Silver Falls SD 4J board tours Robert Frost Elementary; staff outline literacy, tiered supports

Unidentified Speaker 4, a presenter from Robert Frost Elementary, told the Silver Falls SD 4J board during a school tour that enrollment this year is “right around between 350 and 360 students.” The presenter said the school has three goals this year aligned to reading, math and social‑emotional learning and is conducting midyear assessments to measure progress.

The presenter described a multi‑tiered system of supports for academics and behavior: Tier 1 serves all students; Tier 2 targets “around 20%” who need additional support; and Tier 3 targets roughly “5 to 7%” for intensified, individualized intervention. On literacy, the presenter said, “all of our students are receiving 120 minutes of literacy instruction every single day” — consisting of about 90 minutes of whole‑group instruction plus a daily 30‑minute block of explicit phonics instruction. The presenter identified the district reading assessment as DIBELS and named the curriculum tools in use: UFLI for second grade and 95% for grades 3–5.

Speaker 4 walked board members through how interventions are delivered, describing a model in which a reading specialist and classroom teacher coordinate so students can continue instruction across classrooms. The presenter also previewed classroom videos of a reading specialist (Liz Lindbergh, referenced in the presentation) and a second‑grade teacher (Rhianna Mathis) demonstrating intervention lessons and said teachers progress‑monitor weekly. The presenter summarized fall DIBELS results, saying about 47% of students met the reading benchmark in the fall and that the school has seen movement in scores for one second‑grade class.

The presenter highlighted the school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) materials and family engagement events, including a March “Reading Under the Stars.” They thanked the parent‑teacher club for recent activities and noted small tokens from the Robert Frost community placed on the board members’ tables. Board members responded positively to the presentation and the school’s spirit activities.

The tour presentation concluded with the presenter saying additional assessment results will be shared when midyear testing is complete. The board then proceeded to discuss district business and adjourned.