Beginning of Year (BOY) Meeting, Tier One

The Beginning of Year (BOY) facilitation guide is designed to support teams in looking at data and goals set at the end of the previous year and any beginning of the year data to determine intentional BOY instruction, intervention, and progress monitoring for all students. It is divided into Tier 1, 2, and 3 as the layered continuum helps with organization and access to the supports through layers that increase in intensity.

Beginning of Year: Tier One Steps

• Identifying Needs, Setting Goals, and Planning Instruction
• Step 1: Team reviews student data and identifies overall trends.
• Step 2: Team reviews goals set at the end of the previous year and sets measurable goals to achieve by the next review point.
• Step 3: Team identifies evidence-based practices to support goals
• Step 4: Team analyzes instructional practices
• Step 5: Team prioritizes evidence-based practices and agrees to implement
  • Tier 1 Instructional Plan: Part A
• Step 6: Team plans logistics of implementing practices
  • Tier 1 Instructional Plan: Part B

Identifying Needs, Setting Goals, and Planning Instruction

Major Goals​​

• Review screening and other student assessment data collected at the beginning of the year. 
• Review last year's goals and set new goals for the next assessment period. 
• Identify grade level academic and behavioral trends including those identified as needing individualized supports, for example Multilingual Learners (MLs) and students with Individual Education Programs (IEPs) or Advanced Learning Plans (ALPS/504 Plans), and plan grade-level response. 
• Organize intervention groups by instructional and/or behavioral needs.
• Identify available school-based personnel and related resources for providing intensive (or increasingly intense) academic and behavioral interventions. 
• Schedule ongoing checks for implementation and impact. 

Meeting Preparation

• Logistical Coordination
  • Identify a meeting facilitator (e.g., principal, instructional administrator, literacy coach, teacher leader, or data coordinator).  
  • Meeting facilitator reviews Tier 1 BOY Data Facilitation Guide for beginning of year meetings.
  • Confirm meeting time and logistics including place and agenda.  
  • Share Tier 1 BOY Data Meeting Facilitation Guide with all team members. 
  • Bring chart paper and markers or set-up digital note catcher for recording notes. 
  • Ensure that there is a designated place for documenting BOY Data Meeting (Data management system, Google Drive, etc.). 
• Data Coordination
  • Prepare district and school-level data sets, including assessment results from universal screening, appropriate benchmark data, and current language proficiency data (e.g., ACCESS, Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, Colorado Measures of Academic Success).  
  • Analyze disaggregated data to identify and prioritize trends for meeting efficiency. 
  • Share prioritized data and Tier 1 Instructional Plan Worksheet with team members.  
• Team Members
  • Review BOY class data sets.  
  • Review Tier 1 BOY Data Facilitation Guide.

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Step 1: Team reviews student data and identifies overall trends.

Materials

• Data sets.
• Chart paper and markers for notetaking or digital note catcher for recording notes. 

Procedure

• Allow some time for participants to quickly review the data. Start the discussion by brainstorming and charting individual thoughts.
• Identify students’ performance relative to established benchmarks.
• Cross-analyze literacy data with language proficiency data (i.e., ACCESS data).
• Identify current academic and social, emotional behavioral strengths and needs.  

Discussion Prompts

• “Let’s analyze how our students are doing on [benchmark skill].”
• “What are our students’ strengths?  What areas of need do the data show?”
• “How many multilingual learners (MLs) are represented in various classrooms? What are their proficiency levels for each language domain?”
• “Is there a disproportionate number of MLs identified as being at risk?”
• “Have any of our students experienced disruptions or external factors that may have impacted the student's level of performance or functioning?”
• “Who on our team has knowledge about language acquisition and acculturation and can consult with us to improve our practice?”
• “How many students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIPs), Advanced Learning Plans (ALPs), 504 Plan, Reading to Ensure Academic Development (READ) plans, and/or ML students do I have in my class? What are their identified exceptionalities, proficiency levels, documented goals, and classroom accommodations?”

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Step 2: Team reviews goals set at the end of the previous year and sets measurable goals to achieve by the next review point. 

