Implementing a Response To Intervention Model at the

Secondary LevelJohn E. McCook, Ed.D.

NEGARESADecember 3, 2008

WHY RTI?

• Einstein’s definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”

• USDOE has written the obituary for the discrepancy model– Based upon President’s Commission on Excellence– Based upon IDEIA 2004– Based upon LDA research findings

Why RTI?

• “The United States is the only country in the industrialized world where children are less likely to graduate from high school than their parents were.” New York Times, page A29, Nicholas D. Kristof, November 13, 2008. (study by Education Trust, advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.) emphasis added

The Five Phases of Implementation

• Awareness• Commitment• Capacity• Implementation• Evaluation

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Non Negotiable Components of RTI1. Universal screening

2. Multiple tiers of intervention

3. Progress monitoring

4. Problem-solving or standard protocol approach –the SAT Team

5. Integrated data collection/assessment system

6. Scientific, research-based interventions

7. Fidelity

8. Professional Development

The Secondary Problem

• Very few students enter secondary school with the pre requisite SKILLS to complete grade level work

• Many students leave secondary schools unmotivated, limited skills and very limited futures

The Critical Question

• Do YOU have students who struggle in reading?

• What are YOU DOING about it?

Brutal Facts

• Virtually all instruction in secondary school assumes competence in reading

• Virtually ALL assignments for competence at grade level require the student to read

• Parents are sending us the best they have- they are not hiding their best children at home

How Have We Handled the Issue?

• Blame – Parents– Society– Lack of work ethic– Middle school– Elementary school– Race– Low SES– Ethnicity– Etc…..

The Student Needs to “Fit” Our Model

• This is our schedule• This is how we teach• If the student is not performing---

– It is his fault– He must be disabled

What’s Broken?• High Expectations—More Rigor• Students with moderate to severe educational or

behavioral needs with large prerequisite SKILL deficits

• Students with long history of failure and/or non response to the system

• Teachers with limited support skills, instructional pedagogy and poorly designed instructional materials and support

• Driving force is state testing and graduation requirements

Adapted from Mark Shinn presentation on secondary RTI

Indicators of Broken System

• Belief that help and special education are the same• Never ending referral system for special education for

those that are hard to teach• If not Special Education, then Section 504• Teachers at SST meetings are not participatory, but

just there.• Belief that SST meetings are there to get rid of the kid• Psychologists who spend most of their time on testing

Adapted from Mark Shinn presentation on secondary RTI

Outcome Driven System: New Thoughts

Old Ways• Problems in learning means

the student has a learning problem

• Test to get help• Test to find a disease so we

can label

New Ways• Problems in learning are a

sign that there is a problem in our instructional process

• Get help before any formal “testing”- what does the test tell us and why wait to help

• Ant testing should be to identify which interventions are needed to make instruction successful

Shinn and Alan Coulter

Is There Hope?• Secondary staff care for students• Secondary personnel KNOW the system is broken• Secondary staff realize that the preservice

institutions did not prepare them for today’s students—either the diversity or the needs

• Secondary staff are willing to learn if supported• There is a better process• We can match student programs and student

needs much more effectively• We have better tools and skills

What Do We Need

• Realization that the foundation and process for middle and High requires the same beliefs, processes and tools as does elementary.– Better Tools– Better Training– Better and More Support

Awareness-The Self Study• Do I have an existing support system for intensive remedial basic

skills problems and supporting system for content learning• Are our intervention programs aligned with student needs?• Is our curriculum and instruction scientifically based?• Do we have universal screening? Scientifically based?• Are our teams functional and effective to meet student needs?• Do we have progress monitoring instruments? Scientifically based?• Have we identified what doesn’t work?• Have we identified ideas, beliefs, tools forms, programs and roles

that can be abandoned?• Do we have the commitment to make the change?• Do we have the commitment to sustain the change?• Do we have the commitment to keep from altering scientifically

based processes?

