RtII and Tier I: An Overview for K-12

1. RtII and Tier I: An Overview for K-12

2. PaTTAN’s Mission The mission of the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) is to support the efforts and initiatives of the Bureau of Special Education, and to build the capacity of local educational agencies to serve students who receive special education services.

3. PDE’s Commitment to Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Our goal for each child is to ensure Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams begin with the general education setting with the use of Supplementary Aids and Services before considering a more restrictive environment.

4. How this Module Is Organized Introduction Section One: Alignment Section Two: Curriculum Section Three: Instruction Section Four: Assessment Section Five: Tier 1 Effectiveness Summary

5. Introduction and Overview

6. Module Focus and Outcomes • How do we establish, enhance, and/or sustain positive outcomes for all students at Tier One and across all tiers? • Curriculum, instruction, and assessment • What is the role – and power - of organizational structures in aligning curriculum, instruction and assessment? • Data teams – at building, grade, and student level • Professional Learning Communities • How do we ensure implementation fidelity at Tier 1? • Accountability formats

7. Understand the components of an effective Tier 1: the WHAT and the HOW connection Identify key issues: alignment to SAS (PA’s Standards Aligned System) design of curriculum, delivery of curriculum through evidence-based instruction use of varied assessment techniques and tools to inform instruction and demonstrate outcomes fidelity of implementation suggested resources to further enhance skills and understandings relative to RtII, K-12 and specifically to Tier 1 Participants will:

8. Tier 1 Defined… • A standards-aligned curriculum delivered with fidelity using differentiated, evidence-based instructional and assessment practices that meet the needs of at least 80% of students. • The WHAT (what students need to know and be able to do) • SAS: Big Ideas, Concepts, and Competencies • The HOW (instruction and assessment) • How are you going to get them there and how will you know when they are there?

9. RtII Framework Supports SAS Tier I of the RtII framework provides access to high quality standards based curriculum and instruction for all students. Active student engagement in a safe and positive learning environment is foundational to Tier I RtII organizes assessment practices and requires schools to use the four types of assessments to determine the effectiveness of curriculum/intervention and drive instructional adjustments. Examples, Summative: PSSA, ACCESS for ELLs, PVAAS Benchmark: 4 Sight Diagnostic: GRADE, GMADE Formative: Formal and Informal (progress monitoring, ticket out the door) RtII requires the selection and use of materials and resources that align with standards based curriculum and research based standard protocols to address specific skill acquisition. RtII organizes curriculum and instruction to ensure all students receive the standards aligned core curriculum. ALL staff (Gen, Sp Ed, Title, ESL) assume responsibility and an active role in instruction in the core curriculum High quality instruction and intervention are at the heart of RtII. The framework organizes instruction and intervention to ensure the use of high leverage, research-based instructional practices at each Tier. Processes are in place to ensure instructional fidelity.

10. PA SAS Web Portal

11. Why is Tier 1 so important? • Provides the foundation for all students • Is key to school improvement • Facilitates moving systems from poor to good and from good to great! http://mckinseyonsociety.com/how-the-worlds-most-improved-school-systems-keep-getting-better/fair, fair to good, good to great

12. Section One: Alignment

13. Big Idea: RtII – A K-12 Systems Approach! • RtII integrates curriculum, instruction, and assessment with organized school structures (ex: PLC’s, scheduled time/allocated time blocks, data teams)

14. 4 Essential Questions that Integrate Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment What is it we want all students to know and be able to do? (curriculum) How will we know when each student has mastered the essential learning? (assessment) How will we deepen the learning for students who have already mastered essential knowledge and skills? (instruction/intervention) How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning? (instruction/intervention)

15. Tier 1 Core Instruction: Essential Questions • What constitutes a strong core at the elementary level? • What constitutes a strong core at the secondary level?

16. Components of an Effective Tier 1 at Elementary Core programs aligned to PA Standards (reading, math, science, ESL, etc. ) Core at elementary level also includes high leverage instructional practices, standards-aligned written, taught, and assessed curriculum Infrastructure, including master schedule which allocates appropriate time for instruction/intervention, time for data analysis/PLC’s,etc.

