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Message from our Superintendent

Our school district is moving toward a model for special education that includes a component now known as a Response to Intervention or RTI. The original special education law, written in 1975, identified special education students using a discrepancy model. In general, this means to qualify in reading, written language or mathematics students must show a large academic gap between them and their typical classmates. This often means that several years pass until the gap increases enough to allow students to receive special education services. By this time, the gap often grows to an insurmountable and irreversible magnitude for special education students. Some termed this as the wait to fail method.

RTI includes school-wide changes of early interventions in reading, writing and math. Over the past two years, we began changing some of our reading interventions, particularly at the elementary and middle school. With the support of principals and armed with a number of instructional tools, classroom teachers received support from Mike Steberl, our Title 1 reading teacher, paraprofessionals and middle/high school student tutors who assisted many students with reading difficulties. These interventions for upper elementary and middle school students usually lasted just a few weeks and the students returned to class with reading automaticity—often known as reading fluency. The results, as measured by the Woodcock test, show many dramatic results, not only in automaticity, but in reading comprehension—the goal of reading.

Last year we also introduced a new math series for the middle school and this fall the elementary and first year algebra students will receive a new curriculum. In addition, we will pilot a program, FASTT Math—Fluency and Automaticity through Systematic Teaching with Technology— that offers computer assisted mathematics remediation in just 10-minute session.

Writing, which includes very successful writing exits from the high school that have been in place for years, is also under review. In part, our elementary and middle school will review the curriculum terms—known as C-Terms and found on our webpage under District Resources/Curriculum Guide. With minor changes, the elementary and middle school writing curriculum is in place for RTI.

In short, our reading, mathematics and writing programs will fit well into an RTI model. Also, we will provide RTI in-service for our teachers just before school starts this fall. Our goal is to simply serve our students better and to provide them with the best academic tools—reading, writing and mathematics—to fully engage in our seven broad courses of study—(1) the arts, (2) career and technical education, (3) language arts, (4) mathematics, (5) science, (6) social studies, and (7) physical education.

Our school district staff remains indebted to our community for their continuing support of the education of our students. Without this help, including the help with the levy that provided the new math materials, we simply could not serve our students as well as we do. (This excellence of education, for example, I noted in our newsletter last month by stating that for three years running all of our graduating seniors passed the Washington Assessment for Student Learning—WASL.) Thank you!

Dr. Louis Gates, Superintendent of Columbia Schools


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Site Resources Family Access Portal Staff Email Web Access High School Coyotemail Access Staff Email Spam Check Goodsearch Subfinder Online	Message from our Superintendent Our school district is moving toward a model for special education that includes a component now known as a Response to Intervention or RTI. The original special education law, written in 1975, identified special education students using a discrepancy model. In general, this means to qualify in reading, written language or mathematics students must show a large academic gap between them and their typical classmates. This often means that several years pass until the gap increases enough to allow students to receive special education services. By this time, the gap often grows to an insurmountable and irreversible magnitude for special education students. Some termed this as the wait to fail method. RTI includes school-wide changes of early interventions in reading, writing and math. Over the past two years, we began changing some of our reading interventions, particularly at the elementary and middle school. With the support of principals and armed with a number of instructional tools, classroom teachers received support from Mike Steberl, our Title 1 reading teacher, paraprofessionals and middle/high school student tutors who assisted many students with reading difficulties. These interventions for upper elementary and middle school students usually lasted just a few weeks and the students returned to class with reading automaticity—often known as reading fluency. The results, as measured by the Woodcock test, show many dramatic results, not only in automaticity, but in reading comprehension—the goal of reading. Last year we also introduced a new math series for the middle school and this fall the elementary and first year algebra students will receive a new curriculum. In addition, we will pilot a program, FASTT Math—Fluency and Automaticity through Systematic Teaching with Technology— that offers computer assisted mathematics remediation in just 10-minute session. Writing, which includes very successful writing exits from the high school that have been in place for years, is also under review. In part, our elementary and middle school will review the curriculum terms—known as C-Terms and found on our webpage under District Resources/Curriculum Guide. With minor changes, the elementary and middle school writing curriculum is in place for RTI. In short, our reading, mathematics and writing programs will fit well into an RTI model. Also, we will provide RTI in-service for our teachers just before school starts this fall. Our goal is to simply serve our students better and to provide them with the best academic tools—reading, writing and mathematics—to fully engage in our seven broad courses of study—(1) the arts, (2) career and technical education, (3) language arts, (4) mathematics, (5) science, (6) social studies, and (7) physical education. Our school district staff remains indebted to our community for their continuing support of the education of our students. Without this help, including the help with the levy that provided the new math materials, we simply could not serve our students as well as we do. (This excellence of education, for example, I noted in our newsletter last month by stating that for three years running all of our graduating seniors passed the Washington Assessment for Student Learning—WASL.) Thank you! Dr. Louis Gates, Superintendent of Columbia Schools