Early Intervention Program (EIP) 

What is EIP?

The Early Intervention Program (EIP) is designed to serve students in grades K–5 who are at risk of not reaching or maintaining academic grade-level proficiency, as defined in the state's Early Intervention Program Guidelines. EIP aims to help students reach grade-level performance in the shortest possible time.

Students may qualify for EIP in reading and/or mathematics. Henry County Schools, in conjunction with guidance provided by the Georgia Department of Education, has a rigorous, data-driven process for identifying students who will benefit from interventions through EIP. The purpose of EIP is to address specific academic skills deficits; determining academic risk is a key component of EIP. 

How are students selected?

Students are placed into the EIP program based on a variety of ELA/Reading and Math student data, which includes results from local and/or state assessments, GaDOE EIP Rubrics, and/or district criteria checklists.

Program Structure

The program design is developed in coordination with regular instruction and other educational programs. Instruction provided through the Early Intervention Program must go above and beyond the general education instruction. To address a specific academic skill, interventions and progress monitoring are used to target the specific skill deficit, and data collection methods are used to monitor the impact of the intervention over time. The development and evaluation of the program involve teachers, administrators, and parents at the school level. The Early Intervention Program includes four components: staff, delivery models, class size, and instructional segments.

Staff

The Early Intervention Program is staffed by certified teachers with experience and expertise in teaching students with diverse needs and abilities. Early intervention funds provide additional staff and resources beyond what is provided. In K-5 schools, there are dedicated EIP teachers who provide EIP services. 

Delivery Models

Each participating school selects the delivery model(s) to be used. Any combination of state-approved models may be used within a school, depending on the unique needs and characteristics of the students and the school. The district and state-approved models are self-contained, where the homeroom teacher serves as the EIP teacher to provide interventions within a reduced class size; augmented, where an EIP teacher pushes into the general education classroom to provide interventions to the previously identified students; pull-out, where an EIP teacher pulls a group of previously identified students out of the general education classroom to provide interventions; and innovative, where with district approval, using a certified teacher designated as an EIP teacher, schools may design a unique model to support students.

Class Size

A class for EIP must follow Class Size Rules in the GaDOE state guidance.

Instructional Segments of Service

A segment for grades K-3 is a minimum of 45 minutes daily. A segment for grades 4-5 is a minimum of 50 minutes of daily instruction. The Early Intervention Program  (EIP)  provides additional instructional support and resources to help students obtain the necessary academic skills to reach grade-level performance in the shortest possible time. Henry County Schools implements EIP models based on the guidance provided by the Georgia Department of Education

Benefits

In addition to the Tier 1 instruction, students receiving EIP supports receive:

• Targeted intervention by a certified teacher

• Additional small group instruction

• Additional instructional research and evidence-based resources

EIP services vary based on the specific needs of the identified students, the school, and its staffing capacity.