Bringing What Works to Scale

When Boulevard Elementary principal Lawrence Swoope talks about teaching, he cites best practices inside and outside Boulevard and says, “We are working on taking proven methodologies and moving them to scale.”

One success at Boulevard is seen in the results of the third grade team’s math strategy. Last year the team piloted a system of assessing students and using the information to address students needs the same day.

After the third grade teachers taught their morning math lesson, they gave a formative assessment – a short quiz that tells the teacher if the student learned what the teacher taught. Later that morning, the three teachers reviewed the assessment information and decided which students should be grouped together for the afternoon lesson and what they should be taught.  

Each third grade teachers leads a group of students who need to work on similar skills. The groups change because students learn different skills at different rates.

This year, the third grade team of Tameka Bradley, Rekyta Carr and Toni Dilillo are using a similar model for reading instruction. 

Each teacher gives formative assessments on Fridays. Intervention groups are formed and re-formed, and lessons are adapted that meet students’ strengths and weaknesses.   “Our goal is to take a successful instruction model and bring it to scale, in the grade level and the building,” said Mr. Swoope.