8 Step Process

Program Description:
This program provides a comprehensive building-wide approach to increasing academic performance by all students in identified essential content areas. The program focuses on methods, strategies, and techniques to enable a school building's professional staff to raise the achievement of traditionally low performing students to reflect the students' "true" intellectual abilities. The eight steps are:

1. disaggregate student performance data;
2. destablish a time line for teaching the identified essential knowledge and skills;
3. develop/identify instructional focus lessons (direct instruction to students) to teach the essential knowledge and skills to all students;
4. assess student progress on the essential knowledge and skills;
5. provide tutorial time to reteach those students who have not yet become proficient;
6. provide enrichment opportunities for students who are proficient;
7. provide on-going maintenance and tutorials to ensure students retain the identified knowledge and skills; and
8. monitor progress and provide professional development so that teachers have the skills to be successful.

The 8 - Step Process is a collaborative effort between the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency and Pat Davenport, a nationally known staff developer.

Agency Goal:
The 8 Step Process aligns with the goals established by the MBAEA:

1. Increase the percentage of low socioeconomic status, Individual Education Plan and minority students achieving reading proficiency in grades 4, 8 and 11.
2. Increase the percentage of low socioeconomic status, Individual Education Plan and minority students achieving math proficiency in grades 4, 8 and 11.

Standards:
Step 3 of the 8 Step Process is the creation and implementation of Instructional focus lessons. To be effective, these focus lessons must align to each school district's curriculum, which aligns to the Iowa Assessments. The MBAEA established an online resource to assist with the alignment of curriculum to Iowa Assessments. (http://www.integratingstandards.com/) This web site provides educators with grade level instructional resources based on the content learning standards compiled by Iowa school districts in AEA9 and aligned to national standards documents. By selecting a content area and grade level, educators can view specific grade level benchmarks. This information is beneficial to identifying which benchmarks need further attention based on your district's assessment data. Educators can use this information to tailor focus lessons to specifically meet the needs of their student population.

Instructional Strategies:

• Direct Instruction
• Explicit Instruction
• Distributed Practice
• Literacy Matters

Relevant websites:
Assessments
Brainchild On-line Assessment
This site provides an on-line assessment appropriate for students in grades 3 – 11.
Integrating Standards
This growing resource connects district benchmarks with assessments. It also provides links and alignment with standardized assessments.
National Center for Educational Statistics
The National Assessment of Educational Progress provides assessment questions to integrate into focus lessons and assessment.

Sample Lesson Plans
Visit these lessons produced by the staff at JB Young Intermediate, Davenport Schools
Sample Lesson Plans
Sample Lesson Plans
NCTM Illuminations
Mid-Continent Reasearch for Education and Learning Lesson Plans
This K – 12 website provides detailed lesson plans related to mathematics.
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives for Interactive Mathematics
This K – 12 website provides detailed lesson plans related to mathematics.

Online publications in this area:
The Education Trust was established in 1990 by the American Association for Higher Education as a special project to encourage colleges and universities to support K-12 reform efforts. http://www2.edtrust.org/edtrust
Closing the Achievement Gap in El Paso: A Collaboration for K-16 Renewal http://www.schoolsmovingup.net/cs/wested/view/rs/482?x-t=wested.record.view

Powerpoints and Video Clips:
The 8 Step Process (PPT)