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Lou Danielson Lou Danielson Managing Director American Institutes for Research Louis Danielson, a national leader in the field of special education, has been involved in programs that improve results for students with disabilities for over three decades. He brings an unparalleled and unique depth of knowledge in both special education policy and research to his current position as a Managing Director with the American Institutes for Research. Dr. Danielson was awarded a doctorate of philosophy in educational psychology from Pennsylvania State University. His career spans several roles in education including secondary school science and mathematics teacher, school psychologist, and teaching at the university level. Until recently, Dr. Danielson held leadership roles in the U. S. Office for Special Education Programs and was responsible for the discretionary grants program, including technical assistance and dissemination, personnel preparation, technology, and parent training priorities, state improvement grants. He has served in numerous research and policy roles and has been involved in major school reform activities. A frequent contributor to professional journals, Dr. Danielson has published extensively in the literature and is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences and events focusing on special education. His particular areas of interest include policy implementation and evaluation and scaling up of evidence based practices.

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Tiered Intervention on the High School Level

Response to Intervention (RTI) has increasingly become a hot topic! Otherwise known as tiered instruction, this strategy primarily serves as a screening, intervention, and progress monitoring tool to assist struggling learners on the elementary school level. However, educators have recently started to examine and apply this model to the high school level.

Currently, there is much to be learned regarding the mechanics of this model and how it is effectively implemented on the high school level, as implementation appears to differ vastly at this level in scope and makeup from the elementary school level. In particular, the high school experience brings numerous unique challenges, such as class scheduling; frequency of student-teacher interaction (numerous content teachers provide instruction throughout the day); and overall organization of the academic day. These unique differences can significantly alter the implementation of tiered intervention on the high school level.

Dr. Lou Danielson, the former Director of the Research to Practice Division of the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education, and acting director of research for the National High School Center and managing director at the American Institutes for Research, answered questions and facilitated an online dialogue regarding best practices and what is known to date on tiered intervention at the high school level.

Questions on High School Tiered Intervention:

• Question 1: What are some tier two high school interventions assisting students with literacy and helping students stay in school?
• Question 2: Often times, students with disabilities are overlooked in the classroom, how does Tiered Intervention help students with disabilities on the High School level?
• Question 3: What role does technology play in Tiered Intervention on the high school level?
• Question 4: What should high schools think about or consider when designing tiered intervention systems to address the needs of struggling learners?
• Question 5: What are some commonly used schedules that allow for Tier-one and Tier-two interventions in traditionally scheduled high schools? In schools utilizing block scheduling?

Useful Resources on Tiered Intervention: Meeting the Needs of Significantly Struggling Learners in High School National Center on Response to Intervention RTI In the Language of a Classroom Teacher

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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