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Western’s RTI Program A Work in Progress…..
RtI “ The process of implementing high quality scientifically based instructional practices with students based on identified needs, monitoring the response of the student, and changing the instruction based on the student’s response and their progress data”
Importance to Western Western Elementary has attempted to provide some ‘form’ of an intervention program for the last six years due to the economic and culturally diverse makeup of the student population. Not eligible for Title One Not eligible for Reading Recovery Increasing immigrant population
RtI Should Encompass… • All grade levels across all core areas • Reading • Writing • Math • Behavior • Language • Western has taken steps to address Reading and Math
Six Critical Components of an RtI Model Universal Screening Measurable definition of problem area Baseline data prior to an intervention Establishment of a WRITTEN plan detailing accountability Progress monitoring Comparison of pre intervention data to post intervention data for efficacy
What Are Interventions? • Targeted assistance based on progress monitoring • Administered by classroom teacher, para-educator, external interventionist • Provides additional instruction • Individual • Small group • And/or technology assisted
Intervention Decision Teams • Team Leader • Principal or Dean • Case Manager/Data Manager • Classroom teacher • Responsible for interviewing referring individuals, gathering and assembling information, presenting case and monitoring intervention • PE, Music, Art, Writing teachers or para-educators • School Psychologist • Organizes presentation of data, assists in plotting student progress
Essential Features • Universal Screening • Performed 3 or 4 times annually • Provides data on all children in that grade • Provides early identification of children who are not meeting academic expectations • What we found: • Students that would be targeted at Western were not necessarily going to be targeted in other schools (bottom 20% varies school to school) Still a problem with transfer students
Our First Step….. • Finding a universal screening assessment • Used assessments that we had available and therefore specific to grade level • Primary: • Phonological Awareness Skills Test (PAST) • Literacy First Phonics Assessment • Rigby PM Ultra Benchmark Assessment • Third Grade: Rigby PM Benchmark Assessment • Fourth Grade: PAS (Predictive Assessment) Language/Math • Fifth Grade: PAS, Placement Tests Language/Math
Determine Which Students Need Intervention… Students performing 6 months to a year below grade level The bottom 20% of the grade level
Number of Students Currently In RTI ReadingMath #2 #3 #2 #3 • Primary • Third Grade 15 11 - - • Fourth Grade 10 6 18 - • Fifth Grade 5 7 16 6 • Total Number of Students Receiving Service: 94 Percentage of Total School Population 13.6%
How We Set Up Interventions • Considerations: • Time • When intervention would occur • Length of intervention • Who would provide the intervention • Teachers? • Specifically designated person? • Person responsible for record keeping (weekly assessments)
Our Intervention Team • Para-educators, Parents and Retired Teachers • Retired teachers are monetarily compensated • Picture
Tiered Level Instruction Tier 1: General Classroom instruction with 120 minutes daily devoted to Language Arts Tier 2: Additional research based instruction provided 3 to 5 days a week Tier 3: Research based instruction (different from Tier 2) provided 3 to 5 days a week Tier 4: Special Education
Primary Reading Intervention • Student Returns to Classroom Special Education Referral
What We Do • All primary students required to attend the CORE section of daily group instruction (120 minutes a day for Language Arts- Inclusive of Tier 1. • Number of students currently receiving intervention assistance: • Tier 2: • Tier 3: • Program in use for these students is Early Success and Continuum of Literacy Learning (Fountas/Pinnell)
Primary • Restructured and expanded an existing program • Tier 2 consists of: • Instructional Aide working 2- 2.5 Hours/ 5 days a week • Identified children scheduled for 20 minute blocks of intervention • Children working in small groups (5-6 children) with the aide • Tier 3 now consists of: • Two retired primary teachers working nine hours a week (3 hours a day – 3 days a week) • Identified children scheduled for 30 minute blocks of intervention • Children working in small (1-3 children) groups with the teacher using running records, anecdotal record keeping results, researched based leveled reading and an intense home reading program.
Features of Tier II Purpose: To support individual students who have not met benchmarks Targeted Students: Those with significantly lower levels of performance than their peers, who are learning at a much slower rate than are falling behind their classmates
RTI Schedule for Tier II and Tier III Primary Interventions Green Pod I (Sapp, Moors and Stout) Uninterrupted Time: 7:40-8:40 (60 minutes) 9:40-10:40 (60 minutes) Intervention Times : Tier II (Para-educators): Sharon 8:40-9:40 Tier III (teachers) Vicki S./Julia 8:40-9:40 (3 groups each) Green Pod II (Hemmerlein, Livingston, Daley) Uninterrupted Time: 7:40-9:40 (120 minutes) Intervention Times: Tier II (Para-educators) Sharon 9:40-10:40 Tier III (Teachers) Vicki S./Julia 9:40-10:40 Yellow Pod (Parker, Corman, Mullins, Sutton) Uninterrupted Time: P1’s: 8:40-10:30 (110 minutes) P2’s: 8:40-9:40 (60 minutes) Intervention Times: Tier II (Para-educators) Vicki J. 8:00-8:40(P1’s) 9:40-10:30 (P 2’s) Tier III (Teachers) Vicki S./Julia 7:40-8:40 (P1’s & P2’s)
Parent Communication Dear Parents, As we begin the second quarter of the school year, my hope that every parent has had the opportunity to meet with their child’s teacher and discuss their student’s academic progress. As a school Western strives to create a climate of high expectations for student learning. Our mission as well as our belief is that all children are able to achieve the essential learning of their grade level. A good indicator of how fully we are committed to this idea is the manner in which we address those students who ‘have not learned’. Although Western’s educational philosophy has always included an academic intervention procedure for those students in need this year we have worked to improve and refine that process. Many of you may have had your child tell you they are participating in RTI , which is an acronym for ‘Response to Intervention.’ Let me first state that this is not a ‘special education’ program. Basically, it is our teacher’s response when we have a student who is experiencing difficulty in learning. It is a systematic program meant to ensure that these students receive additional time and support for learning. Research has made it clear that it is impossible for all students to learn at high levels if some do not receive additional time and support for learning. Everyone does not learn at the same rate and the amount of support needed varies between students. Western has set certain criteria in determining when to implement these interventions. We follow a systematic process of intervention to ensure that students receive additional time and support according to a school-wide plan: * Intervention occurs in a timely manner- at first indication the student is experiencing difficulty * Intervention is a ‘direct’ process rather than a voluntary one. Parents are contacted to inform them that their child will be receiving additional assistance and specify which area will be addressed * All students have equal access to the assistance-it is not based on the teacher * The additional time and support is offered during the school day and is designed in a way that does not deprive students of new direct instruction in their classroom. We know that if we offered this service before or after school, many students could not or would not utilize the service. * The system is fluid. It is not designed as a permanent support for individual students. Students will receive the appropriate level of intervention but only until they have acquired the intended knowledge or skill. They are then weaned from the system until they experience difficulty in the future. We strive for an easy flow of students into and out of the levels of support. I hope this has answered some questions. As a principal I have been very fortunate to have so many parents who are truly concerned about their children’s academic future and who are willing to work with teachers to ensure that their children succeed at a high level. Please let me know if you have a specific question or concern about your child’s education. Enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, Deborah Omick-Haddad
If We Do It Right… • Research has shown that if we have chosen the correct intervention (correctly identified the problem) and we are delivering the intervention consistently • 75% of the initial 20% of identified students will respond positively • Let’s look at how we are doing with primary reading students…
