We had a meeting after school today.  The other shoe has dropped.  Even though our school has an API of over 800 (Academic Performance Index), and overall we made our AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress), we missed the mark in two subgroups - Hispanics and economically disadvantaged.  We are at risk of being in PI (Program Improvement).

We spent the afternoon looking at totally useless graphs that showed growth (or lack there of) over time.  We looked at the new instructional minutes requirements from the state for schools in program improvement (that conveniently puts science and social studies in with fine arts, and has no required minutes).  We talked about what we can do to make a difference.  

A few of us (myself included) have agreed to do some 'intervention' classes before or after school.  I will be working with 6 to 8 students at a time on math skills to help boost these students' ability to achieve in the classroom.  The district is using federal stimulus money to hire a teacher to pull out the lowest fourth, fifth and sixth grade students to provide intervention instruction and then send them back to the classroom when they are 'caught up'. 

There are 18 students who qualify for these interventions in the fourth, fifth and sixth grade.  Total.   Soon, it will be 17.  One of these students is being transferred to a different school to be in a 'Special Day" class for learning disabled students.  He just hasn't been able to keep up and overcome his learning differences.  Hopefully, if he is placed there now, he will back in general ed in Junior High.  Another of these 18 students is severely language impaired and is a second language learner.  She qualifies for special education services because of her language deficits.  She will never test well, even though with accommodations, she can do quite well.  She needs lots of clarification for some of her work, but basically, with resource support, performs at grade level.  

These 18 students are varied and different.  I know almost all of them fairly well.  Each one has a story.  Granted, this intervention will be good for them.  It may make the difference for their achievement not only for this year, but also for the rest of their schooling.  

I just can't help thinking that it all could have been avoided.   I can't help think that if we had help earlier - if we had intervention at the second or third grade, when the gap between those that can read and those that are still learning to read becomes bigger and bigger - we wouldn't be in this situation now.  In the olden days - much older than my 13 years, they had 'specialists' at schools -  reading specialists, math specialists.  They would pull students to do small group and individual interventions.   There were classroom aids to help teachers work with small groups.  What happened to these programs?  Was it just money and Proposition 13 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_13_%281978%29 ) ?  

I know we are to look forward, to a solution for the 21st century.  I just wonder if we couldn't learn something from looking a little to the past.