Woodstock Elementary School RTI

1. Woodstock Elementary School RTI Dr. Christy Bowling Crista Sycks, M.Ed Bonny Keheley, Ed.S Kristina Gibbs, BS.Ed www.tinyurl.com/rtiatwes

2. Who is Woodstock Elementary School? • A Title 1 Community school • Winners of State …. Award • Winner of the SSTAGE Award for outstanding elementary school practices. • A Distinguished…… School

3. The Components of RTI • screening children within the general curriculum, • tiered instruction of increasing intensity, • evidence-based instruction, • close monitoring of student progress, and • informed decision making regarding next steps for individual students

4. How We Started RTI at WES • Administration and key staff discussed the scope of RTI…the focus and the potential benefits to students and overall school • Worked to bring consensus …Lead teacher meetings, training, introducing the RTI language • Considered the resources we already had available to make RTI happen at WES? • Universal Screener chosen for whole school using what we already had in place

5. Timeline • Established a timeline as to how we would “baby step” into the process; CCSD adopted our school’s timeline for the district.

6. Culture • Within WES, we began to establish a “culture” to help teachers gain some initial knowledge and understanding as we began to “roll out” RTI in our school.

7. Universal Screening • Universal Screening is where we begin as we identify struggling students • As our RTI process has evolved, we have identified key staff who “specialize” . • Kristy Gibbs is one of our Intervention Specialists who will discuss the area of Universal Screening and progress monitoring.

8. Universal Screening • What is Universal Screening? • Whole school benchmark testing – F/W/S • Progress monitoring – T2, T2 and T4 • Reliable norm based measurement • Expectations – for all students to gain, retain and demonstrate knowledge. • Sharing data – teachers, administrators, parents, and students

9. Data Driven School as we begin the school year • Beginning in August... • We analyze previous year’s Tier lists to identify students needs • Review benchmark data from the current year • Identify “at risk” students, below the 25th percentile, and place them at Tier 2 • Meet with staff to discuss data, concerns and course of action • Discuss implementation of interventions such as Early Intervention Program

10. Interventions • As we began the RTI process at WES, we searched for research based interventions and put together a notebook to assist teachers in implementing their own interventions. • Each grade level put together a set of “tried and true” interventions that worked for their particular subjects/ grade levels.

11. Next Mrs. Crista Sycks will discuss processes and other key aspects of the RTI process at Woodstock Elementary School.

12. CHANGING STAFF MINDSET • From • Me, the teacher to • “We”, the team There is no “I” in TEAM

13. The People that make RTI work… • The TEAM • RTI Chair • Administration • Speech/Language Pathologists(SLP) • Early Intervention Teachers(EIP) • Academic Coach • Students • Parents (invited to T3) • Classroom Teacher • Special Education Staff • School Psychologist • Occupational Therapist(OT) • English Language Learners Teachers(ELL) • Specials/Exploratory Teachers

14. Collaboration is Key The TEAM uses information collected to LOOK at the student’s BIG PICTURE to make timely decisions about a student’s educational programs.

15. TEAM PROBLEM SOLVING Problem Solving at Tier 2 & 3 1. Identify the Problem: for which students is the core program not sufficient and why? 2. Analyze the Problem: what is the specific supplemental instruction that is needed? What is the specific skill that needs to be strengthened? 3. Develop a Plan: How will supplemental instruction be delivered? 4. Implement the Plan: How will effectiveness of supplemental instruction be monitored for the student? How will fidelity be maintained? 5. Evaluate the Plan: Is there a need to move to a different level of instruction? Determine as a team.

16. INTERVENTIONS • Interventions are one of the cornerstones of the RTI Process. • Once we determine what the specific target goal is, we identify a way to serve the student with appropriate interventions. • At WES, we have a variety of ways to provide interventions. • CAMP LEARNALOTTA is an innovative program that utilizes volunteers to assist with providing interventions to struggling students. • CAMP LEARNALOTTA IS THE “BRAIN CHILD” OF Mrs. Bonny Keheley who will tell you all about it.

17. CAMP LEARNALOTTA One of the most cost efficient and effective ways to provide our large number of students with appropriate interventions Is Camp Learnalotta

18. What is Camp Learnalotta? • As part of the Special Services team, Camp Learnalotta is an in-house volunteer tutoring program matching students, teachers, parents, community contacts, service organizations and partners in education with K-5 students. • Its purpose is to remediate, maintain and accelerate academic skills using a variety of interventions to meet students’ academic needs in an informal setting as part of the Response To Intervention (RTI) process for Woodstock Elementary School (WES).

19. Mission of Camp Learnalotta • To meet the needs of individual students through a cooperative effort between students, parents, teachers and the community. • To increase community involvement by providing assistance to teachers through academic support and curriculum enrichment activities to students. • To provide the structure and materials needed for operating an organized volunteer program. • To provide assistance in areas of recruitment, orientation and training, supervision, public relations and recognition for volunteers and partners.

20. Recruitment for Camp Learnalotta • People from all walks of life volunteer their time in Camp Learnalotta. • The Cherokee County School District (CCSD) requires persons in contact with students to submit an annual Volunteer-Mentor Application form which is reviewed by the school’s principal and/or by the CCSD Police Department. • Volunteers indicate their preference for grade/subject area as well as their weekly schedule using a form designed for that purpose.

21. Honing in on specific student needs • Ensuring Fidelity when providing interventions

22. RTI Growing Pains are to be expected: • Communication is a challenge. • Establishing systems and understandings took us about 3 years • polishing the process was another 2 years. • mistakes will be made, but when the team works together, the team serves as a check and balance through the process. • Each year we have grown, changed and “begun again” as needs and resources have changed.

23. Program additions and Innovations… • Fast forward to today • Universal Screening tools. There are many. • Our school now uses EasyCBM • EIP teachers not only teach students but they serve as a “go to” person for teachers • Camp Learnalotta - Interventions • T3 interventionist was added • RTI room • Computerized RTI plans provide continuity countywide. • County website serves as RTI resource to teachers

24. Conclusion • What is RTI? • screening children within the general curriculum, • tiered instruction of increasing intensity, • evidence-based instruction, • close monitoring of student progress, and • informed decision making regarding next steps for individual students