INTERVENTION ASSISTANCE TEAM

RTI to IAT Flowchart

An Intervention Assistance Team (IAT) is a team of professional educators with diverse training and experience who convene to discuss and initiate interventions for students in need of assistance and individualized services. It is a problem-solving group whose purpose is to assist teachers, parents, and others with intervention strategies for dealing with the learning needs and behavior problems of students.

The Intervention Assistance Team (IAT) is established to systematically identify instructional recommendations for students having learning difficulties and behavioral or other concerns. The IAT should consider all support services available, such as tutorials, acceleration, compensatory and other services. The IAT may assist the teacher with instructional strategies or may make program and/or placement recommendations.

CAMPUS STAFF MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN THE INTERVENTION ASSISTANCE PROCESS

• Evaluation Specialist - provide additional support and resources, assist with student observations and gathering data, and help in preparation for meetings
• Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) - consults and/or meets with grade-level teams to assist with determining appropriate interventions, progress monitoring and documentation and completes screenings and evaluation when needed
• Speech Therapist - can also provide valuable information regarding possible intervention for students, provide resources to classroom teachers related to the development of and intervention with speech and language issues, provide speech and language interventions and progress monitor as appropriate, attend IAT meetings, and administer language screenings and evaluations when needed
• Principal - oversees the intervention process unless someone else is assigned this role, assigns staff to support the implementation of interventions, oversees fidelity of the process, gathers information from the referring teacher prior to the IAT meeting, and schedules school intervention team meetings and parent conferences
• General Education Teacher - works with grade-level/department teams to identify appropriate Tier I interventions for students, carry out and document Tier I interventions, document Tier I, II, and III interventions including the type of intervention, start and end dates, frequency, duration, time, days and progress-monitoring results, discuss students for whom progress is not adequate at the Tier I level and work with the grade-level team and support staff to increase interventions to the Tier II when appropriate, and complete forms for and attend IAT meetings when their students have not made adequate progress at the Tier II level
• Parents - provide background and historical information about student
• Counselor - assist with student observations and gathering data, provide additional support and resources, and confer with teacher, parents and student as appropriate
• Other specialists and teachers, as appropriate, such as Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Nurse, Social Worker and Title 1 Teachers
• Students may be invited when appropriate

The team may meet for any variety of reasons including academic, social, behavioral, and emotional. The IAT coordinates all activities of the campus multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS). MTSS leverages the principles of Response to Intervention (RtI) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and further integrates a continuum of system-wide resources, strategies, structures, and practices to offer a comprehensive and responsive framework for systemically addressing barriers to student learning (Florida’s Positive Behavior Support Project, 2010).

The primary focus of the Intervention Process is the identification and consideration of educational opportunities in the general classroom setting that may resolve a student’s academic, social, emotional, communication, and/or behavioral problem(s). 

WHEN A PARENT REQUESTS A SECTION 504 OR SPECIAL EDUCATION

• It is important to note that anytime a parent requests a Section 504 or special education evaluation, the campus will convene an IAT to consider the request. At this time, the IAT should review relevant data to either formally refer the student for a Section 504 or special education evaluation or formally refuse the request for evaluation.
• If the decision of the IAT is to refuse the request, the IAT will complete a Notice of Refusal, document the supporting data, and send the Notice of Refusal along with the Section 504 or special education procedural safeguards to the parent.
• In addition, HISD maintains the responsibility of evaluating suspected disabilities through special education for all children and adolescents aged 3 - 21 living within the boundaries of HISD.
• Non-enrolled children and adolescents may be referred for a special education evaluation. The campus will convene an IAT meeting when a parent requests an evaluation for the child or adolescent not enrolled in school. At this time, the IAT should review relevant data to either formally refer the student for Section 504 or special education evaluation or refuse the request for evaluation.
• If the decision of the IAT is to refuse the request, the IAT will complete a Notice of Refusal, document the supporting data, and send the Notice of Refusal along with the Section 504 or Special Education procedural safeguards to the parent.