Building a Pyramid of Interventions

Anthony S. Muhammad, Ph.D.

PLC Corollary Questions

1. What do we want students to learn?2. How do we know if students have

learned?3. How do we respond when students do

not learn?4. How do we respond when students

have learned?

Levey “10 Week Cycle”

10 Weeks

Why identify essential standards?

1. Promotes clarity

2. Promotes consistent priorities

3. Helps establish a “viable” curriculum

4. Creates “ownership” of the curriculum among those called upon to teach it

5. Promotes student equity

6. Is essential to develop common assessments and targeted interventions

7. Helps teachers work smarter, not harder…

What do we want students to know?

• Identify “Essential Standards/Outcomes”• Pace them per quarter• Identify instructional material necessary to

ensure mastery of standards by the students

Reflection

• How does your school currently answer the question, “What do we want students to learn?”

• Is it systematic or random?

• How often do teachers get an opportunity to develop shared understanding of the curriculum?

How do we know if they have learned?

• Develop common formative assessments• Common assessments measure if students can

performed the desired tasks• Common assessments should be given at least each

quarter in each core subject matter• Common assessments should not exceed 25 questions• Assessments should be developed by the teachers that

teach the content• Assessment questions assess deeply; preferably

deeper than the state assessment

Reflection

• How does your school currently assess student learning?

• Who creates the assessments?

• Is it random or systematic?

• What do educators in your school do with the results?

How will we respond when students don’t learn?

How you answer this question will determine if you are truly a PLC…

“Don’t tell me you believe ‘all kids can learn’…

tell me what you’re doing about the kids

who aren’t learning.”

-- Rick DuFour

The Typical School’s Response

• No systematic response • Intervention is left to the discretion of

individual teachers• Teachers respond in very different ways• Worst case is no response at all

The Message

• Learning is a choice• Students have the option to become

involved or not become involved• Students are accountable for their

success or failure • We are detached from students and

families

An Example of a Simple MessageThe purpose of our school is to see to it that all our students learn at high levels, and the future of our students depends upon our success.

We must work collaboratively to achieve that purpose because it is impossible to accomplish if we work in isolation.

And we must continually assess our effectiveness in achieving our purpose on the basis of results—tangible evidence that our students are acquiring the knowledge, skills, and dispositions essential to their future success.

“Traditional” Interventions…

• Up to each teacher…

• Remedial Classes

• Summer School

• “Alternative” Education

• Retention

• Nothing…

Characteristics of an Effective Intervention Program…

– Urgent– Directive– Timely – Targeted– Administered by Trained Professionals – Systematic

Characteristics of an Effective Intervention Program…

– Urgent– Directive– Timely – Targeted– Administered by Trained Professionals– Systematic

Essential Questions:

–Is there any sense of urgency to help the at-risk students at your school?

–Are all at-risk students “required” to receive help?

Characteristics of an Effective Intervention Program…

– Urgent– Directive– Timely – Targeted– Administered by Trained Professionals– Systematic

Timely…

• Extended time to learn essential

standards

Timely school response when

students don’t learn

Extended time to learn essential standards:

“Formula for Learning”:

QI + T = LQuality Instruction + Time = Learning

Traditional Schools:QI + T = L

Quality Instruction + Time = Learning

Constant + Constant = Variable

PLC Schools:QI + T = L

Quality Instruction + Time = Learning

Variable + Variable = Constant

Time and Support

“In the factory model of schooling, quality was the variable; time was constant. Students were given a set amount of work to do in a set period of time, then graded on the quality of what was accomplished. We held time constant and allowed quality to vary. We must turn that on its head and hold quality constant, and allow time to vary.

Cole and Schlechty, 1993

Extended time to learn essential standards:

Pearl:The best “intervention”

is “prevention”

Extended time to learn essential standards:

or:Teach it “right” the first time!

No Support System Will Compensate for Bad Teaching

• Core curriculum must be solid, and delivered with fidelity.

• Without this, the system of intervention will be overwhelmed.

• However, no matter how skilled the teacher teams become, some students will always require additional time and support

Timely school response when students don’t learn:

Systematically identify, monitor, and revise individual student intervention needs

every three to four weeks.

Essential Questions:

– Do we provide targeted, differentiated, research-based instruction to our students?

– How often do you identify and assess the needs of your at-risk students?

– Do we systematically provide all students extended learning time and multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery?

– Are our assessment and grading practices aligned to support extending learning time?

Targeted…

• Students who don’t do their work

(intentional non-learners)

Students who lack the skills to do their work (failed learners)

Essential Question:

– Is each at-risk student receiving the “right” interventions?

– Are you using data to identify these interventions?

Characteristics of an Effective Intervention Program…

– Urgent– Directive– Timely – Targeted– Administered by Trained Professionals– Systematic

Most Effective Strategies…(Doug Reeves, 2007)

1. Writing and note-taking

2. Recognition of achievement

3. Alignment of standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment

4. Assignment of teacher based upon need

5. Deep content analysis

6. Monitoring that is frequent and visible

7. Teaching strategies, including compare/contrast

8. Student Engagement

Essential Questions:–Which teachers teach your at-risk

students?–Do your teachers have the training

and/or resources to successfully provide targeted, differentiated quality instruction?

Characteristics of an Effective Intervention Program…

– Urgent– Directive– Timely – Targeted– Administered by Trained Professionals– Systematic

Building aPyramid of

Interventions

Pyramid of Intervention Strategies

Most

Restrictive

Least Restrictive

Pyramid of Intervention

Base Program

Supplemental

Intensive

Supplemental Instruction and Support

•Identify students with common assessment data, grades, and environment data

Base Program—

•For all students

•Daily best practice

•Should address the needs of at least 75% of your students.

Intensive Support

•For students who have not responded to first two levels

•Track student progress weekly

Pyramid of Interventions for Behavior

• Start with the data• Consider the core values/mission• Critically analyze patterns• Develop structure• Anticipate obstacles• Implement

Pyramid of InterventionWhat do we do when students do not learn?

• Homework lunch• In-school tutors• Student Support Specialist• After-school tutoring• Student Success Plan• Summer School or University Enrichment• ????????

Specifics To Building a Pyramid of Intervention

Steps to Building a Pyramid of Interventions

• Ensure FIRST “best instruction”

• Use the incremental, pyramid approach

• Identify eligible students based on results of common assessments

Resource Reallocation

• Funds• Personnel• Programs• Trade Offs• Low Cost – No Cost

Defining “Under-represented Students”What Do We Mean By Failing?

• Under-represented Students – At Risk and Under-supported

• Academic, Behavioral, Social/Emotional

Intervention Criteria

There is no easy recipe. The language of interventions must be developed locally so that teachers, principals

and parents are comfortable.

If we don’t change the direction we’re going, we’re likely

to end up where we are headed.

Chinese Proverb

Process to Create Pyramid

• Identify your current interventions and what Tier each on occupies.

• Determine whether intervention is systematic or individual.

• Rank the intervention in order of intensity

• Eliminate duplication and develop new interventions to fill the gaps.

Pyramid of Interventions - Implement

• What might be your barriers?• How can you anticipate the barriers

and address them in a proactive way?• How do you guarantee accountability?

Action Plan

• Discuss and identify one Tier 1 and one Tier 2 intervention that you will IMMEDIATELY try at the onset of the 2011-2012 school year.

• Identify the most important factor in order for your school to move ahead with a Pyramid of Interventions.