Intervention-Based Assessment: Evaluation Rates and Eligibility Findings

A statewide sample of Ohio schools employing Intervention-Based Assessment (IBA) reported rates of multifactored evaluation for special education, eligibility findings, and the proportion of children receiving interventions outside of general education classroom settings. Results were compared with data reported for an earlier version of prereferral intervention, Intervention Assistance Teams (IATs). Unlike IAT, IBA required documentation and analysis of interventions in the process of determining special education eligibility. Results favored IBA over IAT in proportions of children on team caseloads who underwent multifactored evaluation and were found eligible for special education, but not for proportion of children receiving interventions in general education settings. Implications of these findings for school-based problem-solving efforts are discussed.

Intervention Assistance Programs and Prereferral Teams

There has been an unprecedented growth of school prereferral programs and intervention assistance teams since the late 1970s. In this article we discuss their history, rationale, and philosophical perspectives, report on their legal and public policy basis, and evaluate the research base. Several university-initiated model programs and professional development activities have reduced the number of referrals for special education and increased the use of consultation services. However, only research in Mainstream Assistance Teams has directly demonstrated student improvement in learning and behavior. Implications for future research and strategies for serving students who are difficult to teach are discussed.