‘Teaching the Tornado’: Agenda…

Response to Intervention

www.interventioncentral.org

‘Teaching the Tornado’: Classroom Strategies for Working With the Disorganized, Inattentive, Overactive Student

Jim Wrightwww.interventioncentral.org



‘Teaching the Tornado’: Agenda…

ADHD: Key Concepts

Self-Monitoring: Students as Self-Managers of Behavioral Change

Teaching Students to Take Responsibility for Their Own Learning: The Art of Negotiation

Review of Internet Tools to Help the Classroom Interventionist

Promoting Classroom Success: Accommodations, Academic Survival Skills, Academic Interventions, & Behavioral Strategies



Access workshop materials at:http://www.interventioncentral.org/tornado


www.interventioncentral.org 4

ADHD: Definition

“a neurological condition that involves problems with inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity that are developmentally inconsistent with the age of the child. [This condition] is a function of developmental failure in the brain circuitry that monitors inhibition and self-control. This loss of self-regulation impairs other important brain functions crucial for maintaining attention, including the ability to defer immediate rewards for later gain...”

Source: Identifying and Treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Resource for School and Home (2003). U.S. Department of Education.



ADHD: 3 Sub-Types of the Disorder

• ADHD: predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type• ADHD: predominantly inattentive type• ADHD: combined type

Source: Strock, M. (2003) . Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)



ADHD: Symptoms • Inattention

Six (or more) of the following symptoms of inattention have persisted for at least 6 months to a degree that is maladaptive and

inconsistent with developmental level: • (a) often fails to give close attention to details or makes

careless mistakes in school work, work, or other activities• (b) often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play

activities• (c) often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly• (d) often does not follow through on instructions and fails to

finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)




ADHD: Symptoms

• Inattention (cont.)• (e) often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities• (f) often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that

require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework)• (g) often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g.,

toys, school assignments, pencils, books, or tools)• (h) is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli• (i) is often forgetful in daily activities




ADHD: Symptoms • Hyperactivity

Six (or more) of the following symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity have persisted for at least 6 months to a degree that is maladaptive

and inconsistent with developmental level: • (a) often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat• (b) often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in

which remaining seated is expected• (c) often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which

it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, may be limited to subjective feelings or restlessness)

• (d) often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly




ADHD: Symptoms • Hyperactivity (cont.)

(e) is often “on the go” or often acts as if “driven by a motor”• (f) often talks excessively• (g) often blurts out answers before questions have been

completed• (h) often has difficulty awaiting turn• (i) often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g., butts into

conversations or games)




ADHD: Symptoms • Other Diagnostic Requirements:• Some hyperactive-impulsive or inattentive symptoms that caused

impairment were present before age 7 years.

• Some impairment from the symptoms is present in two or more settings (e.g., at school [or work] and at home).

• There must be clear evidence of clinically significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning.




ADHD: Statistics

• 3-5% of school-age population may have symptoms of ADHD

• Boys are 4-9 times more likely to have disorder




Conduct Disorder20-40%

OppositionalDefiant Disorder30-50%

Mood Disorders(18%)

ADHD

LearningDisabilities20-30%

Sources:

Strock, M. (2003) . Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

National Institute of Mental Health; American Academy of Pediatrics Website: http://www.aap.org/

ADHD: Common Comorbid Disorders (40-60% Affected)



ADHD: Impact on Students

• The student’s ADHD symptoms may differ across settings and situations. On tasks or situations that demand impulse control and focused attention, ADHD symptoms are most likely to appear.




ADHD: Impact on Students

Teachers may misjudge the ADHD student’s • inattention as willful ignoring of adults (inattention) or

daydreaming• impulsive behavior as purposeful ‘acting out’ or

attention-seeking.



Domains of ADHD

Attention/FocusLower Than Age-Peers Age Appropriate

Impulse ControlLower Than Age-Peers Age Appropriate

Level of Activity/Motor BehaviorsHigher Than Age-Peers Age Appropriate



Example: Two Students Identified With ADHD

• STUDENT A-Angela: Quiet student. Not a behavior problem. Said by her teacher to be ‘lost in a fog’ most of the time. Has low grades.(Inattentive Type)

• STUDENT B-Benny: Is always the center of attention. Will blurt out answers in class without raising his hand, whether he knows the correct answer or not! Fidgets, squirms, and taps his pencil loud enough to distract students around him. When the teacher assesses Benny one-on-one, he shows that he can do grade-level work. (Hyperactive-Impulsive Type)



Domains of ADHD

Attention/FocusLower Than Age-Peers Age Appropriate

Impulse ControlLower Than Age-Peers Age Appropriate

Level of Activity/Motor BehaviorsHigher Than Age-Peers Age Appropriate

A B

AB

AB



ADHD & Medication


• Stimulants are most widely prescribed treatment• Generally, stimulants are safe for children• The most common side effects of stimulants are

loss of appetite, insomnia, increased anxiety, or irritability

• About 1 in 10 children does not respond to medication for ADHD



ADHD & Medication (cont.)

• Stimulant medication can be very effective but does not typically result in ‘fully normal behavior’ (e.g., only 38% of children in one large stimulant study had behaviors in typical range after one year)

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics (2001) Clinical Practice Guideline: Treatment of the school-age child with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder



ADHD: Myths About Its Cause…

Research offers no evidence that ADHD is caused by the following:• Eating too much sugar • Food additives • Allergies • Immunizations

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics Website: http://www.aap.org/



ADHD: Appropriate Target Outcomes

• Improvements in relationships with parents, siblings, teachers, and peers

• Decreased disruptive behaviors• Improved academic performance (volume of work,

efficiency, completion, accuracy)• Increased independence in self-care or homework• Enhanced safety in the community (e.g.,

skateboarding, bicycle-riding)Source: American Academy of Pediatrics (2001) Clinical Practice Guideline: Treatment of the school-age child with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder



ADHD: A Developmental Explanation? “In youth with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the brain matures in a normal pattern but is delayed three years in some regions, on average, compared to youth without the disorder, an imaging study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has revealed. The delay in ADHD was most prominent in regions at the front of the brain’s outer mantle (cortex), important for the ability to control thinking, attention and planning. Otherwise, both groups showed a similar back-to-front wave of brain maturation with different areas peaking in thickness at different times.”

Source: National Association of Special Education Teachers. (13 November 2007). Brain Matures a Few Years Late in ADHD, But Follows Normal Pattern. Retrieved on January 15, 2008, from: http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2410&cHash=b9289c6fb9



• As a team, create a list of ‘look-fors’ (behaviors or other evidence) that suggest that a student may have Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

• Be prepared to share your findings with the larger group.

