Question: What have you learned about implementing intensive intervention from the district perspective? 

Answer: From a district standpoint, I am a Special Ed. Director and we have really looked at how to implement DBI (data-based individualization) effectively and to sustain that. So what we have really talked about doing through our help with MiBLSi (Michigan's Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative) and NCII, we’ve talked about how we become more system dependent rather than person dependent. So in order to implement DBI, we‘ve talked a lot about, in our district, looking at the concept and the idea of having a plan. So we have carried out a three year plan where we’ve committed people and resources to make sure that the implementation of DBI is carried out. The plan looks like, it’s a three year plan that we have created. We have talked a lot about the resources and the people that are involved with the plan—the money allocation—so it’s a huge component of having to make sure it’s not just the teachers doing DBI, but that administration supports that. So the plan has a component of professional development (PD). Making sure that the teachers are trained and as people come and go we have a plan to carry that PD out so there is not a big gap in the services that are provided. We also look in the plan at setting down the non-negotiables. With our teaching staff we look at, here are the things that we are going to be doing, here are the things that we are not going to be doing anymore— just to make sure that we get the biggest bang for our buck. We also talk a lot about fidelity and the fidelity of our implementation, which is an area that we are trying to focus on this next year within our three year plan— to make sure that it is carried out. We are having a hard time looking at, as we go from tier-to-tier—are we doing that with fidelity across the district. So, we are trying to match up this three year plan so that we can take our five elementary buildings and so that they are similar in aspects as they carry out DBI. We are only working on two buildings right now with DBI, but the hope and goal is to carry that into the rest of our elementary buildings.

Question: What advice would give for implementing DBI from a district perspective?

Answer: Implementing DBI from a district standpoint, I mean the buy-in is the critical part. Why are we doing this? You know you will hear staff say, “It’s just another thing or we are already doing this.” And I think that DBI, looking at it, we have become focused on being compliant and as an administrator when I want people to come to the table to talk about students, I want them to bring data. So the data that you need to bring in order to make these decisions is critical, but making sure when you implement, that you have all your stakeholders involved. Administration needs to be onboard, your teachers need to be onboard, [and]your parents need to be communicated to, so those are three I think huge components of DBI that you have to make sure  — if one of those three are missing, it is very hard to implement it with fidelity. So we have focus very hard in making sure that in Swartz Creek the administration team is onboard, we have our  teachers onboard, and now our third step is that as a student moves through the intervention tiers, parents are communicated [with].