Integrating Intensive Intervention into Special Education Services: Guidance for Special Education Administrators

Special education administrators at both the district and school level are serving in critical roles that uniquely position them to improve academic and behavioral outcomes of students with disabilities by ensuring the special education teachers under their supervision are prepared to deliver an evidence-based form of intensive intervention--data-based individualization. This manuscript reports lessons learned from the National Center on Intensive Intervention's first 5 years of providing technical assistance to 26 schools. School staff received training and ongoing support to integrate intensive intervention into their service delivery models. Lessons learned focus on establishing a core implementation team, examining the current state of intervention efforts, starting with a focused pilot project, targeting professional development efforts, and establishing documented procedures and intervention plans. Guidance for special education administrators to get started with the integration of data-based individualization into special education services is provided.