Instructional Leadership RTI² Building Tiers of Support

1. Instructional Leadership RTI² Building Tiers of Support There is no silver bullet; all our students need is a shot!

2. Outcomes • To introduce the district model of RTI² • To understand the role of ILTs in implementing RTI² • To understand the role of ILTs in working with PLCS in implementing RTI² • To identify tools and strategies to maximize systems of intervention and instruction for Tiers of Support

3. Why do we do what we do? So, we can give every student a shot! • All children deserve to reach their potential • We can’t leave any child behind? • At the core of NCLB is a reminder of the moral imperative to ensure that every student achieves • It’s the response of the adults that is critical

4. Thinking it Through If we believe that all students can learn… • What are the core beliefs of your schools? • What evidence do we have in your school that truly exhibit this belief?

5. Three Guiding StrategiesLessons from Sanger Unified School District • Hope is not a strategy. • It is the actions of the adults. • We have to change as adults • Don’ t blame the kids • It’s all about student learning • Teaching must result in learning. • We must guarantee learning takes place

6. Quality Core Instruction “Without high quality initial instruction, significant numbers of students will require supplemental instruction and intensive intervention that are costly and time consuming…A troubling misapplication of RTI is that Tier 2 supplemental support is often used to mitigate ineffective core instruction” Fisher & Frey, 2010

7. Hehir Recommendation “Develop a comprehensive Response to Intervention (RTI) program incorporated into a revised SST process with district-wide academic and behavioral interventions.”

8. Context • As of 2010, San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) is in program improvement status. • SDUSD has spent the last 3-5 years exploring ways to incorporate tiers of support for struggling students. • Most folks see SSTs as a way to refer students to special education. • Most of the concern has been on what Tier II and III interventions are available. • We lack understanding of how to provide a strong Tier I support system.

9. Identify Percentages9:00 – 9:45 Analyze your site data to determine the percentage of students who are not successful in Tier 1

10. Data We Could Examine to Determine % of Students Not Successful in Tier 1 • Benchmark Assessments • CST School Summary Sheet • Percentage of Students Scoring At Proficient or Advanced Levels by Grade Level • School Accountability Report Cards

11. Consider Four Sample Schools FromWhatever It Takes by DuFour The Charles Darwin School We believe all kids can learn based on their ability The Pontius Pilate School We believe all kids can learn…if they take advantage of the opportunity we give them to learn The Chicago Cub Fan School We believe all kids can learn…something, and we will help all students experience academic growth in a warm and nurturing environment. The Henry Higgins School We believe all kids can learn…and we will work to help all students achieve high standards for learning. As a team, determine which school most closely resembles your school 10:00 – 11:00

12. Discussion • Is it not true that in the real world of schools in North America today, we have all four of these responses occurring in the same school at the same time? • Do we need to stop leaving the critical questions of how we will respond when a student is not learning to the discretion of each teacher? • Do we instead need to develop consistent, systematic procedures that ensure each student is guaranteed additional time and support when needed?

13. Breaking Ground How should we respond when kids don’t learn?

14. RTI² Makes Sense RTI² is a systematic, three tiered, data-driven approach to instruction and intervention that benefits every student.

15. RTI² in San Diego Unified School District 1-5% of students RTI² Response to Instruction and Intervention

16. Three-Tiered Model of RTI² Behavioral Systems • Tier 3: Intensive, Individual Interventions • One-on one counseling • Home visits • Mental health support • Frequent (daily) monitoring • Individual contracts • Behavioral support plans • Tier 2: Targeted Group Interventions • Counseling groups • Mentoring programs • Parent groups • Use of contracts • Regular monitoring • Tier 1: Core Instructional Interventions • Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) • Safe and Culturally responsive classroom environments • Teachers model appropriate behaviors • Teachers explicitly teach behaviors • Consistency across the school • Regular communication and/or parent conferences with teachers • Refocus contracts • Universal interventions

