Over the course of my career, I have been a member of my different schools’ intervention teams. As a team we were not properly trained to identify specific areas of concerns. Not all teachers at my workplaces have had the same level of experience with determining student needs. Some were not providing interventions in appropriate areas or administering diagnostic assessments. Teachers were leaving out critical steps of the intervention process. I realized that teacher education and professional development in intervention programs is lacking in the world of education.
I wanted to answer the question:
How do educators determine the most effective intervention progression?
How do educators determine the most effective intervention progression?
Teacher effectiveness is dependent upon the knowledge of the proper sequence of literacy intervention. An effective teacher not only knows the content in which they teach, but is well trained and equipped to provide literacy instruction and intervention. Interventions are in addition to the teacher’s core instruction. It is vital that an extensive, diagnostic, assessment is given to a student needing intervention to get an overall picture of their reading capabilities and areas of concern. Once the appropriate stage of intervention is determined and a goal is set, teachers will systematically follow the Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) process to intervene and monitor progress. This method ensures that students are able to keep up with learning goals, resulting in the closing of achievement gaps.