High Quality Reading Instruction : Implementing RtI

1. High Quality Reading Instruction : Implementing RtI So What’s You Gonna Do? Weber School District September 3 & 4, 2009

2. How Do We Raise Reading Achievement? You are responsible for making the moves that will improve reading achievement… You not only must raise the scores this year, but you need a plan to keep raising the scores into the future…

3. So what you gonna do?

4. Some Solutions Unlikely to Work… Maybe you could just buy a reading program… but if that worked, then wouldn’t everybody have high scores?

5. Some Solutions Unlikely to Work… You could go to see the Wizard to find out if he could help…. But he’d probably just tell you to muster up the heart and brain and courage to get the job done.

6. Some SolutionsUnlikely to Work… Maybe you could pray harder? Of course, prayer doesn’t work that way… And everybody knows you can’t pray in the public schools…

7. Some Solutions Unlikely to Work… Maybe you’ll get lucky and a new housing project for rich kids will move into your neighborhood… then the scores could rise without doing anything!

8. Some Solutions Unlikely to Work… Or, the teachers could help the kids take the tests….uh, well, no, that’s been tried before…. And it would be wrong!

9. Some Solutions Unlikely to Work… Maybe we could just hire Arthur Anderson accountants who would make the scores look good, even if the kids couldn’t read… No, that’s been tried, too.

10. Clearly none of those ideas are going to work!!!

11. So what can you really do to improve reading achievement? “Eureka!!! I’ll use the Literacy Improvement Pyramid to solve my problem.” UIC Center for Literacy, Tim Shanahan

12. Literacy Improvement Pyramid ____________________________________________________________________ Special Kids Quality Variables Parents Motivation Assessment & Monitoring Professional Development Teaching Materials Amount of Instruction Curriculum Framework Leadership

13. Leadership • Many correlational studies show the importance of leadership in school improvement • Improving reading school- or district- wide requires a coherent response • Leadership can improve things, but it also can make things worse • Leadership has an indirect outcome on student achievement outcomes, but it is an enabling variable

14. Amount of Instruction • Amount of instruction is the biggest alterable factor in student learning • Large amount of correlational and experimental research evidence • Require 2-3 hours per day of reading and writing instruction, K-12 • Increase time within and across the school day • Fastest gains can be achieved by increasing amount of teaching

15. Curriculum Framework • Second biggest impact on learning is from what is taught • Explicit curriculum is important in ensuring that teaching occurs • Explicit curriculum prevents excessive overlaps across grade levels • Curriculum needs to be organized • Importance of phonemic awareness, phonics, sight vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, writing, vocabulary

16. Professional Development • Evidence shows that professional development for teachers improves student achievement • This professional development has to focus on how to teach/assess • Should be ongoing, multifaceted, and allow for practice and experimentation • This is one of the quality levers

17. Assessment and Monitoring • Need to assess student learning frequently in order to make needed adjustments • Assessment must be kept to a minimum so as not to reduce amount of instruction • Assessment is often key in inclusion or exclusion of teaching • Monitoring of amount and quality of teaching matters as well

18. Teaching Materials • Instructional materials include core programs, supplementary materials, and intervention materials • Instructional materials should be consistent with research • Instructional materials are needed but they don’t matter • Materials can be a quality lever • Review of materials needs to consider not just inclusion, but likelihood of success

19. Special Kids, Special Programs • Regular program will not be sufficient for all kids • The importance of special programs to your success depends upon the size of this population • Responding to these needs is often more of an ethical concern than one of improving school or district achievement • Children need to balance—not programs UIC Center for Literacy, Tim Shanahan

20. Parents • Parent involvement can improve reading achievement • Parents often need guidance to support learning • Parents can provide opportunities to use text and models of literacy use • Parents can also teach in helpful ways • Parents can make the school credible • If parents cannot help, you can still succeed

21. Other “Quality” Variables • Kind of a miscellaneous category • “Level” of instruction or match of instruction to student needs • Class size • Environment that encourages/supports learning (academic press) • Quality of explanation UIC Center for Literacy, Tim Shanahan

22. Motivation • Motivation at all levels (for students, teachers, parents, the public) • Need to provide coherent information to the community • Need to build motivation into your programs at all levels—to keep everyone moving towards the goal • Need to build partnerships to gain resources • Appreciation, inclusion of teachers

23. Literacy Improvement Pyramid ____________________________________________________________________ Special Kids Quality Variables Parents Motivation Assessment & Monitoring Professional Development Teaching Materials Amount of Instruction Curriculum Framework Leadership

24. 4-6 Overview • 2006 Utah State Office of Education & Emma Eccles Jones Center USU Utah’s Literacy Model 42

26. Utah’s 3 Tier RtI Model of Reading Instruction

27. Instructional Principles forHelping All Readers TIER 1 Intervention • Refers to core classroom instruction for ALL students. • Materials: SBRR instructional materials aligned to the Utah Elementary Language Arts Core Curriculum must be utilized, as well as supporting appropriate content materials. • Setting: General education classroom • Time: Initial instruction provided within a daily literacy time block

28. Instructional Principles forHelping All Readers TIER 1 Intervention • Assessment data is used to monitor and maintain the on-going cycle of literacy success. • Screening assessments are administered initially to ALL Tier I students to identify at-risk students. • Benchmark assessments are administered periodically to determine if students are making progress, need extra support, and plan ongoing differentiates instruction. • Outcome assessments are also administered to ALL Tier 1 students to determine student growth/gain over time.

