HIGH-LEVERAGE PRACTICES IN Self-contained EBD and Alternative Education CLASSROOMS

The Corner of Academics and Behaviors: Using Intensive Instruction to Target Both

Episode Description

This episode explores the power of positive and constructive feedback in guiding student learning and growth. Heather and Candace discuss how feedback not only supports academic progress but also strengthens motivation, confidence, and self-regulation. Candace emphasizes the importance of being immediate, specific, and developmentally appropriate when giving feedback, as well as celebrating small victories along the way. They highlight the value of recognizing student effort and process—not just final outcomes—as a way to build resilience and engagement. The conversation also addresses the balance between praising successes and providing corrective feedback in a constructive, supportive manner. Ultimately, this episode illustrates how intentional feedback creates meaningful shifts in both student performance and staff perspectives.

Key Points and Takeaways

  • Feedback is most effective when it is immediate, specific, and tied to clear learning goals, helping students understand exactly what they are doing well and where they can grow.
  • Recognizing student effort and process, rather than only the final outcome, fosters resilience, self-regulation, and motivation to keep trying.
  • Constructive feedback includes both praise and correction, with an emphasis on providing corrections privately and supportively to maintain trust and dignity.
  • Staff benefit from giving feedback too, as it helps them notice growth they might otherwise overlook and reinforces their own sense of impact.
  • Building a culture where students expect and seek feedback creates classrooms where motivation, engagement, and positive learning behaviors thrive.
Podcast Guest

Ashley Cotton, MEd

Ashley Cotton is a dedicated and passionate administrator specializing in creative solution-seeking through family and community engagement driven by building and maintaining strong relationships within school staff. She has been an educator, interventionist, and building administrator in public and charter schools. Outside of her professional work, she has been a fitness instructor and enjoys traveling with her family and two Labs. Ashley is a Leadership Coach for Building Leaders with her Bachelor or Arts in Elementary Education, endorsements in math, science, and English, and a Master of Education in Educational Administration.
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High-Leverage Practice #20:
Provide Intensive instruction.
Teachers match the intensity of instruction to the intensity of the student’s learning and behavioral challenges. Intensive instruction involves working with students with similar needs on a small number of high-priority, clearly defined skills or concepts critical to academic success. Teachers group students based on common learning needs; clearly define learning goals; and use systematic, explicit, and well-paced instruction. They frequently monitor students’ progress and adjust their instruction accordingly. Within intensive instruction, students have many opportunities to respond and receive immediate, corrective feedback with teachers and peers to practice what they are learning.
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Be open to those surprises, because those are the best days, for sure.

Ashley Cotton

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Host: Heather Volchko

Guest: Ashley Cotton

This week, we're talking about High-Leverage Practice number 20, provide intensive instruction for academics and behavior. And with me this week, I have Ashley. So, Ashley, I know in your career you have already done a lot of this work, and then you've also led teams who have been, you know, also championing this work in their classroom. So, for you and your practice, what does this look like?

Thank you for having me. And you know, I'm going to talk a little bit about this as a teacher and then also as an administrator and coaching teachers on this practice. As a teacher, way back in the day, I found that kind of learned the hard way that really the more planning and effort that you put into what you're going to walk into before you do walk into that situation, the better off you are going to be. And that is providing intensive academic instruction. And then that does obviously help with the behaviors in the classroom, too. I have found that as a teacher, that the more engaging information that you give the children throughout that lesson, the more that they are going to not only soak it up academically, but they are also going to want to behave for you because not only are they excited about what they're learning, but then they also don't want to miss what they're learning either.

So that bag of tricks took a while to learn as a new teacher. And then, as you become a veteran teacher, you realize that the more work you put in beforehand, the better the day is going to go. I also have found that as a teacher and then also as an administrator, the more that you have the kids learn by doing, they're up, they're around, the groupings matter. Kids these days cannot just sit and expect to listen to you for a 90-minute, you know, reading, writing block. And so you have to engage them in all different facets in order to get them to learn what you're asking them to learn.