Where Do I Start?

Universal Screening• What• Scientifically based• When• Training• Use of Data• Common vocabulary

Team Process• Belief system• Training• Right persons on the bus• Use of data

Year One

• Address Tier I before you start on Tier II and above

• Develop data teams to ascertain whether we have a curriculum, instruction or student issue

• Train data teams• Common vocabulary• Develop the leadership and staff development

plan to meet needs

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Carrot

• Scores increase• Children provided interventions much earlier• Ineffectiveness of special education

– Caseload– Expectations– Delay

• Human resource effective – 30 minutes of intervention in K takes 2 hours per

day in fourth grade (National Institutes of Health study, 1999)

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Stick Approach

• IDEA ‘04 language• NCLB• Pay me now or pay me later

– Scores down– NAEP standards– Global economy– Restructuring

Awareness + Commitment= Consensus

• In order to make a systems change you must first let go of old to accept the new.

• It can not be just an add on approach

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Consensus

• Belief system changes and is shared by all• The end result is shared by all-the vision• What it is going to take to travel the road and

what the vision requires of the infrastructure to get there. (what does it take to build the plane before we fly the plane.)

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Consensus • Decisions are data based—no more “I think, I

feel…”• We are responsible for teaching ALL children

and can’t accept “sending the problem away”• There are NO excuses• We can only address what we control

(instruction, curriculum and the school environment/climate)

• Student performance is determined by the quality of our instruction/curriculum WE deliver

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Road to Consensus

• General education responsibility NOT a path to Special Education!

• Tier I is the most important tier and must be documented with data as to its effectiveness and fidelity

• Instruction is best led by formative data and the child’s response to intervention, not summative data

• Walk the walk versus talk the talk( policies consistent with beliefs and actions are consistent with policies

• Beliefs are based on research and are evidence based

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Road to Consensus

• All students are every teachers responsibility• Behavior and academics are not separate but

are inter mingled• Commitment to problem solving process

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Road to Consensus- Professional Development

• General education classroom must be based on evidence based programs and instruction

• Use of data and data teams (training)• Support processes

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Commitment by ALL• Realization that this is NOT a special education

issue• RTI is for ALL • Lead or be led

– Two data paragraphs IDEA requires before or as part of referral

– Responsibility of special education teams (case study, ARC, ARDs etc) to send back referral if no data

• Move to SHOW ME, don’t Tell Me • Common vocabulary

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Commitment by ALL

• Agreement on readiness• Staff agree to implement the model• Commitment built through:

• Understanding Need• Understanding Model• Mutual Outcomes• Development of Expertise

National Literacy Crisis

Below Basic Basic Proficient/Advanced

42%

29% 29%

8th Grade Students (2005)

(Source: National Center for Education Statistics)

Reading Math

32%29%

39%

10–(5+3)= ?

Sample Question

Guinevere went into Saul’s Bakery and spent five dollars to buy 3 packages of dinner rolls. She then went next door to the SuperShop Store and bought a container of milk for three dollars. How much money will she have left if she started with $10?

Actual State Test Example

As a Word Problem

Reading and Math: Whole Brain Learning

AuralAssociation

Number Sense

Number Recognition

WordMeaning

LetterIdentification

(D-O-G)

SoundRecognition

Unique Approach: Automaticity

Example: Read the following paragraph once to yourself, counting the number of “f”s you see:

“A large number of books I have read forged an

impression upon me that has remained to this

day. I will never forget how one book mixed fact

and fiction in recounting stories of the days when

dinosaurs roamed the earth. It was a colorful

history of where dinosaurs came from and how

they evolved. I will never forget some of the

lessons from this book.”

Reading Fluency

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“A large number of books I have read forged an

impression upon me that has remained to this

day. I will never forget how one book mixed fact

and fiction in recounting stories of the days when

dinosaurs roamed the earth. It was a colorful

history of where dinosaurs came from and how

they evolved. I will never forget some of the

lessons from this book.”

