ABSTRACT
High school educators are under mounting pressure to improve the in-school and post-school outcomes of all students. To accomplish this, high school educators must face the growing challenge to meet simultaneously the instructional and social-behavioral needs of the many at-risk and struggling students in the school system. It is not possible to deliver individualized supports or instruction to all students who fail to demonstrate proficiency. High school personnel must be efficient, effective, and cost-effective as they install systems to ensure all students are successful in meeting expected high school outcomes. To reduce the number of students in need of intensive individualized supports, some schools have developed a continuum of supports to address varying student needs. A whole-school approach requires that leadership and faculty examine and adjust the supports being offered to all students on a day to day basis. This whole school approach is implemented, monitored and adjusted so that at least 80% of the students can meet academic and social-behavioral expectations through a standard curriculum and support. Building on these standard curriculum and supports, the school can then develop a system of targeted interventions and supports that are readily available to meet the academic and social-behavioral needs of a smaller number of students, about 15%. This academic or social skills small group instruction (e.g., math, reading, anger management) provides these students with supplemental support but does not provide intensive, individually designed support. This effective but more efficient group support allows the school to free up resources to support the fewer remaining students who need intensive, individualized supports (approximately 5%).
