I&RS COMMITTEE
Intervention & Referral Services (I&RS) is an interdisciplinary team of professionals within the school environment who come together throughout the school year to formulate coordinated services and team delivery systems to address the full range of student learning, behavior, social, and health problems in the general education program as well as for students determined to be in need of special education programs and services. According to N.J.A.C 6A:16-8.1.,8.2 the goal of the committee is to see measurable student improvement in the identified targeted areas.
Keeping Our Kids Safe, Healthy & In School
PTHSD REFERRAL PROCESS
A teacher recognizes that a student is not responding to classroom-based interventions and makes a referral to the I&RS committee. A referral is made by completing a Data Collection Form in the RTI software. The referring teacher will notify the school counselor when the Data Collection Form is submitted. The school counselor will then coordinate obtaining feedback from other teachers/support staff and schedule the initial meeting. The school counselor serves as the point of contact and is responsible for case management. Meetings are held regularly to review I&RS cases; partnership between home and school is vital to this process and student success.
BENEFITS OF THE I&RS PROCESS
The I&RS process promotes significant growth for students, as well as teachers. Specific benefits also include:
- The I&RS process provides opportunities to pool areas of expertise, resources, and perspectives to clearly identify the presenting problems and develop an action plan to address the specific areas of concern.
- The problem-solving approach, as well as the ongoing progress monitoring of the I&RS process, provide a high likelihood of success in addressing the individual needs of students.
- If the I&RS team obtains information that indicates that an evaluation for special education services is warranted, the I&RS process provides a clear trail of data and other information on related issues and concerns that are used by the child study team to facilitate the evaluation process.
I&RS STRATEGIES
The I&RS process is designed to provide students with targeted, research-based interventions in order to provide additional supports for struggling learners. Interventions may include increased intensity or frequency of instruction, reduced ratio for instruction, or an alternative teaching methodology. Strategies implemented by the I&RS team will vary depending on the presenting concern(s). For example, if the goal is to improve a student’s on-task behavior during seatwork, strategies may include:
- Provide visual examples on the student’s desk of target behavior/work products for reference
- Assign a specific peer buddy for clarification during seat work
- Utilize a visual signal for the student to notify the teacher that he or she needs assistance
- School-based counseling with the school counselor to work on improving on-task behavior
The following websites are helpful resources for developing action plans to support student success:
Intervention Central
NJ PBIS