Guide to the GIST Process A Reference Guide for Eden Park Academy Parents

What is G.I.S.T.? General Intervention Support Team  A group problem solving process that supports and helps students, teachers and parents.  GIST is used Eden Park to track and measure the effectiveness of academic and behavioral interventions.

Foundations of the GIST Process: RtI  GIST is built on the foundation of the Response to Intervention (RtI) model.  Through RtI, we strive to meet the needs of all students through: High-quality instruction and research-based interventions tailored to the student Frequent progress monitoring Using information from progress monitoring to inform educational decisions

What is an Intervention?  A general education intervention is an attempt by a child's classroom teacher and educational team members, to resolve a problem the child is having before a referral is made for a full and individual evaluation.

Examples of Interventions  General education interventions may include: Teacher consultation with special education and instructional support personnel Measurable and goal-directed attempts to resolve the concern. Communication with parents. Collection of data. Tutoring Colored overlays

What is my role as a parent team member? Parents are essential if general education interventions are to be successful.  Parents have critical information about their child  Parents are able support and reinforce the interventions implemented at home.

How does the process begin?  Step 1: “My child’s teacher and & I are concerned about my child’s progress.” The GIST process begins with a conversation between the parents and the teacher. A teacher may initiate the conversation if a student is not progressing at a rate that is comparable to his/her grade-level peers.

What happens during the process?  Step 2: Interventions & Progress Monitoring 1 st GIST meeting: Your child's teacher will invite you, and possibly other educational support staff to a meeting.  The GIST team discusses your child's current performance and suggests possible interventions and accommodations

What happens next?  Step 3: Progress Monitoring & Evaluation 2nd & 3 rd GIST meetings: The GIST meets to determine if the interventions and accommodations were successful.  This typically occurs at a staff meeting, where the team brainstorms solutions. Your child’s classroom teacher will be in regular contact with you about their intervention strategies and expectations.

What happens next?  Step 3: Progress Monitoring & Evaluation 2nd & 3 rd GIST meetings: The GIST meets to determine if the interventions and accommodations were successful.  If interventions & accommodations were successful, then there is no need for your child to receive services. The process stops here.  If interventions & accommodations were not successful, the team may recommend different interventions and accommodations or recommend an evaluation

Evaluation  Step 3: Evaluation Appropriate school personnel will proceed (with your written consent) to evaluate your child. The team may consider eligibility for either Section 504 or for special education.

Evaluation  Who will test my child? Evaluation staff may consist of:  School psychologist will perform evaluations concerning intellectual, emotional, academic, or social functioning.  Speech pathologist evaluates disabilities related to speech or language impairments.  Occupational therapists may evaluate fine motor skills  English Language Learner (ELL) teachers evaluate current levels of English language acquisition.

After the evaluation  Step 4: Consideration of eligibility under Section 504 or under IDEA (Special Education) To be eligible the student must meet a have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity or is regarded as disabled by others. If it is determined that the student is NOT eligible, the team may consider continuation of a GIST plan.

Beyond the GIST: 504 & Special Education  For information on 504, contact Lisa Robinson:  For general information on Special Education, visit EPA’s SpEd website or contact or SpEd coordinators:SpEd website Tracy Scott: Melissa

Resources  EPA’s Special Education Website EPA’s Special Education Website  The Texas Education Agency’s RtI website:  Building RTI Capacity  Colorado Springs School District 11  Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR)  Illinois School Psychologists Association  Intervention Central  National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Inc.  National Center on Progress Monitoring  National Center on Response to Intervention  National Institute for Literacy  National Research Center on Learning Disabilities  Scientific Research-Based Instruction (SERC)  Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education  Oregon Reading First Center  Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports  Research Institute on Progress Monitoring (RIPM)

Works Cited  SS/spedproc.htm SS/spedproc.htm  px?id=5817