17. Elementary Core Programs, con’t. • Serve as the base of reading/math/behavior instruction • Provide complete instruction in the key components of reading/math/behavior • Are designed for all settings and all students • Are preventive and proactive • Incorporate a high probability of student proficiency (80%)

18. Core at Tier 1 also requires: • Alignment of materials and assessments • Small and large group instruction • Scaffolding instruction to support initial learning and transference of skills • Ongoing cumulative review • Differentiated instruction (awareness of heterogeneity of classroom) • Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (http://www.udlcenter.org/)

19. Reading MUST Explicitly Address: • Key elements of scientifically-based core programs includes explicit and systematic instruction in the following: • Phonological Awareness • Phonics • Fluency • Vocabulary • Comprehension (National Reading Panel, 2000)

20. Math MUST Explicitly Address: • Concept Standards; • Numbers and Operations • Measurement • Geometry • Algebraic Concepts • Data Analysis and probability • (pdesas.org)

21. As well as: • Process Standards: • Problem Solving • Reasoning and Proof • Communication • Connections • Representations • (NCTM: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics)

22. As Well as: • The Five Strands of Mathematical Proficiency • Conceptual Understanding • Procedural Fluency • Strategic Competence • Adaptive Reasoning • Procedural Disposition • (NCTM: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics)

23. Other Considerations: ELLs (English Language Learners) Two essential components to Tier 1 instruction for ELLs: (a) Quality instruction using research-based strategies, and (b) Instruction by knowledgeable, skilled teachers who have developed culturally responsive attributes

24. Research-based Methods that Support Second Language Learners in Literacy Development Instruction in the key components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension) is necessary —but not sufficient—for teaching language-minority students to read and write proficiently in English. (National Literacy Panel, 2006) ESL instruction is CORE instruction

25. Math Instruction for ELLs based on. . . • Student’s level of English language proficiency aligned to ELP standards, ELL Overlay and WIDA Can Do Descriptors • Building from student’s background knowledge • Consideration given to student’s cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic and experiential background • Culturally responsive school and classroom environment

26. Components of an Effective Tier 1 at Secondary • Core curriculum that serves as foundation for reading/English/language arts classroom • College and career ready written curriculum • Comprehensive & aligned core and supplemental literacy instruction to enhance and/or remediate reading difficulties across the content areas (math, science, social studies, etc.)

27. Universal instructional design principles (effective teaching principles; UDL) High leverage instructional strategies & principles (Marzano, 2009; Ellis 1994) Infrastructure and organization: Team processes Schedules (master schedule & student schedules) Course schedules and requirements Formative and summative assessment maps PA’s Secondary RtII Toolkit: Secondary RtII Tier I Core Instruction document; www.pattan.net Components, con’t.

28. Other Considerations: • Rigorous and relevant courses available to all students, aligned to PA Standards • Range of courses, with vertical stretch appropriate to students’ needs • Relevance to 21st century school and work • Aligned to desired outcomes • AP exams, Keystones, PSSA, PASA, SAT, NOCTI, ACCESS for ELLs, college and career outcomes

29. English Courses - Considerations • Focus on non-fiction and informational text • Media literacy • Reading, writing, speaking, and listening • Critical thinking; analysis and interpretation • Complex texts • ELL’s English language proficiency • Other? What are YOUR thoughts about the English/LA courses in your building?

30. Mathematics Courses – Considerations • Algebra – gateway, not gatekeeper • Algebra – when do most of your students take Algebra? What is the data to support that? How can PVAAS and other data tools inform your course enrollments? • Conceptual understanding vs. rote procedures • ELLs English language proficiency as it impacts mathematics skill acquisition • ELLs content knowledge and skills in first language & their impact on math skill acquisition • Other? • What are YOUR thoughts about the math courses in your district?

31. Tier 1 & Other Core Subjects Academic literacy in all content areas • Reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills must be addressed in all subjects • Literacy skills are necessary to access information in school and career • Lifelong learning • Emphasis on literacy skills facilitate the mastery of content in all subjects • Writing to learn

32. Critical Resources - Tier 1 Design • Anita Archer (explicitinstruction.org) • Center on Instruction (www.centeroninstruction.org) • Danielson framework (www.danielsongroup.org) • PA Keystone Exams • Blueprints (SAS: http://www.pdesas.org) • PA Standards • SAS http://www.pdesas.org/Standard/Views; • Unpacking the Anchors (http://www.pdesas.org/module/sas/standards/anchors/unpack) • English Language Proficiency Standards http://www.pdesas.org/Standard/Views • Alternate Achievement Standards (http://www.pdesas.org/Standard/Views; ) • Universal Design for Learning (http://www.udlcenter.org/)