From the admin side of it, I have obviously done numerous evaluations and observations with evaluations that I have had to coach teachers on. You just have not put enough into this. And that is why behaviors are happening. That's why they're not engaged. That's why they're messing around with their neighbor instead of paying attention to you. And a lot of teachers just don't understand. They think that they look at that book, they put the hours of planning into it, and they think, ‘Oh, this is great.’ But they don't adapt to the needs of the children today. So that is one of the things that I am very passionate about, is overloading those students with things to do throughout the day because not only does it give great instruction, but then obviously helps with the academics, and then also helps with behaviors.

Well, I want to take this in both directions, right? I want you to be able to speak a little bit more because you've run an intensive. I mean, I think it was a math classroom, right? Like you have run the intensive instruction side of things where you have needed to lead, identifying what those skills are, and providing the instruction. So it closes that learning gap and does that in a way that your students will actually engage with you.

And I know you and I have the math background on that for sure. So I want to give you a little bit of time, like speak to that a little bit more. Like, how did you set up your classroom? How did you do all of those things that you're talking about before? You're saying it's important to spend a lot of time really prepping for, providing that intensive intervention. Well, what did you do? How did that work?

Yeah, well, I mean, first and foremost, I've always believed in an inviting classroom, no matter what age level. And I have, you know, taught anywhere from the elementary age to the middle school, junior high age, even teaching eighth graders. You know, they want to walk into something that feels good to them, that shows that you care about them even before they walk through that door, and they can tell when they walk through the door. The other thing that I do believe in, that I think is extremely important, is just building those relationships with the kids, too. I think once you have those two things and the kids really realize that, ‘hey, this person does really believe in me and sees something in me and cares about me and, you know, greets me every time that I walk in the class and asks how my baseball game was, you know, this past weekend.’ All those things go into getting to know a student and getting to know the best way that they learn. So then in that intense classroom, you are able to really zone into those students' needs.

I also believe that once you meet with the students as a whole, but then also, I did a lot of one-on-one coaching sessions in a sense with each student individually. And my students just knew that that was part of the routine of the day. They knew what they had to work on. They knew that everybody was working on something different, but they knew what the goal was. They knew what I was going to check as almost like their exit ticket when they walked out. But they also knew that in that week's time period of seeing those kids for five different class periods, I would, on average, speak to each individual student probably two to three times. Just me, one-on-one with that student. And so I do think having that teacher who just sits with them and talks about everyday life, but also then gets down to the nitty-gritty with what they're learning and what they need. They know that they can come up to that teacher at any time and ask for help, which a lot of times they will not do in other classrooms and other settings, just because they don't have that trust factor with that teacher.

Thank you for taking it in that direction. I think so many times with this High-Leverage practice, we can get in the weeds of like, okay, small groups and rotations, and certain materials, and all of the prep work that comes from the academic side of things. But I love that you're saying like, yeah, you can do that, but. Right? Like, it is so contingent on do you actually know them? Can you meet them where they're at? Do you have that rapport, that social reciprocity, like, do you have that all built-in, in such a way so that all of that intensive work that you have done can actually stick?

I mean, like when I was running the math intervention in high school, we had three different rotations. One was that heavy intervention with me. One was gonna be more than remediation with a para. Another one was gonna be an online option. And we're rotating through all these things. And that's a lot of prep work to prep three different things to run simultaneously. For any one minute, you're actually planning three minutes. And so that intensity of the professional plan load is very real. But yeah, you're right, none of it would work at all if I didn't also take the time during the day to have that rapport and build that like ‘No, actually, I do care, and we are actually going to figure this out together. And you can actually figure this out. That's what we're doing together.’ But that's just a little bit different. I love that you took it that way.

Don't get me wrong, as an administrator, too, I love those classrooms that I would be able to go in. I would consider those more your typical average classrooms. I love going into a third or fourth-grade room, and they have like, what you're saying, they've got centers, and they've got group work, and they're doing all of these rotations and all that. And that's great. And that works great with certain students, but it doesn't work well with all students.

And I do think that when you really do need to get that intense education academically and behaviorally, when you have to get down to that nitty-gritty with each individual student, it takes way more than just all those little bells and whistles and hoops that you're jumping through to make things look cute. That relationship building, I think, is huge. Especially when you're dealing with certain types of kids that need just a little bit more than what your typical student would need.

