Dassa program gets results
CHERRY TWP — Dolores Bliss, a principal in the Moniteau School District for more than a dozen years, says no single program or initiative alone is responsible for educational success.
At Dassa McKinney Elementary School, where Bliss is the principal, a conglomeration of a strong belief system among professionals, professional development and the right set of programs trickle down to impact achievement for individual students.
However, noteworthy to development this school year at Dassa McKinney is the implementation of the Response to Instruction and Intervention, or RtII program.
The statewide initiative, calls for multiple, cyclical steps, including an assessment of readiness, the establishment of priorities, development of an implementation plan and monitoring of work.
Bliss said educators at Moniteau have always strived to recognize the students' needs and address them.
But the RtII program is a more formal method of accomplishing that goal.
"This was the natural next step for us," she said.
Bliss said instead of checking students' progress a handful of times a year, under RtII, educators meet every couple weeks.
"It's evolving," Bliss said.
Implementing the initiative is part of the district's long-term strategic plan.
Now midway through the six-year plan, RtII was first piloted in a few classes last school year.
Because this is the first RtII year at Dassa McKinney, the long-term impact of the initiative is yet to be determined.
But already, the kindergarten DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) at Dassa McKinney have improved 30 percent to 40 percent over results in years past. DIBELS, according to the state department of education, is a standard measure of early literacy.
And Bliss said, "modest gains" also are noticeable in first graders' academic achievement.
Dassa McKinney has 791 students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
"Not only is this a good program for our school," Bliss said of RtII, "it's a good program for any school."
Educators are preparing to implement the program for Moniteau's 800 junior and senior high students beginning next school year.
School Superintendent Trudy Peterman said initial indicators demonstrate that the RtII initiative fits "wonderfully" with Moniteau's overall mission."Because it involves all students, and all teachers are making modifications and accommodations, we are achieving a better rate of success," Peterman said. "The program does not just target any one special needs group."Bliss said that, while noteworthy, the RtII programming alone could not have an impact without the right implementation from the building's 55 teachers and 20 professional support staff members."Everything starts with the teachers," Bliss said. "They really do believe they can make a difference in the lives of children."And Peterman said it is always important to keep parents involved in their children's education."Parents support learning at home. Parents support learning at school. They are the ones that can best help eliminate a child's roadblocks to learning," Peterman said. "Parents are pivotal."
