Efficient Teaming and Problem Solving at each Tier

1. An RtIVision for Troy, NY Administrators Efficient Teaming and Problem Solving at each Tier Data-Based Decisions at each Tier Intervention-rich environment at each Tier

2. BESIDES BEING BEST PRACTICES, IT’S NOW IN THE LAW!

3. The Educational Stars Are Aligning • No Child Left Behind • Reading First • President’s Commission on Special Education Excellence • IDEA Reauthorization 2004 • New York’s Rules and Regulations • Creates tremendous opportunity for schools to make significant changes in how they help students !

4. THE LEADERSHIP REQUIRED TO MAKE RtI HAPPEN:

5. Definitions of Change • To leave one train, bus, etc… and board another • To put on other clothes • To make different; to alter; to vary Heartland, June, 2006 Webster’s New World Dictionary

6. A Thought…. Your biggest stumbling block may not be getting your staff to buy into RtI, It will be dealing with the inevitable losses that accompany a culture change of this magnitude!! Brace yourself…

7. Manage the Transitions • Acknowledge that most people (especially school staff) are resistant to change • Say it outright • Get it on the table to avoid the “lounge talk” • Work through the barriers • Don’t be surprised if it takes longer than you think!

8. William Bridges • Phases of Change • Letting go of old ways • Going through an in between time when the old is gone but the new is not fully operational • Coming out of the transition and making a new beginning

9. Personal Impact of Change “It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between that we fear …It’s like being on a trapeze. It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There’s nothing to hold on to.” Marilyn Ferguson, The Aquarian Company

10. Managing Complex Change Vision Skills + + Incentives Resources Action Plans + + CHANGE

11. Managing Complex Change Vision Skills + + Incentives Resources Action Plans + + CONFUSION

12. Managing Complex Change Vision Skills + + Incentives Resources Action Plans + + ANXIETY

13. Managing Complex Change Vision Skills + + Incentives Resources Action Plans + + SLOW CHANGE

14. Managing Complex Change Vision Skills + + Incentives Resources Action Plans + + FRUSTRATION

15. Managing Complex Change Vision Skills + + Incentives Resources Action Plans + + FALSE STARTS

16. Quote • “In making change, the greatest difficulty lies not in persuading people to accept new ideas, but in persuading them to abandon old ones.” John Maynard Keynes

17. Remember: For each new task….. ADD DROP

18. How long will it take to implement RtI effectively?

19. Leadership:District and Building Levels • Building Level:Someone (the Principal) has to ensure the the process runs the way it was intended • Resources and Support • Resistance • “Walk the walk”

20. Role of the PrincipalWithin a RtI/PS System • Sets vision for problem-solving process • Supports development of expectations • Responsible for allocation of resources • Facilitates priority setting • Ensures follow-up • Supports program evaluation • Monitors staff support/climate

21. The Principal:Content Knowledge/Skills Understanding of: • Universal, supplemental and intensive instructional strategies and interventions • Skills in data-based decision-making and the need to share outcome data frequently • Skills in the problem solving process and teaming • Components of a successful professional development plan • How to publicly recognize the relationship between staff efforts and student outcomes • Ways to involve and inform parents of the essential elements of RtI/PS and their role in the process

22. However……

23. Principals aren’t the only ones who can exercise leadership within a school.Teachers do so as well.

24. What fosters the growth of teacher leaders? A school culture that--- • focuses on learning, inquiry and reflective practice • encourages initiative • expects teamwork and shared decision-making • values teachers as role models for other • has a sense of community that fosters professionalism

25. What fosters the growth of teacher leaders? Relationships that— • recognize and respect teacher leaders with subject-area and instructional expertise • reflect high trust among teacher peers and between teachers and administrators • encourage work central to the teaching and learning process • reflect positive interpersonal relationships • “What is clear…is that traditional forms of • management must be modified to be more • horizontal and less hierarchial for teacher • leadership to flourish.” • York-Barr,J., & Duke, K. (2004) What do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two decades of scholarship. Review of Educational Research 74(3), 255-316.

26. Big Ideas about the Role of the Principal and Leadership in the Development and Implementation of a RtI/PS System 1. Implementation of RtI/PS involves change and change is a complex process involving attention to identifiable critical factors. 2. Schools that successfully implement RtI/PS share common characteristics in regard to core beliefs, role of prevention and intervention, collaborative teaming, data-based decision-making, parental/community engagement and leadership.

27. Big Ideas (continued) 3. Successful implementation of RtI/PS is based on the premise that schools and all staff members are responsible for the learning of all students and the principal’s role is crucial in setting expectations for this within the school. 4. Development of a RtI/PS system requires consensus building, infrastructure development and action toward implementation.

