Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a K–5 ELA program built on the Science of Reading. It has two integrated strands: the Skills Strand — systematic, explicit phonics and decoding — and the Knowledge Strand — domain-based read-alouds that build vocabulary and world knowledge. Together they address both pillars of the Simple View of Reading: Decoding × Language Comprehension = Reading.

Key shift from Benchmark Advance: CKLA organizes ELA around knowledge domains (Ancient Egypt, the human body, early American history) rather than reading strategies as the primary structure. Students read to learn content — and that accumulated knowledge builds reading comprehension.

The AAPS interventionist owns Station C (Targeted Intervention) in the GES co-teaching model. This is not a helper role — it is a dedicated, data-driven instructional role. Station C should be designed around the AAPS teacher's specific intervention expertise and aligned to each student's MTSS tier plan.

Core principle: The AAPS station replaces pull-out time, not supplements it. Students receive their intervention within the classroom context, embedded in the lesson, with the grade-level standard as the anchor.

At GES, MultiLanguage Learners bring rich linguistic assets that are a resource — not a deficit. Station teaching creates ideal conditions for MLL students because each station can embed language supports at the point of use, provide structured interaction, and honor students' home languages without singling them out.

Core principle: Language development and content learning happen simultaneously. Every station should be designed so that a student acquiring English can access the academic task AND grow their language — not wait until their language is "good enough" to participate.

SPED teachers are instructional leaders, not assistants. In the GES station model, the SPED case manager leads a station where Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) is delivered intentionally — not informally or incidentally. SDI is the only instruction that only a SPED teacher can deliver: it is designed around a student's unique needs, documented in the IEP, and distinct from regular accommodation or modification.

Core principle: Every student with an IEP has a right to SDI embedded in their instructional day. Station teaching is the vehicle; the SPED teacher's station is where it happens.

The SLI specialist brings structured literacy expertise that grade-level teachers are not trained to deliver. At Station C, SLI teachers lead targeted language and literacy intervention using validated programs — explicit, systematic, and sequential. Their station is not supplemental reading practice; it is the specialized instruction that moves students who haven't responded to core instruction.

Core principle: SLI intervention is most powerful when it connects directly to what students are reading and writing in the classroom. Co-planning with the grade-level teacher ensures the intervention vocabulary and texts match the core curriculum.

The SMI specialist leads targeted math intervention at Station C, working with students who have not yet responded to core Reveal Math instruction. SMI instruction is systematic, explicit, and rooted in the science of math learning — it goes beyond reteaching the same lesson and targets the foundational skills (number sense, place value, operations fluency) that make grade-level learning possible.

Core principle: Math intervention works best when it is connected to — not separate from — grade-level content. SMI works with the AAPS and SPED teachers to ensure students at each tier receive the right dose of instruction at the right level.

MTSS is the framework that organizes all of GES's support services — AAPS, SPED, SLI, SMI, MLL, and school counseling — into a coherent, data-driven system. Station teaching is the primary delivery vehicle for MTSS at GES: it allows all three tiers of support to happen simultaneously within the classroom, rather than pulling students out of core instruction.

The key question MTSS answers: "How do we make sure every student gets what they need, when they need it, from the person best positioned to deliver it?"

MTSS Component	Station Teaching Connection	Who Owns It
Tier 1 Core Instruction	All three stations use grade-level standards and evidence-based strategies	Grade-Level Teacher
Tier 2 Intervention	Station C — AAPS/SLI/SMI small group (3–5 students) targeted skill instruction	AAPS · SLI · SMI
Tier 3 Intensive	Station C + additional pull-out time; SPED SDI embedded; IEP goals tracked	SPED · AAPS
Screening Data	Informs Station A grouping — who goes to teacher-led station and why	MTSS Specialist
Progress Monitoring	Collected at Station C during every intervention session — not separate from instruction	Intervention Specialist
PST / PLT Meeting	Review station data, adjust intervention plans, confirm co-teaching roles for next cycle	Whole Team