RTI Tips & Tricks of the Trade: Fourth Year of Implementation

1. RTI Tips & Tricks of the Trade: Fourth Year of Implementation The Enlarged City School District of Troy, NY September 9, 2009 PreK-6 Staff

2. Presented by: • Michele Jacobs, Principal • Meg Thurman, Director of Special Education

3. Ten Things We Have Done Wrong!1st Year (or 2)… Woes • Insufficient Time to Plan or Meet • No Building Administrator • No Designated Facilitator- Roles Defined • No Standard Protocol for Intervention • Not Sticking to the Prob. Solving Steps • Insufficient Staff Development/Consensus • Not Using Researched Based Programs • Not Gathering Data Prior to the Meeting • Decisions Not Data Based • Assuming Special Education is an Intervention

4. BANG HEAD HERE

5. RtI Core Principles RTI/Problem Solving is about building a better support system for general education Prevention and Early Intervention Scientifically based screening & progress monitoring to inform instruction and intervention Data based decision making Use research-based, scientifically validated 3+ tiers of interventions/instruction Use a problem-solving methodology Make a Plan Batsche, Elliott, Graden, Grimes, Kovaleski, Prasse, Reschly, Scharg, Tilley, 2005 NADSE (National Association of Directors of Special Education

6. TIP 1. Build a Strong Support System for General Ed.

7. What RTI Is and Is Not Is: RtI is an overall integrated system of service delivery for ALL students. Is Not: RtI is not just an eligibility system—a way of reducing the numbers of students placed into special education.

8. Evaluating Core Reading Programs If 80% is not Meeting on State Standards FIX First Phonemic Awareness Phonics Fluency Vocabulary Comprehension http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org/

9. Evaluating Core Reading Programs

10. UNIVERSAL TIER 1: • Benchmark/Core Programs: • Rigby Literacy (Harcourt Rigby Education • Fountas & Pinnell (Heinemann) • 2. Trophies(Harcourt School Publishers • 3. The Nation’s Choice (Houghton Mifflin • 4. Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Reading • 5. Open Court (SRA/McGraw-Hill) • 6. Reading Mastery Plus (SRA/ • McGraw-Hill) • 7. Scott Foresman Reading • 8 Wright Group Literacy • Reviewed by: Oregon Reading First • Comprehensive: Addressed all 5 areas and included at least grades K-3 ~5% ~15% ~80% of Students

11. Results Monitoring Addl. Diagnostic Assessment Instruction All Students at a grade level Individualized Intensive Individual Diagnostic Intensive 1-5% weekly Small Group Different- iated By Skill Supplemental 5-10% Standard Protocol Behavior Academics 2 times/month Core Bench- Mark Assessment Annual Testing ODRs Monthly Bx Screening None Continue With Core Instruction Grades Classroom Assessments Yearly Assessments 80-90% How Does it Fit Together?Standard Treatment Protocol Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 1

12. Without A 3-Tiered Model- Special Education Sea of Ineligibility General Education

13. Interventions With a 3-Tiered Model: Bridging the Gap This group MAY be spec. ed. Amount of Resources Needed to Solve Problem General Education Intensity of Problem

14. Time Curricular Breadth Example of 3-Tier Level Interventions Reading Tier I Tier 3 Tier 2 90 120 180 Curricular Focus 5 areas Less than 5 2 or less Core + Intensive Core + Supplemental Core Frequency of Progress Monitoring 3X Yearly or greater Monthly or greater Weekly

15. BIG Tough Reality • You WILL have to change your master schedule to accommodate supplemental teaching • Flexibly grouping students and providing supplemental instruction requires planning and scheduling • Logistics of it all is one of the biggest hurdles you will face

16. General Ed. System- Communication • Parent Permission • Letter to Parents • Handbook Changes

17. TIP 2. Build Consensus- Believe in the Prevention and Early Intervention Model

18. The Process of Systems Change • Until, and unless, Consensus (understanding the need and trusting in the support) is reached no support will exist to establish the Infrastructure. Until, and unless, the Infrastructure is in place Implementation will not take place. • A fatal flaw is to attempt Implementation without Consensus and Infrastructure • Leadership must come both from the Principal and from the educators in the building.

