Applying RTI in the Applying RTI in the Early Childhood SettingEarly Childhood Setting::

Assessment, Intervention and Progress Monitoring

National Association of School Psychologist Annual Convention

March 3, 2009

Presented by:

Melissa Brown and Verity Rodrigues

Language

Social

Motor

Cognitive

Introductions

• Who has traveled the longest distance?

• How many of you are EC Psychologists?

• What is your role in RTI?

Introduction

Response to Intervention (RtI)

throughProfessional Learning Communities (PLCs)

in theEarly Childhood Special Education Setting

Presentation Objectives

Overview of RTI and PLC in EC settingGain understanding of various data collection methods used

in Early Childhood RtI • Universal screening in ECP RtI• Progress monitoring in ECP Rti• IEP goal updates in ECP RtI

• Reflect on Interventions Implemented through Problem-Solving

Why implement RtI in the ECP setting?

Benefits:• We know that Early Intervention Works, and we must identify what is working • We can tailor activities to meet preschool needs• We can limit unnecessary standardized testing• Our data provides critical information in a more

timely manner• We can reduce the number of students who will

need special education when transitioning into kindergarten

• We can assess children in more natural settings

Process and Outcomes of the Models

Complementary Models

•RtI - unified system of education assumes all staff involved in meeting needs of all student

•PLCs - creates a collaborative culture to work together to promote success for all students

RtI Components

• Collaborative process• Tiered system of interventions• Data driven system• Problem-solving method

– Problem Identification– Problem Analysis and Plan Development– Plan Implementation– Intervention Plan Evaluation

PLC Components

• Collaborative culture• Educators team together consistently• Professional development• Data-based decision making• Use of team guiding questions

– What do we want each student to learn?– How will we know when each student has learned it?– How will we respond when a student experiences

difficulty in learning?”(Rick DuFour)

Application of RtI in ECP

RtI Leadership Team

1. Needs Assessment

2. Developed Assessment Plan

3. Created Intervention Plan

4. Prepared for Teaming

Focus: assessment/intervention– Early literacy skills– Social and Play skills

– Parent-child and Teacher-child Interaction

Component 1: Tiered Levels of SupportLanguageLanguage

SocialSocialPhysicalPhysical

CognitiveCognitive

RtI Essential Component 2:Problem Solving Method

Plan Evaluation

Did our plan work?

Plan Evaluation

Did our plan work?

Problem AnalysisWhy is it happening?Why is it happening?

Problem AnalysisWhy is it happening?Why is it happening?

Problem IdentificationIs there a problem? What is it?Is there a problem? What is it?Problem IdentificationIs there a problem? What is it?Is there a problem? What is it?

Plan DevelopmentWhat can we do about it?What can we do about it?Plan DevelopmentWhat can we do about it?What can we do about it?

RtI Essential Component 3:Integrated Assessment Systems

Assessment

Instruction

Assessment Instruction

This is what we want...

Aligning Assessment and Instruction

We don’t want

this…

How Does it Fit Together?

Additional Assessment

InstructionResults

Monitoring

IndividualDiagnostic

IndividualizedIntensive

weekly

All Students at a grade level

Universal Screening

Bench-Mark

Assessment

AnnualTesting

Behavior Academics

None ContinueWithCore

Instruction

Progress ReportsClassroomAssessments

Yearly Assessments

Group Level Assessment

SmallGroupDifferenttiatedBy Skill

2 times/month

Step 1Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

Supplemental

1-5%

5-10%

80-90%

Core

Intensive

1. Universal Screening/ Problem ID

IGDIs

Creative Curriculum Checklist

Play-Based Assessment

Universal IGDIs Data

• Individual Growth and Developmental Indicators (IGDIs)

• Developed by researchers with Juniper Garden Children’s Project at University of Kansas

