Northwest CHSS Student Success SNAPSHOT spring

RAPID Kid Talk Protocol

Another way to use a Kid Talk Protocol is Rapid Kid Talk Protocol! What’s different about Rapid Kid Talk?  Teams identify 5-10 students who fit a criteria (for example: students who passed all S1 courses and are now failing 2 courses). Teams talk about more students because each section of the protocol is shorter: 1 minute for  strengths, 1 minute for challenges/needs, 2 minutes for interventions/next steps. At the end the team takes 5 minutes to talk about trends and what learning they can carry forward.

Focus Group for Empathy Interview

Everett HS has developed a new protocol for conducting an empathy interview with groups of targeted students as a focus group! With this approach to Kid Talks, multiple pre-identified students gather in one place, and collectively share insights on specific courses, challenges, support needs, etc. with a variety of opportunities to respond (i.e. entry/exit tickets, discussion, posters and value voting)! This process has been replicated now at many schools, including Spokane International Academy.

Content-Focused Student Advisory Board

Team Everett also launched a “Biology Freshmen Advisory Board (FAB)”, a content-focused student advisory group used to gather student input on teacher pedagogy for upcoming units, TRULY centering student voice in instructional decisions. This is a culturally responsive teaching practice that many schools struggle to actualize, and Everett is now centering student voices in instructional planning decisions!

Planning Strong: Our Spring Collaborative will focus on ways to Hold Strong & Finish Strong for 24-25 and Start Strong for 25-26. 

HOLD STRONG: Our network is in the midst of a “Hold Strong” campaign. This means that students who ended Semester 1 on track stay on track for Semester 2 (or Trimesters).  Across our network, schools are finding ways to monitor and support students to ensure they are on track all year long using data that guides targeted interventions.

FINISH STRONG: Schools are planning the rest of this year down to the minute! As we know, the end of the school year is full and a predictable challenge is that we lose track of time. Proactive teams are creating and sharing calendars that are full of events, deadlines and celebrations! These include the schedule for finals, due dates for large projects and assessments, and the last day to turn in work, but they don’t stop there. They also include tutoring, celebrations, incentives and milestones that lead up to the last days of the year.  In addition to communicating this to students regularly, it’s important to communicate this timeline to parents and caregivers, and of course, we need to work extra hard to ensure that staff are informed and on board.

START STRONG: Research and experience reminds us that the strongest predictor of 9th grade Fs is 8th grade Fs, and guides us to consider the 8-9th grade transition in 4 phases: 

• Spring (now!): 8th and 9th grade teachers and counselors are meeting with each other to share lessons learned to inform important decisions for summer and fall regarding content, key standards met/not met, pacing, pedagogy, etc. Students and families are provided with early opportunities to visit the high school and engage in dialogue to begin for a successful transition! 2-way communication is encouraged to connect with families of students who show predictable markers of struggle (low attendance or multiple failed courses in 8th grade.) 
• Summer: targeting those 8th graders who are struggling the most for a proactive (credit-bearing!) ‘summer bridge’ experience that provides a balanced curriculum emphasizing SEL, academic competencies, and proactive instruction in math and reading/writing. Current 9th grade teachers should provide summer teaching staff with high-value curriculum that is aligned with essential state standards.
• Fall: as much as possible, design your orientation, open house, and launch of school activities to incorporate older students as leaders and facilitators (ex: LINK Crew!), and ensure modified experiences to make high school feel smaller and less intimidating!
• Ongoing: consider how the 9th grade experience is made to feel distinct and special throughout the entire school year. These offerings may include smaller learning communities, 9th grade only lunch periods, 9th grade seminars at tier 1 or tier 2, and a wide array of opportunities for school connectedness: clubs, activities, no-cut athletics, traditional sports, etc.