These definitions are for interventions, which can be added to the Student Profile via the Intervention tab or via the Incident/Discipline tab on the School Profile.
Adult Assistance - Support provided by an adult to a student in the form of instruction, counseling and/or resources that will ultimately result in positive student achievement.
Alternate Curriculum - Taking into consideration, after student assessment, a curriculum that will better suit and address student learning styles, needs and strengths.
Alternate Test Format - Administration of testing utilizing an accepted format that is appropriate for the particular student.
Auditory Cues/Prompts - Auditory (spoken; sound production;) cues/prompts are those pre-agreed upon signals (between student and instructor) that are put into place to encourage specifically addressed behaviors/actions.
Behavior Contract - A behavior contract is a written document between a teacher and a student which specifies: expected behaviors, positive and negative consequences, a time frame of contract with review dates. A behavior contract is signed by the instructor, student and relevant others who participate in the contract.
Behavior Support Plan - A plan developed, for a student, by a school team that has completed the Functional Behavior Assessment process. This individualized plan ultimately enables the student to function successfully in the classroom.
Behavioral Learning Centers - A behavioral learning center is a school-wide intervention strategy that provides individualized and /or group setting to students with structured activities to help them learn the necessary skills to prevent and/or manage their behavioral challenges.
Change in Schedule - A change in schedule refers to a time change that is made to a student’s school day and/or class schedule.
Chunking of Information - Certain students have difficulty when curriculum is so integrated to the point of when several subjects or concepts are blended together and information overload takes place. This strategy for concept learning is then presented in “bite-size” chunks which is more readily recognized and understood.
Communication with Parent - Educating a student is a team effort. Informing, involving and collaborating with parents are foundational suggestions for educators to include in their communication with parents.
Conference: Parent/Teacher - A meeting to discuss a student’s behavioral problem(s) and to develop a plan of action for supporting his/her behavioral needs.
Conference: Student Team - A meeting between the student and his/her teachers, family members and other relevant professionals to discuss the student’s behavioral problems and to develop a plan of action to support his/her behavioral needs.
Correction and Conference with Student - Correction and conference with a student means a student meets with an administrator, their teacher(s), and/or parent and receives instruction on demonstrating appropriate behavior.
Counseling - Counseling refers to a student receiving counseling support services from a school and/or complex professionals to address the student’s behavioral problems and concerns.
Curricula Modifications - Curricula modifications refers to making changes to a range of educational components in a curriculum such as content knowledge, the method of instruction, and the student’s learning outcomes through the alteration of materials and programs.
Differentiation-Acceleration and Content Enhancement - Acceleration allows a student to move through a curriculum at a faster than ordinary pace without having sacrificed content. Enhancing content (through acceleration, depth, complexity, and/or novelty) increases student motivation, engagement, challenge and depth of learning.
Differentiation – Compacting - A specifically designed strategy developed by J. Renzulli to help advanced learners maximize their use of time for learning. Challenging work is provided that is consistent with student readiness, interests and learning style.
Differentiation – Contracting - In a differentiated classroom environment, an agreement made between the student and teacher whereby the student is given certain freedoms in order to complete a task.
Differentiation – Flexible Grouping - A variety of structures/configurations of grouping students based upon the learning task and utilizing student readiness, interest, learning styles/preferences.
Differentiation – Problem-based learning - A learning environment which designates students, capitalizing upon their area(s) of interest, to research and organize their learning based upon a hypothetical problem or question.
Differentiation – Tiering - An instructional design approach whereby the teacher analyzes student readiness levels taking into consideration the complexity of the outcomes/concepts or skills, and then develops activities/tasks at varying levels of challenge to promote continued academic growth.
Extended Time - Not all students or learners per se, take exactly the same amount of time to accomplish an assigned task. Certain students may need this extra time to achieve/produce/comprehend what is being asked of them.
Grade Checks - Regular monitoring of grades to keep track of the student's progress in learning.