Materials

• Designated place for recording goals (Data management system, Google Drive, etc.). 

Procedure

• Review prior level scores and cohort trends from the previous year.
• Set rigorous goals based on appropriate norms for students who are progressing toward the identified benchmark.
• State the goals for each group in terms of the desired outcome (academic or behavior) or improvement on a skill related to the essential knowledge and skills outlined in the curriculum.
• State goals in terms of the percentage or number of students progressing toward the identified benchmark.
• Set goals for Multilingual Learners in each domain of language (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).
• Set goals for students with exceptionalities that support their unique needs. Record goals.  

Discussion Prompts

• “By the next data review, [number] students will attain [benchmark] or above.” 
• “By the end of the year, [number] MLs will attain [level] proficiency in [ACCESS domain].” 
• “By the next data review [number] students with exceptionalities will attain [benchmark] or above.” 

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Step 3: Team identifies evidence-based practices to support goals. 

Materials

• Chart paper and markers for notetaking or digital note catcher for recording notes. 

Procedure

• Review previous year’s action plan and build on action steps.
• Identify trends for student strength areas and need areas across classrooms and/or in previous years. 
• Based on the data, decide on the level of entry for support (Tier 1 for specific student groups).
• Consider factors that may be influencing the data.
• Select strategies that address the unique instructional needs of Multilingual Learners such as: oral language development, cross-linguistic connections, metalinguistic development, inquiry into prior experiences, building background knowledge, etc.
• Choose practices and enhancements for special student groups (Multilingual Learners, students with exceptionalities).
• Choose curricular materials that support social, emotional, and behavioral competencies.
• Choose curricular materials that are representative and relevant for culturally minoritized students.
• Engage in formal selection process if there is a lack of resources to support the identified student needs.  

Discussion Prompts

• “On which academic skills will we need to focus our instruction this year?”
• “How do we support the academic and behavioral needs identified in the data?”
• “What factors need to be considered as we are choosing practices?” 
• “Which areas of need do the data show for our Multilingual Learners? Have we considered True Peer Comparative Data, English Language Proficiency data and it's correlative relationship with achievement data?”
• “If there are a disproportionate number of Multilingual Learners identified as at risk, what is the district's Language Instruction Education Program (LIEP)? What curricular resources and/or support might we need to change for targeted English Language Development instruction? What sheltered strategies or embedded language support could better support Multilingual Learner students in general education/special education/intervention? (See CDE’s LIEP webpage for more information).
• “Which areas of need do the data show for our students identified with exceptionalities?
• “What do we know about students’ strengths and needs based on ongoing communication with families?”
• “How can we follow through on the action steps we put in place at our end-of-year meeting last year?”
• “Let’s list some practices that will help our students meet their goals.”
• “Who do we need to join us to engage in a formal selection process?” 

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Step 4: Team analyzes instructional practices

Materials

• Chart paper and markers for notetaking or digital note catcher for recording notes. 

Procedure

Discuss instructional practices using these filters:

• The instructional practice is evidence-based for the target group of students (e.g., students with exceptionalities or Multilingual Learners). 
• The instructional practice is appropriate for the Multilingual Learners’ language of instruction and level of language proficiency.
• The instructional practice is appropriate for students with identified exceptionalities.
• Curricular materials are available or can be readily created to implement the instructional practice or strategy.
• Instruction is differentiated to meet needs and accommodations outlined in students’ Individual Education Programs, Advanced Learning Plans, and/or 504 plans. 

Discussion Prompts

• “Let’s take a further look at these ideas.”
• “Which have a research base? Is the practice effective for different groups of students we serve?” 
• “In what ways do these practices support Multilingual Learners?”
• “Can we enhance or adjust the practice to better support Multilingual Learners?” 
• “Can we enhance or adjust the practice to better support students with exceptionalities?
• “Which of these practices are most practical?”  “Who on our team is an expert and can consult with us to improve our practice?”
• “What materials do we have available? What materials do we need?”
• "What training and/or coaching is needed to build capacity?” 

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