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Norris Elementary pilots daily 'universal learning time'; principal credits Title I aides with sharp midyear gains
Summary
Norris Elementary presented a pilot of daily universal learning time for kindergarten that pairs Title I aides with classroom teachers for 40-minute small-group intervention and enrichment. Principal Erin Hudson said midyear STAR assessment results show growth from 19% to 64% of kindergartners at or above benchmark.
At a Norris School District board meeting, Norris Elementary Principal Erin Hudson described a pilot program that gives kindergarten students a daily "universal learning time," during which Title I aides push into classrooms for targeted small-group intervention and enrichment.
Hudson said the school assigned each Title I aide to one of four kindergarten classes and scheduled 40 minutes of support Monday through Thursday. "The ultimate goal of providing universal learning time is to get students on grade level," Hudson said. She told the board the pilot focused on kindergarten "because we can ensure they begin their educational journey with a strong foundation."
Tiffany March, the school's dean, summarized how teachers and aides align lessons to the district pacing guide and design structured, flexible small-group activities. March said aides lead weekly routines: Monday letter-of-the-week activities (including Play-Doh letter-building and tracing), Tuesday sight-word practice with flashcards and sentence writing, Wednesday math with one-to-one correspondence and counting, and Thursday application through decodable readers and sight-word games.
Hudson presented midyear STAR assessment data the school administered before winter break. "At the start of the year only 19% of kindergarten students scored at or above benchmark," Hudson said; she said the midyear results show 64% at or above benchmark. She also reported that the group needing intervention fell from 62% at the start of the year to 20% at midyear, which she said corresponds to 18 students.
Board members praised the progress. A board member said, "I just can't believe the flip in that chart. It's amazing." Hudson characterized the year as a pilot the school will continue "because of the data and also the feedback from the teachers." She said the school aims to have all kindergarten students at benchmark by the end of the year.
The presentation included classroom examples of aides working with students and the principal said Title I purchases — literacy curriculum and devices — supplemented by the aides' small-group instruction were key to the results. The board did not take formal action on the pilot at the meeting.
