Re-visioning Intervention: RtI 2 in Elementary

1. Re-visioning Intervention: RtI2 in Elementary Nancy Frey, Ph.D. San Diego State University PowerPoint available at www.fisherandfrey.com

2. First, the bad news… There’s no “magic in a box” for RtI

3. Even worse… Everyone expects that you’re a magician!

4. Choose Your Own Adventure: The School Edition

5. Adventure #1: “What’s wrong with this kid?” • Has an experienced teacher • In danger of being retained • Learning contract, Intersession • Works with a paraprofessional • Referred for special education testing • Summer school • Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (in press). Enhancing RTI: How to ensure success with effective classroom instruction • and intervention. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

6. Adventure #2:How can we help this kid? • Has an experienced teacher • Screening assessments • Title 1 coordinator provides Tier 2 supplemental instruction • Formative assessments • Progress monitoring • Referred for special education testing • Summer school

7. Adventure #3:How can helping Adam teach us something about ourselves? • Experienced teacher • Screening assessments • Benchmark assessments • Consultative services of S/LP • Tier 2 supplemental instruction with Title 1 teacher • Progress monitoring • Tier 3 intervention with reading specialist • RtI2 Committee feedback loop to improve programming • Extended day

8. Traditional View of Learning When time and instruction are held constant… LEARNING … learning outcomes vary. Adapted from Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, 2009

9. A New View of Learning When time and instruction are variable… LEARNING … learning is held constant. Adapted from Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, 2009

10. Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtI2) • Tier 1: Quality core instruction • Tier 2: Supplemental intervention • Tier 3: Intensive intervention Tier 2: 20-30% Tier 1: 70+% Tier 3: 5-15% Manipulate variables… • Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (in press). Enhancing RTI: How to ensure success with effective classroom instruction • and intervention. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

11. What Variables Can You Control? • Frequency (time) • Duration (time) • Assessment (instruction) • Group size (instruction) • Access to expertise (instruction) • Staff collaboration (instruction) • Student Monitoring Team (instruction) • Others?

12. Tier 1: Quality Core Instruction Tier 1: 70+% Tier 2: 20-30% Tier 3: 5-15% Manipulate variables… • Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (in press). Enhancing RTI: How to ensure success with effective classroom instruction • and intervention. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

13. TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY “I do it” Focus Lesson Guided Instruction “We do it” “You do it together” Collaborative “You do it alone” Independent STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY Gradual Release of Responsibility Model Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Better learning through structured teaching. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

14. For more information about Tier 1 quality core instruction, please attend Doug Fisher’s lunchtime keynote address today

15. Red flags for Tier 1 • Less than 70% of the school at or near grade level • Too much whole-group instruction • No evidence of flexible grouping • Blaming students for failure • “This is how I’ve always done it”

16. Tier 2: Supplemental intervention Tier 2: 20-30% Tier 1: 70+% Tier 3: 5-15% Manipulate variables… • Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (in press). Enhancing RTI: How to ensure success with effective classroom instruction • and intervention. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

17. PROGRAM Specialized instruction GROUPING Homogeneous small groups ASSESSMENT 1-2 times monthly WHO? General education teacher, reading specialist, S/LP WHERE? General education classroom What does Tier 2 look like? DESIGNED TO ACCELERATE LEARNING

18. Examples of Tier 2 Supplemental Instruction and Intervention • Additional guided instruction • Lower group size (2-5 students) • Lunch Bunch book discussions • Afterschool tutorials • Increased expertise (teacher, S/LP, reading specialist, etc.) • Curriculum Based Measures (CBM) for progress monitoring • Family involvement • Student Monitoring Team feeds forward to improve instruction

19. How does this differ from guided reading? • Additive--done in addition to core program • Frequency--should be daily* • Intensity--specialized approaches targeted at specific areas of difficulty • Duration--typically 20 weeks * Daily instruction can come from a team of Tier 2 interventionists

20. Red flags for Tier 2 • Replacement instead of supplementary instruction • Disconnected from curriculum • No mechanism for communication between professionals • Used as a Band-aid to fix other schoolwide woes

21. Tier 3: Intensive intervention Tier 3: 5-15% Tier 1: 70+% Tier 2: 20-30% Manipulate variables… • Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (in press). Enhancing RTI: How to ensure success with effective classroom instruction • and intervention. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

22. PROGRAM Intensive intervention GROUPING individuals ASSESSMENT 1-2 times monthly WHO? General education teacher, reading specialist, S/LP, outside interventionist WHERE? Designated by school What does Tier 3 look like? STUDENTS WHO ARE “NON-RESPONSIVE” MAY BE REFERRED FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TESTING

