These students may not yet have an IEP, but interventions help determine if more support or formal evaluation is needed.

Examples:

1. Small Group Instruction: A teacher provides focused reading practice for a small group of students struggling with decoding.

2. Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP): A strategy that helps reduce disruptive behavior by identifying triggers and teaching replacement behaviors.

Check-In/Check-Out (CICO): A daily routine where students check in with a mentor or staff member to review goals and get encouragement.

Additional Resource:

• Title: What Is Intervention? - RTI Action Network

• Summary: This article explains the purpose of academic and behavioral interventions within the RTI (Response to Intervention) model and offers examples and implementation tips.

Link: RTI Action Network – What Is Intervention?

High-Leverage Practice (HLP):

• Title: Provide Intensive Instruction

• Summary: This practice involves delivering targeted, frequent, and individualized support for students who are not making progress in core instruction. Intensive instruction is often used in Tier 2 or Tier 3 of an RTI/MTSS model.

• Link: HLP: Provide Intensive Instruction Provide Intensive Instruction

Examples:

1. Tiered Assignments: Students complete tasks at different levels of difficulty based on their readiness.

2. Flexible Grouping: Students are grouped and regrouped based on topic, ability, or interest for class activities.

Choice Boards: Students choose how to demonstrate learning (poster, essay, video).

Additional Resource:

• Title: What Is Differentiated Instruction? – ASCD

• Summary: This article from ASCD offers an overview of differentiation, practical classroom examples, and tips for managing a differentiated classroom.

• Link: ASCD – Differentiated Instruction Resources

High-Leverage Practice (HLP):

• Title: Adapt Curriculum Tasks and Materials for Specific Learning Goals

• Summary: Teachers adjust assignments and materials so students can reach the same goal in different ways, ensuring access while maintaining rigor.

• Link: HLP: Adapt Curriculum Tasks

Examples:

1. Extended Time: Allowing more time to complete tests or assignments

2. Preferential Seating: Seating the student near the front or away from distractions.

3. Text-to-Speech Technology: Using tools that read digital text aloud to support reading comprehension.

Additional Resource:

• Title: Accommodations and Modifications – Understood.org

• Summary: This resource clearly explains the difference between accommodations and modifications, who gets them, and how they support students with disabilities.

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP):

• Title: Accessible Instructional Materials – National Center on Accessible Educational Materials (AEM)

• Summary: This EBP focuses on providing materials in formats such as audio, large print, or Braille to support students with print disabilities and ensure access to the general curriculum.

• Link: AEM Center – Accessible Materials Link: Understood.org – Accommodations vs. Modifications

High-Leverage Practice (HLP):

• Title: Provide Scaffolded Supports

• Summary: This HLP involves offering temporary supports such as cues, models, or tools (e.g., graphic organizers or checklists) to help students access content and gradually build independence.

• Link: HLP: Provide Scaffolded Supports

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP):

• Title: Accessible Instructional Materials – National Center on Accessible Educational Materials (AEM)

• Summary: This EBP focuses on providing materials in formats such as audio, large print, or Braille to support students with print disabilities and ensure access to the general curriculum.

• Link: AEM Center – Accessible Materials

Examples:

1. Visual Schedules: Providing picture-based daily schedules to support students with Autism.

2. Enlarged Texts: Offering large-print versions of classroom materials for students with visual impairments.

Simplified Language: Rewriting instructions using simpler vocabulary for students with language processing challenges.

Additional Resource:

• Title: Wrightslaw: Adaptations, Accommodations, and Modifications

• Summary: This article breaks down the differences between accommodations, adaptations, and modifications, and explains when and how each should be used in special education.

Link: Wrightslaw – Adaptations Overview

High-Leverage Practice (HLP):

1. Title: Adapt Curriculum Tasks and Materials for Specific Learning Goals

2. Summary: This practice involves adjusting how tasks are presented—through visuals, hands-on materials, or language simplification—while keeping the learning goals the same.

3. Link: HLP: Adapt Curriculum Tasks

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP):

• Title: Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

• Summary: UDL is an evidence-based framework that supports flexible ways of presenting information and assessing learning to meet the needs of all learners, especially those with disabilities.

• Link: CAST – UDL Guidelines

Examples:

1. Reduced Assignments: A student completes only 10 math problems instead of 30.

2. Alternate Reading Level: A student reads a simplified version of a novel the rest of the class is reading.

3. Different Grading Scale: A student is graded based on IEP goals rather than grade-level standards.

Additional Resource:

• Title: Modifications in School – Understood.org

• Summary: This article explains what modifications are, how they differ from accommodations, and when they are appropriate in a special education setting.

Link: Understood.org – Modifications

High-Leverage Practice (HLP):

• Title: Teach Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies to Support Learning and Independence

• Summary: This HLP helps students who require modified curriculum by teaching them strategies to think about their own thinking and learning processes, promoting independence and growth.

Link: HLP: Teach Metacognitive Strategies

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP):

• Title: Functional Curriculum for Students with Disabilities

• Summary: This EBP focuses on teaching life skills and practical academic content to students with significant disabilities who need a modified curriculum.

• Link: NCII – Intensive Intervention and Functional Curricula

• Specific Learning Disability (SLD)

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• Emotional Disturbance

• Intellectual Disability

• Speech or Language Impairment
  …and others.

A student must have an IEP in place to receive SDI.

Examples:

1. Reading instruction using multisensory methods (e.g., Orton-Gillingham for students with dyslexia)

2. Breaking math problems into small, manageable steps with explicit modeling and practice

3. Modified science curriculum vocabulary for a student with a language processing disorder

Each of these examples includes intentional, personalized strategies created to help a student access and succeed in the general curriculum in a way that works for their individual learning profile.

Additional Resource for SDI:

• Title: Specially Designed Instruction: What You Need to Know

• Summary:
  This article from Understood.org provides a clear and parent-friendly explanation of what Specially Designed Instruction is, how it differs from other support strategies, and examples of what SDI might look like across subject areas. It helps educators and families understand the role of SDI in the IEP process.

Link: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/specially-designed-instruction-what-you-need-to-know

High-Leverage and Evidence-Based Practices for SDI-

📍 High-Leverage Practice #16 – Use explicit instruction

• Summary:

  • Involves clear and direct teaching of skills and concepts using modeling, guided practice, and feedback—ideal for students with disabilities.

• Link:

https://highleveragepractices.org/701-2/

📍 High-Leverage Practice #18 – Use strategies to promote active student engagement-

• Summary:

  • Encourages use of questioning, discussion, and interactive activities to maintain engagement and participation, which are key to effective SDI.

• Link:

https://highleveragepractices.org/702-2/

📍 Evidence-Based Practice – Differentiated Instruction (DI)-

• Summary:

  • Adapts teaching methods, materials, and assessments based on students’ needs, which supports the individualized nature of SDI.

• Link:

https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl/differentiated-instruction

📍 Evidence-Based Practice – Direct Instruction (DI)-

• Summary:

  • A structured, teacher-led method focused on mastery through repetition, immediate feedback, and clear goals—commonly used in SDI plans for students with learning challenges.

• Link:

  • https://intensiveintervention.org/intervention-resources/direct-instruction