RTI & the Connection to plc’s

1. RTI & the Connection to plc’s Essentials for Administrators Sept. 27, 2012

2. Presentation Outcomes As a result of today’s presentation administrators will: • review their current understanding of RTI & PLC’s • gain a deeper understanding RTI & the connection of the work of a PLC • review the direction for RTI and PLC’s within GSSD

3. What we Learned from Chris Weber Regarding PLC & RtI - August 2011 • RtI has everything in common with PLCs • RtI is a verb consisting of various, more individualized levels of intervention for struggling students • RtI cannot be a mandate – it will look different in each school • RtI can work with our current level of resources • RtI & PLC’s ≠ lots of paperwork • Small group instruction must be a part of every classroom

4. What we Learned From Rick DuFour at the PLC Institute – Sept. 2011 • PLCs focus on improving individual and collective results • The critical question in a PLC is not, “Do we collaborate?” but rather, “what do we collaborate about?” • What is it we expect students to learn? • How will we know when they have learned it? • How will we respond when they don’t learn? • How will we respond when they already know it?

5. Continued Refocus on RtI We know that RtI is an instructional framework: • which utilizes high-quality interventions matched to student needs • coupled with formative evaluation to obtain data over time to make critical educational decisions Effective problem solving and data-based decision making are the essence of good RtI practice!

6. Continued Refocus on RtI We know that this framework provides for: • Strong curriculum and instruction for all students • Targeted/secondary interventions for students who continue to exhibit learning and behaviour problems • Intensive/individual interventions for students with the most significant needs Shores, 2009

7. Tertiary Interventions • Individual Students • Assessment-based • High Intensity • Tertiary Interventions • Individual Students • Assessment-based • Intense, durable procedures • Secondary Interventions • Some students (at-risk) • High efficiency • Rapid response • Small Group Interventions • Some Individualizing • Secondary Interventions • Some students (at-risk) • High efficiency • Rapid response • Small Group Interventions • Some Individualizing • Universal Interventions • All students • Preventive, proactive • Universal Interventions • All settings, all students • Preventive, proactive School-Wide Systems for Student SuccessA Response to Intervention Model Academic Systems BehaviouralSystems 1-5% 1-5% 5-10% 5-10% 80-90% 80-90%

8. Tier One – Universal Interventions  Tier One consists of universal strategies: • A high-quality research-based core curriculum • Evidence-based teaching strategies • School-wide screening to identify students’ current level of performance and students at risk for difficulty

9. Tier One – Universal Interventions  Sample Tier One supports: • differentiated learning activities to address individual needs based on readiness • adaptations to ensure that all students have access to the instructional program (environment, pacing, output, etc…) • problem solving to identify interventions and to address behaviour issues that prevent students from demonstrating the academic skills they possess • universal screeners • interest inventories/learning style inventories • flexible groupings/small group instruction • environmental supports and routines Effective Tier Two and Three interventions cannot be built without a strong Tier One

10. Tier Two – Secondary Interventions  Tier Two involves: • a systems approach to coordinate the key actions of the school to ensure student success • adaptations to the environment, learning materials, teaching strategies, timing, reinforcement, etc… • assessments that are developed for students who do not respond sufficiently to Tier Onestrategies - students’ progress is measured frequently

11. Tier Two - Secondary Interventions  There are three necessary components of the Tier Twosystem: • a data management system, • the appropriate interventions based on what is shown by the data, and • a team charged with the oversight and management of the system.

12. Tier Two - Secondary Interventions  Sample Tier Two &/or secondary interventions for the failed intentional non-learners: • Mandatory study hall • Mandatory homework help • Frequent progress reports • Study skills classes • Goal-setting and career planning supports • Mandatory extra curricular involvement • PSP consultation

13. Tier Two - Secondary Interventions  Sample Tier Two &/or secondary intervention in reading: Definition • Instructional intervention employed to supplement, enhance, and support Tier One: takes place in small groups Focus • Students identified with reading difficulties who have not responded to Tier One Program • Specialized, scientifically based reading instruction and curriculum emphasizing the critical elements Instruction • Additional attention, focus, support, additional opportunities to practice embedded throughout the day, pre-teach, review skills, frequent opportunities to practice

14. Tier Two Secondary Interventions  Interventionist • Personnel determined by the school (i.e. classroom teacher, specialized reading teacher, other trained personnel) Setting • Appropriate setting designated by the school Groupings • Homogeneous small-group instruction (with teacher-student ration 1:4 or 1:5) Time • 20-30 minutes per day in addition to Tier One Assessment • Progress monitoring twice a month on target skill to ensure adequate progress and learning

15. Tier Three – Tertiary Interventions  Tier Three addresses: • The needs of students who continue to display an inadequate response to instruction despite the use of high-quality, evidence-based Tier Two strategies; • Instruction and interventions are further individualized and students may be referred for further evaluation by the Inter-disciplinary team (i.e. PSP).

16. Tier Three – Tertiary Interventions  • Most intensive interventions – begins with a more intensive version of the intervention program used in Tier Two (longer sessions, individualized, more frequent)

17. Tier Three – Tertiary Interventions  • Sample Tier Three interventions for the failed intentional non-learners: • PSP consultation/direct therapy • IIP development • Outside agency support and involvement • Alternate, functionally integrated programs

18. Tier Three – Tertiary Interventions  Sample Tier Three intervention in reading: Definition • Reading intervention extending beyond the time allocated for previous tiers Focus • Students with marked difficulties in reading or reading disabilities who have not adequately responded to tier 1 & tier 2 efforts Program • Sustained, intensive, scientifically based reading instruction and curriculum highly responsive to the students’ needs Instruction • Carefully designed and implemented, explicit, systematic instruction

19. Tier Three – Tertiary Interventions  Interventionist • Personnel determined by the school (i.e. the reading specialist teacher or SST) Setting • Appropriate setting designated by the school Grouping • Homogeneous small group instruction (with teacher-student ratios of 1:1 or 1:2) Time • 50-minute sessions (or longer) per day depending upon appropriateness of tier 1 Assessment • Progress monitoring more than twice a month on target skill to ensure adequate progress learning

20. RtI Assumptions: • A problem-solving model should be used to make decisions; • Evidence-based interventionsshould be implemented to the furthest extent possible; • Progress monitoring must be implemented to inform instruction; and • Datashould drive decision making.

21. Administrators are key: • In creating the climate of the school and the quality of programming that the school provides for all students; • In the engagement of all students and in meeting the learning needs of all students; and • In influencing the success or failure of the implementation of RtI in their schools. Administrators are the “Leaders of the Teams”