Unit 5: Cornerstones to Learning: Reading & Math

1. Unit 5: Cornerstones to Learning:Reading & Math Response to Intervention (RTI) “What Teachers of Reading Need to Know” Presentation by: Rich Welsh EDU 579 Seminar on Current Issues in Education

2. Learning Outcomes • Comprehend the Response to Intervention process and its levels. • Constructing ideas about implementing RTI strategies within a school building and classroom. • Understand that RTI is a process that prevents students from being labeled as LD,

3. Brainstorming… • What are the reasons students are classified as learning disabled in the classroom? • How does differentiated instruction • differ from tracking students? • How can we accurately measure students progress toward reaching expected benchmarks?

4. Understanding RTI • RTI Processes to follow: • Five steps of RTI Process • Step 1: Establishing Universal Literacy Practices • Step 2: Implement Scientifically Valid Interventions • Step 3: Monitor Progress of Students • Step 4: Individualize Interventions • Step 5: Decision Making Process for Special Education Services

5. Step One: Establishing Universal Literacy Practices • Prevention begins with universal literacy screening to identify students who may be “at risk”: - Students are screened on basic literacy skills about 3 times/ year. • Results are compared with minimal benchmark scores. • Students who do not meet these benchmarks are considered at risk.

6. Step One: Establishing Universal Literacy Practices • Identifying students who are struggling to meet benchmark expectations start the RTI process: • Administer Literacy Screening Assessment • Entry benchmark & expected score are formed • Small group instruction begins and progress monitoring assessments are implemented to measure growth toward an expected benchmark.

7. Examples of Literacy Screening Assessments • Author • Good & Kaminski, 2002 • Invernizzi, Juel, Swank, & Meier, 2005 • Texas Education Agency • Illinois State Board of Education, 2008 • Screener • Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) • Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) • Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI) • Illinois Snapshots of Early Literacy (ISEL)

8. If you were principal … • How would you implement RTI in to your school’s everyday instruction? • How would you evaluate an entire school’s progress in a systematic manner?

9. Reading Groups for Individualized Instruction

10. RTI

11. Step 2: Implement Scientifically Valid Interventions • Students who do not meet benchmarks receive additional instruction. • RTI requires that instructional interventions be scientifically valid, public, implemented and systematically evaluated. • Usually in small group environments and focus on improving students reading. (Decoding, fluency, comprehension)

12. Step 2: Implement Scientifically Valid Interventions • Student’s needs are discussed and interventions are designed by a collaborating educators team. • Review data and identify an area that is not meeting benchmark. • Implement an intervention strategy to help improve area. (Active reading & Rereading) • Small group instruction (3) in 20 minute intervals 3 times a week.

13. Tier Time • 3 Tiers for small group instruction • Received differentiated instruction though “Leveled Readers”. • Approaching, On Level, Beyond • Themes and skills connect with whole group instruction. • PSSA Weekly Assessments are given to monitor student progress. • Results are reviewed and goal is to move students to a Proficient level and Tier 1 .

14. Step 3: Monitor Progress of Students • RTI requires that progress-monitoring data is continuously collected as students receive interventions. • Accuracy (POWC) Fluency (WCPM) & Comprehension Checks • Progress is reviewed after 6 weeks • Weekly assessments based on targeted skills should be evaluated and reviewed on a weekly or biweekly basis. • Assessments determine students’ progress. If they show improvement they move up a tier.

15. If you were principal … • How would you implement RTI in to your school’s everyday instruction? • How would you evaluate an entire school’s progress in a systematic manner?

16. Step 4: Individualize Interventions • Students who continue to struggle with initial intervention instruction require more intense, targeted interventions. • Additional assessments are necessary to clarify the nature of difficulty. • The data generated should be used together by teachers, principals, school psychologists and parents.

17. Step 5: Special Education Services • Decision-making process determines eligibility for special education services occurs when necessary. • Team of school-based professionals and parents review data and determine if student is eligible for special education services. • Special education services may be implemented if student has not responded to interventions implemented for a sufficient time period.

18. Researched Strategies • Be proactive about a student’s background. • Discuss students family culture and interests. • (reinforces academic development.) • Identify students academic level/abilities. • Explain expectations and work toward a common goal.

19. Key Questions … • How can we accurately measure students progress toward reaching expected benchmarks? • How can principals ensure that the • programs being implemented in our • classrooms are as effective as the RTI • research is?

20. Overall Summary • Response to intervention assists in identifying students not reaching benchmarks, who are considered at risk. • Students are placed into three tiers. Small group instruction and active reading strategies are implemented to improve areas in reading. • Students progress is monitored and evaluated by a school team to determine if current strategies are showing improvement toward benchmark.

21. Reading Groups- Tiers

22. References • Annual Editions: Education, Thirty-Seventh Edition (2010-2011) • Literature Circles Resource Center http://www.litcircles.org • Fuchs, D. & Fuchs, L.S. (2006). Introduction to response to intervention: What, why and how valid is it? Reading Research Quarterly, 41(1), 93-99. • Pearson, P. D. (2006). Foreword. In K. S. Goodman (Ed.), The truth about DIBELS: What it is, what it does (pp. v-viii). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.