On June 29-30, more than 35 Algonquin Middle School staff participated in the New York State Middle School Response to Intervention Demonstration Project Annual Summer Institute.
The RtI Demonstration Project is a joint-sponsored program offered by The New York State Department of Education and Buffalo State College.
This year’s annual summer institute focused on building social-emotional-behavioral supports for students in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The RtI Demonstration Project is grant-funded and will conclude this summer.
This program provided thousands of hours of professional development to AMS teachers over the past four years at no cost to the school district.
Teachers at AMS received training in reading and writing interventions, universal reading and mathematics screening processes, school-wide behavior supports, interventions for students that struggle with behavioral challenges, data driven instruction, self-regulation processes and school-wide learning expectations and procedures.
During the school’s participation in the Demonstration Project, NYS Assessment scores dramatically improved, due in part to the work of AMS teachers in developing and implementing systems to support student success.
Algonquin worked closely with Dr. Kay Stahl, director of the New York University’s Literacy Clinic and Professor of Literacy Education in the Steinhardt School of Education, who visited AMS each month to provide expert guidance on the school’s instructional and behavioral intervention programs.
AMS Principal Rob Messia stated, “We are incredibly grateful to the NYS RtI Demonstration Project for the countless opportunities they have provided to AMS staff to improve our skills and knowledge to better support the needs of every student, every day.
“Our school is a more informed, data-driven and student success-oriented organization now as a result of the hard work AMS staff have engaged in through this outstanding program.”
