INTERVENTION PROCESS
BATAVIA ELEMENTARY
2005 – 2006
INDEX
INTERVENTION ASSISTANCE TEAM
Generally, the referral process begins with a regular educator calling attention to a child that has a learning or behavioral problem. The teacher will attempt interventions on her own and will also call the parents and consult colleagues. If the student continues to struggle the teacher can refer the child to IAT. The counselor, the parents and the classroom teacher conduct the initial meeting. Following meetings may include the speech therapist, the school psychologist, the school administration, caseworkers, and outside specialists such as nurses, doctors, therapists, and private counselors.
The team examines the needs of the student. Work samples are considered, anecdotal information is discussed, and test scores are studied. The student’s basic needs are define and specific targets or goals for improvement are documented. Goals and objectives for the student in the regular classroom are formally or informally determined, and intervention strategies are agreed upon. This strategy is recorded on a document very similar to those used for an individualize education plan in special education. A date is established for the team to reassemble and review the student’s progress and to determine if the plan should be adjusted or if the team should maintain the status quo. With consultative assistance from the team, the classroom teacher conducts adjusted behavior and teaching approaches for the student for a specified length of time, which may be for several weeks up to a few months. The student’s progress is documented and communication continues between the team and the classroom teacher. The student’s progress is documented, interventions resume, and communication continues between the team. If the student is successful with these adjustments, he/she remains in the regular classroom with continued support. If the student is not successful, formal referral, assessment, and special education services are likely to follow. We currently have a caseload of 56 students.
The following steps are taken in IAT:
1. The regular education teacher fills out the IAT referral form
2. The referral is submitted to the school’s counselor
3. A meeting is scheduled. Work samples are brought to the meeting and test results are examined. Parents are invited to this and every meeting.
4. Goals and objectives for the student are identified. Specific intervention strategies are selected for the student from the learning and behavior problems, which were identified. A plan is written and is signed by the participants. A follow up date is assigned.
5. With consultant assistance from the team the teacher conducts adjusted behavior and teaching interventions for the student.
6. The classroom teacher documents the student’s progress toward the goals and objectives identified.
7. The team meets to determine the child’s success.
8. If the student is successful with acceptable interventions for the regular education classroom, the process is continued with consultative support.
9. If the student’s needs cannot be met in the regular classroom, with adjusted behavior and teaching interventions, formal documentation of the student’s learning and behavior performance are used to make a formal referral for assessment and consideration for special services.
TUTORING AT BATAVIA ELEMENTARY
The
comprehensive intervention plan utilizes a before and after school tutoring
program, as well as “in house” tutoring. Students and teachers are scheduled
to work with IAT groups of assigned teachers throughout the day. These groups
are assigned to specific teachers and work with the children according to the
plan prescribed by the IAT.
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING
We are currently serving 30 students. The program operates in this fashion:
1. Teachers identify children in their classrooms that are in need of extra help and could benefit from instruction in a small group setting.
2. A permission/request form is sent and/or a phone call is made to the parents explaining the program's purpose, times, and days of the service. Parents agree to enroll their child and agree to pick them up at the designated pick up time. Tutoring takes place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
3. There is a maximum limit of 6 students per teacher.
4. Tutoring takes place for one hour after or one hour before school.
5. Teachers and tutors are in constant contact regarding what the children need to work on.
6. The tutoring list is to be reviewed and refreshed every grading period. A priority is given to those students being served by the Intervention Assistance Team.
HIGH SCHOOL TUTORS
We have had several high school students tutoring our elementary students this year. They sign in and out ever time they are in the building. We pass the amount of time they have worked to the Honor Society so that they can keep track of the service hours. Classroom teachers assign tasks to the high school volunteers. The tasks range in variety from reading to the children, listening to the children read, and working with flash cards to help children learn math facts, high frequency words, and letter sounds. We provide pop and chips for the tutors the last week of each month as a token of our appreciation. This is the total time working in our building from the beginning of this year until the end of the first semester for the following students.
