This document outlines interventions used at Belleville Township High School East to close achievement gaps. It discusses who the school serves, assessments used, and strategies in three areas: what to teach, how to know if students learned, and what to do if they did not learn. Strategies include curriculum and test prep programs, targeted assistance courses, mentoring, co-teaching, and instructional teams. Assessment results show increases in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards from 2003 to 2006.

1. Interventions That Work!
Belleville Township High School East
Monica Evans, Math Instructor
Marci Reeves, Reading Instructor

2. Who we are. . .
US News and World Report: 2007 Bronze Medal
Recipient
designated for achievement with minority and low
socio-economic students.

3. Belleville Township High School District
Two large high schools
Student population of
5000
10 public feeder districts
and a variety of private
and parochial schools in
the communities of
Belleville, Fairview
Heights, Swansea, and
Millstadt
Belleville

4. How To Close the Gap
“educators seeking to promote adolescent
literacy might consider how well their current
programs implement key strategies and identify
areas where they want to focus improvement
efforts.”
Biancarosa, Gina. (2005). After Third Grade. Educational Leadership, Volume 63,
Number 2. ASCD

5. Educational Planning and
Assessment System {EPAS}
Explore
PLAN
ACT

6. School-wide Assessment System
EXPLORE for grade 9
STAR Reading Assessment for grade 9
Shaw Heile Math Assessment for grade 9
PLAN for grade 10
Local Reading and Math Assessment for
grade 11
Common assessments developed by
Instructional Teams

7. Three Big Questions
What should we teach?
How do we know if they have learned?
What do we do when they don’t learn?
The following strategies were derived from a
variety of sources for school improvement and
educational research

8. What should we teach?
Curriculum Audit
Test Preparation Programs
Reading Across the Curriculum
Math in the Class
Targeted Assistance Course Offerings
Professional Development Programs

9. Curriculum Audit
Review course offerings – Scope and Sequence
Realigned course standards and objectives to State
standards.
Graduation Requirements
4 units of English beginning Class of 2012
3 units of math beginning Class of 2009
1 unit in area of geometry required
State Graduation Requirements (P.A.-0676)(2005). Illinois State Board of Education

10. Test Preparation
Reading Across the Curriculum
Once weekly in ALL classes
Test prep weekly in Junior classes
Practice reading comprehension, test strategies
Practice mathematical concepts, test strategies
Math in the Class
Once weekly in Junior math courses

11. What do we do when they don’t learn?
Targeted Assistance
Mathematics Tutoring
Technology Tools
Professional Development

12. Targeted Assistance
Summer Academy
Developing Strategies Course

13. Belleville East Summer
Academy
 Pre-9 students
 Selections based on Explore Scores
and 8th
Grade Teacher
Recommendations.
 Concentration in reading and math
skills.

14. Developing Strategies
 Junior Course (At-Risk Students)
 Enrollment based on PLAN scores and teacher
recommendation.
 Small Class Size (Learning Community)
 ½ hour, daily class
 Addresses PSAE skills and strategies
 Utilizes traditional test prep materials and
computer programs.

15. Extended Learning Time
 Math Tutoring
 Tutoring conducted by Mathematics
instructors and Mu Alpha Theta (Math
Honor Society).
 Students assigned by teachers/ and
voluntary attendance.

16. Technology Tools
KeyTrain
The curriculum elements in KeyTrain were derived directly from ACT's
Targets for Instruction for WorkKeys Assessments http://keytrain.com
Triumph Learning Coach Software
The curriculum elements in Coach were derived directly from ACT's Targets
for Instruction for the College Readiness and Workplace Readiness
Assessments.
AutoSkill Academy of READING and MATH®
An intervention software solution that helps at-risk students achieve rapid,
permanent gains in reading http://autoskill.com

17. Professional Development
Programs
Mentoring
Co-Teaching
In-Service Programs

18. Professional Partner Program
Meshing the Science of
Teaching and the Art of
Teaching.

19. Reasons we started a program. . .
 Attract quality candidates
 Retain quality faculty members
 Provide meaningful
Professional Development
 Promote a collaborative
teaching environment
 Shorten the learning curve for
novice teachers.

20. Mentor and Mentee
Professional Development
 Mentor
 Initial Training
 Follow Up
Professional
Development
 In the Trenches
Presentations
 Discussion Forums
 Mentee
 Initial Training
 Routine, scheduled
In-service Meetings
 Observations
 Professional
Articles
 Discussion Forums

21. Phases of Teaching

22. In Service Programs
Instructional Teams
Co-Teaching
Content Professional Development

23. Instructional Teams
Content area specialists meet regularly
Discuss instructional strategies
Prepare common assessments
Strategies to assist learners

24. Co-Teaching
 American Studies (Cross
Curricular English and Social
Studies)
 Title I English and Math
 Regular Ed Inclusion (REI)
 Core Content Areas

25. Content Professional
Development
 Utilizing Effective Rubrics
 Differentiated Instruction (Dr. Judy Wood)
 Classroom Strategies for Underachieving
Students
 Co-Teaching (Dr. Rebecca Hines)
 Reading and Writing Improvement
(Gretchen Courtney)
 Princeton Review
 PSAE Workshops through IPA

26. The Results. . .
PSAE - East
0
20
40
60
80
100
Assessment
%Meets/Exceeds
2003
2004
2005
2006
2003 57.2 54.1 63.7 53.8 64.4
2004 66.8 63.9 66.2 58 72.9
2005 73.6 66.6 0 62 0
2006 76.4 72.5 0 65.5 0
Reading Math Writing Science SocSc

27. “First, change your mind…”
“…the real voyage of discovery consists not in
seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
Marcel Proust