Neuroscience: Cognitive Processing

Real-time fMRI scans of the same subject: (left) heavy processing load during early skill acquisition; (right) light load when skill is “automatized”

Moderate

Heavy

Peak

Source: San Diego State University

Implementing RTI

1. Collect local norms using Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) probes

2. Identify at-risk students3. Provide academic intervention(s)4. Monitor student progress5. Evaluate the response to the intervention(s)

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Capacity or Building Infrastructure• Common understanding of issues• Agree to redefine support team process

– Belief system– Structure– Purpose– Leadership

• Determine where you want to be in:– 6 months– 1 year– 3 years – 5 years

Do I Really Have To?

• Federal Language1) Data that demonstrates that prior to, or as a part of,

the referral process, the child was provided “appropriate instruction in regular classroom settings,” delivered by qualified personnel; and

2) Data-based documentation of repeated assessments of achievement at “reasonable intervals” which were provided to the child’s parents.

34 C.F.R. 300.309

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Do I Really Have To?

• Section 300.307(a)(2)-(3) requires that a state’s criteria for identification of SLD:– Must permit the use of a process based upon a

child’s response to scientific, research-based intervention; and

– May permit the use of other alternative research based procedures…. FAQ OSEP Question E-1:

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Capacity or Building Infrastructure

• What do we have NOW?• What do we need to get there in (time

periods)?• What do we need to do to build the road prior

to traveling the road?

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Capacity or Building Infrastructure

• Resource Needs– Staff– Materials– Time– Support– Training

• What are we willing to do when resistance occurs — or, how committed are we?

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Steps to Capacity

• Support team process• Universal screening• Data drive decisions- move from tell me what

you’ve done system to SHOW ME• Getting the data• Using the data with all staff and all staff using

the data for decision making

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Steps to Capacity

• The data define the problems• What are we going to do about it?• Determine model — protocol, problem-

solving or combination• Start redefining roles

– Job security issues– New rules-new roles

– Where does “I” fit in?

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Steps to Capacity: State- and District-Level Implementation Issues

That Must Be Addressed• Number of tiers of intervention• Duration of interventions at each tier• Criteria for entering/exiting tiers (rubric)• Criteria for sufficient/insufficient progress

(defined by state or team)• Method of universal screening and progress

monitoring• Paperwork required for documentation• Eligibility criteria for LD

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Building-Level Implementation Issues to Be Decided

• Scheduling of Intervention Time– What do I come out of to receive the

intervention?• Scheduling Meeting Times

– Regularly scheduled meetings or at need?• Scheduling Progress Monitoring

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Building-Level Implementation Issues to Be Decided

• Personnel to Conduct Interventions– Who is going to do the interventions?

• Communication with Parents– When, what, how

• Dealing with Resistance– Prepare for the enemy, he is within!

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Support Team Process

• Paradigm shift• Why do we have the support team process?• What is its purpose?• What is its effectiveness?• Who is a member of the support team?• Who leads the support team?• How often does the support team meet?

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Support Teams Under Discrepancy

• What was the purpose of support team?– Altruistic answer was to help kids succeed.– Real-life answer was “That’s how you get a kid to

special education.”

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Parent refers Support Team Teacher refers

Referral to Special Education

How did support team receive child?

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Support Team Under RTI

• Purpose is to keep child in general education classroom

• To provide interventions and measure progress in general education

• To gain buy-in from general education teacher

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How Does Child’s Situation Get to Support Team Under RTI?

Data Bring Child’s Needs to Attention of Support Team Through Benchmarks

Support Team Process

Parent Referral Teacher Referral

Vast Majority is this way.

Few come from teachers.Some come from parents.

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Why the Change in Referrals?

• Universal screening data (benchmarks) identify children in need of intervention

• Teacher supports process through classroom data

• If parent referral, then parent provides information through parent referral form

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Universal Screening

• Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) is the recommended tool to identify students who are at-risk (have low academic skills) and require interventions.

