CONSIDER THESE TIPS FOR GOING BACK TO SCHOOL

See links below for other interventions

INSTRUCTIONAL FACTORS NECESSARY 

FOR  INDIVIDUAL STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 

(Source :  Strategies and Tactics for Effective Instruction by Bob Algozzine & James Ysseldyke)

The degree to which goals and expectations for performance and success are stared clearly and understood by the student.

1.         Set clear goals

2.         Set high expectations

3.         Demand high success rates

4.         Check for student understanding

5.         Provide direct and frequent feedback

The degree to which classroom management is effective and efficient

1.         Select a few essential classroom rules and procedures, and explicitly  communicate expectations about classroom behavior.

2.         Handle behavioral disruptions promptly

3.         Have an ongoing surveillance system

4.         Develop a sense of accountability and responsibility in their students.

5.         Use well-established instructional routines

6.         Make transitions brief

7.         Allocate considerable time to instruction

8.         Hold classroom interruptions to a minimum

The degree to which there is a sense of positiveness in the school environment

1.         An academic focus with a humanistic orientation

2.         A cooperative rather than competitive learning structure

3.         Order

4.         Strong administrative leadership

5.         Parent-teacher contact and collaboration

6.         A belief among teachers that students can learn

7.         A set of realistic, high expectations

The degree to which there is an appropriate instructional match

1.         Identify the student's level of skill development

2.         Analyze the demands of classroom tasks

3.         Match tasks to student aptitudes

4.         Analyze learning conditions in the classroom

5.         Assign tasks that are relevant to instructional goals

6.         Assure high student success rates

7.         Check for student understanding

The degree to which lessons are presented clearly and follow specific instructional procedures

1.         Use a demonstration-prompt-practice sequence (active teaching and learning)

2.         Make instruction explicit (what, shy, when, how)

3.         Check for student understanding (what and how)

4.         Systematically apply principles of learning (attention, reinforcement, variety)

The degree to which instructional support is provided for the individual student

1.         Monitor and adjust instruction (adaptive instruction)

2.         Model thinking skills

3.         Teach learning strategies

4.         Provide time needed to learn

5.         Provide considerable guided practice

The degree to which sufficient time is allocated to academics and instructional time is used efficiently

1.         Allocate sufficient time to instruction

2.         Get students actively engaged

3.         Engage in frequent, high-intensity student-teacher interaction

The degree to which the student's opportunity to respond is high

1.         Provide many opportunities for students to respond

2.         Provide specific error correction

3.         Alternate teaching strategies

The degree to which the teacher actively monitors student progress and understanding

1.         Monitoring must be active and frequent

The degree to which student performance is evaluated appropriately and frequently

1.         Evaluation must be frequent and congruent with what is taught (curriculum alignment)

**For more information on classrooom interventions try the following links.

Intervention Central        Act Against Violence         Try Science       

Kids Health (use the search for behavior ideas)        Reading Tips