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Durham Intermediate School Sixth Grade:

The Team Approach

Deena CreteJacqueline LincolnKarla Rigsbee

Grade level intervention for

academic support: Opportunity Room

Come to the “OR” for immediate triage

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Shared responsibility among the teaching team

Shared instruction with fair, equitable assessment of

student progress

Guaranteed success. No failing grades assigned on the

first try

AS TEACHERS WE ASKED OURSELVES, “WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?

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DESIGN OF THE OR

What are we going to do if/when

students haven’t mastered a concept?

What are we going to do if/when students have confusions?

How can OR be designed so it’s

different from the typical “study hall”?

How can we ensure student attendance in the OR room will be prescriptive in

nature?

Can we help the student realize what

needs fixed?

The “OR is a place where students have another opportunity to learn

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W e C R E AT E D T H E 6 T H G R A D E “ O R T E A M ”

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HOW WE STARTED

Agreed to a “No F “ Policy

Agreed on ownership for student success

Created weekly intervention meetings

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GUARANTEED SUCCESS

No students will be allowed to

fail on the first try

A student who still has

confusions has another chance to understand

The “OR,” is designed to

treat the “patient” before

he or she is “sick”

F

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OR CONSIDERATIONS CHOOSING OUR METHODS

Roles

• Teachers regularly grade/assess work and student progress to identify problems

Theory

• Follow educational research that supportsmore student practice is directly tied to learning

Core

Concepts

• “OR” work to be completed in a timely manner (i.e. one week)

• Small group tutoring is highly effective• Maintain core instructional time

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HOW IT WORKS

A student is referred to the

OR when…

Student fails to

complete an assignment

with mastery of the

concept

Parents & students are notified with a referral

slip attached to the assignment

An OR grade is put in Powerschool for the assignment until it is

completed.

Student needs re-teaching or

more monitored practice

OR assignments must be resubmitted within one

week to receive full academic credit.

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EXAMPLE

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HOW IT WORKS, cont.

OR schedule offers sessions before & after school, and at

lunch break

Students may choose any OR session/teacher. They may also get parent help w/teacher approval.

All three 6th grade teachers tutor two OR sessions per

week

7:30 – 8:15 11:25 – 12:05 3:15 – 4:00

Monday: Mrs. Rigsbee

Tuesday: Mrs. Crete Tuesday: Mrs. Lincoln

Friday: Mrs. Crete Wednesday: Mrs. Rigsbee

Thursday: Mrs. Lincolln

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STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

“OR is basically like Sylvan, but it’s at your school. Plus, we don’t even have a Sylvan here, and I don’t like my parents helping me! Most of all, I am always having trouble with Math, so in the OR Room my teacher, or another sixth grade teacher, can help me so I don’t fall behind.

At first I thought OR was like detention, so the first time I went I was SCARED, but after a while I began to love it. OR rules”!

Avery R.

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STUDENT TESTIMONIALS, cont.“I go to OR when I have questions or confusions on my

schoolwork. I can ask questions there and get through the confusions, and then my grades are better.”

Dylan

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STUDENT TESTIMONIALS, cont“OR is a great way to get a second chance on your schoolwork”

Caroline

“OR helps me when I am struggling with a lesson. I know that I can get one on one help from a teacher. Basically, it is like a second chance to get a better grade on my work.” Ali

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Deena Crete, Jacqueline Lincoln, Karla

RigsbeeDurham Intermediate School

DURHAM INTERMEDIATE

SCHOOL 530-895-4690

Opportunity Room - OR

dcrete@durhamunified.org

jlincoln@durhamunified.org

krigsbee@durhamunified.org