Barrow County schools present SOAR program to give targeted daily remediation and enrichment

Bramlett Elementary staff described SOAR — Strategic Opportunities for Acceleration and Remediation — as a daily instructional block designed to give students targeted help or enrichment while keeping total instructional minutes the same.

"SOAR is a special learning time that gives students extra help or extra challenges each day," said Mr. Whitworth during the school's spotlight presentation. He said the block is 45 minutes in third grade and 50 minutes in fourth and fifth grades, and that teachers use student data to form small, focused groups.

"We started by looking at our student data, looking at milestones from last year plus beginning of the year data this year," said Miss Allen, the school's assistant principal. "From there, we created small groups so that each child gets focused attention in whatever area they need acceleration or remediation." She said the team combined classroom teachers and support staff — EIP, EL, special education and speech — to create ten targeted third-grade groups.

Classroom teachers and one presenting teacher emphasized engagement and confidence-building. "Students really enjoy SOAR time because they get to interact with other students that they're normally not around, and they get some more hands-on practice," one teacher said, explaining that activities range from novel studies and multiplication games to technology competitions designed to build problem-solving skills.

Program leaders said they will analyze midyear MAP data (which begins the next day) to evaluate student progress, make targeted adjustments and re-review data at the end of the year to measure effectiveness. They also indicated plans to prepare for possible extension of SOAR into lower grades next year.

The presentation included a short video and teacher testimonials; leaders called SOAR a way to "help every student learn and grow every day."