Classwide Mathematics Intervention

DEFINITION

Classwide mathematics intervention can be used to supplement any core math curriculum, and involves following a sequence of essential skills and understandings for 15-20 min per day.

Classwide interventions tend to be standard protocol fluency-building interventions, so the targeted skills should be those that students have acquired.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

National and state-level achievement data tell us that more than half of children in the U.S. are not considered proficient in grade-level math performance. Therefore, many children can be described as “struggling” in their mathematical skill development. In assessment, we call this a “high base rate of risk.” When there is a high base rate of risk, relying on initial screening assessments alone will produce unreliable data regarding individual student risk, meaning even highly accurate screening tools will not function well to identify who really needs supplemental intervention. Classwide math intervention is an effective tactic to improve student math performance and—as a side effect— create a dataset that provides for much more accurate screening decisions.

WHERE DOES CLASSWIDE INTERVENTION FALL IN THE MTSS FRAMEWORK?

Classwide intervention can be situated at Tier 1.5, between universal screening and before Tier 2 intervention.⁴

WHAT ARE THE ACTIVE INGREDIENTS?¹

• Guided practice with corrective feedback (as needed)

• ”Think aloud” during problem solving

• High dosage of opportunities to respond at the correct level of task difficulty

• Targeting skills the student has acquired, but not yet mastered

• Independent practice with a goal to try to “beat one’s last best score”

• Delayed error correction/explanation to partner of how error was corrected

• Group contingency delivering reward or celebration based on class growth