Increasing Student Success Skills – CLASSROOM GUIDANCE LESSONS

Abstract An intervention treatment on Student Success Skills was developed at El Morro Elementary School in Laguna Beach, CA to aid 3^rd and 4^th grade high-risk students in a Response to Intervention classroom environment. Six lessons were designed to teach topics including Time Management, Secrets of a Successful Student, Test-taking Strategies, Memory Skills, Study Skills and Organization. A pre- and post-test were given at the beginning and end of each lesson to measure and demonstrate any knowledge acquired by the student during the intervention lesson. A custom, age-appropriate PowerPoint was created for each presentation, along with various worksheets and take-home handouts. The data indicate significant knowledge attainment resulting from the interventions. The level of skills habituation cannot yet be determined.   Problem Description The purpose of this systems change project is to close the achievement gap between the low-performing students in a special Tier 2 intervention classroom environment called RTI (Response to Intervention) at El Morro Elementary School in Laguna Beach. These students exhibit behaviors such as inattention and disengagement in class, slouching in their seats, losing homework assignments, being generally disorganized, not getting work in on time, poor study skills and poor test performance, with the final result being significantly lower-than-average academic performance and danger of non-promotion to the next grade.   SAMPLE of LESSON PLAN Lesson Plan #1 Student Success Skills: “Time Management” 4^th Grade              Lesson Number 1 of 6   DOMAIN: ASCA STANDARDS: ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT: STANDARD A: Academic A: Student will acquire the attitudes, knowledge, and skills contributing to effective learning in school and across the lifespan. ASCA – A:A1.5 Identify attitudes and behaviors which lead to successful learning ASCA – A:B1.3 Improve learning: Apply the study skills necessary for academic success at each level ASCA – C:A2.1 Acquire employability skills such as organizational skills ASCA – :A2.9 Utilize time- and task-management skills   CC STANDARDS: – CCS8 R:I-7 TBD During this Student Success Skills lesson, called “Using Time Wisely,” participating students should come to understand and believe that using time wisely is important to success in school and life. They will learn how to manage their academics more effectively by listing and prioritizing their weekly tasks ahead of time, and they will apply this knowledge by completing a “To Do List” worksheet, prioritizing the tasks on it to manage their time. Lesson flow: After a pre-test, the instructor teaches relevant time management concepts, then does a live demonstration, then hands each student a worksheet to repeat the process on their own with the assistance of the instructor. This lesson is designed to be used as part of a Student Success Skills series, with each module complementing and building upon the next. The instructional activities will be used:

• Opening/Activity 1: Pre-test “Tell me what you know”
• Activity 2: PowerPoint presentation – discussion with students
• Activity 3: “Using My Time Wisely” worksheet top section demonstrated
• Activity 4: “Using My Time Wisely” worksheet bottom section on their own
• Closing/Activity 5: Post-test “Tell me what you know”
• Materials needed for this lesson: School Computer in order to utilize PowerPoint, white board and table projector.