Michelle E. Alvarez – författare

Response to Intervention (RtI) is at the heart of evidence-based practice in schools. Though written into federal special education legislation, it is a general education process consisting of a three-tiered framework for organizing a comprehensive and differentiated system designed to ensure educational success for all students. The focus in this book is on meeting the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students. School social workers are key stakeholders who need to be skilled in designing, monitoring, and evaluating the effectiveness of school-wide universal supports, targeted group interventions, and intensive individual interventions in objective and measurable terms.Designed as both a training manual and a practical reference, with contributions by seasoned academics and practitioners with extensive experience developing and practicing in RtI systems, this one-of-a-kind guide operationalizes this crucial service delivery framework. It highlights the importance of data-based decision making and offers concrete guidelines for collecting, analyzing, and displaying data. Detailed case examples that illustrate real-world program implementation, practical guidance in selecting empirically supported practices, sample assessment worksheets, and strategies for supporting the adoption and sustainability of RtI systems make this a handy tool for school social workers seeking a more active role in using decision-making processes to improve their school's system of support for all students.

Research has shown that truancy is frequently associated with juvenile crime and dropping out of school altogether. With the high dropout rate in the U.S. and the No Child Left Behind Act holding schools accountable for their dropout rates, it is essential for school social workers to contribute to their schools' improvement plan in meeting annual yearly progress benchmarks. This book, by well respected researchers and practitioners who have extensive experience with truancy, covers best practices in truancy at the community, school, and student/family levels of interventions. It provides an essential everyday reference guide to research-based programs and truancy program implementation. Beginning with an introduction to the essentials of truancy, its causes and consequences, and state and federal legislation, the authors then give readers a snapshot of what research has shown to work so far and what adaptations might look like in various school settings. Richly detailed case examples illustrate multiple levels of intervention, from the school-wide prevention and general policy levels to remedial interventions, including culturally competent approaches. Eminently practical and easily accessible, with sample forms, methods of measuring outcomes, ideas for funding, take-away points, and digestible research summaries, this will be a trusted toolkit for school professionals seeking to reduce their schools' dropout rates and improve students' engagement with school. School-based practitioners and student trainees alike will find a wealth of reliable information about what is seemingly an intractable problem. They can immediately begin implementing the proven and promising practices presented in this practical guide.