As Jimenez and Graf state in Education for All, "Early intervention is not a new idea in education." For years we as teachers have attempted to help students "fix" any issues they have in class before we would think to refer them to special education intervention, which certainly resonates with me. As I go through this class, I see many instances of students who are placed in Special Education programs, with little attempt to remedy the student's issues before referral. I was a little confused when I saw that early intervention applied as "late" as High School students until I realized - It's not about discovering any issues early, it's about intervening as soon as one can perceive there is an issue. Rather than allowing a problem to continue unabated, it certainly makes more sense from a student/family perspective to identify and teat the symptom as soon as it appears, in order for that treatment to be most effective.
In terms of the RTI models presented to us in this module, I don't believe there is a one-size-fits-all approach that we can take. There will be students who respond better to the Three-Tiered model found on page 175 of the book, and there will be students who respond better to the PLUS model. It appears that a few things are necessary for Early Intervention to be successful:
1) Plan the Work, and Work the Plan. I've seen this in many of the schools I have either attended or taught in - it seems that everybody is so interested in the shiny new toys that they are getting that they lose sight of the reason these items/books/programs/computers were bought. Administration and Faculty must work together and set reasonable goals, not only for implementation of the project, but also for training to be held beoforehand. As an example - a few years ago, my school came into sme money to be used to improve technology in the classroom. What we got was a technology cart in every classroom (ELMO, projector, laptop, MOBI... everything we might need to improve how we present material to students in a dynamic way.
I still don't know how to use most of what I have.
I am not making recriminations, I am merely saying that if you have a plan and a plan for implementation, it hardly matters what program you choose for EI, you will achieve some success.
2. Take the time to learn the program. Most of what I have to say about this, I have already stated above. The only thing I would add would be to make sure you plan enough time for the providers to feel comfortable with the material and what to do.
Last, I cannot state emphatically enough that one has to come to this with a positive attitude. Too many times I have seen perfectly good meetings/brainstorming sessions, etc fall to pieces because one or more teachers decides that they are already doing enough to earn their money, thank you very much. I just want to remind them that this is not about their journey, it is about the student's journey. As long as we keep focusing on the student and how we can help them, we can do nothing but succeed.
Enjoy your particular journey as much as you can .
Early In
Raymond your insight and evaluation of RTI and the things that are going on today in schools is correct. It sounds like you have a plan and are enjoying the journey. I wish many educators today could take a step back and realize times and the students have changed. It no longer is a one size fits all. I wrote in my blog about Universal Design for Learning and Positive Behavior Supports. Both tie in really well with RTI and meeting the needs of all the students at every level K-12. Intervention is necessary at all levels and in all areas of development of the child. You never know what interruption or disruption could happen for a student that might throw off their whole world. Teachers need to get to know the whole child and be prepared to intervene when needed. It isn't always with academics. With all the increase in acts of violence across our society targeting schools and innocent people, bullying etc. it really makes me stop and wonder how many of these aggressors could have benefited from intervention services, or even a teacher taking notice of their emotional challenges or instability.
ReplyDeleteThroughout my years in this profession, I have been in many situations that enabled me to conduct observations in classrooms. Having observed so many classrooms, I have in a sense developed a somewhat disgusted attitude. I have witnessed so many teachers who feel that if the child is not responding to the general instruction within the classroom then it's time to ship them off to special education. Early Intervention takes effort. I love working on teams and think that collaboration with other staff members is beneficial to students as well as educators. It is vital to support the child in the home as well as in school. It's obviously important to do everything possible to help a child succeed in school however, one cannot forget the fact that they are only with us a mere 7 hours a day. This is not an ideal world and families need support. Students need advocated in all areas of their lives in order to succeed.
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