RTI A District/Special Education Cooperative Experience

1. RTIA District/Special Education Cooperative Experience

2. Goal of This Analysis • After 4 years of implementation, Gardiner School wanted to review AIMSweb data to analyze if RTI has made a positive impact on student reading achievement.

3. How It All Began • RTI began in Gardiner 5 years ago with a grant written by Leland Stocker, Ken Ballagh, Verne Beffert, and Debbie Ferris as joint effort between Gardiner School and the Special Education Coop. • Gardiner was one of 4 pilot schools in Montana.

4. What is AIMSweb? • AIMSweb is a benchmark and progress monitoring system based on direct, frequent and continuous student assessment. http://aimsweb.com/ • AIMSweb was used to measure the reading fluency of Gardiner students compared to their same age peers on a national level.

5. centerforpubliceducation.org

6. How Does AIMSweb Work? • Benchmark – Assess all students three times per year for universal screening (early identification), general education progress monitoring, and AYP accountability. • Strategic Monitor – Monitor at-risk students monthly and evaluate the effectiveness of instructional changes. • Progress Monitor – Write individualized annual goals and monitor more frequently for those who need intensive instructional services.

7. RTI Process in Gardiner • A full year was dedicated to learning about RTI and designing the essential elements for an RTI program. • Interventions were identified, including who would provide those interventions. • Teachers received training in a variety of reading interventions. • A leadership team met regularly to determine next steps.

8. Critical Decisions • The district employed a reading specialist who was exceptionally well versed determining which intervention to use for each student. • Decisions regarding interventions are based on student performance data.

9. Individual RTI Student Progress • Students data is organized by grade level cohorts randomly numbered 1-6 • data presented is based on national norms in percentiles

10. RTI by Cohorts

13. Grade Level Improvement • The RTI leadership team decided to see what the data would indicate about the effect of RTI on classroom performance – would there be a noticeable difference.

15. From 2007 – 2010 • Number of students entered into RTI – 25 • Number of students exited from RTI - 21 • Current IEP’s through RTI – 2 • Number of students exited from Special Ed – 1 • Number of students still in RTI – 1 • Number of students currently in RTI - 14

16. Conclusion • One of the pleasant results of implementing an RTI intervention model with fidelity was that there was a positive effect on virtually every student whether they were in the RTI process of not.

17. Why RIT Works • Planned implementation over a period of a year. • Identification of interventions. • Classroom teacher training in the CORE curriculum and interventions for which they are responsible. • Highly trained interventionists

18. Why RTI Works • Organized, systemic process to identify those students who need RTI support. • Meet to review student progress and review interventions. • Use of data to inform instruction. • Fidelity to the interventions used. • The assistance of highly trained reading and math specialists is critical.