Ideas to Empower Students to Take a Role in Their Own Intervention Plans Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

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Ideas to Empower Students to Take a Role in Their
Own Intervention PlansJim Wrightwww.intervention
central.org
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Intervention Responsibilities Examples at
Teacher, School-Wide, and Student Levels
Teacher
Student
School-Wide

• Lab services (math, reading, etc.)
• Remedial course
• Homework club
• Providing additional instruction to students
  during selected free periods

• Take agenda to teacher to be reviewed and signed
• Self-monitor and chart their organizational
  skills (e.g., bringing work materials to class)
• Seeking help from teachers during free periods

• Signed agenda
• Attention prompts
• Peer-Guided Pause

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Unmotivated Students What Works
Motivation can be thought of as having two
dimensions

1. the students expectation of success on the task

Multiplied by

1. the value that the student places on achieving
   success on that learning task

• The relationship between the two factors is
  multiplicative. If EITHER of these factors (the
  students expectation of success on the task OR
  the students valuing of that success) is zero,
  then the motivation product will also be zero.

Source Sprick, R. S., Borgmeier, C., Nolet, V.
(2002). Prevention and management of behavior
problems in secondary schools. In M. A. Shinn, H.
M. Walker G. Stoner (Eds.), Interventions for
academic and behavior problems II Preventive and
remedial approaches (pp.373-401). Bethesda, MD
National Association of School Psychologists.
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Intervention Plans for Secondary Students The
Motivational Component

• Intervention plans for secondary students may
  require motivational strategies to encourage
  engagement in learning

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Promoting Student Involvement in Secondary School
RTI Intervention Team Meetings

• Train students in self-advocacy skills to
  participate at intervention team meetings (can be
  informal e.g., conversation with Guidance
  Counselor)
• Provide the student with different options to
  communicate needs, e.g.,
• Learning needs questionnaire
• Personal interview prior to meeting
• Advocate at meeting to support student
• Ensure student motivation to take part in the
  intervention plan (e.g., having student sign
  Intervention Contract)

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When Interventions Require Student
Participation...

• Write up a simple Intervention Contract that
  spells out
• What the students responsibilities are in the
  intervention plan
• A listing of the educators connected to parts of
  the intervention plan that require student
  participation--and their responsibilities
• A contact person whom the student can approach
  with questions about the contract
• Have the student sign the Intervention Contract
• Provide a copy of the Intervention Contract to
  the student and parents
• Train the student to ensure that he or she is
  capable of carrying out all assigned steps or
  elements in the intervention plan

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Sample Student Intervention Contract p. 19
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If the Student Appears Unwilling to Follow
Through With the Plan

• Verify that the student has the necessary skills
  to complete all steps or elements of the
  intervention plan without difficulty.
• Check that all adults who have a support role in
  the students personal intervention plan are
  carrying out their responsibilities consistently
  and correctly.
• Hold an Exit conference with the
  student--either with the entire RTI Intervention
  Team or with the students adult contact. It is
  recommended that the students parent be at this
  meeting.
• At the Exit meeting
• Review all elements of the plan with the student.
• Share the evidence with the student that he or
  she appears able to implement every part of the
  personal intervention plan.
• Tell the student that he or she is in controland
  that the intervention cannot be successful unless
  the student decides to support it.
• Tell the student that his or her intervention
  case is closed but that the student can restart
  the plan at any time by contacting the adult
  contact.

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Starting RTI in Your Secondary School Enlisting
students in intervention plans

• As a team
• Put together a set of strategies to train
  students to be self-advocates and to attend RTI
  Team meetings.
• Discuss ways to motivate students to feel
  comfortable in accessing (and responsible FOR
  accessing) intervention resources in the school.