Using RTI for LD Eligibility: We Are All Members of the Assessment Team Oregon RTI Project

1. Using RTI for LD Eligibility: We Are All Members of the Assessment Team Oregon RTI Project Sustaining Districts Trainings 2010-2011

2. Objectives • Understand the process of evaluating students using a Response to Intervention (RTI) framework • Screening • Core Instruction with fidelity • Interventions with fidelity • Progress Monitoring • Teaming/Data-Based Decision Making: Tier 2 or 3 Group Interventions • Teaming/Data-Based Decision Making: Individual Problem Solving • Special Ed Referral and Evaluation Report

3. 7. Special Ed Referral and Evaluation Report 6. Teaming/Data-Based Decision Making: Individual Problem Solving 5. Teaming/Data-Based Decision Making: Group Interventions 4. Progress Monitoring 3. Interventions with Fidelity 2. Core Instruction with Fidelity 1. Screening

4. 1. Universal Screening • Research-based screener used with ALL students 3 times per year • Fidelity checks used to ensure validity of data • Who conducts fidelity checks? • How often? • How is that data used? • Refresher trainings for staff? • Retest some students?

5. 1. Universal Screening • Screening data used to evaluate core effectiveness • Do you have schoolwide meetings to systematically improve core instruction? • 80% proficient is the goal • Less than 80% proficient should not prevent you from determining a child’s academic deficits are due to lack of instruction. • Are you providing instruction in the Big 5? • What do observations of core instruction tell you?

6. 1. Universal Screening • Screening data used to identify at-risk students • Do you have decision rules? • Which students receive interventions? • How many receive interventions?

7. 2. Core Instruction… • 90 minute core block (reading) • Research-based core program • Explicit, effective instructional practices trained and used • Instruction is more important than curriculum • How do you provide training on effective instruction, active engagement, and behavior management?

8. 2. …with Fidelity • Process for ensuring fidelity of core program implementation • Process for ensuring effective instructional practices in classrooms • What is “fidelity”?

9. Fidelity to… • The BIG 5 of Reading • The scope and sequence • State standards

10. Worksheets Fidelity

11. Why is fidelity important? • Comprehensive program that incorporates all components of reading • Students have the opportunity to make connections • Students read text that supports vocabulary, phonics, and comprehension lessons • The whole school has a common language, common goal, and common tools

12. 2. …with Fidelity • Process for ensuring fidelity of core program implementation • Process for ensuring effective instructional practices in classrooms • Who ensures fidelity? • What standards/criteria do you set for fidelity?

13. Talk Time • Has your district defined “fidelity to the core” and does your staff have a clear understanding of what that is?

14. Daisy participates in the general curriculum with strong instruction Screening data shows Daisy isn’t doing well How RTI Works from a Student’s Perspective

15. 3. Interventions • Interventions are research-based • Implemented interventions are chosen from district protocol • Interventions occur outside of 90 minute core instruction • Interventionists have appropriate training • Process for ensuring fidelity of intervention implementation

16. Daisy participates in the general curriculum with strong instruction Team reviews screening data and places Daisy in group intervention Screening data shows Daisy isn’t doing well How RTI Works from a Student’s Perspective Parents Notified

17. 4. Progress Monitoring • Research-based progress monitoring measures used • Frequency of monitoring is appropriate (i.e. at least 2x monthly for students receiving intensive support and 1x monthly for students receiving strategic support) • Progress monitoring data is graphed • Staff member(s) identified who is/are responsible for organizing and storing the progress monitoring data

18. 5. Teaming/Data-Based Decision Making: Group Interventions • System for matching interventions to student need based on multiple data sources • CBM’s: DIBELS, AIMSWEB, easyCBM • In-program assessments: weekly tests, unit tests, checkouts, mastery tests • Informal diagnostics: phonics screener, DRA, QRI, CORE assessments, Curriculum-Based Evaluation • Systematic teacher observational data

19. 5. Teaming/Data-Based Decision Making: Group Interventions • Grade level teams meet to review progress data regularly (e.g. every 4-8 weeks) • Decision Rules created AND followed around: • When to change interventions • What qualifies as an “intervention change” • Intervention plan or tracking form used to document interventions and intervention changes for all student in interventions

21. Daisy participates in the general curriculum with strong instruction Team reviews screening data and places Daisy in group intervention Screening data shows Daisy isn’t doing well Second Group Intervention Daisy doesn’t improve Daisy improves How RTI Works from a Student’s Perspective Exit intervention? Parents Notified

22. Talk Time • Do you have clear decision rules and does staff understand how and when to use them?

23. 6. Teaming/Data-Based Decision Making: Individual Problem Solving • Individual problem-solving team meeting occurs after group interventions are unsuccessful (Number of unsuccessful group interventions prior to initiating problem-solving is based on district policies & procedures) • Meetings occur as needed • How many group interventions before initiating problem solving?

24. 6. Teaming/Data-Based Decision Making: Individual Problem Solving • Notice provided to parents regarding district’s RTI procedures and parent’s right to request an evaluation • Oregon Department of Education Guidance: • Note: If using a response to intervention model, the parents must have been notified of the following prior to initiation: ODE and district policies regarding the amount and nature of student performance data to be collected and the general education services to be provided; strategies for increasing the child’s rate of learning; and the parent’s right to request an evaluation.

