Introduction to Response to Intervention: A comprehensive School Support Perspective

1. Introduction to Response to Intervention: A comprehensive School Support Perspective Gary L. Cates Illinois State University

2. Today’s Objectives • Provide a general understanding of RTI • Provide a rationale for RTI from both legal and scholarly perspectives • Present a model of a comprehensive tiered system of Instructional support for academic and social behavior • Address how a continuum of assessment and instruction can be integrated within a tiered system of support

3. Activity 1 • What have you heard about RtI? • What are your biggest concerns?

4. Definitional Components of RTI RTI is an overall integrated system of service delivery focused on ALL students. RTI utilizes scientifically based instruction and interventions. RTI utilizes data systematically RTI is a prevention focused educational model

5. Perspective of RTI RTI emphasizes the importance of using data to make decisions Data-based decision making will be the driving force in the conceptualization, development, implementation, and evaluation of the RTI process.

6. RTI Purposes are to: Identify Educational Needs of Students Match Instructional needs of all students Minimize academic and social behavior concerns through a prevention model Foster the use of effective and efficient instructional practices to develop positive academic and social behavior outcomes

7. RTI Logic: Use evidence based support to counter educational difficulties Intensity of support depends on severity of the problem Minimize academic and social behavior concerns through a prevention model

8. Legal & Empirical Foundations

9. Legal Rationale of RTI: No Child Left Behind Individuals with Disabilities Education Act State Mandates

10. Research Rationale of RTI: Basic research in Learning Problem-Solving Curriculum Based Measurement Positive Behavior Intervention Support

11. A Comprehensive Tiered System of Support

13. Response to Intervention Tier Notes • Tiers are not places • Tiers are not mutually exclusive from each other • Different things can happen with different kids at the same tier level • Students may be at a specific tier level for various amounts of time • Students may be at one level of tier service for one area and another for another area

15. Example of 3-Tier Level Interventions Time Curricular Breadth Reading Tier I Tier 3 Tier 2 90 120 180 Curricular Focus 5 areas Less than 5 2 or less Core + Supplemental + Intensive Core + Supplemental Core Frequency of Progress Monitoring 3X Yearly or greater Monthly or greater Weekly

16. Universal Instruction (Tier I) During Fall Full Individualized Intervention (Tier III) Never utilized because not needed Full Standard Protocol (Tier II) During winter Less Intensive Standard Protocol (Tier II) in spring because adequate progress was being made.

17. TIER I Core Instruction and Screening

18. Tier I Curriculum and Instruction • Provided to all students • Is effective for most (e.g. 80%) students • Effectiveness determined by high stakes test performance (or other global outcome measure) • Includes both Academic and Social Behavior Instruction

19. Tier I Assessment: Screening • All students administered a screening for reading, writing, math and behavior 3 times per year. • Allows for identification of students at-risk for falling behind • Can help in facilitating preventative intervention service delivery

20. Activity II • How well is your universal curriculum meeting the needs for all students in the following areas and… • What Screening measures to do you currently have in place? • Reading • Writing • Mathematics • Behavior

21. TIER II Supplemental Instruction and Diagnostic Assessment

22. Tier II Assessment:Broad based Diagnostic Tool • Administered to students who were identified as at-risk on the screening tool. • Requires more time and resources to administer than the screener. • Helps identify general area of weakness • Reduces need to do more lengthy assessment with every child. • Helps identify the “right” children

23. Tier II Curriculum and Instruction • Provided to students who are at-risk on screener AND identified with diagnostic tool. • Is provide to small number of students (e.g. 10%) • Is provided in addition to Tier I service. • Is scripted and provided in small group format. • Is Scientifically based

24. Activity III • What standard protocol interventions do you have in place for each of the following? • Are they scientifically based? • How do you know if they are working? • Reading • Writing • Mathematics • Behavior

25. TIER III Individualized Instruction and Curriculum Based Evaluation

26. Tier III Assessment:Curriculum Based Evaluation • Administered to students who are not making adequate progress with TIER II intervention • Requires more time and resources to administer than the screener and diagnostic tool • Utilizes individualized evaluation procedures using students own curriculum to isolate specific problem areas.

27. Tier III Curriculum and Instruction • Provided to students who do not make adequate progress with TIER II level of support • Is provide to small number of students (e.g. 5%) • Is provided to 1 or 2 students at a time. • Is provided in addition to Tier I & Tier II • Is evidenced based

28. Activity IV • What types of interventions are you putting into places for students with problems in the following areas? • Are they evidenced based? • How do you know if they are working? • Reading • Writing • Mathematics • Behavior

29. The RtI Process Navigation Map to Data-Based Decision Making

31. Review Assessment

33. Review Intervention

35. Thinking Differently and Facilitating Others to Do the Same • AYP Applies to ALL Students • Think Prevention ALWAYS! • Saves headaches later • Make Decisions with data ONLY! • Best practices in assessment and intervention • TIERS are not places EVER! • Level of support • Services are dynamic • Intensity and type of service can be different for any student • Authentic assessment links to and informs interventions in the most direct way

36. Questions