Katherine Kelleher has this nightmare - an endless queue of children snaking out of her classroom, with 20 eighth-graders who need extra help to prepare for the state's social studies test, dozens who must catch up on homework, and a few who just don't get the drift of document-based questions.

Kelleher has only one period a day to help them.

But neither she nor her colleagues at Koda Middle School ever wake from this kind of anxiety dream. While the district hired more elementary and high school staff to implement Academic Intervention Services plans, the three middle schools received no one.

"It's so frustrating for us because everyone wants to give students the services and supports they need, but we just don't have enough time to do it," said Kelleher, vice president of the Shenendehowa Teachers Association in Saratoga County.

Since extra help for struggling students was mandated by the state beginning Sept. 1, 2000, schools have implemented Academic Intervention Services with mixed results, teachers from across the state told New York Teacher.

Designed to help struggling students meet state achievement standards, many AIS programs have suffered from poor organization, murky objectives and a lack of communication from administrators to teachers.

In interviews with more than 50 teachers, New York Teacher found that other problems include: insufficient

professional development tied to the standards and to student screening; no provision for time to consult with parents or work with teaching assistants; and district schedules that pull students out of other subjects for AIS. Art, music and physical education are the most common subjects kids miss.

Survey reveals problems

Such anecdotal complaints led New York State United Teachers to survey teachers statewide about AIS. "In many instances," said NYSUT First Vice President Antonia Cortese, "teachers and teaching assistants have told us their district's implementation of AIS is confusing and inconsistent."

Cortese said preliminary survey findings indicate that "most, if not all, of these issues have their origin in the fact that AIS regulations do not require districts to jointly develop their AIS plan with the teachers union."

That was the case in Shenendehowa, where teachers were not consulted on how kids should receive extra help and in fact are angered that the district has set aside funds designated for AIS outside the core academic areas, said Anthony McCann, STA president.

So Shenendehowa's AIS plan for middle school students provides only one period a day for children to get extra help. No additional staff have been hired, no additional sessions scheduled.

"That might be enough for students who only need help in one area," Kelleher said. "What we've found is the kids typically need AIS in all four content areas: English Language Arts, math, science and social studies. There's no way one period a day is enough for what they need."

Other teacher leaders said districts have not changed anything. As expressed by one local president from a small-city district in upstate New York, "Our district wants to show that they have provided services, so any remedial time, any resource time, is now considered AIS."

Renaming existing services was clearly not the state's intent, said Cortese. "One year ago, the state said it did not want a one-size-fits-all approach toward districts developing AIS plans," she noted. "Now, six months into AIS, we've found too many cases where the services districts are providing don't stretch to accommodate the need."

Range of complaints

The Amsterdam TA took a proactive approach after "teachers complained that program standards were unclear and there was confusion over which students should receive AIS," said local President Ron Bartman.

A survey by the Mohawk Valley local found AIS standards varied significantly from building to building. Discrepancies included variations in teacher tutoring loads and student referral methods, unclear tutor pay rates, no professional development and little communication to teachers from the district.

After forwarding survey findings to district administrators, members saw some positive change last spring.

"The district distributed a document outlining program guidelines, and this year we have a printed list of AIS providers," said Connie Hoyer, a third-grade teacher. "Before, district officials often didn't know who AIS building providers were - only the individual principals knew.

"Things are slowly improving, thanks to the union's push," said Hoyer.

In another district, a NYSUT member, who declined to be identified since she is working with her district to resolve AIS problems, said, "our biggest problem is that no one seems to know how the program should be carried out." Questions include: "What sort of assistance should we offer - remedial help or primary instruction? Who gets extra help - only students whose test scores fall below a certain percentile? Guidelines for AIS just aren't clear."

The state's regulation mandating AIS leaves districts to "develop their own description of Academic Intervention Services," according to the State Education Department.

In a question-and-answer document outlining the basics, SED only got as specific as this: Districts "should include sufficient services and scheduling options to meet the range of intensity needs of students." The document says students with the least intensive needs might only be monitored, while those with the most intense needs should receive more services, for a longer duration and with more individualization.

Attendance concerns

Teacher leaders in Yonkers note another problem with AIS: You can offer extra help, but what if kids don't take it?

In Yonkers, the district worked with the Yonkers Federation of Teachers to develop a plan where educators give lessons before school, after school, on weekends and over vacations. Federal programs for needy school districts help subsidize costs.

While the AIS plan there has many strong elements, YFT President Steve Frey said it is weakened because attendance by students is non-compulsory. That fact hit home when members of the YFT organized a practice math Regents this winter. Of the 200 students invited, fewer than 75 appeared.

"The district is working collaboratively with us on this, but since extra sessions are voluntary, we can't make students come," Frey said.

NYSUT's Cortese vowed the union would continue to advocate to strengthen the program. NYSUT leaders have been bringing these concerns to SED. Members of the Committee of 100, NYSUT's volunteer lobbyists, will come to the Capitol in Albany March 19-20 to urge state lawmakers to provide funding directly earmarked for AIS.

- Betsy Sandberg and Kara E. Smith