Salem High School I&RS Mission Statement

The mission of the Salem High School I&RS team is to identify student needs, intervene for success, and create a plan of action for engaging struggling students in the areas of: attendance, academics, behavior, and/or health issues.

Why does the district have INTERVENTION AND REFERRAL SERVICES?

New Jersey Administrative Code requires all school districts to have this service. The code is quoted below: 

6A:16-8.1 Establishment of intervention and referral services

(a) District boards of education shall establish and implement a coordinated system in each school building for the planning and delivery of intervention and referral services that are designed to assist students who are experiencing learning, behavior or health difficulties and to assist staff who have difficulties in addressing students learning, behavior or health needs. District boards of education shall choose the appropriate multidisciplinary team approach for planning and delivering the services required under this sub-chapter.

What is the purpose of I&RS?

• Identify learning, behavior and health difficulties of students
• Collect thorough information on the identified learning, behavior and health difficulties
• Develop and implement action plans which provide for appropriate school or community interventions or referrals to school and community resources, based on the:
• collected data and desired outcomes for the identified learning, behavior and health difficulties
• Provide support, guidance, and professional development to school staff who identify learning, behavior and health difficulties
• Provide support, guidance, and professional development to school staff who participate in each building's system for planning and providing intervention and referral services
• Actively involve parents or guardians in the development and implementation of intervention and referral services action plan

How is I&RS similar to the Child Study Team?

• Both teams support teachers and students
• Both are comprised of professionally trained staff
• Both are regulated by statutes

How is I&RS different from the Child Study Team?

• I&RS teams write Action Plans, based on teacher referrals and specific observable information. These plans are reviewed annually, at a minimum
• CST use test results to place students into different programs, such as resource centers, in-class support, self-contained, or alternative educational placements. Child Study Teams write Individualized Education Plans, or IEP's which are reviewed annually, at a minimum.
• Typically, an I&RS Team is comprised of the principal, counselor, teachers, and the coordinator. Other specialized members, such as a reading specialist, occupational/physical/speech therapists, or the nurse may also participate.
• Typically a Child Study Team is comprised of a school psychologist, a learning disabilities teacher consultant, and a social worker. Therapists, teachers, the nurse and counselors may also participate

Step 1:  Identification – Written referrals are made to the I&RS team from staff, parents, or the child study team.

Step 2:  Data Collection – Information concerning the student’s behavior, grades, attendance, and health are collected through a form dispersed to the student’s classroom teachers.  Only observable behavior is used when evaluating the student.

Step 3:  Intervention – an action plan is created to assist the student and their family in understanding and accept the challenges ahead. 

Step 4:  Professional Assessment of the problem and referral of outside assistance, if needed.

Step 5:  Follow-up - This step provides the student with support through monitoring of student progress to ensure continued success.