The document outlines steps that good schools take when students are failing: 1. Schools identify students' greatest learning needs and causes of low achievement. They also discover research on student learning and failure. 2. Schools establish measurable improvement goals and plans to address the problems. They implement a pyramid of interventions for students and professional development for teachers. 3. Schools study the implementation process, solve arising problems, and celebrate progress toward the goals. The overall approach focuses on applying research-based strategies to identify and address the specific reasons for students' failures in order to help them improve.

1. What Good Schools Do When Students are Failing
Progress Comes from IDEAS
Identify students' greatest areas of learning needs and the causes of low achievement.
Discover research about student learning and failure.
Establish SMART improvement goals and/or IDEAL plans for implementation.
Adopt and implement a pyramid of student interventions and program of professional learning and support.
Study implementation, solve problems, and celebrate progress.
Identify students' greatest areas of learning needs and the causes of low achievement.
1. Grades % and Letter Grade
2. Attendance and Tardiness
3. Behavior Referrals
4. Standardized Tests
5. State Tests
6. Observations Performance
7. Responsible Behaviors Checklist Observations
8. Interventions Attempted, Succeeded, and Didn’t
Succeed
Discover research about student learning and failure.
What Motivates Stages of the Learning Neural 21st
Century
Students
rarely
play
Students? Learning Process Pathways Students
.
.
.
without
.
.
.
1. Psychological 1. Input 1. Visual 1. have short attention 1. Knowing the
and Physical Accessing/ 2. Auditory spans and hate to objectives/ goals.
Safety Acquiring 3. Kinesthetic/ be bored. 2. Learning and using
2. Success Information Movement 2. are visually strategies and skills.
3. Love & 2. Process 4. Tactile preferred. 3. Learning and using the
Belonging Processing/Underst 5. Emotional 3. want immediate vocabulary.
4. Fun & anding Information 6. Smell and taste gratification. 4. Knowing how well they
Enjoyment 3. Output 4. choose to be are doing at all times.
5. Freedom & Producing/Presenti Guiding/
interactive and 5. Deciding what to do to
Independence ng/Communicating Scaffolding hands-on. get better next time.
6. Valued Information 5. love challenge and
•I Do
Purpose 4. Reflect and are curious.
•We Do
Improve 6. want to succeed
•I Do
Rogers (2005) Monitoring (win) using
•We Do
Progress and strategies, practice,
•I Do
Making and do-overs.
•You Do
Adjustments
•Self-Assess
Learning-to-Learn Skills and Strategies
1. Memory Storage and Retrieval 5. Reading for Information and 8. Interacting (i.e.,
2. Notemaking Literary Analysis speaking, listening,
3. Concept Attainment (Vocabulary) 6. Self-assessment and collaborating)
and Development Adjustment 9. Goal Setting/ Planning
4. Writing/Summarizing 7. Problem Solving 10. Decision Making
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2. 1
Focusing, Connecting, and Getting Attention 2
Memory Storage and Retrieval (Input)
(Input)
Formulate learning objectives/goals for the unit/chapter and Select items (e.g., words, events, concepts, etc.) to be
lesson that are aligned to standards. remembered and understood.
Organize content vocabulary and concepts visually (graphic Take notes using the three-column notetaking system
organizer) into logical chunks/categories. the item to be remembered, short explanation/definition,
Communicate learning objectives at the beginning of the and a memory cue (e.g., visual, auditory, kinesthetic,
lesson orally and in writing. tactile, emotional)
Use a variety of techniques for activating and building Organize the words/ideas into groups, chunks, and/or
students’ background information related to the topic(s). patterns.
State the learning objectives/goals orally and in writing at Review portions of the list frequently for 8-12 minutes
the end of the lesson and encourage students to self-assess each on several occasions.
about their progress and summarize new learning. Establish a trouble-list for those items that are
challenging and make adjustments to the strategy.
Determine progress, self-assess strategies, and create
improvement goals and plans for the next challenge.
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Chunking Information with Graphic 4
Summarizing and Expressing (Process)
Organizers (Process)
Generate a list of information from what has been read, Record the information from what has been read, heard,
heard, or viewed. or viewed.
Recognize groups and patterns from the list. Establish groups of information and determine patterns.
Organize information into a graphic organizer. Select summary frame/template.
Use examples and mental images to remember and Try to create a draft to describe what was read, heard, or
understand the groups and patterns. viewed
Practice remembering the information by frequently Assess the summary to make sure that it is written
reviewing the graphic organizer for 8-12 minutes on clearly and expresses the ideas accurately.
different occasions Take time to edit the summary and seek needed
Summarize the information in the graphic organizer to assistance.
describe the connections between and among the parts of the Establish improvement goals or needed adjustments
graphic organizer. related to summarizing.
