WEBVTT

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[Music]

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I am Deb Chiodo, and I
have been principal here

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at Cornell Elementary,
in Saydel,

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for approximately 15
years, and I have evolved,

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as principal here, through
the RtI process-Response

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to Intervention.

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I have evolved as an
instructional leader

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through that process and
I have a strong belief,

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a strong passion
for the process.

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I think it helps us all be
better educators every single

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day for our students.

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We have moved away from,
at my school anyways,

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we have moved away from "I think
this is what the student needs"

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to "I know this is what
the student needs,"

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because it's all data-driven.

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Grade-Level Meetings

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Grade-level meetings are a core
foundational piece that happens

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at Cornell Elementary
throughout the school year.

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It's a commitment I have made
as an instructional leader

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that those are weekly team
meetings; I rotate them by week.

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I have the historical
perspective when I sit

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down with those teachers;
they have only the yearly.

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So I can say, "Yes, you know
what, I think this is time

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that we change the
course on this,"

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because I have watched teachers
do multiple interventions

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or we have met with these
parents multiple times.

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I would like to paint a picture

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of what a grade-level
meeting would look like.

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My counselor sits in
on those meetings,

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my Title I teachers sit
in on these meetings,

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and also I have the TAG (Talented and Gifted) teacher,

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or we call that ELP
(Extended Learning Program),

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sits in on those meetings.

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So that, that allows us to do
the full gamut for the child.

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It's not just talking about
reading or talking about math

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or talking about behavior;
sometimes it's all three

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of those things that we are
discussing about one child.

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We sit down and I go teacher
by teacher and I keep notes.

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I have notes on every student

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by every teacher regarding
every issue that comes up.

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And we actually use
grade-level forms

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that are called Level
One or Level Two.

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Level One, those I have
watched over the years

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and what we have used
that Level One form is

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that it allows a teacher to fill
it out and say, "You know what,

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I think this is a problem."

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So Level One allows us
to begin to capture that,

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and at that point they
would have a conversation

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with the parent; we
never do anything

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without a conversation
with the parent.

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Then they work with that
Level One for multiple weeks.

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They share that data, at
a grade-level meeting.

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They will say, "I have
written a Level One,

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this is the reason why, this
is what I am trying to do

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within the classroom
environment."

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If they see that the Level
One is not making headway,

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then they move it
to a Level Two.

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Now, the Level Two
is much more specific

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on the grade-level form.

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That's when at that
point then we change it

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and we write a specific goal.

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We provide the intervention.

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We become more attuned to "This
is what we are looking for

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and this is how we want to
make the change," and we want

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to know whether we have made the
change and whether it's working

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or not based on the data
that we are collecting

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through progress monitoring.

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I pretty much won't
have a conversation

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about a student unless they
have filled out the form.

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You can't just admire a problem;

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you have to back
it with something.

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I am a strong believer that it
is my role, my responsibility,

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and my commitment to leadership
and to help teachers be the best

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that they can be
for their students.

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And so that allows me to
have excellent dialogue

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with teachers-what's truly
happening in the classroom,

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what truly looks like for
the instructional piece,

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how much time is being spent

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on that instructional
component that's being provided

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for students, if that's routes
that we choose for kids.

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It allows me to have deeper
conversations with my teachers.

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I am very confident talking
with parents when I sit down

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and I am supporting a
teacher, or we have to bring

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to light why we are concerned
and that maybe we have to go

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for an evaluation and say, "We
have been tracking your student

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for two years, three years,
whatever the case, six months .

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. . ." You know, there is
no magic to it of the time;

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it's about the intensity of
the need and that allows me

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to support the teacher,
to support the child,

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and to help the parent
feel confident

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that this is not
just a quick answer.

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Results

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I look at results by grade
level, I look at results

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by individual students,
I look at results

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by individual teachers,
I look at results on ITBS

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when we get the results
back from our ITBS.

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The first thing I
look for is kids

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that maybe didn't hit the mark.

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Were they on an intervention?

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Did I do what was right for
them, or did I miss somebody?

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That is the number-one
thing I look for.

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If I can look in
the mirror and know

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that I have provided good
support, good counsel,

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making sure that each
child was at least working

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to their potential, then I feel
like I can look at the parent,

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look at the school board, look
at my superintendent and say,

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"No, this student didn't
make the 40th percentile,

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but this is what we
have been doing."

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I feel confident that I can
tell you what we have done

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and I can tell you how
we have adjusted things.

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I have watched and
have been able to glean

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from the RtI process, sitting at
the table every week with groups

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of teachers that I can see gaps
or needs, and so that allows me,

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every year I will be
able to see, "Gosh,

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this is where we
need to improve."

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[Music]