Responsiveness to Intervention and Instruction

1. Responsiveness to Intervention and Instruction VPA 2011 Thursday a.m. Julie Jameson Benay

2. Key Components to RtI • High quality, research based core instruction • Universal screening and benchmark testing • Continuous progress monitoring • Research based interventions • Interventions adjusted based on data, including: frequency, intensity, fidelity • Collaboration, teaming, shared responsibility

3. Evidence Based Interventions NCRTI: “We refer to an evidence-based intervention in this document as an intervention forwhich data from scientific, rigorous research designs have demonstrated (or empirically validated) the efficacy of the intervention. That is, within the context of a group or single-subject experiment or a quasi-experimental study, the intervention is shown to improve the results for students who receive the intervention.”

4. Challenges in Creating Cohesive, Responsive Instructional Plans • Creating learner profile • Selecting intervention and matching intervention to profile • Making “tier one” adjustments consistently and reliably • Providing second tier instruction aligned with tier one instruction and adjustments • Avoiding fragmentation and confusion • Monitoring fidelity of implementation • Choosing length of time before re-examining or adjusting instructional plan • Creating intervention time that does not interfere with opportunities to play, enjoy music and art education, and participate in physical education • Involving families but avoiding blame or lamentations

5. Learner Profile and Intervention Plan • Documentation is really key to effective RtI implementation • Learner profile should include the information used to determine the need for the intervention • Factors that can be adjusted should be part of the documentation: frequency, intensity • Documentation is part of how we inform parents and hold ourselves accountable as adults to the learning process • Motivation is a critical factor in student success; depending on the age of the learner, including the student in goal setting and viewing progress can improve outcomes • There are many examples of learner profiles and plans; in the absence of a web based module, I can give an example of a plan created in Word.

6. Evidence Based Interventions • “She is in Title I” means nothing. We need to know what strategies, tools, and approaches are being implemented in order to gauge whether learning challenges are due to internal factors within the student or instructional deficiencies • NCRTI has developed a “tools” chart to help schools select evidence based interventions • In the absence of such commercially available tools, we must at a minimum require documentation (i.e. lesson plans) for the interventions that allow us to gather evidence of their efficacy

7. The Russian Chauffeur Shared responsibility is difficult. Language matters – if supplemental instruction is considering being “picked up” for “services,” who has dropped the student? The tricky part of providing additional resources at “tier two” is avoiding the “pick up and dropoff” syndrome. Looking at system data in addition to student data can monitor the change process.

8. Five Nice Ladies: Instructional Chaos Another danger point is instructional chaos. With many supports (Tier II intervention, homework club, Supplemental Educational Services required under NCLB, parent support), there is a real danger in providing fragmented, incoherent instructional support to striving learners.

9. Interventions Coordinated with Core Instruction: IPC In his book, Daryl Mellard discusses instructional program coherence which features: • Curriculum, instruction, assessments, and learning climates are coordinated both horizontally and vertically • Support programs are coordinated with the school’s instructional framework to support the needs of striving learners • School organization is designed to support the implementation of this framework • Materials, programs, and other resources are designed, allocated, and implemented in accordance with the framework In the absence of IPC, how can we be sure that our striving students are being affected by internal factors (learning disabilities) and not curriculum or instructional deficiencies?

10. Monitoring Fidelity of Implementation This might be one of the greatest challenges, particularly when using “home grown” interventions. We know why we need to monitor fidelity; the issues we confront are: • Who is qualified and available to do the monitoring? • When will they monitor and how frequently? • What will they use for monitoring documentation?

11. How Long is Long Enough? • Standard interventions will often have an established number of lessons with cut points to measure efficacy built into the program (e.g. Reading Recovery is 20 weeks) • In other situations, the length of time before holding “decision” meetings may vary between 6 and 20 weeks • Factors that affect this decision include the age of the student, the frequency of the intervention, and the school calendar • The important thing is to establish, before the school year starts, meeting dates and times for decision meetings unless you are using a strict standard protocol

12. The Schedule • Don’t let the schedule be an excuse. Pick it up, shake it out, and find time for additional instruction and time for teachers to meet to discuss data • A great resource for exploring alternatives ways to schedule the intervention/enrichment period is the website and book from School Scheduling Associates (see wiki for details)

13. Scheduling Considerations • The intervention/enrichment block should be at least 30 minutes daily (at the very least 3x weekly) in order to implement effective interventions • All students should be productively involved • Time must be allocated for teachers to work together to examine data, plan groups, and determine instructional content • Staff allocations should be determined – will special educators work with students on IEPs? Other students? If a UA teacher is available during an I/E block, what will their role be? • The primary purpose should be clear, and held to with very few exceptions. The I/E block is an opportunity for extended learning that meets the needs of students, based on on-going examination of data

14. Sample Structure 4 classroom teachers, 92 students Adapted from Scheduling and Organizing the Data -Scheduling Driven Intervention and Enrichment Period. Michael Rettig and Robert Canady

15. Involving Families • “Culturally responsive” means that families are not judged or blamed for their children’s lack of success or preparation • A culturally responsive team keeps families informed without overwhelming them • A culturally responsive team respects the individual demands of family life and seeks opportunities for families to participate in the intervention plan at a level that is familiar and workable for their lives

16. What Do We Know? School improvement literature and the most recent neuroscience points us in the direction of what works: • Professional/teacher learning communities are effective when implemented with clear focus and support • Fluency matters and cognitive fluency is impacted by sequential, systematic instruction implemented with frequency and fidelity • Instruction at Tier One strongly influences student outcomes, and is improved through a focus on formative assessment • Frequent opportunities to write in all areas of the curriculum, supported by quality instruction in writing, influences cognitive processes and student achievement outcomes across all curricular areas • Students learn best when there are consistent and positive approaches to guiding behavior supported by strong social skills and character education programs

17. What is a leader to do? • Don’t let the schedule be an excuse. Pick it up, shake it out, and find time for additional instruction and time for teacher learning communities. • Know the research. If you haven’t read the 90/90/90 Study (Center for Performance Assessment), read it. Read “How People Learn” for the most up to date neuroscience as it relates to learning. Use the National Center on RtI as a resource for evaluating possible screening and progress monitoring products. • Hold high expectations, and provide support. Use “loose/tight” management – structure the time, provide facilitators, and hold teachers accountable to a series of expectations. Help teachers to learn collaborative teaming skills. • Do not give in the tyranny of “or.” Practice both/and, not either/or. • Simplify the message and stick to it. Connect all professional development to the same broad goals – consistency, coherence, and connections.

18. From Good to Great Rti has tremendous potential for engaging a school in the process of reform that will result in improved student success for all learners. As with all sustained initiatives, however, it takes a lot of time and a lot of work. Jim Collins (2001) wrote, “Good to great transformations never happened in one fell swoop. Good to great comes by a cumulative process – step by step, action by action, decision by decision, turn by turn of the flywheel – that adds up to sustained and spectacular results.” Good to Great

19. Lessons Learned • Remember the “rule of six” • Prepare the soil – work hard on curriculum, instruction and assessment • Consider multiple data sources, including systems data • Question and examine underlying beliefs – know they are there, but put practices into place. Effective practices will lead to student success, which will change beliefs • Provide adequate time, space, materials, and professional development • Don’t give up. The stakes are high. Every bit of research supports the notion that YOU make the difference. It really IS about YOU!