Strategy Library
Match the intervention to the barrier
The intervention is only as good as the barrier it addresses. Choose the barrier first, then pick a strategy at the level the student is currently receiving support.
Pick one or two strategies — not five. A small number of well-delivered supports outperforms a long list nobody owns.
18 strategies
Owner and monitoring expectations included.
| Barrier | Level | Strategy | Typical owner | Monitor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health & medical | Early Warning | Confirm illness pattern with family; share when to keep a student home vs. send to school. | Attendance clerk / office | Absences over next 10 school days |
| Health & medical | Site-Level Intervention | Nurse consult, health plan on file, medication or asthma follow-up, dental/vision referral. | School nurse + case lead | Health-coded absences and nurse visits, 4 weeks |
| Health & medical | SST / MTSS team | Coordinate with provider, consider 504/health accommodation, partial-day re-entry plan. | SST / MTSS team | Weekly attendance + provider notes |
| Transportation | Early Warning | Verify bus stop, route time, and walking safety; confirm family understands options. | Attendance clerk | Tardies and first-period absences, 2 weeks |
| Transportation | Site-Level Intervention | Assign a bus pass, adjust route/stop, arrange carpool or walking buddy. | Site admin + transportation | On-time arrivals, 4 weeks |
| Family & housing | Site-Level Intervention | Connect with community liaison; screen for housing instability, food, clothing, utilities. | Community liaison | Weekly family contact log |
| Family & housing | SST / MTSS team | Coordinated referral to district homeless/foster liaison and community partners. | SST / MTSS team + district liaison | Referral completion and attendance, 6 weeks |
| Academic | Early Warning | Teacher check-in on missing work; clarify what the student needs to re-enter class successfully. | Classroom teacher | Assignment completion, 2 weeks |
| Academic | Site-Level Intervention | Targeted tutoring, credit recovery, schedule adjustment, or reading/math intervention. | Teacher + intervention staff | Grades and attendance, 4-6 weeks |
| Social-emotional / belonging | Early Warning | Trusted-adult check-in; ask what makes the school day hard and what would help. | Counselor or trusted staff | Check-in notes, 2 weeks |
| Social-emotional / belonging | Site-Level Intervention | Check-in/check-out, counseling group, mentor, or connection to one activity or club. | Counselor | Daily check-in data, 4 weeks |
| Social-emotional / belonging | SST / MTSS team | Refer to school-based mental health services; consider re-entry and anxiety-reduction plan. | SST / MTSS team | Service attendance + school attendance, 6 weeks |
| Safety & bullying | Early Warning | Interview student privately; document concern and follow site safety protocol. | Site admin | Student report at 1 and 2 weeks |
| Safety & bullying | Site-Level Intervention | Safety plan, supervision adjustments, schedule change, restorative follow-up. | Site admin + counselor | Weekly student check-in, 4 weeks |
| Understanding of attendance | Early Warning | Use a First Faces empathy interview before the data talk: ask how the student or family experiences arrival, return after absence, late arrival, and school contact. | Trusted adult / counselor / liaison | Interview themes and whether the first adult contact improves within 10 school days |
| Understanding of attendance | Early Warning | Share attendance impact data with the family in plain language and in home language. | Attendance clerk / liaison | Absences, 3 weeks |
| Understanding of attendance | Site-Level Intervention | First Faces warm-welcome routine plus attendance goal-setting conference with student and family; include a visual attendance tracker. | Case lead | Tracker review every 2 weeks; student/family report of welcome and connection |
| Understanding of attendance | SART / SARB | Formal attendance contract reviewing legal obligations plus the supports being provided. | SART team | Contract review at 30 days |