PROVIDING EFFECTIVE OCCUPATIONAL-THERAPY SERVICES - DATA-BASED DECISION-MAKING IN SCHOOL-BASED PRACTICE

Educational practice is moving away from an ''eligibility-oriented'' s tudent-problem approach toward a problem-solving approach that connect s evaluation and interventions. This approach involves the identificat ion of variables wed to frame interventions, and ultimately, it permit s evaluation of intervention effectiveness. This article describes a p roblem-solving model developed and used within the Heartland Area Educ ation Agency. This model relies on collecting baseline data and ongoin g data, producing a basis not only for decision making, but also for e valuating the chosen intervention. This systematic and collaborative a pproach is used by the educational team to identify, concerns about st udents' academic and nonacademic performance, to plan interventions, a nd to establish measurable outcomes.