Well, I want to dive into this here for a second because you're kind of hinting at it. I know I have worked with some practitioners who think that they're providing intensive instruction, maybe because they're running small groups. But it's not just that they're in small groups, it’s well, what are you doing with them in those groups, and how are you targeting that? And how is that actually more intensive than if they were just doing the same thing that you were doing in a whole group setting?

So, for you, when you look at this High-Leverage Practice, what are some of those examples where people might think that they're actually engaging in intensive instruction, but when you're looking at it, you're like, you're kind of missing the mark on that.

Yeah. Gosh, there are so many things that I could say about that. Sometimes the amount of time that you put into planning for the instruction does not make it intense. I've seen a lot of teachers who have heart and soul in it, and could they become great teachers? Absolutely. But they're almost spending too much time doing things that are not as relevant as they should be.

And it is really looking at data number one, which I know many teachers don't like doing. It's tedious. You do have to have that math-science brain also to understand it. But really, that data-driven education is key to planning those intense lessons. And so, just really getting into the weeds of those students. I mean, you can group them within your class, and I have done that, and I've seen classrooms that are run just smoothly and beautifully.

And you're just like, oh my gosh, if every classroom could be run this way. And that does work in those certain situations. But you really do need to have that knack for diving into that data just to see where that student really is and what their needs are. You also see those students who- I walk in classrooms all the time, or even within my own classroom, especially when I was first beginning, that just kind of sink into their chair and blend in a little bit. And so you would really never even know because they're very good at just, I mean, when you're having classrooms, especially at that upper level of 25, 30, 32 kids these days, it is very easy for a child. As long as you don't misbehave. You can just kind of sink into that chair and just blend in and make it look like  you're doing okay. But that's where as a teacher, you do really need to put that time into looking at what their needs are and diving into that data just to really individualize what you're, what you're doing with that student.

Well, before we sign off today, I want to give you some time to also speak to the admin side. I know you have run these intensive interventions as a teacher in your own classroom, but you've also led teachers into those things as well.

So, as you're coaching this High-Leverage Practice with your practitioners, what are some of the things that you see are either common pitfalls or easy nudges that you're like, hey, here's a quick win? And that actually will move what they're doing into that intensive instruction side of things.

You know, I have obviously met with teachers in groups, grade level teams, and departments, and might also work with that teacher because they're closely working with a SpEd team, and sitting down and going through things. And it might be where it gets to that point where sitting down with that teacher one-on-one, just like with the students. I think any good building leader needs to show that mutual level of respect. No doubt about it, because a lot of times, and I've seen it because I've been on that teacher side. You get a new building admin that comes in, and they know everything, and they're going to change everything. And why are we changing things when it's not broken?

I will say what has worked for me is A: building those relationships with those teachers. But B: finding that teacher or a couple of teachers that are just really, really solid and then sitting down, having a conversation with them, talking through, like, how do you set up your classroom? How do you think through what you are going to do on a weekly basis, on a daily basis? You might go home and say, Okay, that didn't work today, and change it. But how can you also then coach and model for your colleagues?

And I do believe that when you find those couple of teachers that are really, really solid, if you approach it in a very professional, respectful way with all your other teachers, I think they learn from each other more than they learn from their administrator and it's just that being on that same line as where they kind of feel like they're equals compared to that admin is more like, oh, my boss is telling me this type thing.

So, yeah, I mean, I just really try to always celebrate the successes of the teachers who, to me, are doing a great job that I see like, hey, can you, can you do a little presentation on this? Or can we sit together with a group of team members, and can you talk about this and how you do this, or can you show your planning, and what's your thought process? You know, I'm definitely not the smartest person in the room, and I've never said that I was. There are plenty of people out there who are way smarter than me. And just recognizing and then using their talents and celebrating their talents, I think, goes a long way with modeling for the other teachers. And then it ties down to what we're talking about, just good instruction with these kiddos that we get for however many hours a day that we get to teach them.