33. Universal Design for Learning What is it? UDL is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn. UDL provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments that work for everyone--not a single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs. http://www.cast.org/udl/faq/index.html

34. Universal Design for Learning Supports teachers’ efforts to differentiate instruction by providing options for: presenting information and content in different ways (the "what" of learning) differentiating the ways that students can express what they know (the "how" of learning) stimulating interest and motivation for learning (the "why" of learning) A universally designed curriculum is designed from the outset to meet the needs of the greatest number of users, making costly, time-consuming, and after-the-fact changes to curriculum unnecessary.

35. Building & maintaining a school culture that embodies the belief that all students can achieve & grow Inconsistent outcomes and expectations for all students Ineffective or disjointed curriculum Lack of rigor and relevance Range of courses too limited What is written does not match what is taught and/or assessed Lack of instructional planning and delivery model Ineffective grade level transitions Guessing at what might work for struggling students Waiting for students to fail Non-culturally responsive instruction Some Typical Challenges:

36. Disconnect… Instruction Curriculum Assessment

37. Curriculum Instruction Assessment

38. Challenges at Tier 1: • What challenges do you have in your own school at Tier 1?

39. Action Planning Graphic

40. Section Two: Curriculum

41. The Curriculum Process • “Curriculum development is an ongoing process which requires collaboration, conflict-resolution and reflection.  Too often, schools approach curriculum development as a product to be created.  When teachers come to a fork in the road, they often blame weaknesses in the document and resort to their own curriculum.  It is difficult, if not impossible, to have curriculum alignment when each teacher chooses essential skills and key concepts in isolation.” • (ASCD Edge, http://edge.ascd.org/_Five-Questions-for-Curriculum-Developers/blog/1911201/127586.html)

42. Foundations of an Effective Curriculum Guaranteed and viable Marzano, What Works in Schools, 2003) Opportunity to learn All students have access to curriculum Appropriate allocated time Identify and communicate essential content Sequence and organize essential content Ensure that content can be addressed within allocated time

43. Foundations, con’t. Unconditional delivery of this curriculum by individual teachers Ensure tight alignment with * PA Standards/Common Core Unpack the standards Sharp focus on learning targets exists in all written curricula Develop course maps, unit maps, pacing guides Collaborative planning, PLCs

44. Curriculum collaboration Teachers have a tool or method for communicating the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum. Teachers meet on a regular basis to reflect on the written, taught, and assessed curricula. Curriculum and Assessment Alignment Vertical and horizontal curriculum alignment Teachers develop common formative and summative assessments, using the district's curriculum as a guide for developing assessments Culturally responsive curriculum Foundations, con’t.

45. Learning Targets • Critical: Clear learning targets • If you don’t know where you are going, you are liable to end up someplace else (Mager, 1984)

46. Clear learning targets • Begin with end in mind (Understanding by Design; McTighe & Wiggins, www.authenticeducation.org) • Targets stated? (PA Standards/SAS) • Right amount? (Goldilock’s Rule) • Clear? Would colleagues agree on what they are? • Appropriate? Relevant? Enduring? Rigorous? • Sequenced as part of overall curriculum? • Horizontal and vertical articulation • Aligned with what was taught? • Written, taught, assessed

47. An Alignment Example • Students will understand the concept of culture and be able to explain in writing the definition of culture. • What is an appropriate assessment task/question that is aligned with the learning target?

48. Which Is It? • Name 3 things that are important to the culture of indigenous Americans. • Give a short talk to the class comparing three different cultures. In your talk, make sure you describe the similarities and differences among the cultures you have chosen. • Write a paragraph telling in your own words what is meant by the term culture.

49. Issues and Challenges What are some concerns and issues in your district/school in regards to curriculum?

50. Examples of Issues and Challenges: • There is an absence of pacing within the curriculum documents. • Curriculum intended for regular classroom use lacks sample differentiated activities. • Curriculum management in the school and district is not clear and efficient. • Easy access to curriculum documents does not exist. • Curriculum lacks rigor and relevance. • Curriculum in core subject areas not reviewed annually. • Lack of curriculum review cycle/process; no mapping.