Wahitis Elementary is relentlessly focused on 3 things:

1) What we teach.

2) How we teach it.

3) Purposeful reading, writing and discussion.

Continuing to focus on what we teach (common scope and sequence, interim assessments, and data analysis) and how we teach it (team lesson planning using Wahitis lesson plan components and strategies) while building our understanding of authentic literacy (purposeful reading, writing and discussion) tasks will help us "do it better" for years to come. 

We are all responsible for the culture here at Wahitis.  

What we believe:

• All of our kids are all of our kids.
• It’s all about relationships, both with co-workers and with students.
• All of our kids can meet standard.
• Nobody gets to give up, opt out, or fail.
• Every decision comes down to “what’s best for kids?” not what’s convenient for adults.

What we expect of ourselves:

• We will team.  Collaboration is not optional - all Core Instruction will be planned as a team.  
• We will teach to standard, teach to mastery, and teach with intensity.
• We will have high expectations.
• We will give our kids more than academic skills.  They will leave us with confidence, determination, and a life plan.
• We will find solutions, not make excuses.
• We will never be perfect but we will constantly strive to get better.  

Why do we do what we do:

• Because we are their only chance…
• At breaking the cycle of generational poverty.
• To acquire the skills they need to be on track for college.
• Of giving them hope for a successful future.
• In many cases, if we aren’t there…
• No one tells them they are capable.
• No one tells them that successful people push through when it’s hard.
• No one tells them that they matter, that they are important, that they are loved.
• No one believes in them until they finally believe in themselves.  

Culture Committee will continue to define & promote positive culture here at Wahitis.

Texts that have influenced Wahitis’ Culture:

"Culturize" by Jimmy Casas                               

"Move Your Bus" by Ron Clark 

Core ELA and Core Math are the focus and the priority!

• • Nothing gets in the way of ELA or Math instruction.
  • Every student participates in Core.  

No lost instructional time!

• • Transitions are lightening fast and efficient.
  • Teach “bell to bell”

Our master schedule is built to ensure that all pieces of the system take place across all grade levels, for all students.  

• We teach the same core content in the same sequence - common materials.
• Standards/Targets are the focus, not stories or chapters.  
• Scope and Sequence work done by team prior to each year for Math and ELA. (Setting the Roadmap)
• Math
• Use Eureka (K-4), EdGEMs (6), and in-house materials (5) as base for math.
• ELA
• Use Heggerty (K-1) as phonemic awareness curriculum.
• Use Really Great Reading (K-3) as phonics curriculum.
• Use Bringing Words to Life weekly outline (pg. 40 of this document) as vocabulary framework (K-6).
• Use Wonders (K-2) and novels or Science/SS text (3-6) as comprehension base for ELA.
• Use Framing Your Thoughts (K-6) as grammar/sentence structure curriculum.
• Use units collaboratively designed with Hermiston (K-2) and Step-Up-To-Writing (2-6) as writing curriculum.  
• Priority standards are taught first and reviewed often. 

Texts that have helped shape Wahitis’ Curriculum Design:

"Driven by Data 2.0" by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo

"Focus" by Mike Schmoker 

• Common assessments (Interims) will be utilized 3-4 times per year for all core instruction.  
• Written by teams based on Scope and Sequence.
• Sets rigor and end goals for instruction throughout “unit”.
• Used to drive instruction - lesson planning.  
• Debriefed with students.  
• Daily Exit Tickets included in all core instruction.
• Included in daily lesson plans.
• Match daily objective(s).
• Match form and rigor or interim assessment.
• Used to inform the next day’s lesson.
• Aggressive Monitoring
• During independent work time (You Do).
• Pen in hand, track mastery of objective.
• Name the error, ask them to fix it, tell them you’ll follow up, then follow up.  
• Decoding, Fluency, STAR Math and STAR Reading will be assessed 5 times building-wide.
• Fall: August 29th-31st
• Fall 2: October 17th-21st
• Winter: December 5th-9th
• Winter 2: March 20th-24th
• Spring: May 22nd-25th

Texts that have help shape Wahitis’ Assessment Philosophy:

"Driven by Data 2.0" by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo

"Get Better Faster" by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo

• We will team, collaboration is not an option.
• Use PLC and common planning time to plan all Core ELA and Math lessons together.
• Begin with the end in mind. 
  • Use scope and sequence.
  • Use upcoming interims, and past interim item analysis.
  • Use SBA item specifications
• Common Components for all Wahitis lesson plans:
  • A learning objective

• • • What’s the purpose of this lesson?
    • Why are we teaching it?