What follows is a list of our high school tutors and the hours that they have worked during the first semester:
· Student #1 835 MINUTES
· Student #2 695MINUTES
· Student #3 645 MINUTES
· Student #4 315 MINUTES
· Student #5 1880 MINUTES
· Student #6 1485 MINUTES
· Student #7 580 MINUTES
· Student #8 625 MINUTES
· Student #9 455 MINUTES
· Student #10 400 MINUTES
· Student #11 370 MINUTES
· Student #12 480 MINUTES
· Student #13 20 MINUTES
· Student #14 20 MINUTES
·
Student #15
440 MINUTES
SPEECH PRESCREENING PROCESS
1. Whenever one suspects that a child has a disability related to speech, he or she needs to speak with Mrs. Moser.
2. At that time, Mrs. Moser will give the teacher intervention activity ideas. She may also hand the teacher a Documentation of Intervention form that can be used to record whether or not the ideas are working and how frequently they are implemented.
IN HOUSE TUTORING
WITH SPECIALS TEACHERS
Our physical education, art, and music teachers have been able to help with one on one tutoring during the school day. We identified gaps in their day where they can work individually with students. They are assigned students that have gone through the IAT process and follow the interventions listed on the student’s individualized intervention plan. They work closely with the classroom teacher who provides them with ideas and materials to support the plan. As of now our special area teachers are tutoring 16 students.
FOURTH GRADE
PROFICIENCY PREPARATION
Ohio Reading Proficiency Test tutoring was provided by Title One staff from September 4 through October 2, 2001 for students in fourth grade who did not pass the OPT while in third grade. Students were qualified for selection based upon scores of 216-200. A score of 217 and above is considered passing.
During the days leading up to testing, students were placed in groups of
6 to 10 students. Team teaching was
utilized to provide standard presentation of material.
Individual attention was also provided during each session.
DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Early Literacy Skills)
is a set of standardized measures that we use three times a year to help us in
identifying the vital components of emergent reading in kindergarten and first
grade. In grades two through four DIBELS is used to test reading fluency.
PARENT PROFICIENCY NIGHT
The purpose of this program is to acquaint parents with the important aspects of the upcoming fourth grade proficiency test. Two meetings are held in the large gymnasium. Topics include the reading, mathematics, writing, science, and citizenship portions of the test. Mr. Moellmann, the fourth grade teachers, and Mrs/ Cribbet provide parents with information on what they can do at home to help their children prepare for the test.
KINDERGARTEN
PERSONAL SAFETY PROGRAM
The personal safety program is designed to help children learn ways to protect themselves from becoming the victim of sexual abuse. This program is presented to kindergarten students through a story using puppets and the reading of a children's book called It's My Body. The basic touching safety rules are given for the children to use to stop bad or confusing touches. The rules, "yell, NO! Get away, and tell a trusted adult right away," are taught in a rhyme to make them easier for the children to remember. At the close of the program, each child is given a small stuffed bunny to remind them of the presentation and the touching safety rules. Parents are invited to attend a Parent Information Night about this program and it's contents prior to the student program.
ANTI TOBACCO USE PROGRAM
Smoking is Yucky - This program is presented to 1st grade students. This program focuses on the dangers of tobacco to the heart and lungs. Student activities include: using a stethoscope to listen to their heart, looking and feeling the difference between model healthy lungs and smoker's lungs and seeing the amount of tar that comes out of one cigarette. The highlight of this program is when students get to share what they have learned about smoking with two puppets that are trying to decide whether or not to try cigarettes. Coloring sheets and stickers are provided for each student.
Tobacco Free – This program is presented to 4th grade students. This is a peer led program that focuses on the negatives of tobacco use and the skills to resist and prevent use among youth. The impact of the program comes from the students talking to each other and hearing their classmates point out the negatives of tobacco use. Each class will have 4 or 5 group leaders that are selected and given a brief training before the program. Each group leader will guide the activities for his/her small group. Small group sessions are alternated with large group discussion so that all information and ideas can be covered. Workbooks are provided for each group.