Small-Group Activity: ADHD ‘Look-fors’



'Teaching the Tornado' in Grades 3-12

Self-Monitoring: What benefits can be gained by having the ADHD student track her or his own behavior?

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Student Self-Monitoring• Self-monitoring: a student's measurement of his or her own

behavior and comparison of that behavior to a pre-determined standard.

• Self-monitoring is based on a fundamental behavioral principle: the act of measuring one's target behavior and comparing it to an external standard or goal can result in lasting improvements to that behavior.

• Self-monitoring is sometimes described as having 'reactive' effects, because students who measure and pay close attention to selected behaviors often react to this monitoring information by changing those target behaviors in the desired direction.

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Student Self-Monitoring: Advantages

1. Self-monitoring requires the student to take an active role in measuring and evaluating his or her behaviors.

2. Student self-monitoring data is also typically economical to collect, even in a busy classroom, and can often be used as one data source to track the success of a behavioral intervention.

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Steps to Set Up Student Self-Monitoring1. Teach behavioral expectations.2. Select a method for self-monitoring.3. Choose a schedule for monitoring.4. [Optional] Choose suitable rewards for successful

behavior change. 5. Conduct periodic accuracy checks.

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STEP 1: Teach Behavioral ExpectationsWhen working with an individual student, the teacher:a) identifies the behavioral target(s) that the student will self-monitor (e.g., study or work skills, classroom behaviors).b) Meets with the student to discuss the behaviors that the student will monitor.c) Writes (ideally with the student) a behavioral definition, or rubric, that provides observable evidence, or 'look-fors', to

indicate when the behavior is successfully accomplished, partially accomplished, and not accomplished at all.

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STEP 1: Teach Behavioral Expectations (Cont.)

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Figure 1: Behavioral Rubric ExampleBehavioral Goal: The student will come to class with all work materials.

Rubric:• Fully accomplished: The student comes to class with all required work items (1.pen and paper; 2. all required handouts; 3. all completed homework; 4. all cumulative notes; and 5. course text).Partially accomplished: The student comes to class missing no more than one significant item.Not accomplished: The student comes to class missing more than one significant work item.



STEP 2. Select Method for Self-MonitoringThere are three main methods for student self-monitoring:a. Checklistsb. Rating Scales (e.g., Behavior Report Cards)c. Academic Performance Measures

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Methods for Self-Monitoring: A Review• Checklists. The checklist is a useful format for recording student follow-through on multi-step directions.

Checklists also can be helpful in translating more comprehensive skills (e.g., 'organization') into more manageable sub-skills. The checklist format is quite versatile: it can be used to verify that a student has materials necessary to begin classwork, for example, or to measure a student's level of attention and participation during lecture, or to review homework for common errors before handing that work in to the teacher.

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Methods for Self-Monitoring: A Review

• Checklist: Samples. Packet 2: p. 5

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Methods for Self-Monitoring: A Review• Checklist: Example. To help his student, Alicia, with classroom organization, her middle school math instructor, Mr. Haverneck, develops—with student input– a checklist of 5 observable

organization subskills:– arriving to class on time;– bringing work materials to class;– following teacher directions in a timely manner;– knowing how to request teacher assistance when needed;– having an uncluttered desk with only essential work materials.

• Alicia previews the checklist at the start of the school day. At the end of math class, she completes the checklist and charts her score for that day.

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• Checklist: Example.

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YYN

Y

N



Skills Checklists and the StandardsChecklists are well-suited for:• evaluating whether a student has the essential foundation skills necessary to attain

success on a given Standard.• breaking a complex Standard down into component skills that can be verified through

direct observation, review of work products, student interview, or other means.

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Skills Checklists and the Standards• breaking a complex Standard down into component skills

that can be verified through direct observation, review of work products, student interview, or other means.

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Source: New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards/pdfdocs/p12_common_core_learning_standards_ela.pdf p. 39

Language Standards: K-5: Production &

Distribution of Writing



Methods for Self-Monitoring: A Review• Rating Scales (e.g., Behavior Report Cards). Rating scales are behavior items with a quantitative (e.g. 1-9) or qualitative (e.g., 'poor-

fair-good') behavior rating format. One version of rating scales is the Behavior Report Card (BRC)—useful for students to evaluate behavior after a fixed period (e.g., morning; class period; independent seatwork).

• The Behavior Report Card can be a goal-setting tool: The student previews items and sets a performance goal for each item (e.g., 'Today I plan to earn a rating of 'good/3' on 'Came to class with necessary work materials')—then uses the Report Card to evaluate the actual behavior and judge whether the original performance goal was attained.

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• Rating Scales (e.g., Behavior Report Cards): Sample Packet 2: p. 7

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Behavior Report Card Maker




Methods for Self-Monitoring: A Review• Rating Scales: Example. Teachers on a 7th-grade instructional team select a Behavior Report as a self-monitoring tool for their student Brian--with the following items:

Brian focused his attention on teacher instructions, classroom lessons and assigned work.Brian completed and turned in his assigned class work on time.Brian spoke respectfully and complied with adult requests without argument or complaint.

• Each rating items is rated using a 1-9 scale: • Brian self-monitors his performance on all items and shows the ratings to the teacher at the end of each class period.• His goal is to attain ratings of 7 or higher on each item.

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• Rating Scales: Example (Cont.)

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7

3

5



Rating Scales (Behavior Report Cards) and the Standards

Behavior Report Cards and similar rating scales are ideal for:• monitoring observable student behaviors and interactions that

support or are directly cited as part of Common Core Standards.

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Speaking & Listening Standards: 6-12:

Comprehension & Collaboration

Rating Scales (Behavior Report Cards) and the Standards



Methods for Self-Monitoring: A Review• Academic Performance Measures. Student self-monitoring of academic performance has the advantage of tracking

relevant school skills; this is an important consideration for students with ADHD who may also struggle to complete assigned work.

• Additionally, academic performance can be a helpful self-monitoring target for the ADHD student because engagement in academics is largely incompatible with off-task behaviors such as looking out the window or joking with peers.

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Methods for Self-Monitoring: A Review• Academic Performance Measures. Student self-monitoring of academic performance can track a range of different measureable outcomes, such as:

– Percentage of problems correct on math computation worksheet– Number of paragraphs read during independent reading time– Total words written in writing journal entries– Number of correctly spelled words in writing journal entries– Percentage of items attempted on a daily math homework assignment– Words read correctly from a passage in 1 minute

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• Academic Performance Measures: Sample Packet 2: pp. 9-10

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Methods for Self-Monitoring: A Review• Academic Performance Measures: Example. A 5th-grade student, Rodney, is often off-task during a daily 10-minute in-class

journal-writing activity. His teacher selects academic-performance monitoring as a way to increase his on-task time and work production:– Academic Performance Measure: His teacher has Rodney count and track the total number of words that he produces during each journaling session.– Goal-Setting: Prior to each journaling session, Rodney increases his most recent previous total-words score by 2 to set the current day’s goal.