• CBM is a technically sound and thoroughly researched progress monitoring system.

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Universal Screening• CBM:

– Is a standardized test– Is given to everyone– Measures critical skills– Is brief– Can be repeated frequently– Is inexpensive and easy to administer and score– Provides data to assist with decision making at the

individual student, class, school or district level– Tells us which students are “at-risk” and need

supplemental instruction/intervention

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Universal Screening• Development of “benchmark” data norms

– Classroom– Grade level– School– District

• Benchmark data taken three times per year– Fall– Winter– Spring

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Universal Screening

• Data from benchmarks must be available to teachers, principals, and district staff and shared with parents

• Data must be “user friendly” in format

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Example of Benchmark Data

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Not Good! Look at the dropIn the spring!!!

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One of “our” students—Lookat his progress!!!

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RtI Universal Screening: Behavior

• Incorporate systematic screening tools to monitor the level of risk at a given school to identify students whose behavior patterns suggest non responsiveness

• Available tools:– Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders

(SSBD; Walker & Severson, 1992)

– Student Risk Screening Scale (SRSS; Drummond, 1994)

– Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 1997)

– Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS; Epstein & Sharma, 1998)

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Where are the Data?

• Look at what you have – User friendly?– Quick?– Ability to track over long haul?– Ability to drill down to student and up to district

or national?

• If yes, then you have tools.• If no, then you need tools.

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Typically CBM Data Probes

When using CBM, the examiner gives the student brief, timed samples, or "probes," made up of academic material taken from the expected skills for the particular grade level.

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Reading R-CBM

This student read 72 WRC/8 Errors

What do probes look like?

Reading Comprehension Maze

15 correct with 1 error

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Math

Computation

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Math Concepts and Applications

Math Concepts and Applications

What About Behavior?

• Incorporate systematic screening tools to monitor the level of risk at a given school to identify students whose behavior patterns suggest nonresponsiveness

• Available tools:– Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders

(SSBD; Walker & Severson, 1992)

– Student Risk Screening Scale (SRSS; Drummond, 1994)

– Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 1997)

– Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS; Epstein & Sharma, 1998)

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Summative vs. Formative Assessment

• Summative assessment occurs after instruction

• Example: “High Stakes” testing• Conducted infrequently• Does not provide teachers with ongoing

assessment data• Answers the question, “Did the students

learn?”

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Summative vs. Formative Assessment

• Formative assessment occurs during instruction

• Example: CBM probes• Conducted frequently• Provides teachers with immediate feedback

on student performance• Answers the question, “Are the students

learning?”

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CBM — Formative Assessment

• Dynamic—measures are designed to be sensitive to short-term effects of instructional interventions

• Measures fluency, which is more sensitive to change than accuracy

• As a result, CBM probes are useful for progress monitoring.

TIER 1 STANDARDS BASED CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION/LEARNING

All students participate in instruction that is:-In the general education classroom

-Standards-based -Differentiated

- Evidenced-based •Guided by progress monitoring & balanced assessment

-Planned to address all developmental domains (academic, communication/language, social etc.)

The High school Problem

Special education instruction does not close gap

Weak Tier III interventions-usually content area tutoring, help with homework, etc.No Tier II

options except federal programs at best

Little focus to Tier I instruction or teacher effectiveness

TIER 1 STANDARDS BASED CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION/LEARNING

All students participate in instruction that is:-In the general education classroom

-Standards-based -Differentiated

- Evidenced-based •Guided by progress monitoring & balanced assessment

-Planned to address all developmental domains (academic, communication/language, social etc.)