• Curriculum Based Measures for pre-literacy skills

• Picture Naming, Rhyming, Alliteration

Example of Picture Naming Data at Each Benchmark Period

Fall Winter Spring

0 6 8

1 7 9

6 10 15

11 16 19

12 18 21

12 18 26

13 23 39

15 24 Absent

17 25 Absent

Example of Classroom Data

Picture Naming Data for Students who Received Intensive Intervention

0

5

10

15

20

25

Fall Winter Spring

Benchmark Periods

Pictures Named Correctly

Carlos

Mickey

Nathan

Creative Curriculum Checklist

• Checklist of objectives across 4 developmental domains:– Social-emotional– Physical– Cognitive– Language

• Teachers rate students based on direct observations after 6 weeks in classroom

Play-Based Assessment

• Initial assessment determining need for preschool special education services

• Direct observation assessing the following developmental areas: Motor, communication, Cognitive, Emotional and social

• Hearing and vision concerns are ruled out

Core Instruction within ECP

Creative Curriculum

2. Problem Analysis

Sample Student's Fall Creative Curriculum Team Ratings

Social Goals 1 - 8 Physical Goals 9 - 12 Cognitive Goals 13 - 24 Language Goals 25 - 33

3. Plan Development

Across Developmental Areas

Varying level of intensity•Vocabulary•Rhyming/Beginning Sounds•Language for Learning•Social Skills Curriculum •Parent Training•Speech-language supports

Video Example

ECP Classroom Intervention

4. Progress Monitoring

• IEP Goal Benchmarks

• IGDIs

• Creative Curriculum Checklist

Video Example of IGDIs

5. Plan Evaluation

• Teaming Process within PLC Framework– Family-Centered Services– Consultation with medical professionals

• Progress monitoring data

• IEP Benchmarks

• Direct Observation

Case Example: Matching the Level of Intervention Intensity

to the Level of Need

Case Example: Mickey

• Background Info:– No prior preschool experience at age 4– Concerns are speech and behavior– Expressive and receptive language disorder and

apraxia; motor delays– Seizure disorder treated through medication– Good play skills and social skills were age appropriate– Little to no pre-academic skills– Used non-verbal language only (miming)– Issues with dental hygiene that interfered with

producing sounds

Case Example: Mickey

• Initial Screening Data:– IGDIs: Picture Naming = 0 (mimed and made sounds

for train and motion for hammer)– Play-Based Assessment areas of need:

• Social-Emotional: Attention span• Pre-academic skills: colors, shapes, numbers, vocabulary• Motor: Fine motor, using a pencil• Cognitive and Play: Strength areas

– Creative Curriculum: Rated after 6 weeks in classroom and again at transition out of program

Case Example: Mickey

• Interventions Received:– Individual speech-language therapy – Weekly PLC team meetings– Pre-academic skills and preschool vocabulary– Occupational therapy– Treatment for seizure disorder– Dental hygiene

Case Example: Mickey

• Progress Monitoring:– Weekly direct observation of engagement

during whole group story-time– IGDIs Picture Naming– IEP Goals (ex. percent correct on vocabulary

themes (speech-language)

Mickey’s Progress Monitoring Data

Mickey's Picture Naming Progress Monitoring Data

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

10/1/0810/15/0810/29/0811/12/0811/26/0812/10/0812/24/08

1/7/091/21/09

2/4/092/18/09

3/4/093/18/09

4/1/094/15/094/29/09

Date

Number of Pictures Named

Series1

Intensive Intervention

Teaming

What have we learned?

1. Gaining Knowledge of RtI/PLC

2. Learning assessment skills

3. Finding instructional planning ideas

Barriers that still exist

1. Team responsibilities and roles

2. Teaming across tiers

Future Teaming Plans

Buffum, A., Mattos, M., & Weber, C. (2009). Pyramid response to intervention. Solution Tree: Bloomington, IN.

Creative Curriculum: www.creativecurriculum.net

Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDIs): www.igdi.ku.edu

Presenters:Verity Levitt Rodrigues, PhD: vrodrigues@glenview34.orgMelissa Brown, PhD: mebrown@glenview34.org