Evaluating District-Wide Professional Learning to Build Capacity for RTI

1. Evaluating District-Wide Professional Learning to Build Capacity for RTI Michelle Avila Bolling, Ed.S. Lisa Sirian Stear, Ph.D. Sharon Rinks, Psy.D. Danny Hicks, Ed.S. Cindy Jenik, Ph.D.

2. Goals for Today’s Session Establish the context Project conception System support Format for training Enabling and disabling factors Outcome data Future plans Questions Explore the CD of materials

3. Carroll County West central GA On GA/AL state line 50 miles from Atlanta 503 square miles Population 109,965 (2006 census) Cost of living 93% of U.S avg.

4. District Enrollment • 23rd largest school system in Georgia • 14,800 students in 2008-2009 • Pre-K through 12th grade • Ethnicity: • 68% White • 18% African-American • 7% Other

5. Personnel • 2,225 total staff members • 1,261 certified • 964 classified • 99.25% “Highly Qualified” teachers • 62% of certified staff members hold masters degree or higher • Psychological Services • 4 doctoral, 4 educational specialist • 3 licensed, 5 certified • APPIC training program

6. Schools • 11 elementary schools • 6 middle schools • 6 high schools • 3 ninth grade academies • 1 alternative school • 1 technical education center 2 psychoeducational centers

7. Project Timeline Spring 2007 Georgia mandated RTI to begin Fall 2007 Summer 2007 District RTI Manual introduced to principals Every school provided a copy Spring/Summer 2008 Conceptualized the RTI Institute Created training materials Fall 2008 Conducted training Spring 2009 School teams redelivered Fall 2009/Spring 2010 Evaluated progress

8. The Problem Frustration from implementation or lack thereof Need for training others Lack of district resources and funds Lack of state-level guidance Confusion regarding the 4-tier pyramid

9. The Problem: Referral Data Manual Released Training Occurred

10. Project Conception Seeking System Support Met with our supervisor Met with the district PD coordinator Mapped out a blueprint for training Arranged for leadership module

11. Project Conception District Enabling Support Extra work days over the summer to develop modules Time commitment Extra support from graduate student interns and practicum students Provided materials, meeting space, and snacks Paid for substitutes for teacher participants

13. Leadership Module Leadership and administrative support Important for any innovation and essential if you want it to work Administrators control resources Time Personnel Materials/resources Administrators outline duties and expectations for personnel Endorsement in the face of possible resistance to change

14. Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes... but no plans. - Peter Drucker

15. The Professional Learning Model Voluntary participation Distributed learning over time Meaningful choices Opportunities for practice Authentic cases Learning communities/teaming Responsive to participants’ needs Tailored feedback

17. Selecting Team Members Voluntary participation Administrative representation 3-4 other individuals Curriculum specialists Grade-level teacher leaders Counselors Psychologists Graduation coaches Special education teachers All team members had to commit to completion of the entire training.

18. I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. - Ralph Nader

20. Overview Module Agenda Overview of training Establish a common language Self-Assessment of readiness Discuss goals and action planning Gather questions and confusions

22. Reading Module Agenda Process the Application Activity Evidence-based RTI practices in reading Practice progress monitoring administration Oral Reading Fluency Maze Progress monitoring & data entry Practice data entry Review decision making for each case Case studies Discuss Application Activity

23. Interventions Five areas Phonemic Awareness Phonics Vocabulary Fluency Comprehension

24. Interactive Table of Contents

26. Writing Module Agenda RTI implementation status reports Process the Application Activity Activating prior knowledge – RTI Bingo Evidence-based RTI practices in writing Universal screening Intervention Progress monitoring Practice progress monitoring scoring Case studies Discuss Application Activity

27. Interventions Six Areas Beginning Writing Handwriting Spelling Editing Planning Fluency Comprehensive Strategies

29. Math Module Agenda Round robin problem solving for RTI Evidence-based RTI practices in math Universal screening Intervention Intervention fidelity Progress monitoring Establishing goals challenge activity Math case studies Discuss Application Activity

30. Interventions Whole Group Strategies for Tiers I & II Six Areas Number sense Arithmetic Fluency Problem Solving Reasoning Mnemonic Strategies

32. Behavior Module Agenda School-wide Positive Behavior Supports (Tier I) Evidence-based RTI practices in behavior management Universal screening Intervention Functional behavioral assessment Behavior intervention planning Progress monitoring Discuss application activity

33. Interventions Class or School Interventions for Tiers I & II Four Areas Antecedent Modifications Replacement Behaviors Consequence Modifications Self-Monitoring

35. Wrap-Up Agenda SARTII Case Presentations Forms and Documents Planning Discussion

36. Researching the Program Participant Perceptions Researcher Perceptions School Readiness Ratings Rubric Evaluation of Permanent Products Team Interview Data

37. Course Participants Total Number of Participants Who Completed Course N=58 Elementary Participants N=36 Middle & High Participants N=22

38. Outcome Data – Self-Report Ratings • Prior to training, only 20.6% of participants reported at least a competent level of understanding of RTI. • Post-training, 89.7% reported a competent level of understanding. • Significantly higher rates of understanding found (t=-15.625, p<.001)

39. Outcome Data – Self-Report Ratings • Prior to training, only 15.5% of participants felt competent to implement RTI. • After the training, 82.8% of participants felt competent. • Significantly higher rates of skills reported (t=-18.188, p<.001)

40. Outcome Data – Self-Report Ratings • Prior to training, only 13.8% of participants felt competent to act as a resource to others. • After the training, 81% felt competent. • Significantly higher rates reported (t=-15.975, p<.001)

41. Outcome Data – Self-Report Ratings

42. Outcome Data – Self-Report Ratings

43. Outcome Data – Self-Report Ratings • Participants reported significantly higher agreement that the RTI model will help children in their school be more successful (t=-8.045, p=.016).

44. Outcome Data – Redelivery (2/2009) • 87% of schools (13/15) did some form of redelivery • One additional school had 100% participation

45. Researcher PerceptionsEnabling Factors District & principal support Group discussion opportunities Application activities Case studies – saw improvement Consistent team membership Thoughtful selection of team membership Collaborative nature of the team Technology support Voluntary participants Flexibility of implementation

46. Researcher PerceptionsDisabling Factors Participants were “voluntold” Teams had limited administrative support Resistance to change/inflexible structures Too much content, too little time Competing district initiatives Location of training Lack of resources and information for high school students (only 1 of 5 high schools completed training) Flexibility of implementation – looking for district-wide guidance

47. Outcome Data - SARTII Self-Assessment of RTI Implementation (SARTII)* Status Ratings: Not Started (The activity occurs 0% of the time) Just Started (The activity occurs 1 to 24% of the time) In Progress (The activity occurs 25 to 74% of the time) Achieved (The activity occurs 75 to 100% of the time) Maintaining (continues to occur 75 to 100% of the time) *Adapted from the IL-ASPIRE SAPSI v. 1.6 Center for School Evaluation, Intervention and Training (CSEIT) Loyola University Chicago, Florida Problem Solving/Response to Intervention Project (SAPSI Fall, 2007), & North Carolina Comprehensive Assessment of Need (NCCAN)

48. Outcome Data – SARTIIConsensus Maintaining Achieved In Progress Just Started Not Started

49. Outcome Data – SARTIIInfrastructure Maintaining Achieved In Progress Just Started Not Started

50. Outcome Data – SARTIIInfrastructure Maintaining Achieved In Progress Just Started Not Started