Frequently Asked Questions
1. How will you know if SAM Schools are successful?
1. How will you know if SAM Schools are successful?
- Scores on the SAMAN tool will average above 2.5 (enculturation).
- Scores on annual grade level standardized tests will reflect steep increases beginning Year 3.
- Scores on frequent CBMs will show steepening trends upward beginning in Year 2.
- Scores on measures of school climate will show steep increases by the end of Year 2.
- Scores on the SET will exceed 80% on the average of all indicators.
- Attendance will show increases and tardies will show decreases.
- There will be significantly fewer office disciplinary referrals.
- There will be fewer referrals for special education evaluation and identification.
- Success indicators will show significant change from original baseline beginning at the point of two consecutive SAMAN assessments scoring in the range of enculturation (greater than 2.5 average of all critical features).
- Under SAM, support teachers become collaborative with general ed teachers at grade level. Assignments of time for support teachers will depend on the determination by the Site Leadership Team and grade level teams that the IEPs of students in various classrooms require support teacher time. Another factor will be determination by the Site Leadership Team that support teachers need to be assigned to certain classrooms under EARLY INTERVENING SERVICES (EIS)provisions.
- The interaction between the Site Leadership Team (SLT) and the District Resource Team (DRT) should be the process by which support teaching assignments are made.
- Significant increases in grade level standardized test scores on an annual basis beginning Year 3 and continuing.
- Significant increases in reading and math CBM data each year beginning in Year 2.
- Significant increases in measures of school climate each year beginning in Year 2.
- Strong family support for the school as measured by attendance at school/family events and evaluation forms filled out by parents at those events.
- No. That should be an indicator of high quality teaching using differentiated instruction. The Principal and the coach should be evaluator and mentor, respectively, for this process in each classroom.
- The reverse of this question is, does there need to be documentation when special educators (support teachers) provide instruction to non-identified students (no IEPs)? The answer is yes, if such instruction is delivered in a context where no student has an IEP. EIS allows this (up to 15% of SPED money) but does require documentation. The District should have EIS policy and forms for this purpose.
- No. This is a determination to be made by relevant team processes designated for this purpose at the school, and linked to the IEP process.
- In general it is best to have teams first decide what students need to successfully engage the curriculum and then have the Site Leadership Team translate the need basis into the District's special education resource allocation process. Parsing out services by minutes is common practice but not a good fit for SAM. In other words think "what" is needed before considering "how much" (dosage).
- Yes. Particularly on SWPBS early on, and then a prioritized mix of school prioritized PD and District mandated PD.
- School prioritized PD is essential to building a school culture that reflects SAM philosophy and processes.
- The relationship between the Principal and the coach (SAM talks about RTI or SAM coaches) is essential. Much communication needs to occur. The Principal as instructional leader evaluates both teachers and the coach mentors the teachers in responding to the evaluation.
- Principals must understand RTI processes and be thoroughly familiar with the "Power of 2" collaborative teaching approach.
- Coaches must be fully competent to model, implement, and evaluate "Power of 2" collaborative teaching at each grade level.
- Yes. No eligible student should be sent away to a different school. The only exceptions are when schools are inaccessible for students who are in wheelchairs, or students who require environmental modifications for the deaf and/or blind, or who are medically fragile and require specialized medical and/or nursing personnel and equipment which is not available at a site.
- SAM Schools are expected to develop the expertise to effectively educate students who exhibit a wide spectrum of learning characteristics and support needs with which to successfully engage the general curriculum.
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