Instructional Support Team

"To provide a system of support for students, teachers and parents."

"To identify students who are at risk and to give them the academic, behavioral, and social/emotional help that they need to succeed in school."

IST Team Members

Our IST teacher, Mrs. Joan Bressi, coordinates the team’s meetings and activities. She is joined at all meetings by our principal, Mrs. Rebecca Grimm. Depending on your child's needs, our literacy specialist, or school psychologist and counselor may also attend.

In addition, teachers from varying grade levels, bring to the team different experience and areas of expertise. They all volunteer to participate in meetings, either before the school day or during their prep time. They alternate the meetings that they attend, so you can expect to see some of the following dedicated teachers at your child’s IST meeting:

• Donna Kennedy - Literacy Specialist
• Corey Scott- counselor
• Joan Bressi - Instructional Support
• Rebecca Grimm - Principal
• Dr. Beth Rabin-School Psychologist
• grade level teachers

Q: Who can make a request for IST assistance?

A: Either a teacher or a parent can ask for IST assistance. The parent should talk to the teacher, or call
     Mrs. Grimm or Mrs. Bressi.

Q: Why would a teacher or parent ask for IST assistance?

A:  If they have concerns about the student’s progress in academic, behavioral, or social/emotional areas.

Q: Does IST go on the child’s permanent record?

A: No. But, information from IST is given to the next year’s teachers in order to share with them strategies
     that helped the student succeed in the previous year.

Q: What happens after a request for IST help is made?

A: The teacher fills out a referral form. Mrs. Bressi schedules the first meeting for twenty days from when
     she receives the form. During those first twenty days, she will speak to parents, teachers, and the child
     about his or her progress in school. She will also observe the child in classes, collect work samples,
     and work with the child on class activities. She does not give tests to the student. Rather, she assesses
     where the child is functioning in the classroom activities. Then, she provides support in the problem
     areas. For more information about this support, please read Phases of the IST process.

Phases of the IST Process

The IST process takes sixty school days. It includes the following stages:

• First ten days. Request of assistance is made and the problem is identified.
• Next ten days. Data collection continues about the student. Brainstorming Meeting is held. This is when interventions are designed to help the child. To read about the format of the Brainstorming Meeting, visit Meeting Format.
• Thirty day intervention period. During that time, teachers and parents carry out the intervention plan. The classroom teacher meets weekly with a case monitor who is a member of the IST team, to discuss the child’s progress and to make changes as needed.
• Fifty days. Progress review meeting is held with parents, teacher, case monitor, and representative team members to discuss what interventions worked and the child’s resulting progress. One recommendation at the end of the meeting may be to continue the interventions if they helped child meet with success. Another recommendation the team may make if the child did not make satisfactory progress or if the interventions were highly intense is to have a multi-disciplinary evaluation (MDE) to further determine the cause of the child’s difficulty. Our school psychologist, school nurse, and literacy specialist contribute to the MDE. They give the child normative tests of learning and abilities. The MDE helps to determine if the child is eligible for special education services. If so, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) can be designed to meet the child’s learning needs.

IST Meeting Format

All IST meetings take place in B-5, the IST room. Parents meet with the teacher and Mrs. Bressi's room at 8:00 a.m. At 8:15 a.m. the IST team members arrive and the meeting begins. The meeting is over by 8:45 a.m.  The following is the approximate time frame and order of business in the meeting:

2 min. – Welcome – Introductions

10 min. – Review of student’s performance

3 min. – Specify goal(s) on which student will improve during the intervention period

10 min. – Brainstorm intervention ideas

5 min. – Discuss brainstormed suggestions

5 min. – Teacher selects interventions

If you have further questions, please call Mrs. Bressi at 215-944-1914