23. Red flags for Tier 3 • A rush to refer to special education • Lack of patience • Too much reliance on scripted programs • Too much reliance on special education staff • Can’t support decisions with data

24. Examples of Tier 3 Intensive Instruction and Intervention • One-to-one instruction • Increased duration and frequency • Frequent CBM for progress monitoring • Experts provide instruction--every certificated adult on campus has students • Specialized assessments • Increased family involvement • Student Monitoring Team feeds forward to improve programmatic efforts Teacher remains central figure in these efforts

25. RtI2 in Action • 1500 students in grades K-5 • 39 language spoken • 76% English language learners • 100% free/reduced lunch • District mandatory retention policy in 2001 based on Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) scores Frey, N., Lapp, D., & Fisher, D. (2009). The academic booster shot: In-school tutoring to prevent grade-level retention. In J. Richard & C. Lassonde (Eds.). Literacy tutoring that works: A look at successful in-school, after-school, ad summer programs (pp. 32-45).Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

26. The Problem… • How could retention be reduced in first grade without inadvertently creating problems in second grade? • How could we avoid the iatrogenic* effect?

27. Iatrogenic: The surgery was successful but the patient died.

28. Tier 3 Design: Spring • 85 first grade students identified • 6 tutors from university credential program • Daily 30-minute lessons for 8 weeks • Observation Survey (Clay, 1993) • Running Records

29. DRA Level A-3 One-to-one correspondence Left-to-right directionality within words and across words Locating known and unknown words in the text Return sweep DRA Level 4-6 Using early reading behaviors over longer text Fading finger pointing in reading text Using known words to solve unknown words Rereading to check or confirm. Fluency Reading for meaning Emphasis of Lessons

30. Results of Tier 3 Intervention • More students At or Above grade level, with corresponding drop Below/Significantly Below grade level • Tier 2 students (statistically below other students before intervention)--statistically similar after intervention • Effects held 8 months later (second grade)

31. How Effective versus a Comparison School? • Schools were demographically similar • Comparable achievement levels in spring of first grade • Mean gain for entire grade after intervention was higher (6.63 vs. 5.58) • Fewer students retained than comparison school (7 vs. 30)

32. DRA Comparisons Through Second Grade © Nancy Frey 2008

33. DRA Comparisons Through Third Grade © Nancy Frey 2008

34. Reduction of Achievement Gap Through Third Grade • Spring (1st): 65% (3.97 v. 11.38) Intervention #1 • Summer (1st): 33% (12.12 v. 18.02) • Fall (2nd): 38% (11.0 v. 17.85) • Spring (2nd): 30% (15.85 v. 22.88) Intervention #2 • Summer (2nd): 25% (20.89 v. 27.81) • Fall (3rd): 33% (15.48 v. 23.09) • Spring (3rd): 19% (26.12 v. 32.12) Intervention #3 • Summer (3rd): 17% (35.08 v. 29.04)

35. Leading a Collaborative Effort for RtI2

36. Role of the specialist in tier 1 • Consult with staff on promoting language development in classrooms • Work with individual teachers on instructional concerns related to language • Short-term modeling and coaching (reading and writing, language scaffolds, visual/gestural supports, accountable talk, social language)

37. Role of the specialist in tier 2 • Short-term (weeks-months) classroom interventions • Co-teach during collaborative learning • Story talk • Shared readings of narrative and informational texts • Shared writing • Collaboration on designing word study lessons

38. Role of the specialist in tier 3 Tier II plus: • More explicit • More systematic • Small group/individual • More scaffolds • Longer duration

39. Reaching across the divide Opportunities for collaboration between general and special education in program design: Conducting professional development Assist in selecting screening measurements and scientifically-based intervention approaches Interpret school’s progress in meeting intervention needs

40. Reaching across the divide Opportunities for collaboration between general and special education in program implementation: Fostering oral and written language development Working with small groups of students in the general education classroom Working with families to understand screening and progress assessments

41. Paradigm shifts through leadership From viewing the problem with the child … … to analyzing the teaching/learning interaction.

42. From a placement orientation … … to a teaching orientation. Paradigm shifts through leadership

43. Paradigm shifts through leadership From measurement … … to evaluation.

44. Paradigm shifts through leadership From special education as a place … … to special education as a service. Adapted from VanDerHayden & Kurns, 2006

45. The Takeaway • Instruction and Intervention are linked • Manipulate variables (time, assessment, expertise, instruction) to intensify intervention • Build in a feed forward method so that RtI2 results inform classroom instruction and programmatic improvements • Keep the teacher and family at the center of communication

46. Questions?

47. PowerPoint available at www.fisherandfrey.com Click on “Resources” to access