Oaklyn Public School District

What is I&RS?
Intervention & Referral Services (I&RS) is an interdisciplinary team of professionals within the school environment who come together throughout the school year to formulate coordinated services and team delivery systems to address the full range of student learning, behavior, social, and health problems in the general education program as well as for students determined to be in need of special education programs and services. According to N.J.A.C 6A:16-8.1.,8.2 the goal of the committee is to see measurable student improvement in the identified targeted areas. Staff members refer students to the I&RS Committee through the building principal, who then advises the parents of the referral. The I&RS Committee develops an Action Plan containing goals, interventions, and a timeline for the plan's duration.

The I & RS committee follows a multidisciplinary approach with a well-articulated system of supportive activities and services for staff who have identified student difficulties and those who will be involved in the amelioration of the identified educational concerns.

What is NJTSS?
NJTSS is a framework of supports and interventions to improve student achievement, based on the core components of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and the three tier prevention logic of Response to Intervention (RTI).  With a foundation of strong district and school leadership, a positive school culture and climate and family and community engagement, NJTSS builds on Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) and gives schools structure to meet the academic, behavioral, health, enrichment and social/emotional needs of all students.

OPS MTSS Team Defined:
The OPS MTSS Team is what we call our I&RS Team. This team is a school based, problem-solving group of school professionals whose purpose is to implement our multi-tiered systems of support program, by designing intervention strategies for individual students in need of assistance due to academic, behavioral, or health concerns.

Links to Online I&RS and NJTSS Resources:

I&RS Website

NJTSS One Pager

NJTSS Website

An initial request for a MTSS Team meeting can be initiated by the classroom teacher, the counselor, other subject area teachers, the parent, or, on occasion, the student him or herself

A written request for a MTSS referral should be completed and returned to the child's teacher or a building administrator. If you would like to make a parent request, please contact the school principal, Ms. Jennifer Boulden, at (856)858-0335.

Differentiated instruction is a process in which teachers learn to change their pace, style, and level of instruction in response to student differences. These include different interests and different readiness levels. They also include the different learning styles of student. There are three specific areas in which to differentiate: the content of the lesson, the process used to teach, and the final product. Differentiated instruction is used to reach the diverse needs of students. Students come to school with cultural differences, different learning styles, a variety of interests, disabilities, and varying backgrounds in learning. Meeting the needs of all of these diverse learners in a large class is not easy. It requires different methods of teaching, and constant assessment of the students and yourself to check for progress. However, when implemented properly, differentiated instruction works!

Differentiated Instruction from Internet 4 Classrooms
From learning styles inventories to instructional theory to practical tips for classrooms, check out these resources.

What is Differentiated Instruction?
At its most basic level, differentiation consists of the efforts of teachers to respond to variance among learners in the classroom. Whenever a teacher reaches out to an individual or small group to vary his or her teaching in order to create the best learning experience possible, that teacher is differentiating instruction