19. Consensus:Essential Beliefs • No child should be left behind • It is OK to provide differential service across students • Academic Engaged Time must be considered first • Student performance is influenced most by the quality of the interventions we deliver and how well we deliver them- not preconceived notions about child characteristics • Decisions are best made with data • Our expectations for student performance should be dependent on a student’s response to intervention, not on the basis of a “score” that “predicts” what they are “capable” of doing.

20. How Long Will It Take to Implement this Effectively? • 3-6 years • Take it one step (e.g., skill) at a time. • Start with young students (Fold in) • Consider Tier 1 issues • Create Tier 2 options with existing staff and resources • Develop a 5 year PDP for staff • Ease their job with social support and technology • Use networks-avoid “reinventing” the wheel.

21. Importance of Prof. Dev. • To get it done, you will have to allocate MUCH of your PD Time for 2 to 3 years (maybe longer) on getting RtI going and supporting it • The in-service model has to go away • Must be planned • Must change the way you do PD - we are looking for behavior change here!

22. Change is Tough • Motivation issues- both for staff and kids. RtI is hard work (get on the bus) • Plan for motivation problems • Be proactive and celebrate/share success stories Core PS/RTI Team: Visit a RTI school

23. 4.9 With research-based core but without extra instructional intervention With substantial instructional intervention 3.2 Control 5.2 5 Intervention 4 Low Risk on Early Screening Reading grade level 3 2.5 2 At Risk on Early Screening 1 Grade level corresponding to age The Vision: Building a System of Substantial Instructional Interventions to Reduce the Gap 1 2 3 4 Torgesen, J.K. ( 2001). The theory and practice of intervention: Comparing outcomes from prevention and remediation studies.  In A.J. Fawcett and R.I. Nicolson (Eds.). Dyslexia: Theory and Good Practice. (pp. 185-201). London: David Fulton Publishers. Slide coursety of W. Alan Coulterhttp://www.monitoringcenter.lsuhsc.edu

24. LOOKING AT THE OVERALL IMPACT OF OUR READING MODEL :

25. TIP 3.USES OF UNIVERSAL SCREENING AND BENCHMARKING DATA

26. Integrated Assessment Systems Not this Assessment Instruction This is what we want.. Instruction Assessment Aligning Assessment and Instruction

27. Recommended Uses of Student Data by Teachers • Parent conferences • Identify students in need of interventions • Monitor improvement • Establish intervention groups • Write academic plans

28. Recommended Uses of Student Data by Administrators • To identify where additional resources and personnel in the classroom and across grade levels • To evaluate the effectiveness of the reading curriculum, instructional strategies and supplemental programs • To evaluate the effectiveness of building level strategies for facilities, finances and personnel

29. Recommended Uses of Student Data by the District Staff • Identify schools in need of interventions • Review student outcomes across the grade levels and across the district • Plan professional development targeting student outcomes and student needs

30. Recommended Uses of Student Data by the Problem Solving Team • Effectiveness of Tiered Intervention program • One of multiple indicators to move students in and through the intervention Tiers

31. Benchmarking/Progress Monitoring • Benchmarking- 3x a year • DIBELS/AIMSWEB • Reading K-8 • Math 4-8 • Progress Monitoring • Weekly : Tier II and Tier III

32. FRAMEWORK FOR READING ASSESSMENT PROGRESS MONITORING (ROI) SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM SOLVING PINPOINTING THE SPECIFIC AREA OF DIFFICULTY TIER III EVERY WEEK Every Week or 2X Month STRATEGIC MONITORING (ROI) TIER II 1. UNIVERSAL SCREENING AND BENCHMARKING: EARLY LITERACY MEASURES, AS DIBELS OR AIMSWEB CBM (KEY CRITICAL INDICATORS) TIER I 3 X PER YEAR