Frequent Breaks - A strategy utilized to break up learning periods into smaller time segments. Thus the student in now able to focus and concentrate on the task so that optimum learning can take place.
Frequent Checks for Understanding - ACI or Assess-Curriculum-Instruction is best practices recommended. Some students, however, may need more frequent/closer monitoring to ensure that learning has occurred. Frequent checks are encouraged to prevent the student from later on requiring remedial catch-up support when lack of understanding is discovered late.
Home Involvement Plan - A home involvement plan is an agreed upon plan of action between the student, his/her parents, school administrator(s), teachers/school staff and/or other relevant team members.
Individualized Instruction with Student - Individualized instruction with student refers to a student receiving individualized instruction related to the student’s behavioral problem(s).
Instructional Adaptations - Instructional adaptations are changes made to the existing content areas, methods of instruction, and student learning outcomes to meet the student’s learning styles and needs. Examples of instructional adaptations may include, but are not limited to: simplifying abstract concepts, providing concrete examples, promoting generalization of concepts, relating to everyday experiences, extending and elaborating ideas.
Minimizing Auditory Distractions - To optimize learning, the teacher may need to address auditory sounds that may be distracting to students. e.g. closing the classroom doors at the time that other grade levels are on recess.
Minimizing Visual Distractions - To optimize learning, a student’s environment may be arranged so that concentration and focusing becomes easier for the student to learn by simplifying and minimizing visually accessible elements. e.g. A neon-colored bulletin board with the latest video game characters may be moved from a space that is directly in front of a student who is visually, easily distracted.
Monitor Attendance Record - Regular checks on a student's daily presence in school to reinforce improvement in school attendance patterns. The student is required to obtain the signature of the teacher to indicate his/her presence in class for the day/period. The daily log is sometimes referred to as a "dog tag."
Oral Directions - Spoken directions given to students who have auditory capabilities.
Parallel Curriculum - “A cumulative model of past curriculum models rolled into one.” Parallel curriculum is multi layered so that the curriculum can be more adequately altered to meet the needs of diverse – usually advanced, learners (for more information, see source The Parallel Curriculum - A Design to Develop High Potential and Challenge High-Ability Learners; Tomlinson et al.2002.)
Parent/Teacher Conference - A meeting convened between the teacher and the student’s parents/families to address issues to promote student achievement.
Peer Mentors/Assistance - A learning situation whereby a student is partnered with a peer where the latter provides support/guidance usually on a short-term basis. e.g. A student who is bilingual is asked to mentor and fellow classmate who has not English skills, having recently arrived in Hawaii.
Preferential Seating - Student seating arrangement, in an instructional setting, to provide optimum learning conditions.
Repeating Directions - Repeated directions may be necessary for a student to comprehend the concept at hand. A skilled instructor provides learning experiences by repeating directions not in the same rote manner, but developing those same directions within other formats - auditory, visual, kinesthetic, musically, etc. Repeated directions may also be presented in the format of explaining through metaphors and/or examples.
SIS Initiated (ESLL) - For students identified as English as a second language learner on the SIS.
Social Skills Training - Social skills training are behavioral skills (e.g., communication, problem solving, decision-making, self-management, peer relations) that are taught directly to students to help them initiate and maintain positive social relationships with others.
Student/Teacher Conference - A meeting convened, between the student and the teacher to address issues unique to the educational goals for student achievement.
Time Out - An agreed upon consequence whereby a student is provided the opportunity to re-assess his behavior/actions in relation to previously set goals and objectives.
Tutorial Assistance - Instruction provided a student to address a specific area of learning, usually within a small group or one-to-one setting.
Visual Cues/Prompts - Visual cues/prompts are those pre-agreed upon signals (between student and instructor) that encourage specifically addressed behaviors/actions. e.g. A visual cue would be the typical finger to the lips signal to a student, who while attending a symphony concert, needs to be reminded to lower his usually robust manner of conversation.