A rough draft of a tiered student intervention chart I was compiling for an administartive class some years ago. We were to create a flowchart our teachers could use to answer the question, "How do we respond when students don’t learn?" I have seen better versions since working on this (both in SMSD as well as the De Soto School District), especially in regards to layout and usability. However, I have found this to be a good starting point when student learning is stymied and I need to generate other modifications and interventions for my students.
Tiered Student Intervention Chart
Tiered Student Intervention Chart
Tim Coleman
5040 – Curriculum and Instruction for Administrators
March 1, 2010
Tiered Student Intervention Chart
The Happy Elementary School Administrative Team has put together the following student intervention chart to provide a framework of interventions at the following levels: 1) classroom, 2) grade level/department, 3) school-wide, 4) Student Intervention team (SIT), and 5) special education. It is intended to be used as a quick reference guide when faced with the question of “How do we respond when students don’t learn?” It documents all potential interventions, using a “leveled” approach, which will provide the best possible intervention support for students. The goal is to provide clearly defined interventions that may be implemented building-wide and may be continually revised and updated based on professional experience, research, and collaboration.
Early Interventions (applicable to all teachers)
Instructional Strategies
Pretest to determine prior knowledge and mastery to know where students are at before beginning lesson
Pre-teach material to students who have proven struggles in subject
Differentiate instruction to provide:
Additional modeling of concept or skill for the student
Additional practice opportunities for the student
High-interest methods
Peer ability-grouping during workshop time
Opportunities for students to learn through other intelligences
Review and repeat directions
Provide extended or additional scaffolding
Vary pace of instruction
Use print, icons, tape recordings, etc
Read to student (use in cases when reading is not the primary goal – i.e. math word problems)
Prioritize curriculum
Teach mini-lessons to reinforce skills or solidify learning
Check work in progress
Monitor assignments
Mimed clues/gestures
Immediate feedback
Review sessions
Provide models of finished product or work
Highlight key words
Oral and visual reminders
Use mnemonics
Have student restate information often and in his/her own words
Provide lecture notes/outline to student
Display and reference key vocabulary
Use personalized examples to relate learning to the students’ interests
Provide vocabulary word bank
Materials
Provide manipulatives that correspond to the concept or skill
Vary texts and supplementary materials by reading level and interest
Use outlines, webs, storyboards
Use graphic organizers at varying levels of complexity
Use applicable computer programs to provide targeted and individualized practice
Provide one paper or assignment at a time
Color code material
Provide calculator
Use large print
Allow spell check software
Use consumable workbooks
Allow any assistive technology
Use overhead or document projector to share learning
Work Product/Tests/Time Management
Allow students to work in groups, pairs and finally alone to provide peer practice before individual performance
Reduce the amount of work to core concepts
Offer reading/work buddies
Encourage students to modify homework assignments to their own learning needs
Create common and differentiated items of tests
Provide more time
Give prior notice of tests
Offer analytical, practical, and creative learning/production options
Give oral answers to assignments or otherwise be allowed to demonstrate learning
Limited multiple choice tests
Pace long-term projects
Preview test procedures
Test materials that may be written on
Rephrase test questions/directions
Provide test study guide
Provide extra credit options
Simply wording of tests
Behavior Management/Organization/Environment
Identify and encourage student with measured growth, not just final grade
Allow students to move, sit on the floor, etc as appropriate
Set individual learning goals in key areas with and for each student
Have “opt outs” for students who need safety valve alternatives
Provide study outlines
Give daily assignment and homework lists
Place list of tasks on desktop
Provide folders to hold different types of work
List sequential steps
Post learning routines
Provide extra space for work
Establish preferential seating
Clear work area
Allow break between tasks
Structure transitions and lessons
Use proximity/touch
Cue expected behavior (i.e. beginning morning work)
Continued contact with parents over concerns and interventions
Grade Level / Department Interventions (more focused for an identified group of teachers)
Consult with grade-level colleagues for interventions in use at grade level
Using list above
Use team planning time to outline and review interventions used for validity, trouble-shooting, or refinement
