Pyramid of Interventions

The Pyramid of Interventions outlined below presents a series of strategies which we will implement for students who are failing one or more classes at CMS.  The guiding principle that underlies this plan is that we do not want any students “slipping through the cracks” at our school.  While failure is something that everyone experiences on occasion, and presents us all with opportunities to learn, we do not want failure to become a way of life for any of our students. This process is specifically designed to help students to see that while we will do what we can to support them, they have choices and that they have control over their level of success in school.

Here’s how the pyramid works.  When a student shows signs of struggling, by failing tests, quizzes, not getting homework turned in, etc. teachers, at the base of the pyramid and at the classroom level, will intervene, encouraging and directing kids to take advantage of the appropriate activities indicated at that level of the pyramid.  If these interventions do not work, then the student will move up the pyramid through a counselor referral, at which time, we will try new interventions. Should any of these interventions not work, we will again move up the pyramid to the next intervention.  Please understand that parent communication is part of each new intervention.  However, we have told our students that if they move up the pyramid, interventions become more directed by the school and parent.  It is our hope that this combination of support, accountability and communication will make our system much more responsive to the needs of our students.