History of Conflict Resolution Training at Batavia Elementary
The CORE team applied for and received a grant from the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management and the Ohio Department of Education. This grant required a great deal of planning and organizing on our part. We attended several training sessions and wrote a comprehensive plan for teaching our staff and students conflict resolution strategies. We were advised to plan for two years in order to more thoroughly integrate the concepts into our school environment. The first year (2000-2001) staff meetings were planned with Kelly Morgan, who was assigned by the Commission to assist us, to introduce the staff to the concepts of conflict resolution. We also planned assemblies with the students to begin to familiarize them with the ideas of conflict resolution. One of our main goals was to survey the students and faculty in order to make an assessment of the perceived need for conflict resolution strategies. These surveys were quite informative and showed a strong desire and need for consistent school wide conflict management strategies.
With this information, we applied for and received a continuation grant for this year. Again, the conditions for the grant involved much planning above and beyond the conflict resolution training. We planned the Citizen of the Month, Word of the Month, Wall of Fame, and the Friday School Intervention Plan. All of these have the common goal of producing a more positive, cooperative and peaceful environment in our school.
We asked for and received approval for conflict resolution training for the staff and students. We were to be scheduled for 4 hours on the first In-service day in August, but with the change in administration, we were told we couldn’t do it a few weeks before school started. Mr. Moellmann and the CORE team decided together that we could do the training during the already scheduled faculty meeting time slots since he supported using the time allotted for faculty meeting for teacher trainings. We had planned for and bought the video series as the easiest and least “painful” way of learning conflict management skills that would be consistent for the whole school. Several teachers had taken this course previously and highly recommended it. It seemed an added plus that teachers would be able to either receive credit for the class or use it as part of their LPDC plan. The survey showed a strong desire among the faculty for school-wide policies and strategies for handling conflict. We hope that this training will help reach this goal. The series begins with simple techniques for creating a more positive, peaceful atmosphere in the classroom and school. Establishing “pro-social” expectations in the classroom is important for a basis for good conflict management. The series continues with more concrete information on conflict and anger management.
We
hope to reach the goal that seems a common one: establishing a safe, positive,
peaceful environment in order to help all students learn to the best of their
ability. Our school mission
statement says it best: “The mission of the Batavia Local Schools is to
prepare all students to be responsible individuals, productive in life and
life-long learners.”
FRIDAY SCHOOL INTERVENTION PLAN
The Core Team is hopeful that an additional component could be added to the Friday School Discipline Plan. Students who are assigned Friday School are required to do school work for two or three hours in a quite room. These students have access to the school counselor, or a person trained with intervention skills, for a short meeting during a portion of that time to discuss the reason they were assigned the Friday School. They work with the counselor to develop a plan to bring about a positive change in their behavior. There is also a chance for follow-up to assist the student in making the necessary changes to avoid the Friday School assignment in the future. This follow-up may involve the counselor, the student, his/her teachers, and the parent if needed. Nancy Herron, the school counselor, performs this intervention.
SUPPORT GROUPS
Mrs. Herron has organized and directed the support groups listed below:
Lunch Bunch – a group consists of three to five students, separated by boys or girls who will eat lunch with her. Students, who need some special attention, help making friends, or work on social skills are encouraged to join. Students who were in a “Lunch Bunch” group earlier this year are welcome to join again if needed.
New Students Group – This group is for students who are new to the Batavia area and offers support on making new friends and dealing with the changes that take place when a child moves. It gives children a chance to “hook up” with other new children.
Changing Family Group – This group offers support to help students adjust to the changes that take place when divorce, separation, or remarriage occur in a family. The family change need not be recent if the child is having a difficult time dealing with the situation. A letter was sent home with all students earlier this year and many permission slips were returned. All students whose parents sign them up will be included.