28. RTI: The Tough Stuff(Tilley, 2008)

29. What We Have Learned • There are predictable componentsin successful RTI implementation • Some of these components conflict with historical structures and practices in schools • Some tough things are predictable • Knowing what they are, and being ready for them is half the battle in addressing them

30. What We Have Learned • There are predictable componentsin successful RTI implementation • Some of these components conflict with historical structures and practices in schools • Some tough things are predictable • Knowing what they are, and being ready for them is half the battle in addressing them

31. Tough Reality #1 • RTI requires behavior change on the part of teachers • Teachers must accept student performance data as a basis for changing instruction • Teachers must have or learn the skills related to data-based decision making in instructional decision making. (Aimsweb, DIBELS) Helps with ownership/buy-in 3. New learning to match teaching to learners

32. Tough Reality #2 • RTI requires that we frame every instructional problem in terms of variables that the teacher controls - this is both a belief and a practice issue • Excuses are not accepted for why kids “can not” • ADHERE TO THE PROBLEM SOLVING STEPS

33. Tough Reality #3 • RTI requires everyone to own the results for all kids - not just in word, but in deed - whatever it takes • No more “your kids” and “my kids” • They’re all “our kids” • We all have to accept both the successes and failures of all of all our kids

34. Tough Reality #4 • Greater impact of school psychologist; doing little standardized/IQ testing; instead using time for benchmarking, progress monitoring, and assisting with intervention plans • this means more and different instructional minutes • which in turn means more work for the same number of teacher, utilizing resources differently • Organization of model: who does what, when, how?

35. “We have to stop teaching the way we like to teach and start teaching the way they like to learn”. Wendy Robinson, 2007

36. Tough Reality #5 • To get it done, you will have to allocate ALL of your Professional Development Time for 2 to 3 years (maybe longer) on getting RTI going and supporting it • The inservice model has to go away • Must be planful- Set/Plan yearly goals • Must change the way you do PD – no fly by night or silver bullet

37. BIG Tough Reality #6 • 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

38. Tough Reality #7 • People who do not have a history of working together and collaborating will have to begin doing so • Collaboration is an unnatural act for some • Cannot be left to chance • People need to learn the skills needed for success

39. Tough Reality #8 • Staff MUST have a deep understanding of assessment- Why's and How's • Does your staff know: • the district’s reasoning behind choosing the assessment measures administered? • when one should give a screening assessment? a diagnostic assessment? or progress monitoring assessment?-(Purposes behind the different types of assessments.) • who should be given screening assessments? diagnostic assessments? Or progress monitoring assessments? • if the assessments measure what is actually being taught? • why certain “teacher scripts” or “set procedures” are provided while giving the assessment to students? • how to use the assessment results to guide instruction or determine the need for further assessment data?

40. Tough Reality #9 • Staff MUST have a deep understanding of Curriculum (Essential Components of Reading) • Does your staff know: • What are the 5 essential components of reading? • What are the expected knowledge and skills for the students? Benchmarks and standards • What is the sequence of those knowledge and skill sets?- (K-12+) benchmarks and standards

41. Tough Reality #10 • Staff MUST have a deep understanding about effective instruction • Does your staff know: • How/when to teach the 5 essential components of reading appropriately at his/her grade level? (research-based tools/strategies) • If their instruction is meeting the needs of the students? • How to beef-up core curriculum by having distributed practice opportunities embedded throughout the day. • How to match instructional materials/strategies to students based on performances on assessments? • How to provide whole group and small group instructional opportunities for students? • How much time is needed to provide adequate intensity of instruction during core, supplemental, and intensive?

42. Stages Of RtI/PS Development Consensus Building Infrastructure Development Implementation Heartland, June, 2006

43. Stages of Implementing Problem-Solving/RtI • Consensus • Beliefs are shared and agreed upon • Vision statement exists • RtI and PS are understood • Implementation requirements are understood • Leadership is provided by the principal and key school staff • Infrastructure Development • System self-study completed • Universal screening and benchmarking system has been developed • System of prevention/intervention has been developed • Core Leadership team identified and committed • Problem solving team(s) and processes developed • Plan for sustainability has been developed • Revision of special education eligibility processes has been developed • Implementation • Roll out of RtI/PS begins or continues with increasing sophistication • Evaluation of student outcomes, system data, problem solving process and consumer satisfaction exists Batsche, G., Response to Intervention: Blueprints for State, District and School Implementation (modified)

44. Stage One Consensus Building Consensus Beliefs are shared and agreed upon Vision statement exists Core RtI and PS concepts are understood Implementation requirements are understood Leadership is provided by the principal and key school staff

45. What Beliefs Should Be Shared??? • RtI/PS is a General Education Initiative, not primarily a Special Education initiative. • Improving the effectiveness of core instruction is basic to this process • NO Child Left Behind Really Means “NO”; Meeting AYP through RtI! • Assessment (data) should both inform and evaluate the impact of instruction • Beliefs must be supported by research

46. Consensus Building Activities: What to Do? • Identify school leadership to support RtI/PS. • Provide information to school staff. • Why RtI/PS? • What is it? What is it not? • What are the benefits of RtI/PS? • What will it take to implement?

47. Stage Two Infrastructure Building Or Resources Infrastructure Development System self-study completed Universal screening and benchmarking system has been developed System of prevention/intervention has been developed-Tiers of Support Problem solving team(s) and processes developed Core Leadership team identified and committed Plan for sustainability has been developed Revision of special education eligibility processes has been developed

50. Infrastructure: Guiding Questions • Is the core program sufficient? • If the core program is not sufficient, why isn’t it? • How will needs identified in the core be addressed? • How will the effectiveness and efficiency of the core be monitored over time? • Have improvements to the core been effective? • For which students is the core program sufficient or not sufficient and why? • What specific supplemental and intensive instruction is needed? • How will supplemental and intensive instruction be delivered? • How will effectiveness of supplemental and intensive instruction be monitored? • Which students need to move to a different level of instruction? • How will data drive all your decisions? Heartland, June, 2006