RtI in the Secondary School Setting: Making it Work!

1. RtI in the Secondary School Setting: Making it Work! Jennifer Maichin jmaichin@mineola.k12.ny.us Whittney Smith wsmith@mineola.k12.ny.us

2. Albert Einstein once said… “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

3. Essential Components

4. “Without the right building-level leadership, RtI will not realize the potential it has in fundamentally altering for the better both the delivery system and educational practice in our schools.” • Dr. David P. Prasse, Professor and Dean of the School of Education, Loyola University Chicago

5. NYSED April 2008 State Education Department Field Memo • Authorizes the use of RtI in the State's criteria to determine learning disabilities (LD) and requires, effective July 1, 2012, that all school districts have an RtI program in place as part of the process to determine if a student in grades K-4 is a student with a learning disability in the area of reading.  “Effective on or after July 1, 2012, a school district shall not use the severe discrepancy criteria to determine that a student in kindergarten through grade four has a learning disability in the area of reading.”     [8 NYCRR section 200.4(j)]

6. Prior to the State’s Memo: • IDEA 2004: • “…in determining whether a child has a specific learning disability, a local agency may use a process that determines if the child responds to scientific research-based intervention as part of the evaluation procedures…” (H.R. 1350, 2004, section 614 (b)(6)(A&B)) Less stringent

7. Background: • WelI Established IST • The Team • Constant Members: IST Chairperson, Guidance Counselor, Speech Therapist, School Psychologist, Parent • Varying Members: Team Teachers (General and Special Education), Encore Teachers, Support Staff, Social Worker, Student • See Attached “Initial Referral Protocol and Task List”

8. Background: R.O.C.K. Committee AIS Team Meetings BPST Meetings Guidance Meetings Content Literacy Committee PLC Guiding Coalition • A Well Established IST: • Constant Members IST Chairperson, Guidance Counselor, Speech Therapist, School Psychologist, Parent • Varying Members: Team Teachers (General and Special Education), Encore Teachers, Support Staff, Social Worker, Student Tier I Tier I Tier II Tier II Tier III Tier III School-wide Individual See Attached “Initial Referral Protocol and Task List”

9. Tier I: What is it? • Quality classroom instruction • Within the general education classroom • High quality program incorporating standards • Research-based instructional strategies or materials • On-going assessment of strengths and needs • On-going professional development

10. Implementation: Part I • Educate the staff about what RtI is? • IDEA 2004 • “Wait to fail” vs. RtI • District Support • Leverage with New IDEA • “ In determining whether a child has a specific learning disability, a local educational agency may use a process that determines if the child responds to a scientific, research based intervention as part of the evaluation procedures” (IDEA 2004, Title 20, Section 1414, subsection b(6)).

11. Getting Stuck in Tier I • Scenario: Your team has an IST meeting to discuss a student who is struggling in school. A few strategies were brainstormed after a lengthy conversation about what the student can’t do. Six weeks later, the team meets again and…

12. Strategy Development (Tier I) • Teacher Ownership vs. “Buy In” • Station Activity • Devote Faculty Meeting Time • Objectives from IST Meetings • Teachers working in groups to brainstorm strategies • Weed Out the ones that are not measurable • Share the collective strategies with the entire faculty & bring them to IST Meetings • Attach the strategies to research

13. Implementation: • A Three Tier RTI Model • Staff Development / Curriculum Writing • Problem Solving Approach vs. Standard Treatment Protocol • Scheduling of IST Meetings Master Schedule Changes Scheduling of Committee Meetings Tier I Tier I Tier II Tier II Tier III Tier III School-wide Individual

14. Implementation: Part II School-wide Individual IST 6 week follow-up Core Team Meetings • Tier III • AIS Tier III • Progress Monitoring • Tier III • FBA / BIP • 1:1 Counseling • Tier II • Scheduling • AIS Tier II • Small group counseling • Tier II • AIS / IST (movement between tiers) • Strategic Monitoring (monthly) • Dynamic Program • Positive Reinforcement Plan • Tier I • Scheduling • Programs (ROCK, Universal Screenings, DIGS) • Content Literacy • PLCs • Walkthroughs • Department Meetings • Tier I • IST • AIS / IST

15. Our Structure of Academic Support • 6th Grade • Double ELA --- with a Reading Teacher • Double Period Math • 7th Grade • Dedicated Period --- On-Target; AIS Math Tier II or III; AIS ELA Tier II or III; or any combination • 8th Grade • Dedicated Period --- On-Target; AIS Math Tier II or III; AIS ELA Tier II or III; or any combination Master Schedule Changes (see attachments)

16. Day A Reading Tier III Reading Tier III Math Tier III Math Tier III ELA Tier II ELA Tier II Math Tier II Math Tier II On-Target On-Target Visual Representation of Tiers II & III in 7th and 8th Grade Day B • Reading Tier III • Reading Tier III • Math Tier III • Math Tier III • ELA Tier II • ELA Tier II • Math Tier II • Math Tier II • On-Target • On-Target 4-6 students 4-6 students 12-14 students 12-14 students 25 students 25 students

17. Identification &Progress Monitoring

18. Identification • ELA Scores • Math Scores • Teacher Recommendations • Universal Screening • AIMs Web • Elementary Articulation Meetings • Attendance and Discipline Records

19. READING MAZE Reading Curriculum Based Measurement (R-CBM) Tier I – Universal Screening (Benchmarking 3x/year) Tier II – monthly progress monitoring Tier III – Progress Monitoring (weekly / bi-monthly) MATH All Facts Math Concepts and Applications (M-CAP) Tier I – Universal Screening (Benchmarking 3x/year) Tier II – monthly strategic monitoring Tier III – Progress Monitoring (weekly / bi-monthly) AIMS Web (Tracking Program)

20. Sample AIMsWeb Data8th Grade Tier II AIS

21. Sample Student Benchmark Report

22. Reading Improvement Report for 2008-2009 School Year

23. Benchmark Scores for 2008-2009 School Year

24. http://www.aimsweb.com/login.php

25. Implementation: Part III Continuous Improvement: • Training Manuals • Yearly Timeline ---- meetings, testing • Protocols and Task Lists • Research Based Interventions

26. Tier 3 - Intensive Small group (4-6 students) AIS classes Progress Monitoring every 2-3 weeks Regression /no progress, revise (repeat if not successful) --- consider referral to CSE Progress Continue with program IST Process Tier 2 - Strategic Small Group (10-12 students) AIS Classes Benchmarking three times / year Three data checks, regression/no progress IST Process Three data checks IST Process Tier 1 - Universal Quality classroom instruction using research-based strategies with targeted students At-Risk Student Teacher analyzes data, refers student to IST and moves student to Tier 2. On Target Student Teacher analyzes data and keeps student in Tier 1.

27. Questions…

28. RtI Resources/Links • www.nrcld.org • www.ncld.org • www.nasdse.org • http://www.rtinetwork.org/ • www.aimsweb.com • www.interventioncentral.org