Early Intervention Project

Early Intervention Project

20th Anniversary

November 5, 2004

Early Intervention Project

Revisiting Our History

EIP Vision

The Early Intervention Project (EIP) empowers people to create interdependent partnerships to help all children learn and

experience success.

EIP Goals

The goals of the original grant (written in 1984) were:

• to reduce inappropriate referrals to special education;

• to reduce the number of inappropriate referrals for formal testing and evaluation; and

• to reduce the inappropriate special education classification of students, especially those from minority groups.

Student Data

Referred for articulation

only1%

Referred to 504 team

2%

Goals not achieved

4%

Goals achieved

12%

Referred to PPT19%

Ongoing case62%

Data from 2003-2004

Number of Students Tracked=3,919

Words & Numbers

Student Data

Words & Numbers

Referred, identified

and placed52%

Referred, but not eligible24%

Referred but

24%undetermined

Referred to PPT, 19%

Data from 2003-2004

Number of Students Tracked=3,919

The Harvard Report

• In 2000, a Harvard study was conducted examining the issue of disproportionality in special education. Connecticut was cited as one of the states identified as in need of improvement in this area.

• As a result, thirty-four (34) districts were invited to a summit based on overrepresentation data. Eighteen (18) of these districts had some level of EIP involvement at various schools.

• This prompted questions about sustainability and implementation integrity of EIP since the results do not demonstrate progress toward one of the original EIP goals.

EIP Survey• In 2001, a survey was conducted by Words &

Numbers with EIP team members to examine issues regarding the implementation integrity and sustainability of EIP. – Sustainability is difficult to maintain without on-

going high quality professional development and an actively involved building administrator.

– Teams tend to have difficulty implementing the problem-solving process with integrity.

Additional Questions That Have Been Raised

• Does EIP meet its original goals?

• Does EIP influence inclusive practice for all students, including students with disabilities?

RTPs

• Quality Team Assurance, renamed Reflective Team Process (RTP), has been utilized to examine the sustainability of EIP and is a leading source of information about the status of implementation of the project.

• Eighty-four (84) schools have participated.

Early Intervention Project

Lessons Learned

Lesson # 1

Concepts of pre-referral tend to impede the overall philosophy of EIP.

EIP is not a specific model. EIP needs to be marketed as a philosophy.

Lesson # 2Schools with productive and effective

early intervention processes have committed building level leadership, who understand and embed the concepts and principles of early intervention within the school culture.

Lesson # 3In order to ensure implementation

integrity regarding interventions, school leaders need to increase accountability for instructional changes to improve student outcomes.

Leading Complex Change

M. Lippitt (2003) Leading Complex Change. Enterprise Management, LTD.

VISION INCENTIVES RESOURCESACTION

PLANSUCCESSCAPABILITIES

Confidence

UNDERSTANDING Engagement

Commitment

Advocacy

Leading Complex Change

M. Lippitt (2003) Leading Complex Change. Enterprise Management, LTD.

VISION CAPABILITIES RESOURCESACTION

PLANRESTRANT;

RESISTANCE

VISION INCENTIVES RESOURCESACTION

PLANANXIETY

VISION INCENTIVES RESOURCES

FALSE

STARTSCAPABILITIES

VISION INCENTIVES ACTION

PLANFRUSTRATIONCAPABILITIES

INCENTIVES RESOURCESACTION

PLANCONFUSIONCAPABILITIES

VISION INCENTIVES RESOURCESACTION

PLANSUCCESSCAPABILITIES

Lesson # 4

Early intervention is a philosophy focused on collective responsibility that should be part of a whole school culture, not particular to a core team.

Families are an integral part of the whole school culture.

(Adapted from Ortiz, 1987; Horner, 1998; Sugai, 2001)

Intensive1-7%(Specialized Student System)

Intervention5-15%

(At-Risk System, Supplemental)

Universal80-90%

(District, School-Wide, & Classrooms Systems)

Sch

ool-W

ide

Indi

vidu

al S

uppo

rt

All Students in School

Continuum of Support

One Example of the

Three Tiered Approach

(Adapted from Ortiz, 1987; Horner, 1998; Sugai, 2001)

Sch

ool-W

ide

Indi

vidu

al S

uppo

rt

Partnerships with Families

Collaboration with Colleagues

Curriculum

School-Improvement

Positive Behavior Supports

Case Partner

Grade Level/Ad Hoc Team

Focused Team Support

Differentiated Instruction

Common Planning

All Students in School

Lesson # 5General education membership has

been a consistent and steady part of EIP. This practice needs to continue as an integral part of the process in order to ensure EIP is maintained as a function of general education.

Lesson # 6More time appears to be spent on

problem “admiration” rather than on actual problem-solving.

Problem-solving needs to be viewed as a form of data-based decision-making.

Reported Consistency of Problem Solving

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

GatherInformation

DefineProblem

DetermineObjective

ImplementPlan

Monitor

Always Done Often Done Sometimes Done

Rarely Done Linear (Always Done)

Words & Numbers, 2000

Lesson # 7

Data are collected regularly, however, the analysis of assessments need to be used as a strategic part of decision-making and to assist with more accurate problem identification.

Lesson # 8Reflective practice is consistently

proving to result in refining and enhancing instructional practice.

EIP is a vehicle of this type of job-embedded professional development.

Lesson # 9

Interventions tend to mirror general teaching strategies rather than researched-based, quality interventions. Brainstorming in and of itself does not necessarily result in quality intervention development.

The skills and strategies taught must match specific student needs and reflect cultural and linguistic influences.

Accommodations & Modifications

Demands/Skills

Years in School

Skills & Strategies

The Achievement Gaps

Lesson # 10

Schools need to have effective and efficient ways of documenting student progress as evidence of the impact of change in instructional practices.

Monitoring needs to be emphasized as accountability for implementation integrity of interventions to ensure successful student outcomes.

Early Intervention Project

New Directions

Components of EIP

• Leadership

• Collegial Support & Family Partnerships

• Strategic Decision-Making

• Assessment & Reflective Practice

• Instructional Repertoire

• Accountability & Documentation