Early Intervention Project 20 th Anniversary November 5, 2004

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

Components of an Early Intervention Process Collaboration –Effective communication and support Team membership –Primarily classroom teachers Teacher empowerment –Classroom teacher makes decisions School ownership –Unique for each school

Components of an Early Intervention Process Early intervention –Intervenes early-on –Individual responses Problem-solving process –Uses a step by step problem-solving process Effective brainstorming –Follows brainstorming principles

EIP Survey In 2001, a survey was conducted with EIP team members to examine issues regarding the 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.

The Harvard Report A Harvard study was conduct in 2000, examining the issue of disproportionality. Connecticut was cited as one of the states in need to address this issue. Thirty-four districts were invited to the summit based on disproportionality data. Eighteen (18) of these districts have had some level of EIP training. This prompted questions about sustainability and implementation integrity of EIP since this study conflicts with an original EIP goal.

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.

Questions That Have Been Raised to the Project Does EIP meet its original goals? 1.Reduce inappropriate referrals to special education 2.Reduce the number of inappropriate referrals for formal testing and evaluation 3.Reduce the inappropriate special education classification of students, especially those from minority groups Does EIP influence inclusive practice for students with disabilities?

Implementation Integrity Did we do what we said we would do? Examine what was done –Quality –Frequency –Compare to desired outcome, data, and plan –Examine reasons for non-completion or non- compliance

Components of EIP Leadership Collegial & Family Support Strategic Decision-Making Assessment & Reflective Practice Instructional Repertoire Accountability & Documentation

Early Intervention Project Lessons Learned

EIP Philosophy EIP is a specific model. EIP needs to be marketed as a philosophical conceptualization of best practice. Concepts of pre-referral tend to impede the overall philosophy of EIP.

Leadership Schools with productive and effective EIP process have committed building level leadership, who understand and embed the concepts and philosophy of EIP within the school culture.

Leadership There needs to be increased accountability on behalf of the leadership in order to support implementation integrity and to ensure instructional changes are generalized.

Leading Complex Change M. Lippitt (2003) Leading Complex Change. Enterprise Management, LTD. VISIONCAPABILITIES RESOURCES ACTION PLAN RESTRANT; RESISTANCE VISIONINCENTIVESRESOURCES ACTION PLAN ANXIETY VISIONINCENTIVESRESOURCES FALSE STARTS CAPABILITIES VISIONINCENTIVES ACTION PLAN FRUSTRATION CAPABILITIES INCENTIVESRESOURCES ACTION PLAN CONFUSION CAPABILITIES VISIONINCENTIVESRESOURCES ACTION PLAN SUCCESS CAPABILITIES

Leading Complex Change M. Lippitt (2003) Leading Complex Change. Enterprise Management, LTD. VISIONINCENTIVESRESOURCES ACTION PLAN SUCCESS CAPABILITIES Confidence UNDERSTANDING Engagement Commitment Advocacy

Collegial & Family Support Early intervention is a philosophy that should be part of a whole school culture, not particular to a core team. Collegial support needs to needs to expand to a whole school culture and the unification of supports and services.

Collegial & Family Support General education membership has been a consistent and steady part of EIP and therefore the general education teacher needs to continue to be an integral part of the process.

Continuum of Support (Adapted from Ortiz, 1987; Horner, 1998; Sugai, 2001) Intensive 1-7% (Specialized Student System) Intervention 5-15% (At-Risk System, Supplemental) Universal 80-90% (District, School-Wide, & Classrooms Systems) School-Wide Individual Support All Students in School

Three Tiered Approach (Adapted from Ortiz, 1987; Horner, 1998; Sugai, 2001) School-Wide Individual Support All Students in School Communication with Family Informal Collaboration with Colleagues Grade Level Teams School- Improvement Team Peer Coaching Case Partner Fluid/Core Team Focused Team Support

Instructional Repertoire Interventions tend to mirror general teaching strategies rather than researched-based quality interventions. Brainstorming does not necessarily result in quality intervention development.

Strategic Decision-Making Problem admiration tends to be a focus rather than actual problem solving. Problem-solving needs to be viewed as a form of data- based decision-making.

How Are We Doing With the Problem-Solving Process? Words & Numbers, 2000

Assessment & Reflective Practice Data are collected regularly, however, the analysis of assessments are not used effectively to define the problem.

Assessment & Reflective Practice Reflective practice will promote the concepts of improving instructional practice and promote job-embedded professional development.

Accountability & Documentation Monitoring needs to be emphasized as accountability for student outcomes to ensure implementation integrity. Schools need to have effective and efficient ways of documenting student progress and measuring accountability.