• Academic Intervention Services (AIS)

    The New York State Education Department requires that we develop and communicate the process for determining which students receive Academic Intervention Services (AIS) in mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) as a result of the NYS grades 3-8 assessments. Academic Intervention Services (AIS) are supplemental instruction and/or student support services intended to assist students in meeting the expectations of the Common Core Learning Standards. This additional support or instruction is intended to address barriers to improved academic performance, assist students who are at risk of not meeting standards in English Language Arts, mathematics, science and/or social studies in grades K-12 and assist students who have not met designated performance levels in English Language Arts, mathematics, science and/or social studies. Students are identified for AIS services through a two-step process. First, all students performing below the median scale score between a Level 2/partially proficient and a Level 3/proficient on a Grade 3-8 ELA or Mathematics state assessment shall be considered for AIS. 

    This link provides NYSED's guidance on the two-step process for identifying students to receive Academic Intervention Services (AIS).

    If your child falls below scores below the median scale score, your child will move on to phase two of this process. Each building has an established study team, Elementary Study Team (EST) at PQ and Child Study Team (CST) at the MS/HS that applies Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). MTSS is a school-wide, data-driven prevention system designed to maximize academic and behavioral instruction and intervention for children. This team meets regularly to determine appropriate interventions based upon student needs. If your child is considered initially eligible based on their NYS ELA or mathematics assessment score, they will be referred to the EST or CST. At this stage, the team of professionals will examine additional data to determine whether intervention is needed, and if so, what resources will be utilized. Please click here to find out more about the district's MTSS plan. A NYS RtI parent site describes the structure for determining levels of interventions. The following criteria are used:

    All students performing below the median scale score between levels 2 and 3 shall be considered for AIS.

    Once a student is identified, other local measures will then be examined to determine the necessity and/or appropriateness of AIS support:

    At PQ Elementary, a combination of the following measures will be utilized: Renaissance STAR Reading, Renaissance STAR Math, Group Mathematics Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation-GMADE, DIBELS and the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (if applicable). 

    Students who score below the median scale score on the NYS ELA or NYS Math assessments are tested using STAR Reading or STAR Math

    Students who score below the 64th Percentile on STAR Reading or STAR Math are tested using DIBELS or GMADE.

    Students who score below the 20th Percentile on GMADE or DIBELS receive AIS

    • Students at or below the 20th Percentile are identified for urgent intervention and are required to receive support from their classroom teacher and receive AIS.

    • Students between the 21th and 45th Percentile are on watch

    • Students between the 21th and 45th Percentile receive support through small group intervention form their classroom teacher.

    • Students at the 46 to 70th Percentile are at grade level benchmark.

    • Students at or above the 71st Percentile are above the grade level benchmark.

    At North Salem MS, a combination of the following measures will be utilized: In-class assessments, STAR Reading, STAR Math, and New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (if applicable).

    Students who score below the median scale score on the NYS ELA or NYS Math assessments 

    Students whose in-class testing average is below a 65% average 

    Students who score below the 20th Percentile receive AIS.

    • Students at or below the 20th Percentile are identified for urgent intervention and are required to receive support from their classroom teacher and receive AIS.

    • Students between the 21th and 45th Percentile are on watch

    • Students between the 21th and 45th Percentile receive support through small group intervention form their classroom teacher.

    • Students at the 46 to 70th Percentile are at grade level benchmark.

    • Students at or above the 71st Percentile are above the grade level benchmark.

    Qualifying for intervention services does not necessarily mean services will be provided outside of the classroom.  Our general education teachers may provide intervention services at a Tier 2 level in consultation with specialists and/or the CST or EST.  

    If you have any questions about AIS, CST, EST, or MTSS, please do not hesitate to contact Roy Martin, Principal at PQ, Vince DiGrandi, Principal at the MS/HS or Julio Vazquez, Director of Instruction and Human Resources.