Starting an Intervention Assistance Team (IAT)

When first discussing this research with this author’s field supervisor, one evident need was expressed above the rest: The need for an Intervention Assistance Team (IAT). This need had been alluded to at the beginning of the academic year by both this author’s supervisor and school administration, as there is a shared belief that their district is in great need of this vital resource in identifying students for increased support. Schools today are becoming increasingly complex and are tasked with meeting the needs of diverse student demographics. Intervention Assistance Teams have emerged as a vital component to meeting these needs by providing a more structured, collaborative approach to identifying supports by systematically supporting students. IATs are comprised of educators, specialists, administration, and other relevant stakeholders who are identified as having insight into applicable supports for students, including parents. While the implementation of IATs is lengthy and requires trainings in efficient progress monitoring, intervention selection, or data-based decision making, the project saw the collaboration of school teams to incorporate proper data-tracking forms and review, as well as a more formal referral process. The implementation of this project has been organized according to Havelock’s six steps to his theory of change: relationship, diagnosis, acquire resources for change, selecting a pathway, establish and accept change, and maintenance and separation (Havelock & Zlotolow, 1995).