25. 6. Teaming/Data-Based Decision Making: Individual Problem Solving • Staff with pertinent information about target student attend the problem-solving meeting • Literacy Specialist • Classroom Teacher • School Psych and/or Counselor • Parents • Others as needed (ELL Teacher, Principal, Special Education Teacher, Speech Pathologist)

26. Problem Solving Meetings are Solution Focused • Focus is on: • Data • Educationally Relevant/Alterable Factors What changes can WE make that will provide the best chance of success for the child?

27. Focus on what you can change

28. Focus on what you can change

29. Variables Related to Student Achievement Within the student External to the student • Quality of instruction • Pedagogical knowledge • Content knowledge • Quality of curriculum • Quality of learning environment • Quality of evaluation • Quality and quantity of time/content • Desire to learn • Strategies for learning • Knowledge • Skills • Prior content knowledge • Self-efficacy/helplessness Alterable • Race • Genetic potential • Gender • Birth Order • Disposition • Health • Physical difference • IQ • Disability category • Personal history • Family income and resources • Family housing • Parent years of schooling • Mobility • Members of family • Family values • Socioeconomic status • Family history Unalterable (hard to change)

30. Is it alterable? Is it educationally relevant? • Kristin’s DIBELS scores indicate she was in the “low risk” range last year. • Sarah’s file indicates that her parents are divorced and her father lives in Missouri. • The special education director told you that Erin’s brother receives special education services. • Javon missed 24 days of school last year. • Pam’s teacher indicated that her noncompliant behavior began just after winter break.

31. The Problem Solving Process • Define the Problem: • What is the problem and why is it happening? • Design Intervention: • What are we going to do about the problem? • Implement and Monitor: • Are we doing what we intended to do? • Evaluate Effectiveness: • Did our plan work?

32. Defining the Problem • Need to further define the problem to know how to develop an individualized intervention • Gather as much information as needed to define the problem prior to the Problem Solving Meeting • Use existing data first, then determine if you need more

33. Preparing for the Problem Solving Meeting “You hit home runs not by chance but by preparation” - Roger Maris Do you have enough information? What do you still need to know to identify the problem?

34. 6. Teaming/Data-Based Decision Making: Individual Problem Solving • The following information is brought to the problem-solving meeting: • Documentation of prior interventions with progress monitoring data • A file review • A developmental history • English Language Learner information is collected (if appropriate) • Data comparing student to intervention cohort • Other relevant diagnostic data (if appropriate)

35. 6 0 5 0 4 0 3 0 2 0 1 0 D e c . J a n . F e b . M a r c h A p r i l M a y J u n e S c o r e s S c o r e s S c o r e s S c o r e s S c o r e s S c o r e s S c o r e s Cohort Data Isaiah Aimline Mary Amy Chase

36. 6 0 5 0 4 0 3 0 2 0 1 0 D e c . J a n . F e b . M a r c h A p r i l M a y J u n e S c o r e s S c o r e s S c o r e s S c o r e s S c o r e s S c o r e s S c o r e s Cohort Data Aimline Amy Isaiah Chase Mary

37. Additional Diagnostic Data?

38. What do you know? What do you still need to know? • Is there an attendance issue? • Are there health/vision issues? • Are there language issues? • Are there acculturation issues?

39. What do you know? What do you still need to know? Reading Comprehension Vocabulary Oral Reading Fluency & Accuracy Phonics (Alphabetic Principle) Phonemic Awareness

40. 6. Teaming/Data-Based Decision Making: Individual Problem Solving • Documented problem definition, problem hypothesis, and intervention plan are developed at the individual problem-solving meeting

41. Problem Definition • Objective – observable and measurable • Clear – passes “the stranger test” • Complete – includes examples (and non-examples when necessary) and baseline data

42. Problem Definition Example Non-Example Harry struggles with being a fluent reader and is not meeting the 2nd grade reading benchmark. He makes a lot of mistakes and is currently reading at a 1st grade level. He also has difficulties answering comprehension questions at grade level. • Harry (2nd grader) is currently reading a median of 44 words correct per minute (wcpm) with 89% accuracy when given 2nd grade level text. He also answers an average of 3/10 comp questions correct on weekly in-class tests. 2nd grade students in his school are reading an average of 85 wcpm on 2nd grade text and answering 9/10 comp questions correct.

43. Problem Hypothesis “Why is the student not performing at the expected level?” (Problem Hypothesis) “What is the student’s instructional need?” (Designing an Intervention)

44. Hypothesis Development • Data-Based Hypothesis: • Harry’s reading fluency and comprehension problems occur because he does not have strategies for decoding consonant digraphs (ch, sh, etc), silent-e words, and r-controlled vowels (ar, ir, er, or). His fluency and comprehension will improve if he receives additional intensive instruction in these decoding strategies.

45. Intervention Design

46. Develop an Intervention Plan • What skill is needed? • What curriculum will be used? • What instructional strategies will be used? • How long will the student receive the intervention? • Who will provide the intervention?

47. How do you document your: Problem definition? Problem hypothesis? Intervention plan?

48. Problem Solving Worksheet SampleTigard-Tualatin School District

49. Intervention Plan SampleHeartland Area Education Agency (Iowa)

50. Implement and Monitor