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From Screening to Verification: The RTI Process at Westside. Jolene Johnson, Ed.S. Monica McKevitt, Ed.S. District Overview. 10 elementary buildings, 4 are Title I buildings Focus is on K-2 Approximately 1200 students in K-2. RTI at Westside . Focus is on K-2 reading
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From Screening to Verification:The RTI Process at Westside Jolene Johnson, Ed.S. Monica McKevitt, Ed.S.
District Overview • 10 elementary buildings, 4 are Title I buildings • Focus is on K-2 • Approximately 1200 students in K-2
RTI at Westside • Focus is on K-2 reading • Started 4 years ago with only the Title I buildings, mainly using benchmarking - no systematic intervention • Last 2 years all K-2 students were involved in the RTI process
Screening • 3 times a year • AIMS web measures and portfolio measures • All K-2 students • Screened by school psychologists, reading specialists and trained graduate students
Kindergarten Phonemic Awareness - Rhyming and Beginning Sounds Portfolio Letter ID AIMSweb Assessments - Letter Naming Fluency - Letter Sound Fluency
1st grade • Rigby Running Records • 1st 100 Fry Words • AIMSweb Measures • Nonsence Word Fluency (NWF) • Oral Reading Fluency (Winter and Spring only)
2nd grade • Rigby Running Records • 1st and 2nd 100 Fry Words • AIMSweb Assessment • Oral Reading Fluency (ORF)
Development of Local Norms • Local norms were developed on all measures • Random sample was selected (100 students from each grade) • Means, standard deviations and percentiles were derived for each assessment
Students in Need of Intervention • Team meetings (after each benchmark) • Included the teacher, principal, school psychologist, reading specialist, district reading interventionist and district elementary special education coordinator • Criteria to receive services • Below 16th to receive services (K-2) on a preponderance of the measures • Some measures carried more weight than others • The 16th percentile score was chosen as it equals a standard score of 85 which is at the end of the average range.
Interventions • Daily 25 minutes for 45 sessions • All instruction was delivered by the reading specialist(s) at each building • No more than 4 students per group • Focus of each session was phonemic awareness, fluency, word work, comprehension • Supplemental to daily core curriculum instruction (large group and guided reading instruction)
Progress Monitoring • 6 data points over each session • Generally on one measure • Goal lines were set at the exit criteria (25th or 35th percentiles) • Changes to the intervention were made after three consecutive points below the goal line - substantial change form
Validity Checks • Completed by the reading specialist midway through each intervention session • Principal meets with the reading specialist to determine if changes need to made • Observations of the student can be requested • Any intervention changes are documented
After Session #1 • Benchmark all students • Meetings • Exit criteria (25th and 35th percentile) • New students can enter at this time • Interventions can change for students who are not making progress
Session #2 • Run in a similar fashion
After session #2 • Benchmark all students • Early Literacy Meetings are held • Students exit, remain in RTI, may be referred for special education • Students who have received 2 intervention sessions can be considered for a special education referral
Referral Process • Students are not making sufficient progress • Data points remain below the goal line • Referral is started at early literacy meetings-these meetings function as the SAT meeting • MDT chair completes referral form and obtains parental consent
Verification Questions • What is the student’s rate of progress compared to peers? • What is the student’s level of performance? • What are the student’s instructional needs?
Data Collected • Analysis of existing data • Running records, classroom information, progress monitoring data • Observation of the student • Interview with the teacher(s) • May Include: -Language, cognitive and other academic testing
Verification Decision • LD reading • May be another verification if other assessments were completed • No special education verification
Outcome Data 21 referrals • 13 students verified as LD in reading; this doubled our population of students with learning disabilities in K-2 grades • No kindergarten students were referred • Most students referred at the end of 2 intervention sessions ended up receiving special education services. Those who did not qualify often had other issues that needed further examination or a different plan of support.
Case Study #1Student History • 2nd grade student who moved in from private school • Had received reading intervention in K and 1st grade • Identified for reading services after fall benchmark • Received 2 sessions of intervention during school year
Case Study #1 continuedReferral Decision • During spring team meeting, the decision was made to evaluate this student based on level of performance on spring benchmarks as well as rate of progress on graphs. • Parent consent obtained to review reading data and to complete assessment in areas of written language and math due to concerns in those areas.
Case Study #1 continuedAssessment and Data • Rate of progress compared to peers: • Student gained .02 words per week • Typical peers gained 1.7 words per week • Current level of performance compared to peers: • Student was below 10th percentile on AIMSweb Oral Reading Fluency, Rigby Reading Level, and Fry Word List • Instructional needs: • Group of 2 for Guided Reading (Gen Ed) • Additional 25 minutes of instruction with specialist • Significant accommodations in general ed classroom due to reading difficulty
Case Study #1 continuedAdditional Considerations and Conclusion • Additional data was collected due to concerns in written language and math: • Full Scale IQ: 101 • WJ-III standard scores: • Broad Math: 96 • Broad Written Language: 82 (would not have met 20 point discrepancy) • Based on data collected, student was verified LD in reading using RTI data
Case Study #2Student History • 1st grade student • Had received reading intervention in K • Identified for reading services after fall benchmark • Received 2 sessions of intervention during school year
Case Study #2Referral Decision • During spring team meeting, the decision was made to evaluate this student based on level of performance on spring benchmarks as well as rate of progress on graphs. • Parent consent obtained to review reading data and to complete assessment in areas of written language and math due to concerns in those areas. • The team also wanted to rule out MH so intellectual assessment also considered
Case Study #2Assessment and Data • Rate of progress compared to peers: • Student gained .02 words per week • Typical peers gained 1.7 words per week • Current level of performance compared to peers: • Student was below 10th percentile on AIMSweb Oral Reading Fluency, Rigby Reading Level, and Fry Word List • Instructional needs: • Group of 2 for Guided Reading (Gen Ed) • Additional 25 minutes of instruction with specialist • Significant accommodations in general ed classroom due to reading difficulty
Case Study #2Additional Considerations and Conclusion • Additional data was collected due to concern possible Mental Handicap: • Full Scale IQ: 78 (would not meet criteria for MH or LD • Based on data collected, student was verified LD in reading using RTI data
Case Study #3Student History • 1st grade student • 2 years of kindergarten • Received supplemental reading services both years of kindergarten • Received RTI intervention for both sessions in 2006-2007
Case Study #3Referral and Data Collection • Team decided to refer the student due to his lack of growth in reading, his discrepancy from peers and his need for assistance with almost all reading tasks. • The only data collected for this evaluation was the reading data, classroom observation and teacher interview.
Case Study #3Verification Criteria • Rate of progress compared to peers: • Student gained -.03 words per week while typical peers gained 1.07 words per week • Current level of performance compared to peers: • Student was below the 10th percentile on AIMSweb Oral Reading Fluency and below the 16th percentile on the Rigby Running Records Level • Instructional needs: • Small group for guided reading in the classroom • Group of 2 for RTI intervention with the reading specialist • Accommodations in classroom for reading, math and writing tasks
Case Study #3Decision • Student had been assessed during his first year in kindergarten and did not qualify. His IQ was in the low average range (SS=85) and language testing was commensurate with his IQ. • Based on the data collected in the 2006-2007, the student was verified as LD in reading using RTI data.
Considerations • Which norms to use? • Substantial change in intervention • Progress monitoring • “Catch all” category • Shift from a black and white decision to more of a gray decision • Collaborative MDT decision