A Specialist’s Guide to Problem Solving: Helping Teachers Help Kids

1. A Specialist’s Guide to Problem Solving: Helping Teachers Help Kids Oregon RTI Spring Conference May 9, 2012

2. Purpose • Help specialists help teachers understand and use the problem solving process to help students

3. Talk Time • Talk with your neighbor about your knowledge of the problem solving model and to what extent formal problem solving is used in your school district.

4. Sometimes it feels like this…

5. The BIGGEST challenge you will face The purpose of problem solving is notto get a student into special education. The purpose of problem solving is to determine what will help the student succeed.

6. Creating Real Change • Direct the Rider: The rational side • Motivate the Elephant: The emotional side • Shape the Path: Show them the way Taken from Switch: How to change things when change is hard by Chip Heath & Stan Heath, 2010

7. Creating Real Change • Re-examine their belief systems • Help them through the problem solving process Belief Behavior

8. Statements of Beliefs (True or False) • All students can learn • A basic skill deficit can have a major impact on academic achievement and behavior • A special education diagnosis tells you how a child learns • Early intervention prevents later school failure Rosenfield-Summer Institute 2005

9. The Problem Solving Process 1. Problem Identification How is it working? What is the problem? Improved Student Achievement 2. Problem Analysis 4. Plan Implementation & Evaluation What are we going to do about the problem? Why is the problem occurring? 3. Plan Development

10. Step 1: Problem IdentificationPurpose To identify how discrepant the student is from his/her peers A problem is defined as a discrepancy between: Expected performance Problem Definition Current performance

11. Problem definition needs to clear, complete, and objective

12. Defining the problem Not clearly defined Clearly defined Cody is reading 55 wcpm on second grade passages with an accuracy of 89%. Second grade students should be reading 87 wcpm or more at 97% accuracy or higher to be considered benchmark. Cody has difficulty decoding r-controlled words. • Cody can’t read. • Marcella doesn’t do any work. • Ian is failing all of his math assignments, he doesn’t do any work, and he can’t sit still.

13. Step 1: Problem Identification • Some common challenges: • Having a vague, unfocused problem definition, or choosing too many problems • Expected level of performance not based on data or objective peer performance. • Inappropriate/non-existent target behavior or replacement skill

14. Talk Time: Problem Identification • Which of these identified challenges do you see as the biggest barriers to problem-solving in your school? • Vague, unfocused problem definition • Expected level of performance not based on data or peer performance • Inappropriate target behavior or focus skill

15. Step 1: Problem Identification • Addressing Challenges • Provide a model – Provide examples and non-examples of problem definitions • Ensure staff has an understanding and trust of data • Collaborate with other specialists to ensure staff understand the hierarchy of skills in content areas.

16. Hierarchy of Reading Skills Reading Comprehension Vocabulary Oral Reading Fluency & Accuracy Phonics (Alphabetic Principle) Phonemic Awareness

17. The Problem Solving Process 1. Problem Identification What is the problem? Improved Student Achievement 2. Problem Analysis Why is the problem occurring?

18. Step 2: Problem AnalysisPurpose To understand why the problem is occurring E • Focus on “the water”- • Instruction • Curriculum • Environment I C

19. Step 2: Problem Analysis – Purpose Howyou teach Whatyou teach Whoyou teach Whereyou teach

20. Step 2: Problem Analysis • Some common challenges • Over-focusing on the learner and not accounting for instruction, curriculum, and environment • Making a hypothesis based on teacher opinion rather than on comprehensive data.

21. What is effective? Tilly, 2007

22. What is effective? Teachers are among the most powerful influences in learning John Hattie, Visible Learning, 2009

23. Talk Time:Problem Analysis • Which of these identified challenges do you see as the biggest barriers to problem-solving in your school? • Not enough focus on instruction, curriculum, environment • Hypothesis based on opinion and not on data

24. Step 2: Problem Analysis • Strategies to Address: • Provide background on importance of other factors: Provide resources to foster the understanding that student success and failure is the result of interaction • Ensure comprehensive data collection that addresses all variables (ICEL). Refocus on the importance of the data for each variable.