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Short-cycle formative Assessment of Student 6
Reflecting and Improving (Reflect)
Progress (Output)
Review personal and/or teacher learning goals.
Teach, Teach, Teach, Teach, TEST Encourage reflection about progress, techniques, and
assess, assess, assess, assess, strategies that worked and didn't work.
provide provide provide provide Re-test
correctives correctives correctives correctives OR
Formulate goals for improvement.
Re-do List steps and strategies to achieve goals.
Observe Observe Observe Observe if Establish a plan, timeline, and determine sources of
progress progress progress progress Needed assistance.
and and and and Collect information about progress and make
strategies strategies strategies strategies
adjustments.
Adjust
Adjust
Adjust
Adjust
Take time to celebrate incremental progress.
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Reflecting and Improving (Reflect) IDEAL Problem Solving
I dentify the dimensions of the problem. 3. (I) What positive results do you expect will occur when you solve this
D etermine alternative solutions. problem?
E stablish standards and evaluate each 4. (D) What are some possible ways to solve this problem?
alternative solution. 5. (E) Which alternative solution(s) do you choose to solve the problem?
A dopt and implement a plan. 6. (A) What obstacles, if any, do you have to overcome?
L ook back, evaluate, and adjust. 7. (A) What is your plan for applying the solution you chose?
IDEAL Process 8. (L) Do you predict that this plan will work? Why?
1. (I) Identify the problem that needs to be solved. 9. (L) When will you evaluate your solution strategy to make sure it is
2. (I) What are the causes of this problem? working?
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3. Establish SMART improvement goals and/or IDEAL plans for implementation.
(I) IDENTFY (D) Determine (D) Determine (E) Explore (A) Adopt a
Improvement Goal Indicators of Measures Methods/Strategies Plan and Timeline
Success
“Look-fors and
Listen tos”
Reduce/ Eliminate 1. Consistent and on- •Attendance records •Truancy Policy •Examine available
Student D and F time attendance Enforcement interventions, policies,
Grades and •Counseling and social procedures and
Increase worker involvement determine viability
•Parent communication •Create and implement
Graduation Rate
•IDEAL Strategy new interventions or
modify existing
interventions
•Track and discuss
progress
2. Successful •Homework grades 1. Implement the •Complete professional
completion of in- •Assignment grades Pyramid of development for
class and Interventions strategies
homework 2. Explicit teaching of . •Track progress daily
assignments .. and then weekly
•Learning-to-Learn •Use weekly protocols
Skills to discuss progress
•Responsible and “fine tune”
Learning strategies.
Behaviors •Create 30-day goals
3. Teacher strategies
for processing
information
3. Grades of C and •Test and quiz results See methods/strategies See indicator 2 above
above on •Project/product/presentation for indicator 2 and 5
assessments grades
4. Consistent •Attendance at interventions •Counseling and social See indicator 1 above
participation in (e.g., tutorials, teacher worker involvement
intervention conferences) •Parent communication
services •Student corrective activities •Goal setting and self-
and re-assessment assessment
•Problem solving
•Decision making
5. Demonstration of •Student artifacts •Memory storage and See indicator 2 above
learning-to-learning •Student observations retrieval
skills and •Student self-assessment •Notemaking
responsible journals •Graphic representation
behaviors •Test and assignment results •Summarizing
•Self-assessment and
Goal Setting
•Self-advocacy/Asking
for help
•Problem Solving
(IDEAL)
(L) Look back to monitor and adjust implementation AND reflect on the process of goal achievement.
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4. Adopt and implement a pyramid of student interventions and program of professional learning and
support. Sample
Teacher-based Interventions
Correctives . . . Differentiate the Content Differentiate the Process
Vary what students will learn Vary the activities through
1. teach the same material in a different way and the materials that which students make sense
than the original method. represent the content. of key ideas using essential
2. involve students in a different way than the
skills.
original involvement. And
3. provide students with successful
experiences Differentiate the Product
Differentiate the Learning Vary how students
Examples of Correctives Environment demonstrate and extend what
•re-teaching Vary the classroom they understand and can do
•alternative textbooks and materials conditions that set the as a result of a span of
•workbooks climate, expectations for learning.
•academic games and simulations learning, and physical
•small group study sessions conditions
•individual tutoring
•learning centers and laboratories
•computer-assisted instruction
•audio and video productions
•slide shows from lectures and demonstrations
Study implementation, solve problems, and celebrate progress.
Dr. Bobb Darnell bobbdarnell@mac.com www.achievementstrategies.org 2/12
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