Intensive interventions—teaching
Intensive interventions are designed for students who are two years or more below grade level. Intensive interventions require teaching material in a new way when it is clear that students did not learn the material through direct instruction or with reinforcement and supports. Intensive interventions usually require devoting an additional class period to intensive instruction in English language arts, English language development, or mathematics. In some cases, students need intensive instruction in multiple subjects. Special scheduling considerations allow these students access to accelerated learning. The intent of intensive intervention programs is to move the student to grade-level courses once he or she has mastered the foundational skills and concepts. For instance, if one year’s growth takes 183 hours at one hour per day for 183 days, theoretically a student should be able to get three years, growth in one year if the instructional time is tripled.
There are two types of state-adopted intensive intervention programs in reading/language arts. The Intensive Intervention Programs in Reading/Language Arts are stand-alone, intensive, accelerated reading/language arts programs. These programs provide two and one-half hours to three hours of daily instruction designed to address the instructional needs of students in grades four through eight whose reading achievement is two or more years below grade level.
The Intensive Intervention Programs for English Learners (ELs) are stand-alone intensive reading/language arts programs. These programs provide two and one-half hours to three hours of daily instruction developed specifically for ELs in grades four through eight whose academic achievement is two or more years below grade level. These stand-alone reading/language arts intervention programs address literacy and language development. The materials are designed to provide intensive, accelerated, and extensive English language development that complements and supports reading/language arts instruction.
Appendix E of the Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (2005) (PDF; 3.19MB; 411pp.) outlines the components of effective mathematics intervention instructional materials. Charts in Appendix E list the subsets of mathematics standards that should be included in an intensive intervention program. The 2007 Mathematics Adoption calls for two types of instructional programs to meet the needs of intensive intervention students: Mathematics Intervention Program for Grades Four through Seven and Algebra Readiness. Until such instructional programs are adopted, teachers can use the information in Appendix E to focus their instruction on critical mathematics skills and concepts.
Intensive interventions can help accelerate student learning, but they need to be well planned, implemented, and monitored. If the students do not make progress based on assessment results, then educators need to reevaluate and modify the intervention plan and instructional strategies.
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