25. What is effective? Tilly, 2007

26. What is effective? Teachers are among the most powerful influences in learning John Hattie, Visible Learning, 2009

27. Visible Learning for Teachers “School leaders and teachers need to create schools, staffrooms, and classroom environments in which error is welcomed as a learning opportunity, in which discarding incorrect knowledge and understandings is welcomed, and in which teachers can feel safe to learning, re-learn, and explore knowledge and understanding.” John Hattie

28. The Problem Solving Process 1. Problem Identification Improved Student Achievement 2. Problem Analysis What are we going to do about the problem? Why is the problem occurring? 3. Plan Development

29. Step 3: Plan DevelopmentPurpose Everyone needs to clearly understand what is to be done and by whom.

30. Step 3: Plan DevelopmentPurpose E • Focus on “the water”- • Instruction • Curriculum • Environment I C

31. Students with intensive needs & students with disabilities need more… … time (Simmons et al. 2002) … modeling (Archer & Hughes, 2011) … explicitness (Archer & Hughes, 2011; Brophy & Good, 1986) … review (Carnine, Silbert, & Kame’enui, 1997; Kame’enui & Simmons, 1990; Rosenshine & Stevens, 1986) … opportunities to practice (Engelmann and Becker, 1978; Millen, 2005; Sutherland and Wehby, 2001) … feedback (Heron & Harris, 2001; Rosenshine & Stevens, 1986)

32. Step 3: Plan Development • Some common challenges • Plan not clearly and comprehensively defined and linked to ICEL data • Not understanding the need for or including fidelity plan (feedback) • Not making a plan for follow-up and including very clear, explicit criteria for success

33. Importance of Feedback • Wickstrom et al studied 33 intervention cases. • Teachers agreed to do an intervention and were then observed in class. • 0/33 Teachers had fidelity above 10%. • 33/33 on a self report measure indicated that they had used the intervention as specified by the team. Slide taken from a presentation by Joseph Witt

34. Talk Time:Plan Development • Which of these identified challenges do you see as the biggest barriers to problem-solving in your school? • Plan not clear, not linked to ICEL • Not including fidelity plan • No clear follow-up plan with success criteria

35. Step 3: Plan Development • Strategies to Address: • Provide examples and non-examples. Ensure comprehensive documentation and clarity from all staff involved. • Help staff understand that your are providing support and ensuring plan is manageable and implemented successfully • Redefine what is success so everyone is clear. Communicate how clear outcome criteria makes the decisions easier and more efficient

36. Example of a Plan

37. The Problem Solving Process 1. Problem Identification How is it working? Improved Student Achievement 2. Problem Analysis 4. Plan Implementation & Evaluation What are we going to do about the problem? 3. Plan Development

38. Step 4: Plan Implementation & Evaluation Purpose To determine if the plan is being implemented as intended and whether it is working • Observations of fidelity • Criteria for measuring success/Decision Rules

39. Criteria/Decision Rules Decision Rules Correct words per Minute

40. Step 4: Plan Implementation & Evaluation • Some common challenges • Altering the plan without approval from the team • Not utilizing feedback (observations of implementation/fidelity) in modifying intervention appropriately • Not evaluating student against predetermined criteria of success and following decision rules

41. Talk Time:Plan Implementation & Evaluation • Which of these identified challenges do you see as the biggest barriers to problem-solving in your school? • Not sticking to the plan • Not utilizing feedback to modify plan • Ignoring decision rules and success criteria

42. Step 4: Plan Implementation & Evaluation • Strategies to Address: • Staying involved in the intervention, checking in, reviewing data, providing support as needed • Collaborate with the team to ensure support of all stakeholders (administrators, specialists, teachers, parents) • Refocus on predetermined goal and criteria for success. Ensure consensus of the team around criteria for success, before implementing intervention

43. Observation of Plan Areas for feedback: Error corrections/feedback Opportunities to respond Student engagement Student success rate

44. The Problem Solving Process 1. Problem Identification How is it working? Improved Student Achievement 2. Problem Analysis 4. Plan Implementation & Evaluation 3. Plan Development

45. Questions, Comments, Concerns? Jon Potter – jpotter@ttsd.k12.or.us Lisa Bates – lbates@ttsd.k12.or.us