• • Anticipatory Set

• • • Activating prior knowledge

• • “I Do”

• • • Explicit Instruction

• • “We Do”

• • • Modeling

• • “You Do”

• • • Task predict performance!
    • Aggressive monitoring takes place.

• • Exit Ticket 

• Tied closely to the objective and what students will be required to show on interim assessment.

Our Instructional Committee will continue to work on defining what exemplar instruction looks and sounds like here at Wahitis, based on the elements of our lesson plan. 

Texts that have helped shape Wahitis’ Lesson Planning Philosophy:

"Focus" By Mike Schmoker

"Get Better Faster"  by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo  

• ALL get the Core.
  • Heterogeneous groupings
  • No Pull-Outs (ELL, SpEd, Speech, etc)
• Common Philosophy
  • “Whatever it takes!”
  • “Hold the line” on high expectations.
• Common Language and Procedures
  • Kid-friendly definitions
  • Chants and Gestures
• Strong classroom routines and procedures to maximize instructional time.
• Laser-focused on standards/targets.
• Quick pace, sense of urgency.
• Teach to mastery, review it forever!
  • Assume that it will take 300 repetitions of a skill to achieve mastery.

Deliberate, purposeful intensity.   

Our Instructional Committee will continue to work on defining what exemplar instruction looks and sounds like here at Wahitis.

Wahitis' Math Philosophy:

We will prepare all of our students to demonstrate mastery of grade level standards and targets as demonstrated on the MGM, STAR test and SBA.  We will teach with a similar approach - Balanced Math -  that includes daily fact fluency instruction/practice, daily review of previous taught grade-level concepts, daily new grade-level concept development/instruction, and daily problem solving.  We will also provide daily intervention or enrichment for all students at their instructional level.  

• Time - no shortcuts
• Quality Direct Instruction
• Repetition of Instruction and Review
• Nothing ever “goes away”
• Grades 3-6: all repetition and daily work will be in the form of SBA item specs
• Use of manipulatives to develop conceptual understanding

We will design and plan lessons with the end (interim assessments) in mind to ensure that our instruction is rigorous and meaningful.  

Wahitis' ELA Philosophy:

We will prepare all of our students to demonstrate mastery of grade level standards and targets as demonstrated on the RGR, DIBELS, STAR test, Step-Up, Sentence Structure and SBA.  

We will teach with a similar approach - Balanced Literacy -  that includes daily:

1. Phonemic Awareness exercises, 
2. Explicit Phonics instruction and review, 
3. Fluency instruction/practice,
4. Vocabulary instruction,
5. Comprehension (listening for K-2, reading for 3-6) strategy or skill development/instruction,
6. Writing instruction/development.  
1. Sentence Structure, and
2. Modes of Writing

We will create learning conditions where all students think aloud, discuss, evaluate, argue, restate, ponder, reflect, write about, persuade, and work with the information they need to learn to master grade level standards. 

We provide daily intervention or enrichment for all students at their instructional level.  

• Time - no shortcuts
• Quality Direct Instruction
• Repetition of Instruction and Review
• Nothing ever “goes away”
• Grades 3-6: all repetition and daily work will be in the form of SBA item specs
• Intentional teaching of reading skills & strategies to develop literate students. 

Our Lesson Components:

• Lesson Objective
• Anticipatory Set
• I Do
• We Do
• You Do
• Exit Ticket: tightly aligned to Lesson Objective & Interim Assessment

Math Instructional Focus:

• Entry Tasks
• Fact Fluency
• Problem Solving
• Deep Conceptual Development

ELA Instructional Focus:

• Phonemic Awareness (K-1)
• Phonics (K-3)
• Fluency: DYAD Reading
• Vocabulary: Bringing Words to Life Weekly plan
• Comprehension: Close Reading
• Grammar/Writing

How We Deliver Our Instruction:

• Explicit Instruction
• Aggressive Monitoring (Feedback)
• Urgent Pace
• Teacher Movement
• Strong Voice
• Tight Routines/Procedures
• Student Discourse
• Writing to Respond
• Students Modeling/Justifying Thinking
• Graphic Organizers
• Manipulatives

