RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION

1. RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION Information Session for Elementary Principals August 5, 2008 Lori Duerr and Sandy Meyers Delaware Department of Education

2. What is Response to Intervention (RTI)? Effective Educational Practices for All • “RTI is the practice of providing high-quality instruction and intervention matched to student need, monitoring progress frequently to make decisions about change in instruction or goals and applying child response data to important educational decisions. RTI should be applied to decisions in general, remedial and special education, creating a well-integrated system of instruction/intervention guided by child outcome data.” (NASDSE, 2005)

3. Core Principles of RTI • We can effectively teach all children • Use research-based, scientifically validated core instruction with fidelity • Use assessment data to inform instructional decisions (variety of data including screening and progress monitoring) • Use a problem solving method to make decisions within a multi-tier model of service delivery • Use research-based, scientifically validated interventions matched to student need with continuous progress monitoring • Intervene early • Use data as part of the evaluation process for determining eligibility for special services

4. RTI First…. • Look at how system addresses student needs • It is our responsibility to identify the curricular, instructional, and environmental conditions that enable learning Before…. • Looking to the individual learner to explain why students are struggling

5. Tier III: • Students with insufficient progress in Tier I/Tier II • Sustained Intensive Interventions • Possible Special Education Identification for students with insufficient progress with Tier III interventions Three Tiered Model ~5% • Tier II: • Students with insufficient progress in Tier I • Group and individual research-based interventions Increasing Support ~15% • Tier I: • All Students • Core Class Instruction Special Services ~80% of Students

6. Advantages of Multi-tiered Approaches • Provides instructional assistance in a timely fashion • Helps ensure a student’s poor academic performance is not due to poor instruction or inappropriate curriculum • Informs teacher and improves instruction because assessment data are collected and closely linked to interventions • Serves students who require little intervention as well as students who require long term intervention • Matches level of support to student need • Informs instructional needs for special education decisions • Allows for exit from special education when appropriate based on ongoing measurement of progress and response to intervention

7. Why RTI? • Implementation of RTI is predicated on effective practices in general education classroom • Students can not be identified as having a learning disability if their difficulty is due to a lack of instruction • Programs need to be research-based and implemented as designated • Prevention-oriented • “RTI requires a way of thinking about instruction, academic achievement, and individual differences that makes it impossible to implement without fully involving general education” (Technical Assistance Paper, ODE, p. 2)

8. Delaware Regulations on RTI Effective Date: June 11, 2008 (reflects changes to the August 11, 2007 RTI Regulations)

9. RTI required for reading in elementary grades will begin with 2008-2009 school year RTI required for math in elementary grades will begin with a schedule determined by DDOE RTI required for secondary will begin with a schedule determined by DDOE Students who are already eligible for special education will not have to be evaluated under RTI until their next required reevaluation RTI Phase-In

10. General requirements • DOE-approved rubrics must be used to select programs of instruction and Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions for reading and mathematics • Most interventions at all Tiers occur in the general education classroom • Fidelity of implementation of instruction and interventions and adherence to the core curriculum are critical • 80% rule and school based team review

11. All elementary students will be screened at least three times per year First screening for at risk students within 2 weeks of beginning of school Screening for all students shall be regularly spaced throughout the school year All students at risk at the secondary level will be screened at least three times per year Screening for all students shall be regularly spaced throughout the school year Screeninginstruments will be norm referenced or curriculum based Progress monitoring instruments must be curriculum based General Requirements

12. Students not at benchmark on any screening… At or below 25% percentile on norm referenced assessment or designated cut point on curriculum based measure Provide Tier 2 interventions in addition to core program Between 25% percentile on norm referenced assessment or designated cut point on curriculum based measure and benchmark School based team reviews program and progress At least 6 weeks of Tier 1 interventions Progress monitor every two weeks TIER 1

13. Weekly progress monitoring Small group At least 90 minutes per week No less than 2 sessions per week At least 6 weeks of Tier 2 interventions For students identified in need of intervention in both reading and math, instructional support teams will design intervention for no less than 120 minutes TIER 2

