Although attendance was slight, those who came responded positively to the proposal and recommendations. Thirteen people returned input sheets and 12 of the 13 supported the boundary proposal. Twelve of the 13 also thought the district has worked closely with the community during this process.

“I think the district has done a great job listening to parents, particularly those at Green Park Elementary,” said Mari Sanders, Green Park Elementary parent. “We were really concerned about our neighborhood school being preserved -- and I know this is a terribly difficult process -- but we feel like we were heard.”

Boundary Review Committee Recommendations
• Investigate possibility of new home for preschool programs
• Grandfather option for 2009 — 4th and 5th grade students
• Open enrollment priority for 2009 — 1st to 3rd grade students
• Consider revising middle school boundaries

Fall 2008 Public Meetings (remaining)
• Wednesday, Oct. 1, 7 p.m. — Blue Ridge Elementary
• Wednesday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m. — Prospect Point Elementary

Community input and suggestions were used to develop this scenario and these recommendations. You can access this scenario online at www.wwps.org (A to Z section - Boundary Study).

“What a great visit,” Barton said. “Maria had everything so well organized and I got to see so many terrific things at the high school. I think it’ll be a really strong story.”

Northwest Education is published by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory and distributed free of charge
to about 10,000 educators and policymakers in our 5-state region (Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana). Each issue focuses on a different topic, and is widely read online (www.nwrel.org/nwedu).

Response to Intervention Overview
Response to Intervention (RTI) is a way of organizing instruction and assessment that has two purposes:
1.) To identify children needing help in reading, math, writing, and prevent the development of serious learning problems; and
2.) To identify children who, even when given extra help, make very limited progress. Research has shown that these children sometimes have a learning disability.

Services and strategies our district provides to ensure all children are learning:

Tier I: The student receives core instruction from their general education teacher at a particular age or grade level.

Tier IIa: The student receives research based interventions used with students whose progress places them at some risk for not meeting instructional goals and whose skill needs are easily grouped with other students of similar needs.

Tier IIb: The student receives individualized research based interventions used with students whose progress places them at high risk for not meeting instructional goals and whose skill needs are so unique as to require individualized instructional approaches.

Progress monitoring will be conducted on all students to identify the effectiveness of the intervention and make adjustments accordingly.

When children continue to have difficulty:
The school will keep you informed of your child’s progress. If you and the school have tried several interventions, and progress continues to be limited, you may be asked to give consent for an evaluation. The purpose of such an evaluation is to determine what your child’s educational needs are, and to consider whether your child may have a learning disability.

A parent may request an evaluation for special education services at any time, including any stage of the RTI process. To request a special education evaluation, contact your building learning specialist or school counselor.

Classes begin Oct.1 through Oct. 29 and will meet in the Homelink Art room at Berney School. Cost is $10 per student on a first come, first served basis.

E-mail Shafer at vshafer@wwps.org to reserve your spot.

This fund-raiser helps support expenses for choir outfits and trip expenses.