Text that has help shape Wahitis’ Instructional Philosophy:

"Get Better Faster" by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo

• Actively participate in all Interim data meetings.
• Assessment, or turtle back, in hand.
• Classroom and grade level data in hand.  
• Contribute to discussion, be an active listener.  
• Use Exit Tickets daily to inform upcoming lessons.
• Constant formative checks throughout the lesson.
• Aggressive Monitoring.
• Provide timely, specific, and actionable feedback to students.  
• Use RGR, DIBELS and STAR data to inform classroom instruction (student strengths & needs)

Text that have helped shape Wahitis’ Data Analysis Philosophy:

"Driven by Data 2.0" by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo

• All students receive daily intervention or enrichment.
• Homogeneous groupings.
• Fluid student movement.  
• All hands on deck (paras, Resource Room, ELL, classroom teachers)

Walk-to-Math:
Students will receive differentiated instruction in smaller groups to address deficiencies through intervention or extend conceptual understanding beyond grade level content through enrichment. The following are non-negotiables:

• Concept Intervention/Enrichment (K-6)
  Using data from MGM, 1st and 2nd Grade Benchmarks, Entry Task Quizzes, IABs (common assessments) to deliver instruction based on individual/group needs.  
• Bridges (K-2):
• Developing early numeracy so that all students can access the core. Bridges intervention lessons are used for those students still not at grade level.  
• Fact Fluency quick looks/story telling/games (K-6)
• Problem Sets (2-5):
• Claims 2 - 4 work within each standard.  Problem sets are done two weeks after the concept has been taught in Core.  Students have had time to gain knowledge of the concept, practice through entry tasks, and are now asked to apply their knowledge (again) through the lense of the SBA.  The practice sets are scaffolded, based on group level needs. The formative assessment is NOT scaffolded. This is an accurate score of skill level that’s recorded on the weekly spreadsheet.
• Point at which conceptual understanding and skills align with application. 

Walk-to-Read:

Students will receive differentiated instruction in smaller groups to address deficiencies through intervention (decoding, fluency or comprehension) or extend skill development through 300 reps, or more,  beyond grade level content (comprehension) through enrichment. The following are non-negotiables:

• Phonics (K-2):
• RGR
• Blue and Purple books - Haggerty
• Fluency (2-5):
• Read Naturally
• RGR fluency passages
• Novels/Weekly Passages
• Comprehension (2-5):
• Novels close reading, lots of discussion (student-to-student), focus on skills and targets

Weekly Passages:
These passages are intended to be a highly-scaffolded teaching tool.  All students answer the questions “independently” after you have modeled all the way through.  

• Benchmark and beyond students transition to independent in 6-10 weeks.
• Strategic students transition to independent practice in 16-20 weeks. 
• Intensive students will need guided support until about 4 weeks before the SBA

Deconstructing the questions:

• Box all key vocabulary (refer to common vocabulary posters)
• Require students in grades 3 & 4 to always do the chant and gesture - lower groups in 5 & 6 should still be required as well
• Underline text specific information

Debrief is paramount to the success of these materials.

• Discuss things done well and things to improve.
• Correct misconceptions
• Re-teach concepts
• Correct errors in process (UUP)
• Show samples of good work
• Can be done as individual or group debrief
• Require students to “fix to perfect”

• Admin will be in classrooms often.
• Monitoring lesson plan implementation.
• Giving teachers individualized instructional feedback.
• Monitoring student engagement and understanding.
• Celebrating success!
• Be willing to engage with feedback from admin.  
• Today we’ll do it, and tomorrow we’ll do it better!
• Coaching discussions > 2x per month.
• Hawk Walks
• Actively participate, reflect on own practice.
• Encourage your colleagues and acknowledge their great work!
• Provide clear and specific feedback to students.
• We do our students no favors by lower standards and expectations.  
• Feedback should be specific, timely, and actionable.  

Framework used by Admin when giving teacher's feedback

Texts that have helped shape Wahitis’ Feedback Philosophy:

"Leverage Leadership 2.0" by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo

"Get Better Faster" by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo

• We have high expectations for our students.  
• We believe that they are capable, even if they don’t believe it yet.