INSTRUCTIONAL DECISION MAKING
IOWA CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
1.
What is Instructional Decision Making (IDM)?
IDM is the process by which decisions are made about students’ instructional
needs. IDM is a general education initiative and “focuses on instruction by using
data about students’ responses to past instruction to guide future educational
decisions”. IDM is a proactive approach of using data analysis to provide early
assistance to students with instructional needs beyond regular instruction and
matching the amount of resources to the nature of the students’ needs.
The benefits of Instructional Decision Making include:
 Screening all students to ensure early identification of students
needing extra assistance.
 Seamless integration of general and special education services.
 A focus on research based practices that match student needs.
2.
What is the IDM process?
“The IDM process begins with all students having access to a guaranteed and
viable curriculum provided by the school through the core instructional
program”. (Instructional Decision-Making, Version 1,1; June 2005)
IDM includes three integrated cycles of instruction: core, supplemental and
intensive.
All students receive core instruction. District wide assessment data are reviewed
on all students on a regular basis. Every student’s response to instruction is
evaluated based on this assessment data.
Because students respond differently to instruction, it may be determined that
some students have additional instructional needs. These students are then
provided with supplemental instruction in addition to core instruction. Students
with significant needs are provided with intensive instruction in addition to core
instruction.
The effectiveness of the supplemental and intensive instruction is evaluated by
monitoring student progress through a process of collecting individual student
data (progress monitoring). Students are able to move from one cycle of
instruction to another based on their progress and needs.
IDM is a systematic decision-making process, however it may be implemented
differently in different school settings.
3.
What are core, supplemental and intensive
instruction?

Core instruction begins with the implementation of the district
developed guaranteed, viable curriculum and instruction to all
students.

Supplemental instruction is provided to students who have been
identified using district wide assessment data as not making adequate
progress in the core instruction. Supplemental instruction:
 Is provided to small groups of students with similar needs
 Does not replace core curriculum but supplements it using
district approved curriculum materials
 Includes screening, diagnostic assessments and progress
monitoring. (formative assessments)
 Include screening and baseline information, instructional and
monitoring strategies, goal information and decision making in
the documentation plan
 Allows for fluid and flexible movement between core and
supplemental instruction

