Ongoing Studies and Projects
Ongoing Studies, Projects and Grants Organized and Coordinated by the Instruction Department
Notice that some of the projects below are supported by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), U.S. Department of Education!
BGP/Bethel Graduation Project (Middle School Intervention Project/MSIP)- Bethel, Beaverton, North Clackamas, Springfield, Hillsboro, and Tigard-Tualatin are in a partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning working on a five year grant funded by IES at the US Department of Ed. The primary purpose of the project is to evaluate the impact of the multi-pronged intervention on improving student academic outcomes, improving student behavioral outcomes, and reducing dropout rates, among a group of at-risk students. Students will receive reading and engagement interventions in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. These same students will be monitored through the end of their 10th grade year to evaluate the long-term effects of the interventions.
EVI/Early Vocabulary Instruction and Intervention in Kindergarten (EVI)-Funded by US Dept of Ed. The goal of EVI is to evaluate the effects of a comprehensive program of vocabulary instruction and intervention in kindergarten within a Response to Intervention framework. The effects of implementing whole class based, Tier I vocabulary instruction for all students as well as implementing small group Tier II vocabulary intervention for at-risk students will be examined. Vocabulary, language, and comprehension outcomes are being studied at Fairfield and Malabon.
Really Great Reading-Bethel is piloting a diagnostic decoding screener to gain more information about the needs of our intensive readers. In addition, we are piloting phonics based programs, Blitz and Boost for struggling readers in Title and SpEd programs in grades 3-6. Clear Lake, Danebo, Malabon, Fairfield, Cascade and Prairie Mountain have received free training and materials for their work with this project.
Supporting Schools… to Maximize Instructional Resources to Promote Literacy Development-University of Oregon’s Dr. Beth Harn, in partnership with Bethel’s Kindergarten teachers at PM and Danebo, will identify factors that influence how children respond to high quality intervention. We have learned a lot about what types of interventions work for most students, but have not figured out what works for each student. This project will help us better meet the needs of Super K.
Title Summer School- (Bethel Summer School and Summer Learning: an Examination of Selection, Implementation, and Program Effects in a Multiyear Randomized Trial)-Bethel has been working with the University of Oregon to help struggling students improve their reading in our summer school program. Dr. Zvoch, a co-principal investigator on an IES funded grant, is working with Bethel to continue to evaluate the effects of summer school and its influence on future learning.
UO Video Grant-Bethel School District now owns high quality video camera equipment thanks to a grant from the University of Oregon. By the end of December, ten professional development videos will be accessible not only to UO participants, but also to Bethel Teachers and Principals. These videos include an actual LLT (Literacy Leadership Team) meeting, several days of instruction from a 1st grade and fourth grade Writing Unit, Literacy Across the District (featuring reading instructors from various grade levels), Professional Development highlights from October 21, and so much more.
Even more projects and instructional initiatives…
K-12 Common Core Standards Unite Bethel-The Instruction Department, along with Peter Burrows, brought the high school and middle school language arts teachers together to review the new Common Core Standards. Using the new standards as a foundation, this team (working together and in grade level teams) began the hard work of aligning district language arts curriculum across grades 6-12. Some units are still under construction while others are currently being piloted in classrooms. Unit development continues as we work to build a united Bethel K-12 language arts system!
K-5 Aligning the STARS with Open Court, Reading Mastery, and Prentice Hall-“But what about comprehension?” By incorporating these explicitly taught comprehension strategies alongside our core reading programs, students will not only read fluently but they will utilize vital strategies to help them fully access all text.
K-12 District Maintains Commitment to Writing-Despite the fact that 4th and 7th grade students no longer take an OAKS writing assessment, our district continues to work at maintaining a focus on writing since students must still demonstrate mastery of the Essential Skill of Writing for graduation. To keep writing moving, Bethel is now requiring three writing work samples in grades 3-8 They are teacher scored and entered in data warehouse. The first scoring was completed and refinements will continue, making the process more unified and scoring more reliable.
TAG Writing Workshops- Thanks to a Chintimini Grant, What the Cyclops Wished He’d Known , 44 writing workshops will take place around the district this school year. This year, Louisa Lindsay Sprouse will introduce students to Homer’s ancient Greece. Louisa not only teaches our workshops, she also teaches at the UO TAG Summer Program, hosts writing workshops around our community, and was the creator of UpStarts, a community literary magazine for youth. This wonderful connection helps young Bethel writers comfortably take their writing out of their school and into a larger community.
K-8 Professional Development Day- On October 21, Bethel offered 36 workshop opportunities facilitated and taught by instructors from around the district. The second professional development day will be on March 9.
OBOB Middle School Regional hosted by Bethel on March 10, 2012 at WHS- OBOB continues throughout the district in 3-12 with more participants each year. Keep watch for more information on local matches as well as the Middle School Regional hosted by Bethel, March 10 at WHS.
K-5 Patricia Gallagher- Picture Book Award Project-This is a read aloud project designed for all students in K-5, but especially fun for students in K-2 who are not yet old enough to participate in OBOB. The teacher reads the five nominees to the class, the students vote on their favorite book, and then the teacher sends the number to Rhonda who sends the totals to the state for tabulation. The state winner will be announced. Using grant funds, a set of the five Patricia Gallagher Books is now available in each school.