Consult learning center teacher/resource room teacher
Co-teach/group students with similar struggles during workshop or common subject instructional time
Meet with previous teacher to determine what worked and what did not work for students
Don’t re-invent the wheel every year
Use mentors, volunteers, other teachers, aides, etc to offer one-on-one assistance when called for by interventions
Work in grade-level teams and consult with specials teachers to identify behavior and academic performance outside of regular education classroom
Co-teaching/team teaching situations, specials classes, lunch room duty, after school care
Assist in documentation of interventions and success/struggle
Compare progress monitoring across classrooms, instead of just within one teacher’s class
School Interventions (to best meet overall needs of school – systematic approach)
Involve Counselor or Social Worker
Consult with school psychologist
Involve Specials teachers in academic intervention planning
Staff meetings:
Used for data review
Breakout groups to accomplish identified tasks,
Cross-grade collaboration on interventions
Involvement of specials teachers, aides, paraprofessionals, etc
Establish school-wide goals, interventions, benchmarks
Motivation and encouragement through sharing of success
Training on new software, programs, materials
Collaborative work time on grade-level intervention planning
Providing reading workshop time school wide
Coordinate with Reading Specialists, aides, and resource room
Support and establish accountability with all teachers to provide appropriate workshop structure during this time
Small groups, centers, peer projects, individualized extra practice work, re-teaching time, enrichment groups, project time (interventions listed above)
Reading Specialists
Priority given to establish set times for reading teachers to meet with students
Meet with students needing intensive interventions during workshop time
Set progress monitoring schedule
Educational Aids available to monitor computer programs
Ensure class groupings are balanced in terms of academic strengths, gender, behavior, and special education consideration
Use longitudinal data to track students year to year and also to track teachers year to year
Identify trends within student population
What students need interventions in the same areas consistently?
Identify trends within teacher pool
Who best teachers certain concepts/skills based on data? What interventions do they use?
Use teachers that have advanced or specialist areas of emphasis lead teams when dealing with related interventions
Focus on early intervention, both at grade levels (Kindergarten, 1st grade) and within the year (first two months of school)
Problem Solving Team Interventions (select team members searching for a data-driven interventions/solutions for specific student concerns)
Referral to team for initial review
Meet with parents to facilitate problem solving between teacher and family
Develop statement of concern
Done with collaboration of referring teacher
Review current data
If no data (i.e. anecdotal information given), begin collecting data before any interventions are begun
Collect baseline data of student
Collect peer data for comparison
Review prior interventions used and relative success
Review academic data from previous years
Develop hypothesis to explain student struggles
Consult research and professional resources to create interventions
Develop concise list of interventions with observable goals (intervention plan)
Identify appropriate chart, data selection process, or other measurable variable to be used as indicator of progress
Implement interventions within specified time frame and according to parameters of intervention plan
Assign teachers/aides to implement interventions
Chart intervention success through progress towards goals (progress monitoring)
Repeat data collection at reasonable intervals
Use team meetings to continually review data, adjust interventions, and update all stake-holders
Share all steps with parents and encourage duplication of techniques in the home
Special Education (referral process, caseload management and SPED philosophy)
Refer for initial evaluation
Determine eligibility based on classroom and team interventions
Plan more intense intervention plan
Outline high intensity and/or high level of interventions needed for student to be successful
Determine if student has exceptionality and is in need of specially designed instruction in order to progress in the general education curriculum
Collect background information about child, including medical or environmental issues
Parent survey or report concerning student’s learning and educational history
Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is developed for child found to have an exceptionality.
Strengths and prioritized need areas
Goals linked to building outcomes
Specification of adaptations and accommodations which are made available to permit successful education of student
General Education Intervention (GEI) is developed for students who are not found to have an exceptionality.