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• Academic Performance Measures: Example (Cont.).

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Rodney 5th Gr 2012-13

Length of entries during daily10-min in-class journaling activity

Total words written

10/31/1211/01/12

11/02/1211/05/12

28 words 31 words

33 words 34 words36 words 35 words37 words 37 words



Academic Performance Measures and the StandardsAcademic performance measures are well-suited for

tracking Common Core Standards tied to basic academic skills include an accuracy and/or fluency component.

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CCSS: Grade 4 ELA Fluency Goal

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CCSS: Grade 4 Math Fluency Goal

Source: New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for Mathematics (2010). Retrieved from http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards/pdfdocs/nysp12cclsmath.pdfp. 27



Activity: Self-Monitoring MethodsIn your groups:• Review the methods for self-monitoring presented:

– Checklists: Packet 2: p. 5– Rating Scales/Behavior Report Cards: – Packet 2: p. 7– Academic Performance Measures: Packet 2: p. 9

• Select one of these methods that you would like to use in your classroom or school. Discuss how you plan to use it.

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STEP 3. Choose a Self-Monitoring ScheduleBecause self-monitoring requires that the student measure his or her behavior repeatedly, the teacher must schedule when the monitoring will occur. Here are choices:

a. Start of period or day. The student monitors at the start of the class period or school day. Sample behaviors suitable for 'start' intervals include arriving to class on time and having all required work materials.

b. End of period or day. The student monitors at the end of the class period or school day. Sample behaviors suitable for 'end' intervals include copying homework assignments from the board and global ratings of the student's behavior during that classroom period or school day.

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STEP 3. Choose a Self-Monitoring Schedule (Cont.)c. Stable transition points through period or day. The student monitors periodically during the class period or school day. Each

monitoring episode is tied to a stable, easily identified 'transition point' that naturally occurs in that classroom setting, such as the student's moving from one learning activity to another (e.g., from independent seatwork to whole-class lecture) or transitioning from one school setting to another (e.g., from the lunch room to the classroom). Sample behaviors suitable for 'transition point' intervals include the speed of the student's transition between activities, and the student's general behavior during transition periods.

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STEP 3. Choose a Self-Monitoring Schedule (Cont.)

d. Fixed intervals through period or day. The student monitors at fixed periods during the class period or school day (e.g., every 15 minutes; at the top of each hour).

Sample behaviors suitable for 'fixed' intervals include overall classroom behaviors, attention and focus, social interactions with other students, and compliance with adult requests.

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STEP 3. Choose a Self-Monitoring Schedule (Cont.)d. Variable intervals through period or day. The student monitors at variable periods during the class period

or school day (e.g., varying intervals that average 3 times per hour).

Sample behaviors suitable for 'variable' intervals include overall classroom behaviors, attention and focus, social interactions with other students, and compliance with adult requests.

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Tutorial: How to Set Up Self-Monitoring Using a Variable-Interval Schedule p. 11

Why Use Variable-Interval Recording?: Having students self-monitor on a variable-interval schedule can have advantages over fixed intervals.

• Because variable intervals are less easy to predict, student performance tends to maintain a more uniform level.

• In contrast, during fixed intervals, student performance may peak just before the monitoring moment and then lapse, only to peak again at the next monitoring moment.

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Tutorial: How to Set Up Self-Monitoring Using a Variable-Interval Schedule

1. Select the average length of the self-monitoring time interval. The teacher selects the amount of time--on average--that will elapse between student self-monitoring episodes. Examples might be 3 minutes, 10 minutes, or 5 minutes.

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2. Generate a random list of variable-interval numbers. The teacher creates a randomly generated list of numbers that vary but cluster around the target average time interval previously selected.

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The online application NumberFly will create random number lists, using two pieces of information: (1) the average interval length desired (e.g., 5 minutes), and (2) the number of minutes that the series can vary (+/-) around that average value (e.g., +/- 2 minutes).




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• Use the variable-interval number list during monitoring. During self-monitoring, the student is given a kitchen timer and number list. The student:– finds the first number in the series on the number list, – sets the timer to the number of minutes corresponding to that number, – draw san 'X' through the number, and– begins the appropriate activity to be monitored.

• When the timer sounds, the student completes whatever self-recording of behavior is required and then resets the timer, repeating the steps outlined above.

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The student looks at the first number in the list (5); sets the timer to that value

in minutes, draws an ‘X’ through the number, and begins the self-monitoring

interval.

The student looks at the next number in the list (7); sets the timer to that value

in minutes, draws an ‘X’ through the number, and begins the self-monitoring

interval.

This process repeats until the monitoring session is

over.



Variable-Interval Recording: Tech Solutions• Schools can purchase devices or apps to simplify the

process of variable-interval self-monitoring. One example of such a device/app product is MotivAider:

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Source: http://habitchange.com/



STEP 4. [Optional] Choose suitable rewards for successful behavior change.

Here are 3 ideas for figuring out what rewards will motivate a particular student: • Watch the student in action. Teachers can get a very good idea of a student's preferred rewards, or reinforces, simply by observing where the student chooses to spend time, the

people he or she chooses to interact with, and the activities the student engages in.• Ask people who know the student well what he or she finds rewarding. Adults such as parents or past teachers who know the student can probably list ideas about rewards that will

really motivate him or her. • Administer a reinforcer survey to the student. The teacher meets with the student to review each reinforcer item on the survey, and the student rates whether he or she finds the

item to be a motivating reward.

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Tutorial: How to Conduct a Reinforcer Survey to Create a ‘Reward Menu’

1. The teacher collects a series of feasible classroom ideas for possible student reinforcers, writing each idea onto a separate index card. This serves as a master ‘reinforcer deck’ that the teacher can reuse.

2. The teacher meets with the student individually to review the reward ideas in the master reinforce deck. The student states whether he or she ‘likes’ each reinforce idea ‘a lot’ , ‘a little’ or ‘not at all’ and the teacher sorts the reinforcer cards accordingly into separate piles. The reinforce ideas that the student selected as ‘liking a lot’ will be used to create a customized reinforcer menu for the student.

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Tutorial: How to Conduct a Reinforcer Survey to Create a ‘Reward Menu’

3. Whenever the student meets teacher-established criteria to earn a reward, that student selects one from the reinforce menu.

