Research shows that targeted interventions significantly improve student outcomes. But building the time into secondary schedules is much easier said than done. Designating time during the school day for targeted interventions means that precious time and staffing are taken from other areas, perhaps electives or in some schools, core academics themselves. Given the urgency of improving student outcomes, some of these shifts may be appropriate, but great care must be taken to use this time effectively and to monitor progress to ensure that interventions are improving student outcomes.
Intervention Models: Double Time and WIN
Interventions come in many forms. The best practice for intervention at the secondary level is a "double time" model in which students receive an additional block for extra help in addition to their core instruction. This model supports students with significant needs in a content area where significant extra help is warranted. The justification for this model is simple–students who struggle need structured, extra time to cover the content standards they missed. Hoping that core teachers will cover more content in the same amount of time won’t suffice. Targeted extra blocks are designed to pre-teach new content, re-teach current or prior year content, address missing foundational skills, and correct misconceptions for a strategically selected cohort of students.
Another form of intervention is a flexible intervention block or What-I-Need (WIN) block, which may be useful for students who simply need a bit more practice with a concept. These blocks tend to be shorter than a full period, perhaps 30 minutes or so, and might only meet 2-3 times per week. Great care must be taken to build a structure for how this time is to be used and how students should be paired with teachers for support. Without this planning, these flex interventions run the risk of being wasted time. Creating clear measurable goals for flex time can pay dividends in improving outcomes for students.
Schools can take various approaches to integrating these interventions into their schedules. Regardless of which type of intervention is utilized, below are five considerations that support designing and scheduling interventions most effectively.
Keys to Designing and Scheduling Effective Targeted Interventions in Secondary Schools
Build Extra Time for Intervention: Intervention should be in addition to, not instead of, core instruction. Avoid reducing time in core instruction and, instead, create additional time for intervention to complement the regular curriculum. Prioritize student needs by level of need or specific content area to focus intervention efforts appropriately. Focusing efforts this way will help clarify how many intervention sections may be needed and in what format. It may also be necessary to adjust your master schedule to accommodate a consistent intervention block for all students who need it.
Assign Content-Strong Teachers to Provide Intervention: The most impactful intervention comes from direct instruction delivered by a teacher with deep content expertise. Teachers with deep subject-matter expertise can supercharge learning. They’ll reteach concepts not yet mastered, teach such concepts in new and multiple ways, deduce underlying misconceptions, and target instruction to unteach the incorrect approach. Teachers without a strong background in the content can’t be expected to have the same impact, particularly with students with the most significant needs.
Create Short, Focused Intervention Cycles: Oftentimes, schools treat interventions as if they were regular courses. They identify students at the beginning of the year for extra help and place them in interventions. This approach can create difficult learning environments for students and staff, as students may feel trapped in an extra help class, usually at the expense of an elective course. Instead, consider creating short, 8-10-week intervention cycles with focused goals. Be intentional about why students and teachers are in the intervention and what the goals of the intervention time are. Be sure also to align the curriculum and materials with the intervention structure. This structure of intervention can be dovetailed with an elective wheel or enrichment program so that at the end of a cycle, students have the option to return to their elective or enrichment.
Monitor Progress Carefully: Interventions require a sacrifice. For students, it may mean losing an elective. For schools, it may mean a teacher is not able to teach another course. Track performance carefully to determine whether interventions are delivering results. Before an intervention begins, align on what constitutes success. What do you hope students will accomplish by the end of the intervention cycle? Ensure you have data systems and clear assessments that will deliver these insights. Track progress regularly and adapt the approach as needed to ensure strong results.
Provide Coaching and Professional Learning for Teachers: Producing transformational results through interventions relies on your teachers. It’s critical that your teachers and staff have the knowledge and skills to implement intervention strategies effectively. Professional learning can help teachers structure discussions on how to use data to tailor instruction to the specific needs of students. Schools might also consider using performance coaches who can help teachers reflect on student learning progress against the goals of the intervention.
Implementing Targeted Interventions for Student Success
By carefully considering these elements when building a secondary school schedule, schools can effectively integrate targeted interventions that support students who struggle without compromising their access to core academic instruction.
These recommendations likely sound straightforward, sensible, and familiar, but all too often the complexities of scheduling get in the way of implementing them. At DMGroup, we have partnered with hundreds of schools and districts nationwide to help them implement targeted interventions successfully. We understand the secondary scheduling complexities, and we know how to navigate them effectively. If you're looking to transform your scheduling practices to better support all students, contact us today.