Stepping Up The Rigor, Part 2
Working from a Can-Do Attitude

"Ana, she's a mover and a shaker," says teacher Jim Griffin. "Instead of saying, 'No, there are too many obstacles, too many problems, we can't do that,' she looks at the possibilities and says, 'Well, what would we have to do in order to make this work?'"

The school's new reading program is a case in point. This year, reading ability dictated placement for all classrooms, and 90-minute reading blocks replaced traditional reading classes. Every morning, in every classroom, the same scene unfolds. Students in mixed-age ability groups split into smaller groups and rotate among four reading stations. At one, students read with the teacher and take part in a discussion. Two stations are skill centers where kids work independently on targeted reading skills (such as phonics or vocabulary) and writing activities (like sentences and summaries). Students work with an instructional assistant at the fourth station, either reading aloud as a group, or reading silently as the assistant works one-on-one with kids who need extra help.

Students who are a grade or more behind in reading are also tutored for 20 minutes each day. Instructional assistants or other free staff members work with two or three students at once, which means about 45 students get focused reading assistance daily. After six weeks of tutoring, kids are tested on oral reading and comprehension for two weeks. The school's "fluid ability groups" allow students to move out of tutoring and into progressively higher reading groups as they become stronger readers. Because the rotation structure is the same in every classroom, kids can move into another reading group without feeling lost.

For the reading blocks to work, Biffle had to adjust the schedule to allow for the large chunk of uninterrupted time. She also tightened school rules: During reading class there are no announcements, no assemblies, no pull-out programs, no field trips, and no visitors. Instructional assistants were pulled off other duties and assigned to a reading class so that kids could get ongoing attention and support from at least two adults. To keep the groups as small as possible, staff roles blurred as well. Every staff member who is certified to teach—the Title I team leader, the librarian, the Learning Resource Center teacher, even Biffle—works with a reading group.

This kind of effort and attitude are just what CSRD requires. Comprehensive reform streamlines every aspect of the school—leadership, curriculum, instruction, attitudes, resources, parent support, community involvement, and facilities—to create a climate where students flourish, teachers stay, and families feel welcome. Schools must take a good, hard look at themselves, and then be willing to do whatever it takes to cure what's ailing them. Because the process schools must go through to receive CSRD funding is so stringent, those that aren't truly committed to change need not apply.

In Oregon, the 130 lowest-performing Title I schools were eligible to apply for CSRD funding; of those, 66 submitted letters of intent. By early September, Lake Labish had submitted the first part of its application, the prequalification portion, to the state Department of Education. This was a series of indepth questions designed to gauge the school's level of readiness. How committed was the principal? Could the staff handle such an undertaking? Was the district supportive? From there, a team from the department visited the school to meet with Biffle, interview the staff, and talk with community members to make sure the school was a good candidate for reform.

Once that was determined, at least $50,000—the minimum for CSRD grants—was reserved for Lake Labish, as long as the school completed the second part of its application and followed the required steps.

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