Response To Intervention In School Psychology
The field of school psychology has evolved. Traditionally, school psychologists have used a refer-test-and-place model. Students were cognitively and academically tested then placed. The primary focus was on diagnosing disabilities. However, school psychologists are now moving away from that traditional test-and-place model to more of a problem solving model. Diagnosing disabilities is no longer the primary focus. School psychologists are now shifting their focus towards identifying effective interventions. (Reschly, 2008).
An important foundation of school psychology within a response to intervention (RTI) framework includes linking assessment to intervention. This means that the information gathered about the student during the assessment
phase is used directly as the foundation for selecting an intervention. In other words, the aim is to pick an intervention that matches the child’s needs and then shows that the selected intervention is having an impact on those needs. This approach not only produces more practical and beneficial outcomes for the student involved, but overall is critical to developing a school’s capacity to effectively handle reading problems, which may depend on this element (Jones, et. Al., 2003).
To begin the process of matching an intervention to students’ needs, an assessment of the individual student’s skills must be conducted prior to intervention in order to later select and implement the intervention believed to hold the most potential for success. One way to do this is by implementing a brief experimental analysis (BEA). BEA is a way to test drive different interventions to find one that works for an individual. BEA involves introducing brief interventions and measuring immediate impact of those interventions on outcome measures. Curriculum based measurement (CBM) is often used. The “winning” intervention can then be used over an extended period of time and its effectiveness can be evaluated.
An important foundation of school psychology within a response to intervention (RTI) framework includes linking assessment to intervention. This means that the information gathered about the student during the assessment
phase is used directly as the foundation for selecting an intervention. In other words, the aim is to pick an intervention that matches the child’s needs and then shows that the selected intervention is having an impact on those needs. This approach not only produces more practical and beneficial outcomes for the student involved, but overall is critical to developing a school’s capacity to effectively handle reading problems, which may depend on this element (Jones, et. Al., 2003).
To begin the process of matching an intervention to students’ needs, an assessment of the individual student’s skills must be conducted prior to intervention in order to later select and implement the intervention believed to hold the most potential for success. One way to do this is by implementing a brief experimental analysis (BEA). BEA is a way to test drive different interventions to find one that works for an individual. BEA involves introducing brief interventions and measuring immediate impact of those interventions on outcome measures. Curriculum based measurement (CBM) is often used. The “winning” intervention can then be used over an extended period of time and its effectiveness can be evaluated.