Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS)

Intervention & Referral Services (I&RS)

The I&RS Team works collaboratively to serve general education students experiencing difficulties, and assist staff members who have difficulties addressing students’ learning, behavior, social/emotional, and/or health needs.  It’s comprised of the vice principal, the grade level counselor, a member of the Child Study Team (CST), the referring staff member, and other school staff members who develop and implement an assistance plan for students.  

A student who experiences difficulty in school may be referred to the I&RS Team by a teacher, staff member, or the parents or legal guardians.  The parents or legal guardians are informed of any referrals.  Once there’s a referral, the I&RS Team consults with the student’s classroom teachers, parents or legal guardians, and other appropriate school employees to gather relevant information regarding the student’s educational status, attendance, classroom behavior, and school conduct.  The school nurse reviews the student’s health records and informs the committee of any condition relevant to the student’s difficulties.  The I&RS Team may consult with community-based agencies that provide services to the student or the student’s family.

Based on the gathered information, the I&RS Team develops and implements an action plan that includes targeted interventions to support the student’s regular educational program, referral for school interventions, recommendations for strategies for home, and/or referral to community agencies for interventions and/or assessments.  The plan lists the people who will implement the strategies, and a team member to monitor and review the student’s progress.

Over the follow weeks, the case manager consults with staff members for a review and assessment of the effectiveness of the plan.  If the action plan is determined to be ineffective, the plan is reviewed and amended as necessary.  If the review indicates a disability, the student can be referred to the Child Study Team (CST) for an evaluation to determine eligibility for special education and/or related services.

Parents or legal guardians remain actively involved in the development and implementation of plans.

Common recommendations from the I&RS committee:

Homework Room, Notebook Club, time-management strategies for home, suggest student join a club or activity at RMS, peer buddy, etc.

For further information, please contact your child’s teacher or counselor.