4. If the reward menu appears to be losing its reinforcing power, the teacher can repeat the steps above with the student to update and refresh the reward menu.

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Jackpot! Reward Finderhttp://www.interventioncentral.org/tools/jackpot-reward-finder

Sample Reinforcer Survey created using Jackpot!



Jackpot! Reward Finderhttp://www.interventioncentral.org/tools/jackpot-reward-finder

The Jackpot Reward Finder is a collection of ideas for classroom rewards for both elementary and secondary levels. Teachers can put together their own individualized menus of rewards and even create reinforcer/reward surveys to review with students.



STEP 5. Conduct periodic accuracy checks

Periodically, the teacher should check the student's self-monitoring data and procedures to ensure that the student is recording accurately.

Random spot-checks tend to result in higher-quality student self-recording data.

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Activity: Using Student Self-Monitoring• Appoint a recorder.• Review the steps to

establish a self-monitoring plan for an individual student.

• Identify possible road-blocks to using this strategy.

• Generate solutions for any roadblocks identified.

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Steps to Setting Up Student Self-Monitoring:

1. Teach behavioral expectations.2. Select a method for self-

monitoring.3. Choose a schedule for monitoring.4. [Optional] Choose suitable

rewards for successful behavior change.

5. Conduct periodic accuracy checks.



Planning Activity Report Out Procedures• Review your table number.• Select 2 members of your table who will visit

another table as ‘ambassadors’ for the report-out part of the activity.

• During the report-out, your ambassadors will visit the following table:

–Activity 1: Your table number +1

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Promoting Classroom Success: What mix of strategies can best promote classroom success for the ADHD student?

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ADHD & Intervention: Creating a Comprehensive Plan

The student with ADHD often benefits from an ‘intervention’ plan that consists of several elements:

– Instructional Adjustments (Accommodations)– Academic Survival Skills– Academic Interventions– Behavioral Strategies

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Instructional Adjustments (Accommodations)

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Instructional Adjustment (Accommodation): Definition

• An instructional adjustment (accommodation) is intended to help the student to fully access and participate in the general-education curriculum without changing the instructional content and without reducing the student’s rate of learning (Skinner, Pappas & Davis, 2005). An instructional adjustment is intended to remove barriers to learning while still expecting that students will master the same instructional content as their typical peers. – Example: For unmotivated students, the instructor breaks

larger assignments into smaller ‘chunks’ and providing students with performance feedback and praise for each completed ‘chunk’ of assigned work (Skinner, Pappas & Davis, 2005).



A Sampling of Accommodation Ideas for Self-Management pp. 4-7

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Instructional Adjustments/Accommodations: Self-Management

• ASSIGN A ‘FALL-BACK’ PEER. Choose a peer whom the student can call or email to get details about missing or lost homework assignments.

Source: Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+ classroom accommodations for children or teens with ADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10. 11




• CREATE STUDENT ORGANZATION FOLDER. Help the student to create a work folder to organize materials for a course or content area. The folder should include dividers and color-coding to organize materials by subject or topic.

Source: Beech, M. (2010). Accommodations: Assisting students with disabilities. Florida Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf 22




• HIGHLIGHT ESSENTIAL MATERIAL. Have the student use a highlighter to identify key ideas and vocabulary in text. If necessary, train the student in the skill of highlighting only essential material (e.g., with the teacher initially highlighting a text selection and comparing her/his highlights to those of the student).

Source: International Dyslexia Association. (2002). Accommodating students with dyslexia in all classroom settings. Retrieved from http://www.interdys.org/ 33




• PROMOTE STUDENT-DEVELOPED STUDY SCHEDULES. Sit with the student to develop daily (and perhaps weekly and monthly) schedules to study material from a course or content-area. Meet periodically with the student to update these study schedules, gradually placing full responsibility on the student to create the schedule independently and bring to the instructor for review.

Source: Gettinger, M., & Seibert, J. K. (2002). Contributions of study skills to academic competence. School Psychology Review, 31, 350-365. 44




• PROVIDE SCHEDULES/AGENDAS. Provide the student with an academic agenda or schedule for the class period or school day. This agenda outlines the instructional activities, independent assignments, and other tasks to be covered, as well as their approximate duration. Preview the schedule to prepare students for upcoming activities. To forestall problem behaviors that might arise during a long or challenging activity, refer to the schedule at several points during the activity in order both to remind students of the time remaining and (perhaps) to describe the next activity to follow. Prepare students with a brief prompt/warning to prepare them for upcoming transitions between activities.

Source: Kern, L, & Clemens, N. (2007). Antecedent strategies to promote appropriate classroom behavior. Psychology in the Schools, 44(1), 65-75. 55




• SELF-MONITOR STUDENT GOALS. Meet with the student to develop one or more classroom performance goals (e.g., arriving to class on time; completing independent assignments; participating in class discussion). Have the student monitor and chart her or his performance during each class period. Meet periodically with the student to review performance.

Source: Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+ classroom accommodations for children or teens with ADHD. The ADHD Report, 16(4), 7-10. 66




• TRAIN THE STUDENT TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE. Meet with the student and share your expectations for when and how he or she should request help during independent work. This training is likely to include these elements: (1) providing the student with simple fix-up skills to use when stuck; (2) self-identifying when the student needs outside assistance (e.g., ‘If you have worked for more than five minutes on a math problem and are still not sure what to do, it’s time to get help.’); and (3) guidelines for seeking additional assistance (e.g., ‘First, ask a peer for help. If you are still stuck, come to my desk for help.’). Create a checklist with the assistance steps for the student.

Source: Beech, M. (2010). Accommodations: Assisting students with disabilities. Florida Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf 77




• USE ‘VISUAL BLOCKERS’. Encourage the student to reduce distractions on assignments by using a blank sheet of paper or similar aid to cover sections of the page that the student is not currently working on.

Source: International Dyslexia Association. (2002). Accommodating students with dyslexia in all classroom settings. Retrieved from http://www.interdys.org/ 88




• USE DAILY HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT SHEET. Create an assignment sheet for the student to record daily homework assignments. The sheet should include columns to record individual homework tasks, materials needed for each task, an estimated amount of time needed to complete each task, and whether the student actually completes and turns in each assignment task. Optionally, have the student collect completed homework assignment sheets and turn them in each week to verify that they are being used.




AccommodationFinderhttp://www.interventioncentral.org/tools/accommodationfinder

This application allows the user to browse a set of 60+ classroom accommodations to put together a unique plan for a struggling learner.