14. TIER 2 (continued) • If no progress, or insufficient progress, after 6 weeks of Tier 2 interventions, then Instructional Support Team reviews • Additional assessments? • Changes in instruction or behavioral interventions? • Child requires Tier 3 interventions? • If no progress, or insufficient progress, after 12 total weeks of Tier 2 interventions, child moves to Tier 3 interventions

15. Weekly progress monitoring continues Smaller group than Tier 2 At least 150 minutes per week No less than 4 sessions per week At least 6 weeks of Tier 3 interventions For students identified in need of intervention in both reading and math, instructional support teams will design intervention for no less than 180 minutes TIER 3

16. TIER 3 (continued) • If after 6 weeks of Tier 3 interventions (for a total of 18 weeks of intervention)… • progress is made, but child is not on trajectory to meet end-of-year benchmarks, then instructional support team reviews • Additional assessments? • Changes in instruction or behavioral interventions? • Refer for special education evaluation? • Child has made no progress, then instructional support team refers the child for special education evaluation • If after 6 additional weeks of Tier 3 interventions (for a total of 24 weeks)… • progress is made, but child is not on trajectory to meet end-of-year benchmarks, then instructional support team refers the child for special education evaluation

17. FLEXIBILITY BETWEEN TIERS • System permits students to move between tiers of intervention based on progress toward benchmarks and instructional support team review • Special education re-evaluations available to permit students to move between general and special education

18. Delaware RTI at a Glance • Tier I implementation of scientific, research-based core curriculum aligned with Delaware Content Standards • Differentiated instruction matched to student need • Tiers II and III of increasingly intense scientific, research-based interventions matched to student need • Instructional intensity addressed through duration, frequency and time of interventions, group size, and matched instructor expertise to student need

19. Delaware RTI at a Glance • Individual problem-solving model and standardized intervention protocol for intervention tiers • Screening and progress monitoring to assess entire class progress and individual student progress • Explicit decision rules for assessing learner’s progress • Fidelity measures to assess consistency of instructional methods, curriculum, interventions, and assessment

20. Putting it All Together Working as a Team to Maximize Resources & Outcomes for Students • Curriculum (Programs and Materials): • Ensuring comprehensive coverage to essential literacy and math skills • Use of research-based targeted programs (Supplemental and Intervention) for specific students or to fill needs of groups of students • Instruction: • Coordinating instructional resources (Title, Special Education, ELL, etc.) • Incorporating differentiated instructional practices • Prioritizing and protecting instructional time (sufficient time for students needing additional support) • Strategic use of grouping to maximize learning • Assessment • School-wide Screening & Progress Monitoring • Evaluating benefits for students, classrooms, schools and districts • Professional Development: • Instruction: Scheduling, grouping, behavior management • Programs and Materials: understanding the complexities and nuances • Progress Monitoring: Interpreting data at the school, class, and student level

21. Role of the Administrator

22. Administrator’s Role – System Level • Establish an environment where all staff believe all students can learn at high expectations • Design a master schedule that includes equitable distribution of students, uninterrupted reading and math blocks, common planning, interventions, and specialists’ schedules • Adopt a school-wide data management system for monitoring student assessment data and interventions • Establish a problem-solving team to address needs of students • Share school data regularly • Budget funds to support RTI • Monitor RTI system within the school success plan

23. Administrator’s Role – Tier 1 • Adopt scientifically researched-based reading and math core curricula • Ensure teachers receive high quality professional development with the core programs • Implement a consistent and on-going fidelity to the core monitoring system • Adopt a universal assessment tool to assess all students three times a year • Adopt a progress monitoring tool to assess all students not at benchmark • Ensure teachers receive high quality professional development with assessment tools • Participate in teacher professional development

24. Administrator’s Role – Tier 2 and Tier 3 • Adopt scientifically researched-based reading and math interventions • Ensure interventionists receive high quality professional development with interventions • Implement a consistent and on-going fidelity to the intervention monitoring system • Ensure students receive specified number of minutes in interventions • Participate in problem-solving team process

25. Role of the Classroom Teacher

26. Universal Screening for the Classroom Teacher • View objectively how your entire class is doing on specific skills • Determine objectively and regularly the deficit areas and skill performance in order to match interventions • Set goals in measurable ways • Track how whole class and individuals are progressing throughout the year and not waiting until the “big test” to determine how students are doing • Share objective data with parents and other professionals on the progress of individual students

