A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Audience Approved by PEP for students in grades K-6 with special academic and/or behavioral problems who present themselves as potential special education referrals (prereferral), are returning from special education to the regular classroom, or are simply "difficult-to-teach."

Description The Responding to Individual Differences in Education (RIDE) process involves a series of steps, beginning with a well-articulated description of the behavior, followed by three options: (1) Effective Classroom Practices, which identifies 12 themes from the effective schools research to assist in the modification or refinement of current practices; (2) Computer Tactics Bank and Video Library, which provide over 250 proven successful behavioral and academic tactics, and video demonstrations of how to carry out the tactics; and (3) School-Wide Assistance Team (SWAT), which serves as a building-level resource for generating solutions to problems through a systematic problem-solving process.

Evidence of Effectiveness At-risk students in RIDE schools exhibit significantly greater positive: (1) academic growth on the locally-developed and validated Academic Behavior Scale, and (2) social growth on the Iowa Conners Teacher Rating Scale than equivalent comparison school studies.

Requirements There should be strong administrative support, and three to four teachers should be elected to serve on a building-level team for at least one year. A multiplier-effect training model, whereby the SWAT members are trained and in turn train the remaining members of the building faculty, is recommended. A one-day initial training session (30-40 participants) and a follow-up site visit approximately three months later are strongly recommended. In addition to the RIDE kit, which includes a Computer Tactics Bank, Video Library, SWAT Training Tape, and Program Manual for each participant, the building must have available a VCR with monitor and either an Apple II, IBM, or Macintosh computer with accompanying printer.

Costs Costs are prorated according to the number of buildings in a school district adopting the model. Based on a district adoption including eight buildings with eight teams (32 workshop participants), materials and training costs total $5,880 ($2160 for 8 Computer Tactics Banks; $2360 for 8 Video Libraries; $360 for 24 Program Manuals; $500 for the one-day training; and $500 for the one-day follow-up training). Costs average $735/building, $245/teacher, and $1.21/pupil (600 pupils per building).

Services In addition to training and materials, a follow-up site visit is provided.

Contact

Ray Beck, Project Director, P.O. Box 1809, Longmont, CO 80502-1809. (303) 651-2829.

Developmental Funding: Local, state, and National Center for Learning Disabilities.
PEP No. 88-14 (3/92)

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