An Introduction to Intensive
Intervention
Lou Danielson, Ph.D.
Center Director
October 2012
In this session, we will discuss…
• Why intensive intervention?
• Who are the students that require intensive
intervention?
• Where and when should intensive intervention
take place?
• What is NCII’s approach to intensive intervention?
• How is intensive intervention different from
secondary level supports or special education?
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Why Intensive Intervention?
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Why Intensive Intervention?
 1 out of 3 students with
disabilities have a discipline
problem (NLTS-2).
 4 out of 5 are either unemployed
or work in low-paying jobs as
young adults (NLTS-2).
 Although the dropout rate has
declined significantly over the
past 10 years, students with
learning disabilities continue to
drop out of school at a much
higher rate than their nondisabled peers (Cortiella, 2011).
 Many tiered intervention
initiatives have not sufficiently
addressed students with the
most intensive needs.
Source: Cortiella, 2011
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NAEP: 4th Grade Reading, Students with
Disabilities (2011: 68% below basic)
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NAEP 4th Grade Math, Students with
Disabilities (2011: 45% below basic)
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Who Requires and Delivers Intensive
Intervention?
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Who Requires Intensive Intervention?
• Students with disabilities are not making adequate
progress in their current instructional program
• Students with disabilities who present with very low
academic achievement, and/or intense behavior
problems
• Students in a tiered intervention program who have
not responded to secondary intervention programs
delivered with fidelity
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Who Requires Intensive Intervention?
• Based on analysis of student responsiveness data from
multi-level studies (e.g., Al Otaiba & Fuchs, 2006; L. Fuchs
et al., 2008; McMaster, Fuchs, Fuchs & Compton, 2005;
Wanzek & Vaughn, 2009, Conduct Prevention Problems
Research Group, 2002), we estimate that approximately:
 2.5 million students (5% of the general school
population) require intensive academic interventions
 1.5 million students (3% of the general school
population) require intensive behavioral interventions
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Who delivers intensive intervention?
• Skilled teachers who have expertise delivering
interventions to struggling students (e.g., special
education teacher, reading, math, or behavior
specialist)
• Students with the most significant needs should
work with the most qualified available staff
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Where and when should intensive
intervention take place?
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Where and when should intensive
intervention take place?
• Accessing the general education curriculum is about what we
want students to know, not where instruction takes place.
• Student need should drive placement decisions
• Instructional time should be increased, and should
supplement core instruction when possible
• In some cases, supplanted instruction may be necessary.
This decision should be team-based, data-driven, and
evaluated regularly
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What is NCII’s approach to intensive
intervention ?
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Data-Based Individualization (DBI)
• What is DBI?
 DBI is a systematic method for using data to determine
when and how to intensify and intervention.
 DBI occurs after high quality secondary interventions
have been delivered with fidelity and a student has not
made sufficient progress
- In rare cases, students who present with extremely
low achievement or high intensity behavior problems
where secondary level supports are unlikely to be
sufficient may also be referred for DBI.
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Data-Based Individualization (DBI)
• Pre-conditions for DBI:
 Core instruction and secondary intervention platforms
 Progress monitoring systems
 Systems and procedures for reviewing data
• Center’s Approach:
 NCII provides technical assistance to districts and
schools to train and support interventionists to implement
DBI.
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Secondary Intervention and DBI Process
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How is intensive intervention different
from secondary interventions?
Secondary Intervention
Intensive Intervention
-Use intervention platform with
fidelity
- Teachers trained to use
intervention platform with
fidelity
Evidencebased
Intervention
Platform
Small group
- Frequency: As prescribed by
the intervention program
-Setting: Supplemental to core
instruction
Explicit
Instruction
- Intensify intervention platform
based on individual needs
- Teachers trained in the
process of using data to
individualize and intensify
interventions
- Frequency and Setting:
Individualized, based on data
and team decision-making
process
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How is intensive intervention different
from secondary intervention?
• When delivered in isolation, differences between
secondary and intensive intervention may not
always be apparent as both involve small group,
explicit instruction.
• Thus, it is important to consider:
 Qualitative and quantitative intensifications that have
been made to the original intervention platform (e.g. time,
duration vs. type of instruction delivered)
 The systematic process and data analysis that was used
to make these adaptations
 Departure from the standard platform that may occur at
the intensive level
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References
Al Otaiba, S., & Fuchs, D. (2006). Who Are the Young Children for Whom Best Practices in Reading Are
Ineffective? An Experimental and Longitudinal Study. Journal Of Learning Disabilities, 39(5), 414-431.
Cortiella, C. (2011). The State of Learning Disabilities. New York, NY: National Center for Learning
Disabilities.
Deno, S. L., Mirkin, P. K., & Leadership Training Inst. for Special Education, M. n. (1977). Data-Based
Program Modification: A Manual.
Evaluation of the first 3 years of the fast track prevention trial with children at high risk for adolescent
conduct problems. (2002). Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 30(1), 19-35.
Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., Powell, S. R., Seethaler, P. M., Cirino, P. T., & Fletcher, J. M. (2008). Intensive
Intervention for Students with Mathematics Disabilities: Seven Principles of Effective Practice.
Learning Disability Quarterly, 31(2), 79-92.
McMaster, K. L., Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L. S., & Compton, D. L. (2005). Responding to Nonresponders: An
Experimental Field Trial of Identification and Intervention Methods. Exceptional Children, 71(4), 445463.
National Center for Education Statistics, (2011). The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2011. Trial Urban
District Assessment Results at Grades 4 and 8. NCES 2012-452. National Center For Education
Statistics.
National Center for Education Statistics, (2011). The Nation's Report Card: Reading 2011. Trial Urban
District Assessment Results at Grades 4 and 8. NCES 2012-455. National Center For Education
Statistics.
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References
Wanzek, J., & Vaughn, S. (2009). Students demonstrating persistent low response to reading
intervention: Three case studies. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 24(3), 151-163.
doi:10.1111/j.1540-5826.2009.00289.x
Wagner, M., Newman, L., Cameto, R., Levine, P., & SRI International, M. A. (2005). Changes over
Time in the Early Postschool Outcomes of Youth with Disabilities. A Report of Findings from the
National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) and the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2
(NLTS2). Online Submission.
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Lou Danielson, Ph.D.
E-Mail: NCII@air.org
1050 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007- 3835
General Information: 866-577-5787
Website: www.intensiveintervention.org
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While permission to redistribute this webinar is not
necessary, the citation should be:
National Center on Intensive Intervention. (2012). An
Introduction to Intensive Intervention. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special
Education Programs, National Center on Intensive
Intervention.
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National Center on Intensive
Intervention
This webinar was produced under the U.S.
Department of Education, Office of Special
Education Programs, Award No. H326Q110005.
Celia Rosenquist serves as the project officer.
The views expressed herein do not necessarily
represent the positions or policies of the U.S.
Department of Education. No official endorsement
by the U.S. Department of Education of any
product, commodity, service or enterprise
mentioned in this presentation is intended or
should be inferred.
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