Intervention for the Whole Child: A Teacher's Guide to Documentation

Abstract

ABSTRACT INTERVENTION FOR THE WHOLE CHILD: A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO DOCUMENTATION by © Teresa Lynn Tindill 2009 Master of Arts in Education Reading/Language Arts Option California State University, Chico Spring 2009 A reading teacher in the primary grades has one goal: to have every child reading fluently, with good comprehension, by the end of third grade. However, as a reading teacher, it appears that more students are tested at my school site every year for a reading disability. When students have lesser reading abilities, it makes it difficult to achieve this higher-level reading goal for all children. The Chico Unified School District has begun using Response to Intervention procedures to identify and serve all children who are below standards. Teachers were asked to use scientifically based interventions with these students. This project includes a review of relevant literature in the area of Response to Intervention and scientific, research-based evidence and provides a handbook for ix primary-grade classroom teachers to use in meeting the needs of children with special needs in the regular classroom setting. This handbook focuses on specific information which will guide a team of school personnel to adequately focus on the interventions provided to a student, to determine the success or lack of success of intervention offered to the student, review steps taken to ensure future success for the student, and/or refer this student for special education services if needed. As professionals, teachers who use this handbook will be able to successfully document their work in order to follow the appropriate legal procedures in ensuring that no child is left behind. The information provided in this handbook has focused on scientific, research-based evidence in order to provide the most powerful interventions for children. If the use of the intervention suggests referral for special services, blackline masters of specific information needed to refer a child for these services are included. The handbook includes: information explaining scientific research-based intervention, characteristics of effective intervention, key aspects to developing and maintaining an effective intervention system, helpful suggestions of how to keep records of student information, how to set up a successful intervention, and a sample case-study. This handbook was reviewed by a group of educational experts at Emma Wilson Elementary School in Chico, California. The group of educational experts consisted of two primary teachers, two intermediate teachers, one school psychologist, one reading specialist and the school principal. This group was asked to read the handbook and provide feedback as to the effectiveness, in their judgment, of the handbook towards meeting the needs of their students. The comments and suggestions x were analyzed using descriptive analysis procedures. Revisions were made to the handbook as a result of these comments and suggestions.