roles. Adcock is currently pursuing her Ed.D in Educational Leadership from Austin Peay State University. She earned her M.S. in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment from Walden University and B.A. in Communication from Angelo State University