Response to Intervention (RTI)

1. Response to Intervention(RTI)

2. What Is RTI? • RTI is a general education initiative written into the special education law IDEA 2004. • It’s purpose is to offer educators a framework in which to structure early intervention strategies. • At its core, RTI aims to support at-risk students by removing barriers to learning.

3. Where Did RTI Begin? • The RTI approach emerged from multiple long-term studies which indicate that nearly every student can learn when differentiated instructional strategies, expert-driven instruction, and a scientifically validated curriculum are used in the regular classroom.

4. What Does RTI Involve? • The RTI process involves gathering and examining assessment data. • Educators use the results to judge the effectiveness of the interventions used with students and to determine appropriate new instructional plans.

5. Key Features of RTI • It is primarily a general education initiativedesigned to address the needs of struggling learners early in their educational experience. • It is based on a problem-solving model that uses data to inform decision-making. • RTI interventions are systematically applied and derived from research-based practices. • It is highly dependent on progress monitoring and collection of data from multiple sources. • RTI intervention plans are designed, implemented and monitored by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals. • It can replace the I.Q. discrepancy model for determining the presence of a learning disability.

6. Turn & Talk What are your initial concerns or anxieties about RTI?

7. The 3 Tier Model of RTI • Tier 1 — the provision of general screening and group interventions that usually represent the core instructional program. If this instruction is adequately differentiated, 80-90% of the students will respond and achieve established benchmarks. Assessments occur three to four times per year. • Tier 2 — if studentsdo not make adequate progress in Tier 1, more intensive services and targeted interventions, usually in small groups, are provided in addition to instruction in the general curriculum. Progress is monitored more closely, at least bi-weekly, and the research-based interventions could last approximately six to ten weeks. • Tier 3 — for students who do not adequately respond to the targeted interventions in Tier 2, eligibility for special education services under IDEA (2004) would be considered. Additional testing may be warranted and students would receive individualized intensive interventions targeted to the skill deficits.

8. Academic RTI…PBIS* Intensive Interventions Intensive Interventions 1-5% Targeted Interventions Targeted Interventions 5-10% Universal Interventions All Students Preventive & Proactive Core Program and Universal Interventions All Students 80-90% *Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports

9. RTI and the Law The components of RTI underscored in No Child Left Behind (NCLB) focus on accountability for results and include: • High Quality Instruction • Research-Based Instruction • Universal Screening • Continuous Progress Monitoring • Early Intervention • Progress Monitoring during Interventions

10. Definition of Terms • Universal Screening: a means to access students who are at risk for falling below state or grade level standards. The screening can be accomplished through formal and/or informal methods. • Intervention: a designed change in the manner and/or degree on which a student is being instructed. An intervention can address academic and/or behavioral needs. • Baseline: data, collected prior to the initiation of an intervention, that is utilized for comparison with data collected during and/or after an intervention has been implemented.

11. What is the RTI Approach? • Nothing is prescribed or detailed by RTI • There isn’t one, specific RTI approach. • Two models have emerged: a. problem-solving RTI b. standard protocol RTI

12. Problem-solving RTI • Involves the implementation of interventions designed for individual student needs • Allows more flexibility in choices of interventions and allocation of resources

13. Standard Protocol RTI • Relies on interventions for small groups of students experiencing the same academic problems • Standard interventions in place and readily available to students in need

14. Five Essential Elements: #1 • Under an RTI framework, schools must embrace a comprehensive universal screening process that is administered to all students. • Examples: DIBELS, AIMSweb, 4Sight, STAR • School-wide screenings are repeated during the year and the results are used to guide instructional decisions.

15. Five Essential Elements: #2 • Classroom teachers represent the first line of early intervention. • They are expected to implement high-quality, evidence-based instruction matched to a student’s learning needs as identified through the screening process and classroom assessments.

16. Five Essential Elements: #3 • RTI requires the progress of all students, especially those at-risk, to be monitored closely in the regular classroom. • The data flowing from curriculum-based measures enables the teacher to assess an individual student’s response to the strategies or interventions being used. • Instruction is adjusted accordingly to maximize student achievement.

17. Five Essential Elements: #4 • Even in classrooms following an RTI model, some students may fail to thrive. • If a learner consistently demonstrates the need for additional support, the classroom teacher can share the results of intervention efforts and work collaboratively with colleagues to explore other instructional options.

18. Five Essential Elements: #5 • If the collaborative team and classroom teacher determine the student requires support in addition to the prescriptive instruction already provided, supplemental services are arranged. • IDEA 2004 allows at-risk students to receive supplemental support without a disability level. • This support is coordinated with other school-based services and personnel; e.g., Title I, ESL/ELL, SPED, specialists, coaches, etc.

19. What About Identification of a Learning Disability? • Schools following an RTI framework now have an important proactive alternative to the “wait-to-fail” or IQ-achievement discrepancy model used in the past. • For a student consistently failing to respond to interventions, a special education referral team would begin a comprehensive evaluation.

20. RTI Funding • To support the use of EIS, IDEA allows a district to use up to 15% of it special education funds for: • on-going professional development • providing educational and behavioral evaluations, services, and supports

21. Turn & Talk • How often do you provide multiple ways for students to master knowledge and skills? • Do you use a range of research-based instructional strategies? • What role do pre-assessments play? • Do your students often work in small groups? • Are your students using self-assessment? • Do you use both summative and formative assessments?

22. Rate of Improvement (ROI) Under RTI, data derived from a student’s response to different interventions is used to: • Evaluate the effectiveness of instructional efforts • Guide future planning decisions • Determine a learner’s need for more intensive support • Establish the presence or absence of a learning disability

23. Don’t Be Anxious About RTI • There are many unanswered questions. • There is no specific RTI model. • Much of what you already do supports RTI. • It all boils down to consistent use of best instructional practices that benefit all learners.

24. Summary Features of RTI • RTI is primarily a general education initiative • RTI is based on a problem-solving model using data to support decisions • RTI interventions are based on research-based practices • RTI is highly dependent on progress monitoring and data collection

25. Two Essentials • Creating conditions within schools to facilitate regular collaboration through thoughtful scheduling and planning. • On-going staff development through conferences, seminars, on-site training, and on-line learning so teachers are equipped with the tools they need.

26. RTI, DI and Marzano’s 9 • Teachers using differentiated instruction (DI) in their classrooms are already offering the expert-driven, responsive, student-centered instruction that RTI requires. • Marzano’s 9 powerful strategies are often considered the most comprehensive appraoch for addressing RTI through differerentiated instruction.