Home » Intervention » Five-step Implementation Methodology

Five-step Implementation Methodology

At-risk students can achieve rapid progress through the five-step methodology employed by AutoSkill intervention solutions. A truly balanced approach based on scientific research and 15 years of classroom experience, the methodology incorporates proven instructional and behavioral principles to address skill development and learner motivation, while providing intervention strategies to help districts and schools achieve their AYP goals.

Step One: Diagnose

Before beginning any implementation, administrators and instructional leaders meet with AutoSkill experts to determine the scope, goals and requirements for the intervention program. Student demographics, assessment data from state and standardized tests, skill gaps, schedules, teacher experience and technical infrastructure are some of the areas considered in the analysis.

Step Two: Prescribe

Based on the analysis performed in Step One, administrators and instructional leaders receive a recommended implementation plan. The plan may include the following: start-up training and ongoing professional development for teachers, software for student training and program management, instructional and technical support, implementation consulting, classroom modeling and motivational packages.

As part of the "prescription" for a successful implementation, teachers start with intensive training to learn about the AutoSkill instructional philosophy, product approach, management tools, and motivational strategies to use in the classroom.

Step Three: Deliver

Teachers who are facilitating Academy training get ongoing instructional support to help their students succeed. Student training begins in a live start-up environment moderated by an AutoSkill implementation specialist, who works with the teacher on classroom modeling. Once the implementation is underway, Academy teachers who facilitate training become a central part of the "deliver" stage, and can access a number of services to ensure top results, including telephone and email support from instructional experts, live and downloadable webinars on key topics, proactive tips timed to coincide with each stage of the training cycle, and student incentive tools.

During the live start-up phase, students complete an automated placement test for reading or math, which provides a snapshot of their abilities relative to grade level. Based on the results of the test, students are assigned an individualized training stream that starts training on "easier" content and builds skills along a developmental continuum. The goal is to enable students to experience success early so they can build their confidence as they build foundation skills.

Students continue to work on each activity in a systematic, structured manner. Using a tutorial-practice-train approach combined with mastery learning, the Academy of MATH and Academy of READING guide each student through content, provide multiple opportunities to master concepts, and reward success.

• Tutorial - For each training activity, students begin by navigating through multi-stepped, graphically engaging instruction that explains the purpose and mechanics of the task.
• Practice - Once the tutorial has been viewed, students are presented with a mandatory practice task with a requirement to demonstrate understanding of the task. Should a student struggle with this task, the teacher will be notified.
• Train - Once students have demonstrated an ability to complete the task, they are presented with the actual training activity. Once proficiency with the task has been achieved, the next training activity is presented automatically.
• Reward - In the AutoSkill design, skill and behavioral proficiency are necessary to re-engage students in their learning. As students master each component of their training, they are presented with an award and printable certificate to demonstrate their achievement. Motivational characters provide guidance and positive feedback to help students reach their goals. Once a skill has been mastered, the student moves on to the next skill, clearly indicating progress. This positive reinforcement has a tremendous impact on building self-esteem and motivation in students who have experienced little success in school. Teachers can maximize student progress by complementing the motivational design of the products through the guide and classroom tools provided in the Motivation Kit.

Step Four: Monitor

During the training period, teachers and administrators can easily monitor the usage and progress of their students and schools. Onsite consultations, instructional coaching, best practices workshops that focus on data analysis and formative instruction, and school and district reports enable implementation leaders to closely monitor their intervention program.

While students work independently through individualized training streams, the self-adjusting Intervention Engine monitors progress while decreasing the administrative requirements for teachers. The Intervention Engine can zero in on specific deficiencies and make decisions about training content based on student responses, creating an ongoing diagnostic tool. Teachers are kept aware of each student's progress through the Training Monitor, and can view results at a glance, right down to individual errors. Special flags alert the teacher when training is paused and "Teacher Time" is required.

Step Five: Intervene

Classroom usage and progress data help teachers and administrators to continually assess their intervention program. To get schools and classes on track to meet their goals, program leaders can work with AutoSkill implementation experts to determine the appropriate modifications to their intervention strategy, which may include extra professional development for teachers, more lab or classroom time for students, the addition of before school or after school sessions, and increased motivational support.

Intelligent interventions are a central component of student training. By monitoring student responses in real time and automatically adjusting training where necessary, the Intervention Engine helps to create a truly individualized learning experience. Interventions can include:

• Acceleration - Once students master these skills at 100% they move on to the next skills in the training sequence, spending more time on skills they need, less on skills they already have.
• Review - When a student is struggling with a task, tutorial and practice sessions are automatically reviewed.
• Modification - When a student continues to struggle, minor changes to the mastery criteria are made to prevent frustration and to maintain a sense of progress and accomplishment. Any modified skill is automatically re-presented to the student at default mastery criteria at the end of the training stream if the student has not demonstrated sufficient reading gains.
• Recess - When a student continues to struggle, training on the skill is interrupted, an alternative activity is presented through to mastery and the student is returned to the previously interrupted skill.
• Teacher Notification - Teachers are made aware of each student's interventions. When a student demonstrates an inability to master a skill, training is put on hold and the teacher must become involved in order to re-start training.