The Middle School Problem

Special education instruction does not close gap

Weak Tier III interventions-usually content area tutoring, help with homework, etc.No Tier II

options except federal programs at best

Little focus to Tier I instruction or teacher effectiveness

80%

15%

5%

1-5%

The Browning of America

• Diversity is the future of our educational system

• Prepare to teach students who depend almost entirely on the schools for their educational success

The NumbersLegal Immigrants:

1920-61: 206,000 annually

1961-92: 561,000 annually

1993-98: 800,654 annually

Refugees, Parolees, Asylees:

1961-93: 2.1 million (65,000 annually)

1994-98: 428,361 (85,672 annually)

Illegal Immigrants:

300,000 to 400,000 annually over the past two decades

Three million granted amnesty in 1986

2.7 million illegal immigrants remained in U.S. after 1986 reforms

October 1996: INS estimated that there were 5 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.

April 2001: Illegal population range from 7.1 to 9 million.

States Experiencing Rapid Hispanic Population Growth, 1990-1994

Percent ChangePercent Change< 28% (43)> 28% (8)

Source: Administrative Records and Methodology Research Branch, US Bureau of Census, July 1, 1994 (*population estimates).

The New Students

• Poor academic achievement• Low motivation• Anxiety• Lack of self-efficacy• Emotional problems and psychological from

reading issues

Programs to Address Needs of Our Population

• Programs designed to:– Take into account a lack of background knowledge– Delayed language development– Limited successful reading experiences

• Design programs to:– Intensive intervention for those furthest behind– Educational ICU– Educational triage

Four Types of Learners

• Advanced– At or above grade level standards– Bored?– Advanced classes– Enrichment– Tier IV opportunities in Georgia

Four Types of Learners

• Benchmark– Generally can meet standards in Tier I– Adapts to teaching style– Preventative checks every 6 weeks or so through

report cards– Have vocabulary and comprehension skills– Require occassional in class modifications

Four Types of Learners• Strategic Learners

– Somewhere between the 30th and 49th percentile– Gaps in skills– Gap in knowledge– 1-2 years behind– Basic reading skills but with limited depth, inference and

knowledge– Appears unmotivated– Content knowledge is challenging and at times

problematic– Targeted interventions-Tier II– Progress monitoring more frequently– Intervention periods or times

Four Types of Learners

• Intensive Need Learners– Below 30th percentile– Very low performance on state and formative assessments– Reading skills very limited– High level of frustration and low level of motivation– Behavior problems– Attendance issues– Lack of success in content areas– No homework– Tier III frequent weekly progress monitoring– Intervention classes during day

Present Program

• Designed to meet the need of benchmark students

New Programs

• Rethink organizational structure• Rethink schedules• Address teacher skills• Address teacher knowledge• Rethink curriculum, materials and programs

Six Reasons Programs fail

• Not all teachers receive sufficient in-service training to understand, teach and implement the new program

• No follow-up coaching during year• Grouping and scheduling requirements were not

followed• Program’s intensity not sufficient to see gain quickly• Insufficient progress monitoring• Too many initiatives going on at one time-lack of focus

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Summative vs. Formative Assessment

• Summative assessment occurs after instruction

• Example: “High Stakes” testing• Conducted infrequently• Does not provide teachers with ongoing

assessment data• Answers the question, “Did the students

learn?”

93

Summative vs. Formative Assessment

• Formative assessment occurs during instruction

• Example: CBM probes• Conducted frequently• Provides teachers with immediate feedback

on student performance• Answers the question, “Are the students

learning?”

94

CBM — Formative Assessment

• Dynamic—measures are designed to be sensitive to short-term effects of instructional interventions

• Measures fluency, which is more sensitive to change than accuracy

• As a result, CBM probes are useful for progress monitoring.

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Interpreting CBM

• What is an appropriate achievement level?– At-risk range may be defined differently in different

districts• What is appropriate growth?

– Adequate improvement may be defined differently in different districts.

