The Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA) Act requires referral of students with suspected disabilities for evaluation for consideration of special education services. Many students without suspected disabilities, however, are in need of academic and/or behavioral support. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act legislates the importance of meeting the needs of all students.

Prereferral Interventions are efforts to remedy a student's academic or behavioral problems before referring the student for special education evaluation, a process that can be difficult for students and families, and can be a burden on human and fiscal resources in a school district. The process is justified when a disability is suspected, but not when evaluation is recommended simply because, "something needs to be done."

Too many of our colleagues think that a student who is struggling academically or behaviorally should automatically be considered for special education. All teachers need a basic understanding of the special education process, beginning with classifications and the levels of significance that help determine eligibility. The well-informed educator understands that many students who are at-risk of failure or of dropping may possess a variety of risk factors that are not related to special education.

The Student Support Team Process is intended to assist academically and behaviorally at-risk students. Staff Development from Solutions, etc. will provide the common foundation for a school staff to begin addressing the needs of at-risk students and guide your staff in developing a process that meets the needs of your students. This is not a “program in a can,” but a process for meeting the needs of students in individual districts or specific schools.

Effectiveness of interventions for at-risk students is largely determined by whether or not there is follow up to ensure that the intervention is actually implemented. Solutions, etc. has developed a database suitable for tracking student support plans. Online tracking permits frequent follow-up and promotes continuity as students progress from grade to grade and from school to school within a district. It also allows for the continuous data collection needed for program evaluation and for grading staff development for the school staff in the area of supporting at-risk students.