STEEP

STEEP is a comprehensive system to assist teachers, administrators and other professionals to provide the right type of assistance to the right students at the right time. It does so by providing evidenced based tools that help schools to implement the ambitious goals set forth in NCLB and IDEA. The first phase of the STEEP RTI process focuses on prevention and early detection of academic issues. It is a quick efficient model for determining a students unique needs and determining which intervention would be most appropriate for the student. 

STEEP Intervention. The intervention component of the RTI model is a prescriptive 6-Step process. This means that the system uses a standard protocol at Tier 2 in which data about the student, the students class and other information to specify which students need intervention and the specific type of intervention they need. Of course, professionals have the final word in what is recommended for a student, but STEEP can serve to make “problem-solving” sessions very outcome oriented. The 6-Step process guides professionals to make a “good” decision (that is, one that is evidenced-based ) but does so in a manner that is understandable and accessible to school-based professionals to assist them in making defensible decisions.

Successful Intervention Outcomes. Various reports have indicated that upwards of 80% of school-based interventions fail. There are two primary reasons for this high failure rate: (1) professionals do not select the correct intervention to resolve the problem, and (2) the intervention is not used with enough regularity to make a difference. STEEP was designed specifically to address these two problems. To help with problem #1, data-based decision-making helps schools select an appropriate intervention. The STEEP program "coaches" professionals to conduct a brief assessment to obtain additional information about students who do not achieve benchmarks (using STEEP CBM, DIBELS or any other CBM based assessment). Based upon the assessment the system analyzes student need and makes a research based intervention recommendation. Problem #2 is more complex and STEEP consultants assist schools to select interventions that (a) are easier to implement, (b) build a teacher/school support system to insure routine implementation, and (c) incorporate unobtrusive intervention integrity and student progress monitoring procedures to insure the desired outcomes are achieved. Schools that implement the procedures see results that are consistent with those reported by major RTI research centers: 90%+ of students at Tier 2 (within a 3-tier intervention model) are successful.

What is an RTI Program? An RTI program is a framework for implementing response to intervention. RTI includes assessment, intervention and progress monitoring. An RTI program is a method for combining these three basic processes. STEEP differs from other RTI programs because it provides a direct linkage from assessment to intervention. While some RTI programs allow teams to write in information about the intervention (e.g., which intervention the team selected), only STEEP directly links assessment to intervention selection. STEEP has been shown in published studies to improve student performance on state tests.

Benefits STEEP RTI

1. Efficiency and effectiveness of school team meeting is enhanced. 2. Options for assisting at-risk children can be coordinated. 3. Data to answer the question of whether the child's problem is related to a disability or to instructional issues.

For more information on STEEP, visit the STEEP RTI Page by clicking here.