RTI and Special Education Policy: Burning Questions and Sizzling Answers
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Transcript of RTI and Special Education Policy: Burning Questions and Sizzling Answers
Vision: Every child in every district receives the instruction that they need and deserve…every day.
Oregon Response to Intervention
Vision: Every child in every district receives the instruction that they need and deserve…every day.
RTI and Special Education Policy: Burning Questions and
Sizzling Answers
Lisa Darnold, ODEDavid Putnam, OrRTI
Melissa Williams, Ontario SDOrRTI Spring Conference
May 21th, 2014
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
Objectives1. Provide an overview of common Q & As regarding SPED policy & RTI• SLD eligibility options in Oregon• Referral• Comprehensive evaluation • Determining adequate instruction in Gen ED • Determining need for Specially Designed Instruction• Legal risks: Child find, refusing to evaluate, evaluation
timeline
2. Answer your questions about RTI and implications for SPED
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
Question:
What are the SLD evaluation options in Oregon?
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
IDEA Guidance for State Criteria for Evaluating SLD
A State must adopt…criteria for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability. In addition, the criteria adopted by the State: • Must not require the use of a severe discrepancy
between intellectual ability and 34 CFR 300.8(c)(10); • Must permit the use of a process based on the child's
response to scientific, research-based intervention; and• May permit the use of other alternative research-
based procedures for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability, as defined in 34 CFR 300.8(c)(10).
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
OARS: SLD Procedures
OARs allow for two methods of SLD identification: • RTI• PSW (“other alternative research-
based procedures”) • Districts must define their process
and criteria for evaluating SLD
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
Question:
How do you know when to refer for a SPED evaluation?
Oregon Response to Intervention
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When do you refer: Suspicion of a disability
Oregon Response to Intervention
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Parent Referrals
• The team must consider the referral–Cannot refuse the referral due to RTI (OSEP,
2011)–Can refuse the evaluation if there is good
evidence (i.e., data) indicating the student can be successful with general education supports–Must provide written notice to parents if the
request to evaluate is refused
Parents have a right to make a referral at any time
Oregon Response to Intervention
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Question:Do you need to conduct an evaluation planning meeting?In RTI, don’t you already have everything you need?
Oregon Response to Intervention
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Evaluation Planning Meeting
• Do you need to conduct a Special Education evaluation?
• What additional information you need as a team? (Permission to Evaluate Form)–Get caregiver consent 60 school day timeline
begins• Provide caregiver with Parents Rights
brochure
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
Question:
What constitutes a “comprehensive evaluation” in an RTI model?
Oregon Response to Intervention
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Under 34 CFR 300.304, the public agency must ensure: The child is assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability, including, if appropriate, health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, general intelligence, academic performance, communicative status, and motor abilities [34 CFR 300.304(c)(4)]
The evaluation is sufficiently comprehensive to identify all of the child’s special education and related services needs [34 CFR 300.304(c)(6)]
IDEA Guidance for a Comprehensive Evaluation
Four Primary IDEA Criteria for Evaluating Learning Disabilities1. LowFailure to meet age- or grade-level State standards in one of eight areas when provided appropriate instruction:• Oral expression• Listening
comprehension• Written
expression• Basic reading skill• Reading fluency
skills• Reading
comprehension• Mathematics
calculation• Mathematics
problem solving
2. SlowRTI: Lack of progress in response to scientifically based instruction and intervention
OR
Pattern of strengths and weaknesses in performance, achievement, or both, relative to age, State-approved grade-level standards, or intellectual development
3. ExclusionaryLack of progress not primarily the result of:• Vision, hearing,
or motor problems
• Intellectual disability
• Emotional disturbance
• Cultural factors• Economic or
environmental disadvantage
• Limited English proficiency
4. ExclusionaryFor all students:Demonstrate that under achievement is not due to lack of appropriate instruction in reading and math.• Data
demonstrating appropriate instruction
• Repeated assessments of student progress during instruction
Inclusive Observation Exclusive
Specific Learning Disability Adapted fromKovaleski, VanDerHeyden & Shapiro, 2013, p.16
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
Three Key Questions With RTI
Slow Progress
Low Skills
Instructional Need
SPED Entitleme
nt Decision
Is the student significantly different from peers?