17. Three-Tiered Model of RTI² Academic Systems • Tier 3: Intensive, Individual Interventions • Flexible groupings • Intensive support blocks • Intensive literacy/math programs & classes • Use of diagnostic assessments • SST to determine appropriate interventions • Possible referral for Special Education services • Tier 2: Targeted Group Interventions • Elementary: In-class small group instruction focused on specific strategies or skills, preview and review; push-in support • Secondary: In-class small group instruction; support classes for students up to 2 grades below grade level. • Use of diagnostic assessments to determine specific needs and formative assessments for frequent monitoring • Grade level/department meeting to determine specific interventions for struggling students Tier 1: Core Instructional Interventions Purposeful planning Differentiated instruction Collaborative/cooperative productive group work Scaffolding instruction Content area literacy Technology Collaboration with site-based experts Effective instructional strategies Use of data to monitor progress towards standards Instruction aligned to grade level standards Teacher efficacy

18. Jigsaw Reading10:30 – 11:30 • Each ILT member is to select one of the 11 Core Academic Strategies to study and go to that table. • Complete the Frayer chart provided for the article you read. • Share out the findings at your table • Complete one Frayer Chart for your table/topic

19. Lunch 11:30 – 1:00

20. Laying the Foundation1:00 – 2:00 As an ILT, take your RTI² Manual to the 11 Frayer Charts to determine… • What you currently have in place for each Tier I core academic intervention/strategy • Staff attainment level • High (90–100%) • Medium (75–89%) • Low (74% and below) You will have 5 minutes per chart

21. Developing an Action Plan 2:00 – 2:15 • As an ILT, list the Tier 1 academic strategies that you scored low or medium on the Action Plan provided in the manual. • Determine steps your ILT will take to move your staff to high or medium • Actions • Target Date • Person(s) responsible

22. Break2:00 – 2:15

23. Building the Foundation Because ILTs address issues of teaching and learning, we are the agents charged with establishing effective systems of instruction and interventions for our students.

24. Assessing Your ILT & PLCs2:15 – 2:50 • As an ILT, prioritize the responsibilities of an ILT in rank order. • As an ILT, prioritize the responsibilities of PLCs in rank order.

25. The Role of ILTs in RTI² • To support quality Instruction & Intervention • Develop and monitor processes to identify students who need extra support • Ensure that the 11 effective components of instruction are supported • Review, select, implement, and evaluate interventions and supports • Assist staff to monitor and improve upon results • Build a collaborative culture • Identify and align resources for RTI² support • Monitor Tier I,II, & III Academic and Behavioral instruction, interventions, and supports • Work with PLCs in supporting quality instruction and interventions

26. The Role of PLCs in working with ILTs To Support Quality Instruction By • Receiving and providing information to the ILT • Implementing the interventions • Examining achievement data and making appropriate recommendations to the ILT • Ensuring fidelity to Tier I academic and behavioral support • Being willing to discuss how to support students as a whole group • Providing flexibility and ownership of students • Supporting each other in improving instructional practices • Utilize technological tools to support instruction • Supporting interactive instructional practices

27. Rocky Road Ahead2:50 -3:00 What might be some possible challenges on your road to success? • Seeing RTI² as “one more thing to do” • Ensuring fidelity of intervention strategies • Inadequate implementation of Tier 1 supports • Failure to utilize limited resources creatively

28. ILT Homework1. What are the first steps your ILT needs to take to ensure successful implementation to both Academic and Behavioral Tiers of Support? 2. What adjustment might your team need to make to ensure that the ILT can perform the responsibilities of implementing RTI² at your site?3. Communicate RTI² with your staffs4. Determine what you will use to determine success in Tier I5. Revise and/or complete action plans for each Tier (academic & behavioral)

29. Closing • Final reflections/evaluation

30. Outcomes • To introduce the district model of RTI² • To understand the role of ILTs in implementing RTI² • To understand the role of ILTs in working with PLCS in implementing RTI² • To identify tools and strategies to maximize systems of intervention and instruction for Tiers of Support • To provide planning time to develop/revise RTI²