Intensive instruction is the most intensive and most individualized of
all the instruction cycles. It is for students not making adequate
progress in core and supplemental instruction. Intensive instruction:
 Is provided to small groups and individual students
 Requires data to make decisions
 Does not replace core curriculum but supplements it using
district approved curriculum materials
 Includes a written intervention plan and on-going frequent
monitoring of progress
 Involves screening, diagnostic assessments and progress
monitoring. (formative assessments)
 Involves the general education teacher, building
administrators, AEA staff and parent(s) qualified to provide
the interventions under the direction of the teacher
4.
What is the role of the principal?
The role of the principal is to provide the leadership to implement the IDM
process in his/her building. The principal will need to provide ongoing training,
set up a team process for making instructional decisions, coordinate effective
interventions, assist in developing screening and assessment systems, and ensure
that the process is being followed for determining eligibility of students for
special education services. The principal must integrate IDM as a component of
its school improvement plan.
5.
What is the role of the general education teacher?
The role of the general education teacher is to teach the district approved
curriculum using researched based instructional practices, periodically screen and
assess all students to monitor progress, differentiate instruction, effectively
communicate with parents and select interventions in the core and supplemental
instructional cycles that can be implemented among the teacher, parent, and AEA
staff. General education teachers must involve the AEA staff, parent and any other
appropriate staff when considering implementation of an intensive instruction plan.
6.
What are the roles of the Language Arts Resource
Specialists (LARS) and Math Resource Specialists
(MARS)?
LARS and MARS may participate in instructional decision making teams, or grade
level teams, assist teachers in planning for individual or small groups of students
and identify students for consideration for supplemental or intensive instruction.
They may answer questions regarding types of assessments and provide
recommendations on appropriate instructional strategies. LARS and MARS would
not be expected to implement or progress monitor supplemental or intensive
instruction plans.
7. What is the role of Title I/Reading Recovery Teachers,
other reading teachers and drop out prevention staff?
The Title I, Reading Recovery and other reading teachers may serve as reading
content specialists. They may answer questions regarding types of assessments that
are appropriate, assist in the interpretation of assessments and provide
recommendations on appropriate instruction strategies. Generally, reading
teachers are to assess and serve only the students on their rosters and are not
expected to collect additional information on students they do not serve.
Drop out prevention staff serving secondary schools may be used to screen and
assess students, provide instruction in supplemental instruction and assist with
strategies related to attendance, behavior, incomplete homework and poor academic
performance. They may consult about and/or provide any other learning support
that removes barriers to learning.
8. What is the role of the special education teacher?
Special Education Teachers need to be knowledgeable about the district core
curriculum. In the supplemental instruction cycle, the role of the special education
teacher is to consult with a general education teacher regarding instructional
strategies which may benefit a student or group of students with similar needs.
Special education teachers may assist in interventions that can be implemented in
the general education classroom.
In the intensive instruction cycle, the role of a special education teacher may include
direct instruction under certain circumstances:
o Involvement in direct instruction to students on an intensive plan
should not interfere with a special education teacher’s ability to
provide services to students on the caseload. Therefore, the special
education teacher’s caseload must be considered in determining their
availability to provide direct intensive instruction.
o The maximum amount of time a special education teacher can
provide direct instruction is six to nine weeks.
o Parents must be informed that a special education teacher will be
providing instruction and in what setting the instruction will occur.
o Parents must also be informed that a special education teacher’s
involvement in delivering intensive instruction under IDM does not
guarantee them or their son or daughter the same procedural
safeguards as parents or students who are eligible for special
education nor does it guarantee eligibility for special education.
9.
What is the role of the AEA staff with intensive
instruction plans?
An AEA staff must be a participant in every intensive instruction plan. Their role
may include:
o Reviewing existing data and completing assessments to
determine student skills if additional information is necessary
o Consulting on matching instructional plans to student needs
o Collaborating with district staff on the development of
appropriate instructional strategies
o Supporting or providing the implementation of instructional
plans with groups or individual students
o Facilitating the monitoring and charting of student progress
and data collection
o Facilitating the completion of paperwork for documentation
10. How is progress monitoring used in intensive instruction
plans?
The progress monitoring of intensive instruction plans involves ongoing data
collection that is collected on a frequent and routine basis. It is a short sample of
student performance that is graphed to create a ‘picture’ and to make instructional
decision. This type of progress monitoring is a ‘general outcomes measure’ that
correlates highly with the component skills that constitute reading such as
phonological awareness, decoding, and comprehension. Skills that are needed to
perform an oral reading fluency or maze method of monitoring progress integrate
several skills to perform the task, including decoding, sight word recognition and
vocabulary knowledge. These are only a couple of examples of general outcome
measures.
One sample of a progress monitoring activity does not inform instruction in and of
itself, but several data samples do inform instruction when used with additional
data. Analyzing the goal with the trend of the child’s progress indicates whether or
not the child can be expected to reach the goal with the current instructional
interventions.
The following types of assessments have relevance in different ways in the IDM
process:
o Screening Assessments are linked to district standards and benchmarks and
used to identify students at-risk on not meeting expectations or those who are
exceeding expectations. (Screening in some situations needs to occur at least
3 times per year.)
o Diagnostic assessment processes are used to specify the individual needs of
students (Administrated when indicated by data.)
o Progress monitoring and formative assessments are used to determine the
effects of instruction and to make instructional changes when needed.
(Weekly or more frequently) DIBELS is not an approved district-wide
assessment and is not supported by district resources or training. It may not
be used to replace a district-wide assessment on early literacy. GWAEA staff
has been trained to use DIBELS and may use it to collect student data.
Individual teacher use is allowed provided the teacher is trained and if it is
not the sole source of data used to make instructional decisions. Monitoring
reading fluency should include monitoring the student’s ability to read
quickly, accurately and with expression, not just monitoring the reading rate.
o Summative assessments are large scale assessments linked to statewide
learning outcomes. In Iowa the measures primarily used are ITBS and
ITED.
Some assessments that are used in the Iowa City Community School District
include:
o Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)
o Comprehension Monitoring Rubrics Houghton - Mifflin
o Retelling Rubrics – Houghton Mifflin
o Soar “Retelling” and “Oral Reading Check”
o Running Records
o Record of Writing Vocabulary
o Observation Survey
o Record of Book Levels
o Rigby PM Benchmark Assessments
o Houghton Mifflin Assessment Kit
o District Developed K-2 Math Assessment
o District Developed 4th-8th & 11th grade Math Assessments
o ITBS & ITED
o Teacher Developed Math Assessments
o Grades 1-5 – Today’s Math (formative)
11. How would a student become eligible for special
education services?
Relevant data collected during the IDM process will be considered along with other
sources of data by the team when making eligibility decisions and when writing the
IEP. Data collected during the Instructional Decision Making process are used to
answer these general questions related to eligibility for special education:
o What is the individual’s educational progress?
o What is the individual’s discrepancy from expected standards?
o What is the individual’s instructional need?
The intensive instruction plan includes the questions that address educational
progress, discrepancy and educational need. In order to answer these questions,
multiple sources of information need to be considered including; classroom work
(tests, permanent products… etc), District wide assessments (DRA, KELA, Math
assessment, writing assessment), Standardized tests (ITBS, ITED), and progress
monitoring data. This collection of data is a convergence of data. The eligibility
questions are answered with information from the progress monitoring data
including; skill acquisition rate and discrepancy data. These pieces of information
are necessary to make a decision regarding eligibility for special education services.
12. Are there any situations where the entire IDM process
would not be necessary to move toward eligibility for special
education?
In some cases it may not be appropriate to implement a general education
intervention prior to determining eligibility and providing special education and
related services. Note: In such cases there must be overwhelming evidence of a
disability, need and discrepancy to move toward eligibility. Examples include, but
are not limited to:
o
o
An individual whose status has changed significantly due to a health or
medical condition or injury
An individual who has an obvious and immediate need for a service that is
only available through special education
Currently, when these situations arise, the data that is available is collected and
analyzed and recorded on the intensive instruction plan in the appropriate sections.
All sections may not be completed because the information is not available. The
team (including the AEA staff) would make a determination of eligibility and
complete the appropriate paperwork. .
13. Does the IDM process delay students from receiving
special education services?
The goal of IDM is to determine which instructional strategies are most effective for
the student and remediate a student’s skill deficit(s). It is important to remember
that the student is receiving extra instruction or ‘help’ during the entire IDM
process. The law requires that students receive general education interventions
prior to being considered for special education eligibility. In some cases, the IDM
process may result in a student receiving special education services sooner than they
would have in the past. In other cases, supplemental or intensive instruction will
remediate the student’s skill or performance deficit and special education services
will not be needed. This will depend on the significance of the student’s deficit and
their response to intervention.
References:
o IDM: A Guide for Teachers and Administrators – GWAEA – summer 2005
o Instructional Decision Making – Questions & Answers – Iowa City
Community School District – June 2005
o Instructional Decision Making Q and A, Fall 2004
o Instructional Decision Making Implementation Steering Committee
o Instructional Decision Making Version 1.1 June 2005, Iowa Department of
Education
o Special Education Eligibility Standards – Iowa Department of Education,
January 2006
June 28, 2006