The purpose of this document is to increase the capacity of practitioners and educational leaders to support a broad range of learners who need more literacy supports to become skilled readers and writers by identifying a set of essential practices that are research-supported and should be the focus of professional development. These practices for intensifying literacy instruction apply to those learners with severe and persistent reading and writing challenges who have not responded when provided with instruction aligned with state academic standards, regardless of disability status.

This guide provides information critical to developing and implementing an effective school-level intervention program. It is designed to suggest some guiding principles along with examples of how these principles can be operationalized to develop an effective school-level system for meeting the instruction needs of all students.