Response to Intervention (RTI): Facts and Myths

1. Response to Intervention (RTI): Facts and Myths Tammy Rasmussen Shelby DiFonzo

2. Targets To highlight the components necessary to develop, implement, and sustain an RTI system To build awareness and conceptual understanding about the myths and the facts of RTI.

3. What is RTI? “Response to Intervention (RTI) is the practice of providing high quality instruction and interventions matched to student need, monitoring progress frequently to make decisions about changes in instruction or goals and applying student response data to important education decisions.” NASDSE, 2008 With RTI, schools identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes, monitor student progress, provide evidence-based interventions and adjust the intensity and nature of those interventions depending on a student’s responsiveness, and identify students with learning disabilities or other disabilities. (NCRTI, 2010) Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs. (RTI Action Network)

4. Quick Write Take two minutes of private reasoning time to create a definition of Response to Intervention.

5. ASSESSMENT DATA-BASED DECISION MAKING INSTRUCTION SPED referral? Individual Problem Solving Team 6-8 weeks Individual Problem Solving Team Formal Diagnostic As needed Tier 3 Individualized Intervention Tier 2/3 Supplemental Intervention Tier 2/3 Supplemental Intervention Progress Monitoring Weekly-Monthly Intervention Review Team 6-8 weeks Research-Based Core Curriculum w/ Strong Instruction Schoolwide Screening reviewed 3 times/year Universal Screening 3 times/year

6. RTI Essential Components Interventions Progress Monitoring Decision rules and reading protocol Core Curriculum with strong instruction Universal screening Data-Based Teaming Leadership Professional Development

10. Myth #1: This too shall pass Response to Intervention Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) • National Reading Panel • Multi-tiered instruction • Progress monitoring • Formative evaluation • Problem Solving Model • Direct Instruction • Curriculum-Based Measurement

11. Not a passing fad • RTI has been implemented with success in many places • Heartland Area Education Agency (Iowa) Minneapolis Public Schools, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, etc. • RTI should not become another great idea implemented poorly (VanDerHeyden & Tilly, 2010).

14. ASSESSMENT DATA-BASED DECISION MAKING INSTRUCTION SPED referral? Individual Problem Solving Team 6-8 weeks Individual Problem Solving Team Formal Diagnostic As needed Tier 3 Individualized Intervention Tier 2/3 Supplemental Intervention Tier 2/3 Supplemental Intervention Progress Monitoring Weekly-Monthly Intervention Review Team 6-8 weeks Research-Based Core Curriculum w/ Strong Instruction Schoolwide Screening reviewed 3 times/year Universal Screening 3 times/year

15. In The Past Title Reading or Other Reading Support General Education Special Education Some “Fell’” Through Some “Fell’” Through

16. Full Continuum of Support Title Reading & Reading Support, Gifted Ed. General Education Special Education, Gifted Ed. I I I I I I I I Interventions I all along the continuum! =

17. Early Intervention The primary goal of RTI is to: • Reduce the number of at-risk students • Decrease the intensity of existing student difficulties • Prevent inappropriate SPED referrals for students who have not received appropriate instruction

20. It’s about core instruction

21. It’s about core instruction

22. “RTI kids” ALL your students

23. “RTI Time” Every minute of every day

24. “RTI Room” Your entire school

28. It all comes down to people making decisions

31. Schools vary by… State funding Yearly school days Grant funding Daily instructional minutes Community involvement Student diversity ??????? Student language proficiency # of staff Socioeconomic status Staff training & skills # of students

32. RTI is unique for all buildings • The questions are the same, but the answers can be very different. • What skills do the majority of students lack? • What professional development do our teachers need? • What assessments do we use for screening, progress monitoring, diagnostic, and outcomes.

35. Legally Defensible (Betesh, Brown, Thompson, & Zirkel, November 2012) LORE:The response to intervention (RTI) approach for identifying students with specific learning disabilities will generate a spate of losing litigation concerning child find under the IDEA.

36. Legally Defensible (Betesh, Brown, Thompson, & Zirkel, November 2012) LAW: Despite dire predictions in the special education literature of major problems of RTI in terms of child-find litigation and repeated warnings from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) not to use RTI to delay or deny IDEA evaluations, RTI has generated relatively negligible child find litigation under the IDEA, with the outcomes being notably deferential to districts

37. Legally Defensible (Betesh, Brown, Thompson, & Zirkel, November 2012) LAW (Cont): …thus far no published court decision has specifically concerned RTI and child find, and the few pertinent hearing officer decisions have been deferential to school districts (e.g., Cobb County School District, 2012; Joshua Independent School District, 2010).

39. Talk Time Review your definition of RTI. Take one minute to refine it. Whip Around Protocol Everyone will share their definition. Then the table will create one common definition that makes sense to everyone. Write it on the poster paper and post on the wall. Is it comprehensible to everyone? Can you stand behind that definition? Can you recite it when needed?

40. Evaluation • Please complete the evaluation for this presentation • Please write down some things you really want to remember on the “Tools and Take Away” Sheet