Implementing a well structured ISS program? We can help.
Intervention-Based In-School Suspension
Intervention-Based In-School Suspension
Why ISS Should Be Academic, Structured, and Transformational
Most educators know what traditional ISS looks like. A quiet room. Slow-moving worksheets. Busy work. Students falling farther behind. Behavior repeating itself a week later. It is the classic example of a consequence that maintains order but does nothing to support learning or long-term change.
Intervention Based ISS is a different model. It brings together trauma informed practice, academic intervention, structure, and data into one system. The goal is not simply to remove a student from the classroom. The goal is to return them better equipped to succeed.
This pillar explains what Intervention Based ISS is, how it works, and why it outperforms every traditional approach.
1. What Intervention-Based ISS Actually Means
Intervention Based ISS is built on a simple idea. If a student is removed from instruction because of a behavior concern, the school must use that time to improve both behavior and learning.
This model integrates:
- Trauma informed practices rooted in safety, transparency, collaboration, and empowerment
- Daily academic recovery without loss of instruction
- One to one and small group intervention for skill gaps
- Predictable structure that supports regulation
- Data systems that inform future decisions
Where traditional ISS pauses learning, Intervention Based ISS accelerates it.
2. Trauma Informed Principles Remain the Foundation
Trauma informed ISS has always been anchored in four pillars. Those pillars remain unchanged.
Safety
Students enter a room that is predictable, supervised, and calm.
Transparency
Students know the expectations, routines, and consequences before the day begins.
Collaboration
Teachers, administrators, and ISS facilitators work together to support learning.
Empowerment
Students receive clear feedback, emotional support, and academic help that builds confidence.
Intervention Based ISS does not replace trauma informed practice. It expands it by adding academic intervention as a core priority.
3. Academic Intervention Is the Heart of the Model
The central question of Intervention Based ISS is simple.
Does the student return to class more academically capable than when they entered?
The answer should always be yes.
Intervention Based ISS includes three academic layers:
Layer 1: Current assignments
Students complete every assignment for every class. Missing work is closed. No loss of instruction occurs.
Layer 2: Skill deficit identification
While working on assignments, the ISS facilitator identifies gaps that prevent access to grade level content. Missing foundational skills are recorded.
Layer 3: Backfilling instruction
Once current work is complete, the facilitator teaches short, targeted lessons to repair the gap. This is often the first time some students receive true one to one support.
Students leave ISS more prepared for the classroom than when they entered.
4. Structure Gives Students Predictability and Momentum
Intervention Based ISS relies on structure. Without it, academic support cannot occur.
A structured ISS environment includes:
- Assigned seating
- Clear rules and procedures
- Posted schedules and expectations
- Immediate access to all assignments
- Calm, neutral correction
- Minimal downtime
- A consistent daily flow
Structure is what allows students to settle, focus, and work. It also reduces the stress response that unpredictability creates in trauma impacted learners.
5. Behavior Support Without Shaming or Power Struggles
Intervention Based ISS uses behavior systems that support growth instead of creating conflict.
The facilitator redirects with a neutral and calm tone. Corrections are short and predictable. Students learn that the adult does not escalate, argue, or negotiate. The room stays stable, and the student models emotional regulation after the adult.
This teaches far more than a lecture or consequence ever could. A regulated adult creates regulated students.
Students also complete structured reflection activities that focus on ownership and next steps. Reflection is purposeful, not punitive.
6. Collaboration With Teachers Makes or Breaks the System
Intervention Based ISS cannot function in isolation. The academic side of the model depends heavily on communication with classroom teachers.
The most effective method is a shared spreadsheet updated daily by teachers. This system gives ISS staff:
- Assignments
- Instructions
- Links
- Learning targets
- Notes on accommodations
Teachers know exactly what was completed and what needs to continue. Administrators can monitor the flow of assignments and identify staff who need additional support.
This single operational system increases instructional minutes for students and eliminates confusion for staff.
7. Data Is What Turns ISS Into a True Intervention
Intervention Based ISS generates data that can improve decision making campus wide.
Key data points include:
Assignment completion rates
Shows which students are consistently behind or struggling.
Skill deficit patterns
Reveals trends across grade levels or content areas that may require team level interventions.
Recidivism and frequency
Identifies students who need stronger Tier 2 or Tier 3 supports.
Mid placement disruptions
Highlights gaps in classroom management, supervision, or student regulation.
Teacher assignment delivery rates
Shows which departments collaborate consistently and which may need coaching.
This data shapes MTSS conversations, informs behavior teams, and guides curriculum decisions.
8. Why This Model Solves the Core Problems in Traditional ISS
Traditional ISS has three universal failures.
Failure 1: Loss of instruction
Students fall behind academically and return to class more frustrated than before.
Failure 2: Lack of skill support
Students repeat behavior because their missing academic or executive functioning skills were never addressed.
Failure 3: Poor structure
When ISS lacks predictable routines, students perceive it as a break rather than a consequence with purpose.
Intervention Based ISS corrects all three.
Students stay connected to learning. Skill gaps are filled. Structure is consistent and supportive. The room becomes a Tier 2 tool instead of a punishment room.
9. What School Leaders Can Expect When Implementing Intervention Based ISS
Schools that adopt this model consistently see:
- Higher academic output from at-risk students
- Fewer repeat ISS placements
- Fewer parent complaints about lost instruction
- Improved relationships between teachers and ISS staff
- Stronger MTSS alignment and early identification
- More accurate behavior data
- A reduction in disruptive behavior campus wide
The model works because it focuses on learning, clarity, and support rather than exclusion or punishment.
10. Why Intervention Based ISS Is the Future
Schools cannot continue using a discipline system that pushes students farther behind academically. The long-term costs are too high.
Intervention Based ISS aligns with:
- MTSS
- PBIS
- Trauma informed practice
- Equity-based discipline
- Research on exclusionary harm
- HB 6 compliance in Texas and similar legislation in other states
This model keeps students learning, builds foundational skills, and improves behavior at the same time.
For students who struggle the most, ISS may be the only place where they consistently experience structure, accountability, personalized academic support, and emotional safety.
This is not just a better version of ISS. It is what ISS should have been all along.
Implementing a well structured ISS program? We can help.
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