Academic Survival Skills Checklists

Rickey: Case Example

Ricky is an 8th-grade student who sits quietly in class but does not participate much. He seems ‘tuned out’--but then really comes alive when the bell rings and he can go join his friends in the hall or at lunch.

Teachers rarely get classwork or homework from Ricky. In fact, this student is in danger of failing several of his courses because of incomplete assignments.

When his instructors look through Ricky’s cumulative folder, they find numerous notations on past report cards stating that he ‘needs to apply himself’ and ‘put more effort into his work’.



Accommodations Plan: Example

The eighth-grade instructional team meets to discuss their shared concerns about Ricky. In particular, they are interested in ideas to encourage Ricky to turn in more homework and classwork.

His English Teacher, Mrs. Sampson, prepares for the team meeting by going to the Accommodations Finder application on www.interventioncentral.org, browsing through various accommodation ideas, and selecting 13 of them for her colleagues to consider…

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Accommodations Plan: Example

The team discusses the13 ideas. After some discussion, they select 6 accommodations from this list to use with Ricky:

1. EMPHASIZE THE POSITIVE IN REQUESTS. 2. PROVIDE ADULT ATTENTION. 3. PROMOTE STUDENT-DEVELOPED STUDY SCHEDULES. 4. USE DAILY HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT SHEET. 5. PROVIDE WORK SAMPLES AND EXEMPLARS. 6. RESPONSE EFFORT: START CHALLENGING HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS IN CLASS.

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Academic Survival Skills

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Academic Survival Skills: Why Are They Important?

Student academic success requires more than content knowledge or mastery of a collection of cognitive strategies. Academic accomplishment depends also on a set of ancillary skills and attributes –also known as academic survival skills (DiPerna, 2006). Examples of academic survival skills include:– Study skills– Homework completion– Cooperative learning skills– Organization– Independent seatwork

Source: DiPerna, J. C. (2006). Academic enablers and student achievement: Implications for assessment and intervention services in the schools. Psychology in the Schools, 43, 7-17.



Academic Survival Skills Checklists: A Tool to Help Students to Manage Their Own Learning

Students who would achieve success on the ambitious Common Core State Standards must first cultivate a set of general 'academic survival skills' that they can apply to any coursework (DiPerna, 2006). Examples of academic survival skills include the ability to study effectively, be organized, and manage time well. When academic survival skills are described in global terms, though, it can be difficult to define them. For example, two teachers may have different understandings about what the term 'study skills' means.

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Source: DiPerna, J. C. (2006). Academic enablers and student achievement: Implications for assessment and intervention services in the schools. Psychology in the Schools, 43, 7-17.



Academic Survival Skills Checklists: A Tool to Help Students to Manage Their Own Learning (Cont.)

A solution is to complete a 'task analysis' of a given global academic-survival skill, dividing that larger skill into a checklist of component sub-skills (Kazdin, 1989).

With a checklist that breaks a global academic survival skill into components, a teacher can judge whether a student possesses the essential building-block strategies that make up a larger global 'survival skills' term. Teachers have access to good sources of information to verify what academic survival skills a student possesses, including direct observation; interviews (of the student, past teacher, or parent); and student work products.

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Source:Kazdin, A. E. (1989). Behavior modification in applied settings (4th ed.). Pacific Gove, CA: Brooks/Cole.



Academic Survival Skills Checklist: Study Skills Example

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Source: Academic Survival Skills Checklist Maker. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.interventioncentral.org/tools/academic-survival-skills-checklist-maker




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Academic Survival Skills Checklists: 5 UsesConsistent expectations among teachers. Teachers at a grade level, on an instructional team, or within an instructional department can work together to develop checklists for essential global academic-survival skills. As teachers collaborate to create these checklists, they reach agreement on the essential skills that students need for academic success and can then consistently promote those skills across their classrooms.

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Academic Survival Skills Checklists: 5 UsesProactive student skills training. One excellent use of these checklists is as a classwide student training tool. At the start of the school year, teachers can create checklists for those academic survival skills in which students are weak (e.g., study skills, time management) and use them as tools to train students in specific strategies to remediate these deficiencies. Several instructors working with the same group of students can even pool their efforts so that each teacher might be required to teach a checklist in only a single survival-skill area.

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Academic Survival Skills Checklists: 5 UsesStudent skills self-check. Teachers can use academic survival-skills checklists to promote student responsibility. Students are provided with master copies of checklists and encouraged to develop their own customized checklists by selecting and editing those strategies likely to work best for them. Instructors can then hold students accountable to consult and use these individualized checklists to expand their repertoire of strategies for managing their own learning.

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Academic Survival Skills Checklists: 5 UsesMonitoring progress of academic survival-skills interventions. Often, intervention plans developed for middle and high school students include strategies to address academic survival-skill targets such as homework completion or organization. Checklists are a good way for teachers to measure the student's baseline use of academic survival skills in a targeted area prior to the start of the intervention. Checklists can also be used to calculate a student outcome goal that will signify a successful intervention and to measure (e.g., weekly) the student's progress in using an expanded range of academic survival-skills during the intervention period.

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Academic Survival Skills Checklists: 5 UsesParent conferences. When teachers meet with parents to discuss student academic concerns, academic survival-skills checklists can serve as a vehicle to define expected student competencies and also to decide what specific school and home supports will most benefit the student. In addition, parents often appreciate receiving copies of these checklists to review with their child at home.

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Academic Survival Skills Checklist Makerhttp://www.interventioncentral.org/tools/academic-survival-skills-checklist-maker

The Academic Survival Skills Checklist Maker provides a starter set of strategies to address:

•homework• note-taking• organization•study skills• time management.

Teachers can use the application to create and print customized checklists and can also save their checklists online.



Academic Survival Skills Checklists

Rickey: Case Example

Ricky is an 8th-grade student who sits quietly in class but does not participate much. He seems ‘tuned out’--but then really comes alive when the bell rings and he can go join his friends in the hall or at lunch.

Teachers rarely get classwork or homework from Ricky. In fact, this student is in danger of failing several of his courses because of incomplete assignments.

When his instructors look through Ricky’s cumulative folder, they find numerous notations on past report cards stating that he ‘needs to apply himself’ and ‘put more effort into his work’.



Academic Survival Skills Checklist: Example

The eighth-grade instructional team that teach Ricky start the school year proactively by creating a uniform set of Academic Survival Skills Checklists to review with all of their students.

To create the checklists (Homework, Note-Taking, Study Skills, Organization, Time Management), the team first downloads in RTF format the example checklists from the Academic Survival Skills Checklist Maker on www.interventioncentral.org.

Team members next each add their recommended edits and additions to the sample checklists, email them to each other, and then spend a planning meeting finalizing these checklists.

