A Research-Based Approach to C.A.R.E. for Students
Since the inception of NCLB 2001 and IDEA 2004 (US Department of Education, 2004; IDEA 2004), school systems have lived and breathed within the broad landscape of the topics of assessment, intervention, and tiered frameworks. Growing out of this time, systems have become increasingly immersed in educational jargon and acronyms (e.g. IST, RTI, MTSS, IEP, etc.). This can cloud the true essence of what we as educators “signed up for”. We’re striving to provide valuable educational experiences for every child, so they can become successful lifelong learners and citizens.
In my different roles as a special educator, support specialist, or general education teacher, the way I have found to best support our children has been through what I call the C.A.R.E. cyclical framework. I have designed, presented, and employed the framework of C.A.R.E. to help navigate across the different levels of support in a school system, as well as in the context of higher education. In any tier of support, the CARE framework has proven to be a helpful approach in times of academic, social, and behavioral concerns. It keeps the “child at the centerpiece” in our decision-making processes. CARE also coalesces with processes that exist in school systems in response to the evolving needs of our children, including trauma-informed practices which are defined as “an approach that is holistic, empowering, strengths-focused, collaborative and reflective” (Office of Professional Practice, 2022).
C: Child as the Center and Collaborative Collection of Data
Assessing our children through a strengths-based mindset provides rich and formative data, which allows us to form better decisions as we establish a baseline and work toward implementing a more effective goal-based intervention. We may need to “drill down” to a more manageable target in order to help a respective child achieve growth. The behavior we observe with our students is often communicating an unforeseen need. The MTSS process takes on a dual role of addressing behavior and academic interventions to meet these underlying needs (PaTTan, 2021).
The CARE framework begins with keeping the child at the center, and utilizing data as a collaborative team to inform appropriate interventions. Touching base with the child’s parent, reading specialist, guidance counselor, and/or other staff members who are involved with the child in order to get their outlook upon the student may provide a window into other areas of interests, strengths, and struggles. Taking a few minutes to interview a student through learning inventories, open-ended questions, and other channels will not only strengthen teacher-student relationships, but it may provide a stronger foundation of trust as a way to address a concern.
What this looks like in practice:
I taught a third grade student who we’ll call Gabe. Early in the school year, he was displaying aggressive behaviors (e.g., shouting and pushing) towards peers during unstructured class times. Also during small group reading instruction, Gabe would often have tears in his eyes and refused to engage with the lesson (e.g., looking around, putting his head down). These observable behaviors sparked my curiosity in wanting to know more background about his life, and I began to collect data in a collaborative fashion. Through discussions with the guidance counselor and Gabe’s guardians, I learned that he was recently adopted by his grandmother because his mother was incarcerated and had dependency issues. Negligence and abuse was noted, and he was experiencing physical altercations with his siblings daily. His grandmother shared that Gabe often read with his mother at an early age, so when he read during school, this inadvertently triggered anxiety for him. It was imperative that I formed a trusting relationship with Gabe to feel secure enough to be vulnerable in challenging learning experiences like reading. Through an open ended student interview, I was able to acquire his likes and areas of interests. Furthermore, I was able to identify new strengths and gifts that were apparent. He enjoyed singing and sharing his love of music. Furthermore, he was a talented gymnast, so this prompted me to seek out books and other resources related to these topics.
Inventory examples of student data collection include Learning and Reading Inventory, Learning “Super Power” Preferences, and Characteristics of a Successful Learner.
A: Analyze and Adapt and Action
After collecting data collaboratively, I analyze the data and ask, “What adjustments can I make in my practices or lessons to help this student succeed?” Once data is collected about the child, it is time to use the data to establish a goal. The “rule of three" is often how I determine the baseline or starting point of where my student may begin: the average of the three assessment scores allows me to identify a starting point. I identify actionable interventions and strategies, and decide how long I plan to implement these. Six to eight weeks is considered a research-based time frame in order to monitor progress towards an observable goal (Wright, J., 2005).
What this looks like in practice:
With a newfound understanding of Gabe’s background, I was able to adjust how I facilitated his small group reading instruction. My baseline was that Gabe would participate in two out of five days (40%). As a team, we mutually agreed (including Gabe) that we would increase this by one day (60%) over a six-week duration. In the UDL (Universal Design for Learning) approach, multiple means of expression can pave the way to learning outcomes such as providing options in how he could access literature (Mace, 2000; PaTTan, 2019). I also provided agency for Gabe around this “non-preferred time” by offering a structured choice board on how he could choose to fulfill the expectations (see example).
R: Respond and Review
Now it is time to be responsive and employ different strategies in order to best support the child as they are obtaining the goal. Similar to setting SMART Goals to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timed, it is important to communicate with the student at any age that a team of teachers will help them work towards this goal. I often review the efficacy of each strategy and/or the intervention through graphic representation. This could be captured through video journaling, graphing, table, and/or other alternatives for making notations as progress is measured over time.
What this looks like in practice:
When Gabe engaged with the choice board, it was noticeable that this elevated his sense of control over his learning and subsequently his engagement increased. He was increasingly willing to participate in small group reading activities. Also through collaborative efforts, we were able to provide meetings with our guidance counselor to assist Gabe with emotional regulation and social skills. Gabe was able to self-monitor his progress through charting his own growth towards his reading participation.
E: Everyone
Schools are ecosystems that function within teams and collaborative structures. In this stage of the CARE Framework, we share potential outcomes with the school team (e.g. parent, guidance counselor, reading specialist, etc.) and results of the intervention. We share growth points and initiate the cyclical process again if we choose to attempt different approach or actionable steps in support of the student’s growth. We can both celebrate the gains and determine our next steps as we set each student up for success. This may help us achieve small incremental steps towards a common goal, which will enable our students to reach their full potential.
What this looks like in practice:
Gabe ultimately exceeded his SMART Goal, and we celebrated his success. He was able to proudly share his successes with his grandmother and was inherently pleased with his growth. He even began to volunteer to share his “reviews” of different books he read in a positive light and was eager to share his opinions in written form.
Conclusion
It truly takes a village to shape and support our youth as future citizens. Learning is challenging, and can make students feel vulnerable when they experience struggle. Using the CARE Framework as a method for individualizing this learning experience, and identifying personalized strategies for growth of each learner, can facilitate more intentional success for each of our students. For more information about the CARE Framework, reach out to Dr. Jacqueline D. Garcia.
References
Daino-Garcia, J. (2008). An investigation of staff perceptions of student intervention procedures as a pathway to response to intervention (RTI). ProQuest.
Mace, R. (2019). Mace Universal Design Institute. Universal Design.
Trauma Informed Resource Care Resource. Crisis Prevention Institute, Milwaukee, WI.
PaTTAN. PaTTAN MTSS resources.
Wright, J. (2007). RTI Toolkit: A Practical Guide for Schools (1st edition). Research Press.
About the Author
As a life-long learner, Dr. Jacqueline D. Garcia believes that in order to inspire “the head” it’s essential to nurture “the heart” of her students. Centennial School District of Bucks County, Pennsylvania has been her home for over twenty-three years. She has also had the pleasure of serving as a graduate adjunct professor at Holy Family University in the areas of Special Education and Reading for over fifteen years.
