Cicero Preparatory Academy

.75 math and reading interventionist to provide interventions to work with students addressing learning loss through implementation of evidence-based interventions during the day to ensure that such interventions respond to students' academic disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on the student subgroups. Reading and math teachers effectively analyze and utilize all benchmark assessments to identify targeted students, inform intervention, and instruction. Identify specific learning gaps and then organize targeted students' intervention groups for each grade level based on findings, develop a student-centered data informed system of intervention to support at-risk students in meeting the State's Academic Standards. Cicero Prep will focus on students who receive and require specialized services including students that are not meeting state standards and falling below grade level. This includes students who are identified as needing special education services and English language learners who have not yet developed English language proficiency along with each major racial ethic groups, children from low income, gender, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness and children in foster care. The student to teacher ratio for reading is 1:5 and the frequency is 3 days a week. We are also focusing on the bottom 25% of students who struggle to demonstrate grade level proficiency in mathematics and reading and require strategic interventional student performance and progress regardless of grade level or individual capability are measured and monitored formatively using quarterly benchmark assessments. The LEA will be using Read Naturally and Moby Max to implement in the interventions and funding .75 of the interventionist to provide the interventions. The cost for the Read Naturally program will also be included. Student progress reports are uploaded regularly, so parents can monitor learning development, growth, and progress. All teachers administer in-class assessments once a week to once a month and conduct daily quick checks that serves as formal and informal checks for understanding.

Understanding the challenges that our students have faced over the last two years has driven the decision to budget $4,899.84 in off-contract pay and a hard to fill stipend for a school counselor to provide groups before/afterschool to address social and emotional needs. Cicero Prep recognizes the strong connection between a student's social and emotional status and the ability to learn. For many of our students their learning loss may be directly tied to the struggle of 2020 and beyond. This position will work with students before and after school to address the social and emotional needs of the students, work on and provide strategies to support students in unique living circumstances that impact their adjustment to school, develop and run counseling groups for students identified as having life circumstances that impact academic or social well-being within the educational environment, and work alongside other school mental health staff and school administration to provide crisis supports as deemed necessary at Cicero Prep in grades 6-12. This includes students who are identified as needing special education services and English language learners who have not yet developed English language proficiency along with each major racial ethic groups, children from low income, gender, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness and children in foster care. The counseling sessions will be a student to counselor ratio of 1:5 and will take place 3 times a week for 2 hours each day. The students will be selected through a referral basis targeting students that are experiencing high anxiety and depression.