29. Instructional Principles forHelping All Readers TIER 2 Intervention • Tier 2intervention refers to targeted SBRR supplemental instruction aimed at remediating the specific needs of students who fail to meet Tier 1 benchmarks in one or more of the five critical areas of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. • Tier 2 is systematic, explicit, and aligned with Tier 1 instruction.

30. Instructional Principles forHelping All Readers Tier 2 instruction • Materials: Use of SBRR intervention and content materials that support Tier 1 instruction • Setting: General education classroom or other appropriate setting • Time: 30 to 60 minutes daily in addition to general classroom Tier 1 instruction • Instructional interventions are differentiated based on the needs of individual students as determined by assessment data.

31. Instructional Principles forHelping All Readers TIER 3 Intervention • Tier 3 intervention refers to intensive intervention for students who have not responded adequately to at least one round of Tier 2 instruction. • This small percentage of students usually have severe reading difficulties and requires instruction that is more explicit, more intensive, and specifically designed to meet individual needs in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

32. Instructional Principles forHelping All Readers TIER 3 Intervention • Materials: SBRR intervention programs and materials that specifically target diagnosed reading deficits • Setting: Appropriate setting within the school • Time: 60 minutes daily in addition to Tier 1 classroom instruction • Diagnostic and weekly progress monitoring assessments are utilized extensively with this group of students to identify problems, check progress, and provide appropriate, targeted interventions using SBRR materials and practices.

33. Utah’s 3 Tier Model of Reading Instruction Student movement through the 3 Tiers is a systematic process based upon student assessment data and collaborative decisions.

34. Literacy Assessments • http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/lang_art/elem/core/ASSESSMENTS.pdf

35. Literacy Assessments

36. Comprehensive Reading Assessment:Four Purposes Screening - Designed as a first step inidentifying children who may be at high risk for delayed development or academic failure and in need of further diagnosis of their need for special services or additional reading instruction. Diagnostic- Helps teachers plan instruction by providing in-depth information about students’ skills and instructional needs.

37. Comprehensive Reading Assessment: Four Purposes Progress Monitoring - Determines through frequent measurement if students are making adequate progress or need more intervention to achieve grade-level reading outcomes. Outcome - Provides a bottom-line evaluation of the effectiveness of the reading program in relation to established performance levels.

38. 4-6 Overview • 2006 Utah State Office of Education & Emma Eccles Jones Center USU Screening Assessment Purpose:To determine children who are likely to require additional instructional support to succeed (predictive validity). When:Early in the academic year or when newstudents enter school. Who:All students. Relation to instruction:Most valuable when used to identify children who may need furtherassessment or additional instructional support. Example: DIBELS 34

39. 4-6 Overview • 2006 Utah State Office of Education & Emma Eccles Jones Center USU Diagnostic Assessment Purpose:To provide specific information on skills and strategy needs of individual students. When:Following screening or at points during the year when students are not making adequate progress. Who:Selected students as indicated by screeningor progress monitoring measures or teacher judgment. Relation to instruction:Provided specific information on target skills; highly relevant. Example: Woodcock Johnson III 36

40. 4-6 Overview • 2006 Utah State Office of Education & Emma Eccles Jones Center USU Progress-Monitoring Assessment Purpose:Frequent, timely measures to determine whether students are learning critical skills, concepts, and strategies. When:At minimum three times per yearat critical decision making points. Who:All students. Relation to instruction:Indicates students who require additional assessment and timely intervention. Example: DIBELS, QRI 37

41. 4-6 Overview • 2006 Utah State Office of Education & Emma Eccles Jones Center USU Outcome Assessment Purpose:To determine level of proficiency in relation to a norm reference population or a criterion. When:Typically administered at end of year. Can be administered pre/post to assess overall growth. Who:All students. Relation to instruction:Provides index of overallefficacy but limited timely information for instructional decision making. Example: Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Utah End of Level Test 35

42. Ten Steps to Problem Solving Students’ Literacy Progress in RTI Models • Implement “evidence-based” core literacy instruction programs and practices in Tier 1 instruction. • Collect progress monitoring assessment data on all students at three, equally spaced, “benchmark” intervals during the academic year.

43. Ten Steps to Problem Solving Students’ Literacy Progress in RTI Models •  Identify which students scored below established literacy benchmark targets or indicators. •  Provide daily doses of additional “evidence-based” and targeted literacy instruction in small groups (Tier 2) for identified students scoring below established benchmarks. •  Frequently monitor student progress in daily small group literacy instruction to determine students’ response to the intervention.

44. Ten Steps to Problem Solving Students’ Literacy Progress in RTI Models •  Review small group literacy instruction to revise or discontinue based upon results of frequent progress monitoring of students. •  If revisions are needed consider increasing the intensity, duration, or frequency of small group literacy instruction groups to meet students’ literacy instructional needs. •  After making revisions, continue to review, revise or discontinue the use of small group literacy instruction based upon frequent progress monitoring data.

45. Ten Steps to Problem Solving Students’ Literacy Progress in RTI Models • If after making revisions to small group literacy instruction students evidence the need on progress monitoring assessments for additional instructional support, recommend a student for comprehensive literacy diagnostic evaluation. • Determine eligibility and need of the student for supplemental literacy instructional support services (Tier 3) including special education, Title I, tutoring, speech-language, and English language learning programs.