Many of you may have noticed the change in the school schedule this year. Park Center has added Intervention to the schedule, a nationally known learning concept created by a man named Rick DuFour. DuFour and his wife Becky are educators who also are big nationally in the Professional Learning Community movement.

Some students, staff and parents wondered why we added Intervention this fall. An Intervention schedule allows students to get help if they need it, or use the time as a study hall. A student that needs more help will get placed in a room with a small number of students. It is more efficient when the class size is smaller, because then the teacher is able to interact one-on-one to provide help more easily. English and Math teachers are the ones that do the placements of each student. Where you are placed may change whether you are progressing or not.

Ideally, a working Intervention room would be a small number of students working with the teacher or a support professional, getting help. For those students who have good grades and are doing well, don’t worry! Right now, Intervention may seem pointless to you if you are sitting there with nothing to do. Eventually, along with Intervention, there will be Enrichment. The students that are caught up will be able to choose something extra to do. Enrichment ideas will include but will not be limited to: tutoring others, music ensembles, book clubs, computer training, co-curricular activities, and ACT prep classes. Another suggestion is that you will be able to get help in classes other than Math and English on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Intervention has been introduced to Park Center because of the number of failing classes last year, and also the low testing scores. The hope of Intervention is to get students to pass their classes, but also pass the Minnesota Basic Standards Test (BSTs) to graduate high school. In class, teachers will make assessments to see if there is any improvement showing. So the question is, “Is Intervention effective?” Well, we’ll have to wait and see on report card day. Nevertheless, don’t expect Intervention to fade away. Although Intervention will evolve and change; it will be a part of Park Center’s daily schedule from here on out. If you have any questions about intervention, feel free to ask Ms. Jarva in room 236.

-Maria Pham, PCSH Webteam