AimsWeb Progress Monitoring

"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader." — Margaret Fuller

The ability to read is the foundation of learning and is a vital skill for our students. Research shows that children who are not reading at the third grade level by the end of grade three will likely have trouble learning in all classroom subject areas in higher grades.

               Our district mission is to inspire a community of achievement and as part of our vision to provide an innovative instructional model to ensure each student’s academic development; specifically in third grade this year we have implemented a focused tool to help our students called Aimsweb. Aimsweb is a research based Benchmarking and Progress Monitoring program that provides insight on how to help our students become successful readers.  This program allows us to get a “Well Check” indicating how well our students are reading. Think of it as taking our student’s Reading Temperature.

As our children grow, most of us see charts and listen to medical doctors explain percentiles. Doctors weigh our children and measure how tall they are. Doctors use children’s height and weight as a “Well Check” for vital signs of development. We all know how important it is for children to “grow” in reading as well.  In fact, successfully learning read at an early age is probably one of the most important factors in a child’s learning, both inside and outside of school. Reading to a child 20 minutes a day from birth to school age is essential.  

Reading and reading growth are so important on a regular basis. Our schools continue the “Well Checks” through Progress Monitoring. Progress Monitoring is a more frequent “Well Check” on how our students are making progress towards their Reading Goals. Our teachers use these “Well Checks” to help them plan their reading instruction, monitor student learning, as well as have the students involved in taking ownership of their own progress.

 In order to promote successful student learning, district and building staff has made it a priority to work together. There are data teams at each elementary building. Three teachers make up the data team. These teachers are the Instructional Coach, Title I Teacher, and Intervention Specialist. The data team is in charge of benchmarking and progress monitoring our third grade students on a frequent timeline until the end of May. Data teams meet with the third grade team teachers to discuss student data and to make important decisions for instruction.  This collaboration and communication is very exciting and allows for all teachers involved to have a pulse on OUR students and their achievement at Marion City Schools.

Please visit the Marion City Schools Webpage and click on the Third Grade Guarantee tab, there will be resources that will help you support your child’s learning. http://www.marioncityschools.org

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Superintendent Gary Barber @gcougars65

Let’s Read Marion @letsreadmarion