33. Tip 4. Use Researched-based, Scientifically Validated 3 Tiers of Intervention/Instruction • Frameworks for thinking and planning

34. How do we know what to use? Websites for Scientifically Based Reading Interventions Florida Center for Reading Research: www.fcrr.org Oregon Reading First Center: reading.uoregon.edu Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts: www.texasreading.org Fcrr reports

35. http://www.fcrr.org/FCRRReports Florida Center for Reading Research

36. FRAMEWORK for READING INTERVENTIONS Researched Based Core Reading/Math Curriculum TIER I. K PALS M. HEGGERTY PROGRAM/ 1ST GR. PALS EAROBICS GREAT LEAPS/ SLANT REWARDS Read Naturally 6 MINUTE SOLUTIONS SOAR TO SUCCESS REPEATED PRRASES, REPEATED READINGS BRINGING WORDS TO LIFE, E LEMENTS OF READ-VOAB., CORE VOCAB. HANDBOOK. MULTILEVEL VOCAB.PROGRAM METACOGNITIVE STRAT.- COLLABORATIVE STRATEGIC READING TIER II. At-risk students- Supplemental interventions Students identified through data. PS team matches students to appropriate intervention - teacher, aide. Lexia Reading Plus SRA DI PROGRAMS- READING MASTERY, HORIZONS, CORRECTIVE READING EAROBBICS GREAT LEAPS /SLANT REWARDS 6 MIN. SOLUTIONS SRA DI PROGRAMS Lexia TIER III. Highly at-risk students Intensive interventions More intensive individual support-

37. . Ensure implementation integrity of the intervention. • Training & Guided practice with feedback (coaching) • Intervention scripts or treatment manuals.

39. Example: Integrity Checklist

40. Examining Treatment Integrity • Teacher self-report/implementation logs: • Teacher may be interviewed regarding steps followed during intervention or keep a log of the steps implemented • Ratings scales: • Written step-by-step intervention plan can be used as a checklist & implementer would complete checklist • Direct Observation: • Of teacher behavior could be conducted periodically during intervention (use of IPF) • Permanent Products: • Teacher/student created products that would demonstrate the intervention components were implemented

41. Tip 5Data Days…In God we trust…everyone else bring data

42. Components of the Infrastructure • Building-based Leadership Team • Data Coach • Problem-solving Process • Decision Rules Regarding RtI • Data Sources and Decision-Making • Tier 1 Focus • Standard Protocol Interventions for Tier 2 • Intervention Support and Fidelity • Technology Support • Technical Assistance

43. Sustaining the Infrastructure • Sustaining requires Documentation • Procedures Manual • Decision Rules • Forms that reflect and GUIDE the procedures • Nested in District Policy and Procedures • Reflected in professional educator evaluation criteria

44. DATA DAY- What is it? • ½ Day 3X a year • Standard Protocol – Entrance/Exit Criteria (3 points of data) • Reading Level and/or ISAT • Teacher Recommendation- Form • DIBELS/AIMSWEB Benchmarking • Progress Monitoring Graphs

45. Student Progress Monitoring: Is the student benefiting from the intervention?Is the student’s rate of improvement sufficient?Does the intervention need to be modified?

46. Progress monitoring is designed to answer 3 fundamental questions • Is the student benefiting from the intervention? • Is the student’s rate of improvement sufficient? • Does the intervention need to be modified?

48. Tip 6. Effective Problem Solving Teams

49. Monthly Problem/ Solving Team Meetings • Same team as Data Day Team • ½ day approx. 1X monthly (4-6 Weeks) • Individual problem solving w/ parent • Tier III students and teacher referral students • Teacher RtI Guide Binder (K-6 & 7-8) • Teacher Interview Prior to Individual Child PST Meeting

50. School-Wide Reading Improvement in a School Using Problem-Solving Courtesy of Christine Martin, Indian Prairie School District, IL