Well, I appreciate that because, yes, intensive instruction is intense. Right? And not every single practitioner is going to have the specialized expertise, knowledge, or experience to be able to provide that level of intensity that may be required by students in their classroom. I think at the secondary level, sometimes it can be maybe a little bit easier because at least you're in a content and you can intensify within that specialty. But especially in elementary, I mean, everybody's doing everything unless you've departmentalized in some way, shape, or form, maybe at the upper grade levels.

So, to provide the level of intensity across all of those domains is a lot. So I really love how you were just like, yeah, part of me working with the teachers to increase their skill set is by networking them with their colleagues who have those competencies, and they can show up in those ways, and they can just collaborate and figure that out together. I love that because, yeah, no one person can do all these things. It truly does take a village.

Definitely.

Well, thank you so much for taking some time to share your expertise with us on this High-Leverage Practice this week.

You're very welcome.

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I don't have to wait until we've reached the goal. I can compliment the way that they're trying to reach the goal.

Ashley Cotton

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In a schoolwide tiered system of support, the most intensive level of intervention—commonly known as Tier 3—is typically handled by special educators, while Tier 2 is delivered by highly trained general educators. Tier 3 focuses on highly individualized instruction, guided by a process known as data-based individualization (DBI). DBI involves starting with a validated supplemental intervention and using both diagnostic and progress monitoring data to create tailored instruction. This approach allows teachers to continually adapt the intervention based on a student's ongoing performance, ensuring the support evolves as needed.


Tier 2, on the other hand, is designed to help students who are below grade level but haven't responded well to differentiated core instruction. It uses research-based interventions to address skill gaps in small groups, usually with four to seven students. The primary goal is to reinforce foundational skills that allow students to access grade-level content, ultimately preventing further academic struggles.


Tier 3 ramps this up significantly, focusing on students with more severe and persistent learning needs who haven't made sufficient progress despite receiving Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions. Teachers in Tier 3 use data-informed practices proven effective across various content areas, including math, reading, writing, and behavior. The instruction is explicit, integrates cognitive strategies, offers continuous feedback, and is tightly aligned with student performance data. It’s delivered to very small groups—usually no more than three students—with similar learning or behavioral challenges.


A critical part of this intensive instruction is that it is both systematic and explicit. Teachers group students based on shared learning needs, define clear learning goals, and use carefully paced instruction to target specific skill gaps. Data is at the heart of this process, guiding the identification of these gaps and ensuring that instruction is focused on high-priority skills that are essential for academic success. Students in these settings benefit from multiple opportunities to respond, practice what they are learning, and receive immediate corrective feedback from teachers and peers.


Highly trained specialists such as reading experts, special educators, or behavioral specialists typically deliver this level of instruction. They use both quantitative and qualitative adaptations to intensify support—whether it's increasing instructional time or reducing group size, or integrating strategies that help with cognitive processes like self-regulation, memory, and academic skills. For instance, when quantitative changes aren’t enough, teachers might shift to qualitative adaptations like making instruction more explicit or incorporating cognitive supports, such as memory aids or self-regulation strategies, to further aid learning.


The DBI framework plays a pivotal role here. It helps special educators monitor the effectiveness of supplementary interventions. If progress isn’t sufficient, the first step is often to increase the instructional intensity by reducing group sizes or extending learning time. If that still doesn't yield the desired outcomes, educators turn to modifying the instructional delivery itself. This might involve using techniques like think-alouds or visual aids to model problem-solving strategies or introducing mnemonics to help students retain key concepts.


Through this flexible, data-driven approach, teachers can make continuous adjustments that meet the unique needs of each student, ensuring that even the most challenging learning challenges can be addressed with targeted, responsive interventions.


When students with additional needs aren't making adequate progress through general education instruction, special education teachers or specialists often step in to intensify the support. A widely recognized approach for doing this is through the process of Data-Based Individualization (DBI), as explained by the National Center for Intensive Intervention (NCII). DBI provides a structured, research-based framework that helps educators make well-informed decisions to support both academic and behavioral improvements. It’s a data-driven process that revolves around the use of data-informed curricula in the specific areas where students are struggling, combined with ongoing progress monitoring and diagnostic testing. 