27. Tier I Instruction for the Classroom Teacher • Screen students three times a year • Provide high quality instruction using a scientific researched core curriculum • Differentiate instruction • Progress monitor students every two weeks who fall between 25% (or cut point) and benchmark • Provide intervention • Participate as a member of a collaboration team such as a grade level or content area team to discuss instructional strategies and review data (LRP Publications, 2006)

28. Tier II Instruction for the Classroom Teacher • Continue to implement the core curriculum • Present data to instructional support team when data supports ineffectiveness of the six week Tier I intervention • May be the primary interventionist of Tier II interventions • May be primarily responsible for weekly progress monitoring to determine effectiveness of intervention plan • Participate as member on instructional support team/problem-solving team while student is on intervention plan (LRP Publications, 2006)

29. Tier III Instruction for the Classroom Teacher • Continue to implement the core curriculum • Continue to be primary educator responsible for student’s education • Work collaboratively with primary interventionist • Continue as member on instructional support team/problem-solving team while student is on intervention plan (LRP Publications, 2006)

30. Progress Monitoring for the Classroom Teacher and/or Interventionist • Collect data every two weeks at Tier I and weekly at Tier II and Tier III • Calculate weekly improvement rate by determining difference between current baseline and end of the year benchmark • Graph results • Plot progress monitoring points • As part of the instructional support team/problem-solving team, make decisions about progress and intervention plan • Mark graph if change in intervention plan • Share objective data with parents and other professionals on the progress of individual students (LRP Publications, 2006)

31. Role of the Specialist

32. Specialists and Support Staff • Psychologists • Special Education Teachers • Reading Specialists • Math Specialists • Minner Reading Teachers • Minner Math Teachers • Speech Language Pathologists • Title I Teachers • Library Media Specialists • Paraprofessionals • Teacher-to-Teacher Cadre

33. Variety of Roles for Specialists and Support Staff (not exhaustive) • RTI Coordinator • RTI Coach • Administrator of Universal Screening Tool • Administrator of Progress Monitoring Tool • Tier I, Tier II, and/or Tier III Interventionist • Instructional Support Team Lead or Member • Data Coach • Professional Development Lead/Provider

34. Effective School-wide Reading Program

35. Critical Elements of Effective Reading Program • Consistently implemented, high quality initial classroom instruction and follow-up small-group instruction that is well-differentiated according to student needs. • Use of student performance data to guide instruction and allocate instructional resources. • Resources to provide interventions for struggling readers.

36. Fidelity of Implementation

37. How will we know we are implementing with fidelity? • Standards for Judging High Quality Implementation • Vision stated and shared • Staff member roles defined • Resources provided • Process defined • Purpose of Fidelity Checks • Identify areas of strength on which schools can build • Identify areas of deficiency that need to be remediated Mellard & Johnson, 2008

38. How will we know we are implementing with fidelity? • Outcomes • Fidelity of implementation of the process at the school level • Consistency of component implementation across classrooms and grade levels • Degree to which selected primary, secondary and tertiary interventions are empirically supported • Fidelity of implementation at the interventionist (e.g. teacher) level (e.g. training, ability to delivery) • Methods • Direct Assessment (e.g. observations) • Indirect Assessment (e.g. self-reports, interviews) • Manualized Treatments (e.g. step-by-step guides, checklists) Mellard & Johnson, 2008

39. How will we know we are implementing with fidelity? • Dimensions • Content: how much (e.g. adherence, exposure) • Process: how well (e.g. quality of delivery, student response) • Frequency • Experience level of interventionist • Request for support • Class/group performance on screening and progress monitoring • Outcomes • Supports • Supportive v. punitive • Professional Development • Partnerships/Collaboration among staff • Resource allocation (e.g. time, materials, social structure, role change) Mellard & Johnson, 2008

40. Challenges/Opportunities

41. RTI is a collaborative and systemic approach to addressing the needs of all students.

42. Thank you Sandy Meyers smeyers@doe.k12.de.us Lori Duerr lduerr@doe.k12.de.us