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Academic Survival Skills Checklist: Example

Each teacher on the team then takes responsibility during group instruction to teach the skills contained in one of the checklists (with one of the core instructors teaching two of the checklists).

Because Ricky continues to have missing work despite the class review of the Academic Survival Skills Checklists, the English teacher, Mrs. Sampson, tells the team that she plans to meet with Ricky individually to review two of the checklists: Study Skills and Organization. She will also email a courtesy copy of these two checklists to his parents in preparation for upcoming parent-teacher conferences.

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Academic Interventions

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What Works Clearinghousehttp://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/

This website reviews core instruction and intervention programs in mathematics, as well as other academic areas.

The site reviews existing studies and draws conclusions about whether specific intervention programs show evidence of effectiveness.



Best Evidence Encyclopediahttp://www.bestevidence.org/

This site provides reviews of evidence-based math and reading programs.

The website is sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University School of Education's Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education (CDDRE) .



National Center on RTI Instructional Intervention Tools Charthttp://www.rti4success.org/instructionTools

Sponsored by the National Center on RTI, this page provides ratings to intervention programs in math, reading, and writing.

Users can sort their search by subject and grade level.



Doing What Workshttp://dww.ed.gov/

This website is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and offers specific guidelines for how to teach effectively across disciplines.

The site has a section devoted to math and science, including pragmatic recommendations for putting into classroom practice the specific recommendations of the National Math Advisory Panel Report of 2008.



Intervention Planner for Academicshttp://www.interventioncentral.org/tools/intervention-planner-academics

The Intervention Planner for Academics has a collection of academic intervention ideas suitable for use in the classroom as Tier 1 interventions, including:

• reading fluency• reading comprehension• math computation•math word problems• spelling

Teachers can use the application to create and print customized checklists and can also save their checklists online.



Behavioral Strategies

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Antecedent Strategies to Manage Behavior: Proactive Changes to the Environment

“Antecedent interventions typically involve some type of environmental rearrangement. ”

Source: Kern, L., Choutka, C. M., & Sokol, N. G. (2002). Assessment-based antecedent interventions used in natural settings to reduce challenging behaviors: An analysis of the literature. Education & Treatment of Children, 25, 113-130. p. 113.



Advantages of Antecedent Strategies vs. ‘Reactive Approaches’

1. Can prevent behavior problems from occurring2. Are typically ‘quick acting’3. Can result in an instructional environment that

better promotes student learning

Source: Kern, L. & Clemens, N. H. (2007). Antecedent strategies to promote appropriate classroom behavior. Psychology in the Schools, 44, 65-75.



Managing Challenging Behaviors in the Classroom: Sample Ideas

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Behavior Management Strategies: Academic Focus• BEHAVIORAL MOMENTUM: INCREASING COMPLIANCE.

Students with low-frustration tolerance or lack of confidence may balk when asked to complete challenging academic tasks assigned as independent seatwork. A strategy to increase the probability that a student will attempt a challenging academic task is to precede that task with a short series of brief, easy academic tasks. (For example, a student may do three easy problems on a math worksheet before encountering a challenge problem.) The student builds 'behavioral momentum' in completing the easy items and is thus 'primed' to attempt the challenge item that might otherwise derail them.

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Behavior Management Strategies: Academic Focus• REDUCE RESPONSE EFFORT: INCREASING

COMPLIANCE. Teachers can increase student motivation and compliance through any method that reduces the apparent ‘response effort’ of an academic task- so long as that method does not hold the student to a lesser academic standard than classmates. Appropriate response-effort examples include (1) breaking a larger student assignment into smaller ‘chunks’ and providing the student with performance feedback and praise for each completed ‘chunk’ of assigned work, and (2) arranging for students to start challenging reading or homework assignments in class as a cooperative activity and then complete the remainder on their own.

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Behavior Management Strategies: Communication Tools• EMPHASIZE THE POSITIVE IN TEACHER REQUESTS:

INCREASING STUDENT COMPLIANCE. When an instructor's request has a positive 'spin', that teacher is less likely to trigger a power struggle and more likely to gain student compliance. Whenever possible, the teacher avoids using negative phrasing (e.g., "If you don't return to your seat, I can’t help you with your assignment"). Instead, the teacher restates requests in positive terms (e.g., "I will be over to help you on the assignment just as soon as you return to your seat").

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Behavior Management Strategies: Defusing Strategies• PRE-CORRECTION: GIVING A TIMELY REMINDER. Pre-

corrections remind students of behavioral expectations just before they encounter problem situations: (1) The teacher defines the student problem behavior(s) and identifies those school situations and settings where the problem behavior(s) tend to be displayed; (2) The teacher shares information with the student about the problem behaviors and their related situations or settings; (3) The teacher and student next come up with expected or acceptable replacement behaviors that the student should display in those situations; (4) At the 'point of performance' the teacher delivers a brief pre-correction, a timely behavioral reminder that alerts the student to follow the classroom behavioral rule or expectation.

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Lack of Teacher-Student Relationship: What to Avoid• What the Research Says: At times, instructors and students can

fall into a ‘negative reinforcement trap’ (Maag, 2001; p. 176) that actively undercuts positive relationships: A student who has difficulty with the classwork misbehaves and is then sent by the teacher to the principal’s office. Both teacher and student are reinforced by the student’s exclusion from the classroom: The teacher is negatively reinforced by having a difficult student removed from the room and the student is also negatively reinforced by being allowed to escape the challenging classwork. Because this scenario is reinforcing to both parties, it is very likely to be repeated with increasing frequency unless the teacher intervenes to break the negative cycle.

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Behavior Management Strategies: Relationship-Building• MAINTAIN A HIGH RATIO OF POSITIVE INTERACTIONS:

BUILDING STUDENT CONNECTIONS. Teachers can increase the odds of building a positive relationship with any student by maintaining a ratio of at least three positive teacher-student interactions (e.g., greeting, positive conversation, high-five) for every negative (disciplinary) interaction (e.g., reprimand).

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Behavior Management Strategies: Relationship-Building• TWO-BY-TEN TEACHER CONTACT. The teacher makes a

commitment to have a 2-minute conversation with the student across 10 consecutive school days (20 minutes of cumulative positive contact). This strategy (‘non-contingent teacher attention’) can be helpful with students who lack a positive connection with the teacher.

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BehaviorManagementPlannerhttp://www.interventioncentral.org/tools/behaviormanagementplanner

This application has a collection of classroom-friendly ideas for managing and preventing problem student behaviors. Users can create and print their own unique plans.