Does the student make less than adequate progress despite interventions?
Does the student need specially designed instruction?
=Exclusionary Factors
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
Question: Is a test of cognitive ability/processing
a required?• “Just doing RTI alone isn’t a
comprehensive evaluation.”• “The definition of SLD itself makes
it necessary to evaluate cognitive processing”
• “You can’t really know/diagnose SLD without a cognitive evaluation.”
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
OARS: Comprehensive SLD Evaluation Regardless of Model
a) Academic assessmentb) Review of recordsc) Observation (including regular education
setting)d) Progress monitoring datag) Other:
A. If needed, developmental historyB. If needed, an assessment of cognition, etc.C. If needed, a medical statementD. Any other assessments to determine impact of
disabilityOregon Administrative Rules, 581-015-2170
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
“The Department does not believe that an assessment of psychological or cognitive processing should be required in determining whether a child has an SLD. There is no current evidence that such assessments are necessary or sufficient for identifying SLD. Further, in many cases, these assessments have not been used to make appropriate intervention decisions. .…In many cases, assessments of cognitive processes simply add to the testing burden and do not contribute to interventions… ”
(Federal Register, vol. 72, no. 156, p.46651)
Myth: The Definition of SLD Mandates Evaluation of
Cognitive Processing
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
Question:
How do you know if “under achievement is not due to lack of appropriate instruction?”
CORE Intervention
All SLD evaluations must include:
“(A) Data that demonstrate that before, or as part of, the referral process, the child was provided appropriate instruction in regular education settings”
RTI
OAR 581-015-2170
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
Question:
How do you determine if a child needs SDI?
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
What is Specially Designed Instruction?
• Federal Definition: adapting the......... –Content–Methodology
and/or –Delivery of instruction
Oregon Response to Intervention
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What is Specially Designed Instruction?
Additional components: 1. Needs to be truly necessary rather
than merely beneficial2. Designed or implemented by
certified special education personnel3. Not available regularly in general
education
Oregon Response to Intervention
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Need for Special Education services
What does the student need to be successful?
Oregon Response to Intervention
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Question: What is the difference between Tier III
and SPED?• Child has been found to have a
disability and need SDI/SPED (Child-Find requirement)
• Legal entitlements and assurances– Ongoing monitoring & re-evaluation– Parent involvement– Accommodations & related services
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
Question:
What are the legal risks of using RTI?
Oregon Response to Intervention
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Myth: RTI will lead to legal trouble, especially with Child Find
LORE: The response to intervention (RTI) approach for identifying students with specific learning disabilities will generate a spate of losing litigation concerning child find under the IDEA.
(Betesh, Brown, Thompson, & Zirkel, 2012)
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
Despite “dire predictions” few child find issues with RTI itself
LAW: …thus far no published court decision has specifically concerned RTI and child find, and the few pertinent hearing officer decisions have been deferential to school districts (e.g., Cobb County School District, 2012; Joshua Independent School District, 2010).
(Betesh, Brown, Thompson, & Zirkel, 2012)
IDEA Complaints in Oregon (2012-2013)
From a presentation by ODE representatives at 2013 COSA SPED conference
Oregon Response to Intervention
www.oregonrti.org
Burning Questions and Sizzling Answers
• Quiet Write
• Table Talk & Collect Questions
• Discussion
Oregon Response to Intervention
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Further Questions?David Putnam
Director, Oregon RTI [email protected]
Lisa DarnoldDirector, Regional Programs and Best Practices
Oregon Department of [email protected]
Melissa WilliamsDirector of Instruction and Student Services
Ontario School [email protected]