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Responses to an Intervention?• Good Response

– Gap is closing– Can extrapolate a point at which target student

will “catch-up” to peers—even if this is a long-range target

• Questionable Response– Rate at which gap is widening slows considerably,

but gap is still widening– Gap stops widening, but closure does not occur

• Poor Response– Gap continues to widen with no change in rate

Implementing RTI

1. Collect local norms using Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) probes

2. Identify at-risk students3. Provide academic intervention(s)4. Monitor student progress5. Evaluate the response to the intervention(s)

Identified Students For Intervention

• The previous graph clearly shows that we have a small group of students who are not performing relative to the class

• Development of “cut” scores

Implementing RTI

1. Collect local norms using Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) probes

2. Identify at-risk students3. Provide academic intervention(s)4. Monitor student progress5. Evaluate the response to the intervention(s)

What Are Interventions?

• Targeted assistance based on progress monitoring• Administered by classroom teacher, specialized

teacher, or external interventionist• Provide additional instruction

– Individual,– Small group,– And/or technology assisted

What Are Interventions?• Match curricular materials and instructional level• Modify modes of task presentation• Cue work habits / organizational skills• Modify direct instruction time• Modify guided and independent practice• Ensure optimal pacing• May use partner reading

What Are Interventions?• Increase task structure ( e.g., directions, rationale,

checks for understanding, feedback)• Increase task relevant practice• Increase opportunities to engage in active academic

responding (e.g., writing, reading aloud, answering questions in class)

• Increase mini-lessons on skill deficits• Decrease group size• Increase the amount and type of cues and prompts

What Are Interventions?

• Teach additional learning strategies – Organizational / Metacognitive / Work habits

• Change Curriculum• Add intensive one to one or small group instruction• Change scope and sequence of tasks• Increase guided and independent practice• Change types and method of corrective feedback

Interventions are NOT• Preferential seating• Shortened assignments• Parent contacts• Classroom observations• Suspension• Doing MORE of the same / general classroom

assignments• Retention• Peer-tutoring

Written Intervention Plans

• A description of the specific intervention

• Duration of the intervention

• Schedule and setting of the intervention

• Persons responsible for implementing the intervention

• Measurable outcomes which can be used to make data-based adjustments as needed during the intervention process

• Description of measurement and recording techniques

• Progress monitoring schedule

Tier I InterventionFocus For all students

Program Scientifically Based Curricula

Grouping Multiple grouping formats to meet student needs

Time 90 minutes per day or more

Assessment Benchmark assessment at beginning, middle, and end of the academic year

Interventionist General education teacher

Setting General education classroom

Tier 1 Non-negotiables

Tier 1 STANDARDS-BASED CLASSROOM LEARNING:• All students participate in general education learning that

includes: – Universal screenings to target groups in need of specific instructional

support. – Implementation of the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) through

a standards based classroom structure. – Differentiation of instruction including fluid, flexible grouping, multiple

means of learning, and demonstration of learning.– Progress monitoring of learning through multiple formative

assessments.

Georgia DOE RTI presentation Nov 2008

Features of the TIER II Process• Purpose: To support individual students in

the general education classroom who have not met benchmarks through the whole class model of Tier I.

• Targeted Population: Students who have significantly lower levels of

performance than their peers. Students who exhibit significant deviation from

their grade level peers in academic or behavioral issues. Students who are learning at a much slower rate than their grade level peers and falling farther behind

their classmates.

Features of the TIER II Process

• • Services: Creative/flexible scheduling

to allocate sufficient time for small group instruction. Creative uses of personnel

resources, i.e., teaching styles, several people teaching reading groups.

Thirty minutes of additional instruction at least 3 times per week. Lasting from six to twelve weeks. Progress monitoring biweekly.

•

Tier II Intervention Characteristics

• Intervention (additional instruction) and frequent progress monitoring (weekly and preferably 2x per week) that struggling students receive.

• Struggling students receive additional instruction.

• Instruction is provided to same-ability small groups of no more than three to five students.

