The Catching Kids Up Model Impacts Achievement for Struggling Learners

Cindy Riedl
Jun 13, 2011

How Can a Collaborative Effort of Teachers and Administrators Accelerate Learning for Struggling Students?

Schools across the country are implementing the Catching Kids Up Model, which prepares struggling students before a lesson with Acceleration, and uses Scaffolding strategies and practices to help their struggling students learn grade level concepts and skills. Schools address the root causes of learning difficulties for struggling students (the lack of prior knowledge, vocabulary and experiences that are necessary to connect to new knowledge and skills) through summer programs that preview for the up-coming year, by providing struggling students with a double dose of instructional support during specific classes, and by offering after school Acceleration programs.

Regardless of when or how these schools systematically implement a proactive intervention model that accelerates and scaffolds grade level curriculum for struggling students, their success is due to a collaborative approach of committed teachers and administrators. Their goal is to provide a proactive model that uses Acceleration, Scaffolding, Vocabulary and Differentiated practices that increase learning for students before, during and after classroom lessons. These practices have been successful at providing students with the necessary foundation for new learning. This Catching Kids Up model provides the structure for schools and teachers to meet the needs of struggling students that inevitably results in higher achievement. This proactive support ensures that all students get the necessary help to successfully learn the grade level curriculum.

Two stories of a proactive intervention model:

(1)  Early Intervention Kindergarten Model: This summer program was designed to provide both academic and social learning experiences for students who scored in a lower range on the district’s screening tool given to the children during kindergarten registration. Students attended eight two-hour sessions. Each principal worked with an Early Intervention teacher to determine schedules. Most of the elementary schools offered this program four days a week for the first two weeks in the month of August. The maximum number of participants for each program at each school was 10 students, which kept the teacher to student ratio low. Student instruction  focused on the basic kindergarten curriculum. Teachers in the program were kindergarten and first grade teachers as well as primary special education teachers. They ensured that both socialization and academic skills were offered. Students, who were emotional concerning separation from parents, quickly acclimated to this program.

Four parent workshops were also offered to the parents to help them prepare their child for learning in Kindergarten. The workshops focused on literacy, math, technology and kid-writing. Parents were given books and materials and also created games that they could take home to use with their child or children. These workshops were offered by reading specialists, response to intervention teachers and literacy coaches.

2) Middle School Intervention Model: In this model, teachers with struggling students received support with a co-teaching model. Support teachers planned with the classroom teachers and shared in the delivery of Acceleration, Scaffolding and differentiation strategies. The double dose of instruction occurred before the struggling students participated with typical grade level instruction. Scaffolding and differentiation practices were flexible and varied with the needs of the students. This comprehensive model was implemented throughout the middle school grades with the goal that it would continue once the students moved on to high school. Administrators are actively involved with the planning of schedules and assessing the data throughout the year which generates future expectations for the implementation of this model.

These were just two examples of how schools implement Catching Kids Ups. They have both proven to be successful. It takes a commitment of the all the education family of a school who are determined to make a difference in the lives of their struggling students before it is too late. 

What can we learn from schools that use an Acceleration Model?