Activity: Creating an Intervention Plan• Appoint a recorder.• Review the categories of ideas

(listed on the right) that could be used to structure a student intervention plan.

• Select one category that you are interested in exploring further. Discuss questions that you still have about that category.

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Intervention Planning: Multiple Elements

The student with ADHD often benefits from an ‘intervention’ plan that consists of several elements:

1. Instructional Adjustments (Accommodations)

2. Academic Survival Skills3. Academic Interventions4. Behavioral Strategies



Planning Activity Report Out Procedures• Review your table number.• Select 2 members of your table who will visit

another table as ‘ambassadors’ for the report-out part of the activity.

• During the report-out, your ambassadors will visit the following table:

–Activity 1: Your table number +2

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Self-Management: What are ways to motivate ADHD students and to help them both to negotiate effectively with adults and to take greater responsibility for their own learning?

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A Sampling of Accommodation Ideas for Motivation (pp. 2-3)

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Instructional Adjustments/Accommodations: Motivation

• INCORPORATE STUDENT INTERESTS. Structure or rework instruction or academic tasks to incorporate topics of student interests. If students are interested in NASCAR or fashion, for example, the teacher can work these topics into writing or math lessons.





• OFFER CHOICE IN MODES OF TASK COMPLETION. Allow the student two or more choices for completing a given academic task. For example, a student may be given the option to use a computer keyboard to write an essay instead of writing it by hand -- or to respond orally to math-facts on flashcards rather than recording answers on a math worksheet.





• OFFER CHOICE VIA ASSIGNMENT SUBSTITUTION. Present the student with two or more alternative activities to choose from that contain equivalent academic requirements. For example, an instructor who wants students to review a chapter of the course textbook might allow them the choices of reading the passage independently or discussing that passage in a structured cooperative learning activity.





• OFFER CHOICE: TASK SEQUENCE. When the student has several tasks to complete during independent work time, allow the student to select the order in which she or he will complete those tasks. When the student begins the independent work, provide encouragement and prompting as needed to keep the student engaged.

Source: Kern, L., Bambara, L., & Fogt, J. (2002). Class-wide curricular modification to improve the behavior of students with emotional or behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 27, 317-326. 44




• PROVIDE ADULT ATTENTION. Provide the student with brief, regular, repeated doses of positive adult attention (‘scheduled attention’) at times when the student is behaving appropriately. Examples of positive teacher attention are greetings, brief conversations, encouraging notes written on assignments, and non-verbal signals (e.g., thumbs-up).





• REWARD ACCURACY AND EFFORT FOR BEGINNING LEARNERS. For the student just acquiring an academic skill who is not yet proficient, provide encouragement and/or incentives for overall effort and accuracy of any work completed-- rather than focusing on speed or total number of problems finished.




Student Self-Directed Interventions: Planning Sheet

pp. 21-25



Student Self-Directed Interventions Sheet: Guidelines for Use

• This worksheet is an organizer that teachers, counselors, and other educators can use to develop a student-directed intervention. The framework is flexible. A single teacher, or guidance counselor, or entire instructional team can use the form when conferencing with a student. This form can also be very helpful to structure parent-teacher-student meetings to make them more productive and to document the intervention plans developed there.

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Student Self-Directed Intervention Plan: Ricky• The instructional team decides to meet with Ricky and his

parent to create a student-directed intervention plan. • In that meeting, the team targets homework as their primary

concern.• The team, Ricky, and his parent acknowledge that he has

the skills to get his homework done. At present, however, his rate of homework completion varies from about 20% (math) to 70% (English).

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Section 1: Defining Your Goals

Student Directions: Define 1-2 intervention goals that you would like to work on:

The student is likely to need your assistance to select 1-2 specific goals to be the focus of the intervention. The defined goal(s) may include basic academic skills, cognitive strategies, and/or more general 'academic enabling' skills. NOTE: If the presenting student problem stems from deficits in basic academic skills or cognitive strategies, you may want to review the appropriate reading or math Common Core State Standards for ideas on how to word the goal statement in standards-based form.



Student Self-Directed Intervention Plan: RickySECTION 1: DEFINING YOUR GOALSHere is the way that the team and Ricky reframe his presenting problem as an intervention goal: “Ricky will turn in at least 80% of his homework assignments in English, math, social studies, and science on time and completely done.“

NOTE: This goal-setting exercise is consistent with the classroom goal-setting idea selected by the team as an accommodation for Ricky.

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Section 2: Selecting Student-Directed InterventionsStudent Directions: List up to 4 strategies that you will take on your own to reach your goal(s).

The goal is for the student to take initiative in selecting several strategies that he or she is responsible for doing to reach the goal. As you assist the student in selecting and writing down self-help strategies, specify how frequently or under what conditions the student will use each strategy (e.g., "At the start of each class period, the student will review a checklist to ensure that she has all work materials."). The student form also allows you to meet with the student for follow-up sessions and to check off whether he or she is consistently using the self-help strategies. NOTE: The student may need training before he or she can use some strategies independently.



Section 2: Selecting Student-Directed Interventions (Cont.)

Student Directions: List up to 4 strategies that you will take on your own to reach your goal(s).

Several sample student-directed solutions appear below: Self-monitor preparation for class using a student-created checklist Bring all work materials to class Write complete lecture notes Maintain a clear, uncluttered work space Create a structured work plan before completing larger assignments Complete additional readings to reinforce understanding of course concepts, content Take practice tests to prepare for actual class or state tests

Write down homework assignment and double-check for accuracy and completeness before leaving class Ensure that all work materials for homework go home Study course material on a regular review schedule Prepare nightly homework plans, check off completed tasks Use 'self-help' Internet sites (e.g., algebrahelp.com) to find answers to questions



Student Self-Directed Intervention Plan: RickySECTION 2: SELECTING STUDENT-DIRECTED INTERVENTIONSStudent Daily Homework Assignment Sheet: The team suggests that Ricky use a daily assignment sheet that they developed to plan out his homework, including columns to record each homework task, materials needed for that task, an estimated amount of time needed to complete each task, and whether Ricky actually completed and turned in each assignment task. After some hesitation, Ricky agrees to use this sheet for each course. Ricky’s mother is encouraged to look for these forms each day when Ricky comes home from school.

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Section 3: Selecting Interventions Supported by OthersStudent Directions: List up to 4 types of assistance that you will obtain from others to reach your goal(s):

In this section are listed those student supports that require assistance from others. As you help the student to choose and document strategies involving others, specify how frequently or under what conditions the student will use each strategy (e.g., "When the student has a question about lecture content or an assignment, he will bring that question to the teacher during her free period."). The student form also allows you to meet with the student for follow-up sessions and to check off whether he or she is continuing to use these 'other-assisted' strategies.