Tier II: Supplemental InstructionFocus For students identified with marked difficulties, and

who have not responded to Tier I efforts

Program Programs, strategies, and procedures designed and employed to supplement, enhance, and support Tier I

Grouping Homogeneous small group instruction (1:3, 1:4, or 1:5)

Time Minimum of 30 minutes per day minimum 3 x per week in small group in addition to 90 minutes of core instruction

Assessment Progress monitoring weekly on target skill to ensure adequate progress and learning (preferably 2x weekly)

Interventionist Personnel determined by the school (e.g., a classroom teacher, a specialized teacher, an external interventionist)

Setting Appropriate setting designated by the school; may be within or outside of the classroom

Tier 2 Non-negotiables

NEEDS-BASED LEARNING:• In addition to Tier 1, targeted students participate in

learning that is different by including:– Standard intervention protocol process for identifying and

providing research based interventions based on need and resources.

– On-going progress monitoring to measure student response to intervention and guide decision-making.

Georgia DOE RTI presentation Nov 2008

Tier IIIFocus For students identified with marked difficulties, and

who have not responded to Tier I or Tier II efforts

Program Sustained, intensive scientifically based interventions

Grouping Homogeneous small group instruction (1:1, 1:2, or 1:3)

Time Minimum of three 30 minutes per day in small group or individually in addition to core instruction

Assessment Progress monitoring twice a week or at a minimum weekly on target skill to ensure adequate progress and learning

Interventionist Personnel determined by the school (e.g., a classroom teacher, a specialized teacher, an external interventionist)

Setting Appropriate setting designated by the school; may be within or outside of the classroom

Tier 3 Non-negotiables

SST-DRIVEN LEARNING:• In addition to Tier 1 and Tier 2, targeted students

participate in learning that is different by including:– Intensive, formalized problem solving to identify individual

student needs.– Targeted research based interventions tailored to

individual needs.– Frequent progress monitoring and analysis of student

response to intervention(s).

Georgia DOE RTI presentation Nov 2008

Tier 4 Non-negotiables

Georgia DOE RTI presentation Nov 2008

Implementing RTI

1. Collect local norms using Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) probes

2. Identify at-risk students3. Provide academic intervention(s)4. Monitor student progress5. Evaluate the response to the intervention(s)

Progress Monitoring

• Is formative • Uses a variety of data collection methods• Examines student performance frequently over

time, to evaluate response to intervention in making data-based decisions

• Is on-going, systematic process for gathering data– Academic – Social– Behavioral

Progress Monitoring

• Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) is the recommended tool for measuring student response to the intervention.

Progress Monitoring

• The purpose of progress monitoring is to take frequent measures, usually weekly, of a student’s performance to determine whether he or she is making progress in response to the intervention.

• Most models that have been researched have used CBM for weekly progress monitoring.

Why Not Pre and Post Test?

Pre-Test (10 Weeks) Post-Test

?

Positive Response to Intervention

Not Responding to First Intervention

Better Response to Intervention

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Interpreting Progress

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Steven

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Tier 2: Strategic -PALS

Aimline= 1.50 words/week

Trendline = 0.55 words/week

Poor RTIDr. George M. BatscheCo-Director, Institute for School ReformFlorida Problem-Solving/RtI Statewide ProjectUniversity of South FloridaTampa, Florida

Georgia DOE Presentation Nov 2008

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Steven

Tier 2: Strategic -PALS

Tier 3: Intensive - 1:1 instruction, 5x/week, Problem-solving Model to Target Key Decoding Strategies, Comprehension Strategies

Aimline= 1.50 words/week

Trendline = 0.2.32 words/week

Positive RTI

Dr. George M. BatscheCo-Director, Institute for School ReformFlorida Problem-Solving/RtI Statewide ProjectUniversity of South FloridaTampa, Florida

Georgia DOE Presentation Nov 2008

Implementing RTI

1. Collect local norms using Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) probes

2. Identify at-risk students3. Provide academic intervention(s)4. Monitor student progress5. Evaluate the response to the

intervention(s)

Comparison of Pre Intervention Data to Post Intervention Data

• Did it work?• Decision making rubric applied

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Tier I is Critical!!!