One of the key aspects of DBI is that it’s not static; it encourages constant adjustment based on how well students are responding to interventions. Teachers may make adjustments in curriculum, group size, or even the structure of the instruction itself, all guided by student data. These decisions are often made collaboratively within a team setting, ensuring that multiple perspectives are considered in finding the most effective approach. 


What makes DBI particularly powerful is how it aligns so closely with several High-Leverage Practices (HLPs), particularly HLPs 1-6, which cover key aspects of collaboration, assessment, and data use, as well as instructional HLPs 11, 12, 16, and 22, which focus on adapting instruction, providing feedback, and offering explicit teaching. This alignment underscores the importance of blending research-backed practices with data-informed adjustments to help students with disabilities thrive.


When teachers effectively encourage active student engagement, particularly for students with significant learning challenges, they rely heavily on the DBI process. DBI provides a research-backed framework that allows educators to tailor interventions to individual student needs, tracking progress closely and adjusting strategies as necessary. Teachers start by selecting a secondary prevention program grounded in research, one that’s specifically designed for students who need more intensive intervention beyond what’s offered in the general curriculum.


Progress monitoring is essential throughout this process. Teachers continuously track how students are responding to instruction, using data to make informed adjustments. Diagnostic assessments play a key role as well, helping teachers create highly individualized intervention plans based on a student’s unique profile. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach; it’s about adapting and refining strategies until the right fit is found.


Within the DBI process, there are clear steps that guide this individualized instruction. First, teachers establish where the student is currently performing academically. From there, they set ambitious yet achievable long-term goals based on established norms. High-quality instruction or interventions are then implemented with fidelity, and teachers monitor progress toward those goals. As progress is tracked, teachers use specific decision rules to assess how effective the instruction is and how well the student is progressing.


At this point, if student progress isn’t meeting expectations, teachers generate a hypothesis about what might be hindering progress, and adjust the instruction accordingly. The beauty of this process is its flexibility; teachers can continue to monitor, assess, and make instructional changes throughout the year based on data, ensuring that the support provided is dynamic and responsive to each student’s evolving needs. This continuous cycle of evaluation and adaptation ensures that students receive the most effective, personalized support possible.


School leaders play a crucial role in ensuring that teachers are equipped to meet the varying needs of their students, particularly through effective use of data-informed practices and the DBI process. It’s essential that educators not only have a solid understanding of these practices but are also skilled in using data to guide their decisions. This means providing teachers with consistent opportunities for professional development and coaching, particularly around DBI. By doing so, leaders can ensure that teachers are able to implement these processes with precision and confidence, adapting instruction based on student data in real-time.


In addition to offering training, feedback is key. School leaders need to be actively engaged in observing how teachers are applying DBI across different settings, offering constructive input on whether educators are making the most accurate and efficient decisions. This helps to ensure that intensive interventions are having the intended impact.


Moreover, accountability is a significant part of this process. It’s not just about providing resources and training, but also holding teachers and other key stakeholders responsible for their roles within DBI. This includes ensuring that intensive instruction is delivered effectively, that data is being collected and monitored regularly, and that progress towards adjusted goals is being met. Leaders should also be ready to offer support or coaching whenever necessary, keeping the entire process moving smoothly and ensuring that students receive the best possible outcomes.


While many students respond well to research-based interventions like those provided in Tier 2 instruction, there are some who don’t make the expected progress, even with these targeted supports. These students require a more intensive instructional approach. This is where the framework of Data-Based Individualization (DBI) becomes critical. Grounded in over a decade of research, DBI has proven especially effective for students with additional needs who don’t show adequate progress in general education (Tier 1) or with supplemental interventions (Tier 2). 


Intensive instruction under DBI isn’t just about increasing the frequency or duration of lessons; it’s about making strategic, data-driven adjustments to the intervention itself. The beauty of DBI is its flexibility—it responds to individual student data, ensuring that instruction adapts in real time to meet their specific needs. By focusing on these nuanced, individualized aspects, students who would otherwise continue to struggle can make meaningful gains in their learning. The process is about being deeply responsive, adjusting to the unique and evolving challenges students face in their educational journey.

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