Section 3: Selecting Interventions Supported by Others (Cont.)Student Directions: List up to 4 types of assistance that you will obtain from others to reach your goal(s):Several sample 'interventions supported by others' appear below: Use teacher-supplied guided notes in class Seek instructor help during free periods Receive tutoring services from peer or adult Be assigned an adult mentor Set up regular 'check-in' sessions with a school staff member to monitor student's intervention follow-through Have the teacher review and sign off on homework assignments written in the student's notebook/course agenda

Create a study group with other students Have parent(s) assist as 'homework coaches' to help the student to organize, get started with, and complete homework Meet with the teacher for brief weekly conferences to review course performance (e.g., grades, missing work, etc.)



Student Self-Directed Intervention Plan: RickySECTION 3: SELECTING INTERVENTIONS SUPPORTED BY OTHERSThe team, the parent, and Ricky also agree to include these ‘other-supported’ ideas in his plan:Teacher Review of Homework Assignment Sheets: Ricky is to turn in completed homework assignment sheets at the end of each week so that teachers can monitor use of this organizer.Homework/Classwork Help Sessions: While Ricky is encouraged to seek help from his teachers during their open period, the team informs Ricky that he must come to help period on any day when homework is not turned in.Parent Email Contact: Ricky’s mother is encouraged to email any of Ricky’s teachers to get a prompt response on any missing homework.

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Section 4: Measuring Progress Toward Your Goals

Student Directions: Select up to 2 ways that you will measure progress toward your intervention goal(s):

The task in this section is to select one or more ways that you and the student can track whether the intervention(s) being tried are actually effective in helping the student to achieve his or her goal(s). As you help the student to choose each method for monitoring progress, specify how frequently the data is to be collected (e.g., 'daily', 'weekly', 'after each tutoring session'). The student form also allows you to meet with the student for follow-up sessions and to check off whether the data is being collected consistently. Several sample methods for tracking student progress on intervention appear below: 'Academic Enabler' Skills Checklist Behavior Report Card: To be completed by the teacher and/or student

Homework Log School/Home Note Evaluation of Work Products



Student Self-Directed Intervention Plan: RickySECTION 4: MEASURING PROGRESS TOWARD YOUR GOALSThe team, the parent, and Ricky also agree to include these ‘other-supported’ ideas in his plan:Teacher Homework Logs: His teachers will continue to monitor Ricky’s homework completion.Attendance at Help Sessions: Ricky’s teachers will also log those days when Ricky attends homework-help sessions.

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Section 5: Setting an Intervention 'Check-Up' Date

Directions: Decide how many instructional weeks your intervention will last. Write in the intervention 'end date' (the calendar date when you will review progress to see if your current intervention plan is effective):The student must allocate sufficient time for the intervention to accurately judge whether it is a success. Generally, student interventions should last between 4 and 8 instructional weeks. You can assist the student in both setting a reasonable timespan for the intervention and (by consulting a school calendar) writing down the end-date to mark the conclusion of the intervention.



Student Self-Directed Intervention Plan: RickySECTION 5: SETTING AN INTERVENTION ‘CHECK-UP’ DATE

The team and parent agree to monitor the intervention for 6 instructional weeks.

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Activity: Student Self-Directed Intervention Plan

In your groups:• Look over the Student Self-

Directed Intervention Plan that appears in your packet (pp. 21-25).

• What is ONE major idea that you have for using it in your classroom or school?

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Helping the Student Who is ‘Under Water’ With Late Assignments: A Structure for Teacher–Student Conferences pp. 26-28



Negotiating Missing Work: Student-Teacher Conference

When students fall behind in their classwork, they can quickly enter a downward spiral. Some students become overwhelmed and simply give up. In such cases, the teacher may want to meet with the student –and if possible, a parent--to help that student to create a work plan to catch up with late work. At the meeting, the teacher and student inventory what work is missing, negotiate a plan to complete that overdue work, and perhaps agree on a reasonable penalty when late work is turned in. All attending then sign off on the work plan. The teacher also ensures that the atmosphere at the meeting is supportive.

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Negotiating Missing Work: Student-Teacher Conference (Cont.)

Here in greater detail are the steps that the teacher and student would follow at a meeting to renegotiate missing work:

1. Inventory All Missing Work. The teacher reviews with the student all late or missing work. The student is given the opportunity to explain why the work has not yet been submitted.

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2. Negotiate a Plan to Complete Missing Work. The teacher and student create a log with entries for all missing assignments. Each entry includes a description of the missing assignment and a due date by which the student pledges to submit that work. This log becomes the student’s work plan. Submission dates for late assignments should be realistic--particularly for students who owe a considerable amount of late work and are also trying to keep caught up with current assignments.

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3. [Optional] Impose a Penalty for Missing Work. The teacher may decide to impose a penalty for the work being submitted late. Examples of possible penalties are a reduction of points (e.g., loss of 10 points per assignment) or the requirement that the student do additional work on the assignment than was required of his or her peers who turned it in on time. If imposed, such penalties would be spelled out at this teacher-student conference. Any penalties should be balanced and fair, permitting the teacher to impose appropriate consequences while allowing the student to still see a path to completing missing work and passing the course.

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4. Periodically Check on the Status of the Missing-Work Plan. If the schedule agreed upon by teacher and student to complete and submit all late work exceeds two weeks, the teacher (or other designated school contact, such as a counselor) should meet with the student weekly while the plan is in effect. At these meetings, the teacher checks in with the student to verify that he or she is attaining the plan milestones on time and still expects to meet the submission deadlines agreed upon. If obstacles to emerge, the teacher and student engage in problem-solving to resolve them.

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Documenting Student Interventions: The ‘Short Form’: When Interventions Require Student

Participation...• Write up a simple ‘Intervention Contract’ that spells out

– What the student’s responsibilities are in the intervention plan– A listing of the educators connected to parts of the

intervention plan that require student participation--and their responsibilities

– A contact person whom the student can approach with questions about the contract

• Have the student sign the Intervention Contract• Provide a copy of the Intervention Contract to the

student and parents• Train the student to ensure that he or she is capable of

carrying out all assigned steps or elements in the intervention plan



Sample ‘Student Intervention Contract’ (Available Online)



Planning Activity Report Out Procedures• Review your table number.• Before beginning your CCSS planning, select 2

members of your table who will visit another table as ‘ambassadors’ for the report-out part of the activity.

• During the report-out, your ambassadors will visit the following tables:– Activity 1: Your table number +1– Activity 2: Your table number +2– Activity 3: Your table number +3– Activity 4: Your table number +4

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