Student Success Team
Reading Intervention, Dyslexia Support, Math Intervention, Talented and Gifted Programs
"Students of the future will demand the learning support that is appropriate
for their situation or context. Nothing more. Nothing less."
-- Marcus Specht
Our Mission
The Pond Springs’ community is committed to creating lifelong learners
and responsible citizens through high expectations in a
nurturing, innovative environment.
We provide authentic learning opportunities that support all students
as they strive to reach their maximum potential.
The Student Success Team here at Pond Springs is a group of certificated teachers whose responsibility is to help identify and work with students who need more support with their learning program. Whether a student needs academic interventions or academic extensions, our team supports the classroom teacher in creating additional learning opportunities that will specifically meet the needs of the individual.
Our support comes in one or more of the following ways. We provide Response to Intervention, Dyslexia Support, and Talented and Gifted (TAG) programs. These programs support students in different ways and have unique criteria for eligibility.
What is Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)?
MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) may be described as a model address the needs of all students through a continuum of services which provide:
High quality in struction and scientific, research-based, tiered intervention strategies aligned with individual student need
Frequent monitoring of student progress to make results-based academic or behavior decisions
Data-based school improvement
The application of student response data to important educational decisions (such as those regarding placement, intervention, curriculum, and instructional goals and methodologies)
Source: RRISD Response to Intervention, The Meadow Center: Building RTI Capacity Univ. of Texas
Tier 2 and Tier 3 Support At Pond Springs Elementary - Math & Reading Intervention
Through the RTI and RRISD district processes, students in need of further academic assistance are provided with additional support by either a classroom teacher or an interventionist teacher. Students are provided first time core curricular instructional with his or her general education teacher and are also provided intervention support. During each tier of the intervention pyramid, students do not miss core instruction and are provided with additional, research-based support in order to fill gaps and promote student success.
Academic progress is monitored by both the classroom teacher and interventionist to ensure student success.
Overall, the interventionist team serves both students and teachers to support the academic needs of students.
Check out each of the support programs by clicking on the page tabs above.
Tier 4 Support At Pond Springs Elementary - Dyslexia, TAG, and Special Education
What is Dyslexia Support?
Dyslexia Services in Round Rock ISD
The Round Rock ISD dyslexia program is designed to provide high quality direct, explicit, multi sensory, structured support for children who meet the Texas Dyslexia Handbook’s criteria for the identification of Dyslexia. Services are offered to qualifying students in kindergarten through grade 12. When a Student Support Team meets and suspects that a particular child is displaying characteristics of dyslexia, a 504 referral process is started. Parents may also refer a student for evaluation at any time. One of the district’s dyslexia evaluators will then assess the student using a battery of tests. Such services provide the students with the skills and strategies to “unlock” the code of reading and to improve reading fluency. Students are instructed using Orton-Gillingham based reading programs and/or multi-sensory structured language approaches. Please note: If you suspect your child has a disability that may require special education services, you have the right to request a full and individual evaluation (FIE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Please contact your child’s campus administrator for more information.
Dyslexia Support At Pond Springs Elementary
Students who have qualified in grades 2-5 receive Wilson Reading System (WRS) lessons. As a structured literacy program based on phonological-coding research and Orton-Gillingham principles, WRS directly and systematically teaches the structure of the English language. Through the program, students learn fluent decoding and encoding skills.
Click this picture to go to the Wilson website.
What is Talented and Gifted?
RRISD TAG Services Goal
The general goal of TAG services is to provide a differentiated educational experience for gifted and talented students in the district.
The Round Rock ISD Programs for Talented and Gifted (TAG) students provide instructional opportunities and other services designed to meet the unique needs of students with significantly advanced general intellectual ability and/or specific subject matter aptitude in language arts, science, social studies and/or mathematics. These programs shall provide an appropriately differentiated curriculum and ensure the students are instructed in all essential elements and demonstrate an acceptable degree of mastery. As needed, the services will modify delivery of instruction for students by accelerating and/or providing for greater depth, more complex content, and enrichment activities. TAG classes and/or services are available in kindergarten-12th grades. Teachers serving identified TAG students have met the state requirements necessary for assignment of gifted and talented students.
Talented and Gifted At Pond Springs Elementary
In the elementary grades, identified gifted students are clustered together with Talented and Gifted (TAG) trained teachers in otherwise heterogeneous classrooms. Some differentiated lessons occur in the regular classroom with the cluster teacher, and some occur in the TAG resource room. Students will complete an Advanced Level Product or Performance that will be showcased in the spring. Students may also compact and accelerate through the curriculum commensurate with their abilities.
At the primary level (K-2) services are primarily provided by the cluster teacher within the regular classroom with support from the TAG specialist.
For 3rd-5th grade math instruction, the TAG math curriculum, a combination of accelerated pacing and depth/complexity which takes the 3rd-8th grade TEKS and compacts them into 3rd-6th grade, is taught through TAG academic classes with the TAG specialist. Accompanying benchmarks for the TAG students are administered in place of regular grade-level benchmarks to ensure the proper delivery of the TAG curriculum occurs.
At all grade levels, science and social studies differentiation will mainly occur in the cluster classroom with the support of the TAG specialist as needed. This should also include independent study opportunities, which may be facilitated by the TAG specialist.
To address the affective needs of TAG students, a social and emotional needs curriculum may be delivered by the campus counselor or by the TAG specialist or some combination thereof.