• Scientifically based curriculum delivered with FIDELITY

• Continues during Tier II• Continues during Tier III• The better Tier I is the fewer children will

become Tier II or Tier III!

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Tier II

• Elementary– Minimum of 30 minutes of SUPPLEMENTAL

scientifically based research intervention per day at least three days per week

– Tier I continues• Middle/High

– Minimum of a period of scientifically based intervention per day

– Middle• Usually occurs during “elective-exploratory periods”

– High• Usually a scheduled “class period” richly staffed

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Tier II ImplementationTier I Classroom

• Teacher provides scientifically based research curriculum

• Teacher provides additional help to struggling students

• Teacher takes data through classroom activities and progress monitoring for “at-risk” students prior to going to Tier II—after going to Tier II, PM done at Tier II

Tier II Intervention

• Scientifically researched intervention provided in ADDITION to classroom

• Progress monitoring occurs at least weekly and preferably twice per week

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Tier III Implementation

Tier I Classroom• Teacher provides

scientifically based research curriculum

• Teacher provides additional help to struggling students

• Teacher takes data through classroom activities and progress monitoring for “at-risk” students prior to going to Tier II—after going to Tier III, PM done at Tier III

Tier III• Tier II is deleted• At least two 30 minute

interventions for a targeted student per day for at least 45 days within 60 school days. In Middle/High staffing is increased

• Progress monitoring is twice per week

Decision Point

Student at or below 10th Percentile:

Begin the appropriate forms to take student to the S-Team

Student above 10th Percentile:

Continue working with student in the classroom

OR Go to the S-Team for

input and further assistance

Students who are less than two years behind

• Find a thirty to forty-five time period during the day to provide small group interventions

• Reduce home group by 5-7 minutes• Reduce between class time by 1-2 minutes• Reduce each period by 3-5 minutes• Yields the 30-45 minute period during the day

for enhancement, intervention or other student meetings

Decision Point for Tier 2

1) Student is at or below 10th Percentile

And2) Growth rate is less

than average

Proceed to Tier 3

3) Student achieves 25th percentile or above

Exit Tier 2

4) Some progress but above 10th percentile

Continue Tier 2

Decision Point for Tier 3

Student at or below 10th percentile

ANDGrowth rate less than

average Proceed to Tier 4

(Special Ed. Consideration)

Student making progress but above 10th percentile

Continue Tier 3 or Return to Tier 2

Student achieves 25th percentile

Exit Tiers

Summary of Recommendations regarding the implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI):

• The Georgia Department of Education recommends districts and schools maintain a deep focus on the development of standards-based learning environments in all classrooms.

• The Georgia Department of Education recommends districts and schools monitor the transfer of learning from all interventions to the Tier 1 general classroom.

• The Georgia Department of Education recommends districts create a system to monitor the fidelity of implementation of instruction (including interventions) at all Tiers of the Student Achievement Pyramid of Interventions.

• The Georgia Department of Education recommends the formation of a data team at each school. • The Georgia Department of Education recommends the problem solving process checklist be used as a guide

for implementation of the problem solving process. • The Georgia Department of Education recommends the use of a blended approach (problem solving process

and standard protocol) to solving student learning concerns.• The Georgia Department of Education recommends the use of a universal screening process three times per

year.• The Georgia Department of Education recommends districts and schools use an established data-

management system to allow ready access to students’ progress monitoring data.• The Georgia Department of Education encourages districts to use evidence-based protocols to provide a

common framework for choosing evidence-based interventions.• The Georgia Department of Education recommends districts evaluate the distribution of existing funds for

supporting interventions in schools.

Georgia DOE Presentation Webinar Nov 2008

Thank You for Your Time

John E. McCook, Ed.D.jmccook125@aol.com

McCook and Associates865-693-5884