1. U NDERSTANDING THE INTERVENTION PROCESS Establishing Special Education Referral Procedures

2. H ELP IS A VAILABLE ! Access handouts and referral questions at www.hisdsped.wordpress.com (Click Referral) www.hisdsped.wordpress.com Access information on the district’s Response to Intervention (RtI) initiatives at www.hisdrti.comwww.hisdrti.com All Special Education Referral Forms (excluding Chancery Reports) are located at the Special Education Operating Guidelines Website.Special Education Operating Guidelines Website

3. W HAT IS R ESPONSE TO I NTERVENTION (R T I)? Establishes a comprehensive assessment and intervention process to support students in need of academic and behavioral supports. Serves as the framework of interventions that must be documented as part of the Special Education referral process. RtI is prior to, and a part of the evaluation! Teacher data documented during the RtI process is the most powerful component of a Special Education evaluation! Teacher data sets the “scope” of a Special Education evaluation!

4. W HAT IS R ESPONSE TO I NTERVENTION (R T I)? Tier I: Represents the delivery of the core curriculum and is on-going for ALL students. Tier II: Represents intensified support to meet specific academic and behavioral needs in addition to Tier I. Tier III: Reserved for students most in need of academic or behavioral supports. Represents individualized or intensive intervention. Those who fail to respond to Tier III interventions are the best candidates for a Special Education evaluation.

5. W HAT IS THE I NTERVENTION A SSISTANCE T EAM (IAT)? Works within RtI to coordinate a series of tasks Universal screenings Progress monitoring School-wide data review to trigger the intervention process Academic and behavioral interventions Facilitates all referrals for Section 504 or Special education Even those in which intervention is not needed!

6. C HILD F IND Continuous process of public awareness activities, screening, and evaluation designed to locate, assess and identify children with disabilities. Campus IATs serve the Child Find function at your campus

7. W HO SHOULD BE ON THE IAT ? IAT coordinator (Honest broker of data). Campus administrator or designee. Classroom teacher(s) who specializes in the presenting problem. Classroom teacher of the student. Parent, nurse, counselor, social worker, and campus instructional coordinator as needed. Evaluation Specialist, Speech Therapist, Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (if behavioral issues are a concern) at Tier Three.

8. IAT TIME-SAVING TIPS Standard-Protocol Approach Matches appropriate intervention strategies to specific student needs (i.e. Interventions are prescribed, the need for IAT meetings at Tier II is eliminated). Reserves IAT meetings for Tier III Establishes the “Assumption,” the campus knows what to do immediately for Tier II (i.e. Standard- protocol) and there is no need for an IAT meeting at Tier II.

9. IAT TIME-SAVING TIPS Consider having multiple IATs to decrease the time on task for one IAT team. Consider IAT by level, by curriculum area, or alternating IATs.

10. P ARENT R EFERRALS When a formal request for special education evaluation is made by a parent (i.e. in writing) the IAT must respond within 10 school days. The response should be to either formally REFER or to REFUSE the parent request for evaluation. Use the Notice of Refusal form located in the Special Education Operating Guidelines if the decision is to refuse a parent request for evaluation. Refusals are allowed, but must be supported with data.

11. D OCUMENTING I NTERVENTIONS IN C HANCERY SMS… WHAT !!!! Supports the HISD appraisal process Ensures the intervention record “travels” with the student Assists with parent meetings Eliminates IAT paperwork Establishes intervention consistency between grades Eliminates Special Education referral paperwork for the teacher

12. D OCUMENTING I NTERVENTIONS IN C HANCERY SMS… RELAX !!!! ALL teachers with the teacher role in Chancery SMS already have access ALL administrators already have access If you are in need of school-wide access and you do not have the administer role in Chancery, simply request the role View Only w/ Discipline role Additional training is available at SIS HELP Course Number SP0911 (RTI). Easy to view online video if additional assistance is needed.SIS HELP

13. TIPS FOR THE IAT C HAIR Set aside time with the Campus Evaluation Specialist to understand: The Referral for Disability Evaluation form Detailed and overview steps for a Special Education referral Additional documents needed in the referral process How to enter referral dates in Chancery SMS to trigger the data transfer to EasyIEP