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Moving From IEP to Evidence-Based Practice: Identifying Interventions

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Moving From IEP to Evidence-Based Practice: Identifying Intervention

This student is currently working on comprehension skills and worksheets such as how to

find the main idea, fluency, vocabulary and decoding. This current data will be based on reading

comprehension. In reading his fluency accuracy has increased but has not progressed to

expectations past 60 wpm. He does much better with visual cues and high frequency words at

70% accuracy at grade level. His oral vocabulary is at 65% accuracy. His reading comprehension

is extensively below grade level and the goal is to get to 100%. He can read and comprehend an

informational text at 70% accuracy, but when given a grade level reading passage and answer

questions, he comprehends at 50% accuracy. He can answer comprehension questions when

grade level passage is read to him at 70% accuracy.

In my findings for evidence-based strategies regarding my student’s needs according to

(Watson et al., 2012), is saying that “specific strategies should be matched to the student’s needs

in order to provide an intervention and whatever strategy is selected it should be structured,

explicit, scaffolded, and intense” (p. 79). Based on (Benedict et al, 2014), states that you should

“provide explicit skill and strategy based on instruction to help students acquire more knowledge

of the content” (p. 149). In Zimmermann & Hutchins (2003), states when “synthesizing the

findings on proficient readers you should identify "seven keys to comprehension," which is a set

of skills that includes making connections to background knowledge”. The evidence-based

strategies that my student can benefit from is direct instruction on background knowledge,

graphic organizers, text structure, paraphrasing, and summarization.

In order for my student to identify the main idea the two evidence-based strategies, I

would implement for my student needs is based on (Watson et al., 2012), which is the

“Paraphrasing RAP strategy and the Summarization strategy” (p. 84). The RAP strategy will

increase my student’s ability to identify main ideas and improve his reading comprehension
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skills (p. 84). In summarization my student will be able to understand what the text is about and

recognize the major points of a text. inferences and then synthesizing the information (p. 85).

For my student explicit strategies is a good comprehension instruction. My student can

become a successful reader if he has these specific reading strategies, because these strategies

have three phases, which are before, during, and after reading. The before strategies would

initiate my students’, prior knowledge and give him a purpose for reading. The during strategies

would help my student make connections. The after strategies would provide my student the

chance to paraphrase, summarize, think, review and apply his knowledge to the text. For each

phrase it would improve my students processing skills that he needs. The explicit strategies for

comprehension would align with my students IEP goals and objectives, because he will be able

to apply the before, during, and after skills to any informational texts.

The steps, I will take is to have a reading comprehension intervention strategy. I will

review and re-teach each strategy each time he is given an activity to complete. Twice per week

this student will be given either an oral vocabulary, reading comprehension and fluency

worksheet activity to complete. He will be given two 15-minute time periods to complete each

activity. Once he is completed he can choose to repeat the activities or do another activity. This

student will focus on one strategy per week. All of the above strategies support his reading

comprehension.
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References
Adler, C.R. (n.d.). Seven strategies to teach students text comprehension. Retrieved from

www.readingrockets.org/article/seven-strategies-teach-students-text-comprehension.

Benedict, A. E., Brownell, M. T., Park, Y., Bettini, E.A., and Lauterbach, A. A. (2014). Taking

charge of your professional learning: Tips for cultivating special educator expertise.

TEACHING Exceptional Children, 46(6), 147–157.

Ralabate, P. (n.d). Universal design for learning: Meeting the needs of all students. Retrieved

from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/universal-design-learning-meeting-needs-all-

students.

Watson, S.M.R., Gable, R.A., Gear, S.B., and Hughes, K.C. (2012). Evidence-based strategies

for improving the reading comprehension of secondary students: Implications for

students with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 27(2), 79–

89. Retrieved from http://ideal-group.org/visualization-research/Evidence-Based-

Strategies-for-Improving-the-Reading-Comprehension-of-Secondary-Students-

Implications-for-Students-with-Learning-Disabilities.pdf.

Zimmermann, S. & Hutchins, C. (2003). 7 keys to comprehension: How to help your kids read it

and get it! New York: Three Rivers Press. Retrieved from

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/113007/chapters/References.aspx.
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Appendix: Pre-Intervention Data

Pre- Intervention Data

120%

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

Fluency Vocabulary Informational Text Reading Comprehension

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Reading Progress Monitoring Tool

General Reading Processes:
Vocabulary: Students will use a variety of strategies and opportunities to understand word
meaning and to increase vocabulary.
Understand, acquire, and use new vocabulary
Objective(s) Date/ Comments Date/ Comments Date/ Comments
Level Level Level
Use context to determine
the meanings of words

General Reading Comprehension: Students will use a variety of strategies to understand what
they read (construct meaning).
Use strategies to demonstrate understanding of the text (after reading)
Objective(s) Date/ Comments Date/ Comments Date/ Comments
Level Level Level
Identify and explain the
main idea

Identify and explain what

is directly stated in the
text
Identify and explain what
is not directly stated in
the text by drawing
inferences
Draw conclusions or
make generalizations
about the text
Confirm, refute, or make
predictions and form new
ideas
Paraphrase the main idea

Summarize

Connect the text to prior

knowledge or personal
experience
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Rubrics

Criteria Emerging Meets Exceeds Comments

Expectations Expectations

Retell Stories Retells stories Retells stories Retells stories

with pictures without with specific
and /or pictures or details and
prompts prompts embellishments

Making sense Making sense Makes sense Makes

of stories of stories of stories connections
with prompts using prior with other
experiences, stories and/or
pictures, and life experiences
illustrations

Uses word Exhibits the Uses Reads grade

identification use of some prediction, level material
strategies context clues contest clues, fluently
and limited and phonetic without
phonetic awareness hesitation and
awareness with expression

Answers Accurately Accurately Answers

specific answers answers most questions
comprehension some questions accurately
questions questions with prompts without
with prompts to return to prompts
the passage
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