Response to Intervention – A Good IDEIA Assessment Driving Instruction David Lillenstein, Ed.D., NCSP Director of Psychological Services

General Education Special Education Sea of Ineligibility The Historical Disconnect …

Historical Discrepancy Model - Problems Wait to Fail Needs are known in K or 1 st grade but discrepancy often not present until 3 rd or 4 th grade By 8 it’s too late…window is closing… LD is a catch-all label “a sociological sponge to wipe up the spills of general education” (Reid Lyon – cited in Gresham, 2001) LD is arbitrarily and inconsistently defined in policy and practice Tends to not identify students needing intensive instruction found in special ed. – no discrepancy! “For Tx, the use of discrepancy models forces identification to an older age when interventions are demonstrably less effective (Fletcher et al., 1998)

Historical Discrepancy Model – IQ Tests & Problems No direct link to instruction or intervention!! Discrepancy includes measurement error Decisions to intervene focus on amount of discrepancy, not on student skills or need IQ tests do not differentiate well between LD, MR, and low achieving students There is actually much overlap among groups (Gresham et al., 1996) Few differences between low achieving and LD (Algozzine, 1995) IQ does not help differentiate the needs of students who need help (Vellutino at al., 2000) IQ tests discriminate Minorities may be under-represented in LD, but over in MR

Response to Intervention - Definition 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 Applying child response data to important educational decisions (NASDSE, 2005)

Why Response to Intervention? Brings together Regular, Remedial, and Special Education Documents effective education Aligns identification procedures with effective instruction AYP – RTI fits with NCLB – It is about maximizing results! Provides self correcting mechanisms for schools to take control of their outcomes, driven by student results

Core RTI Principles All students can learn Early intervention Multi-tier models of instruction and intervention Use of problem-solving models Use of scientifically-validated instruction and assessment Progress monitoring to inform instruction Data-based decision making Assessment drives instruction – Screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring

Common RTI practices Scientifically-based curricula & practices Explicit Matched to student need Designed to produce high rates of learning 3-tier models of instruction and intervention Progress monitoring and formative evaluation Continuous, ongoing Data-based analysis and diagnosis Considers growth over time in comparison to baseline Compared to expected level of performance (self & peers) Functional behavioral & academic assessment Standard treatment protocols

3 Purposes of Assessment Data 1. To enable student performance 2. To enable student performance 3. To enable student performance (Grimes & Tilly, 2003)

Data Collection in RTI Replace Norm-referenced tests Not sensitive to change over time Do not inform instruction Measure individual differences, not growth Cannot be administered frequently or quickly CBM – Curriculum-Based Measurement Reliable and valid Sensitive to change Directly related to instruction Allow for goal setting Allow for prediction Can be administered frequently and quickly Measure individual differences and growth

3 Tier Intervention Model Prevention Model Each Tier provides more intensive and supportive intervention Layers of intervention in response to student needs Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 100% Regular Classroom 15% Double Dip <5% IEP

Response to Intervention – RTI Advantages Focus is on attainment of learning standards…on improving educational outcomes and learning abilities! (student learning is the focus) Regular classroom is 1 st line of intervention Merges regular, remedial, and special education Promotes data-based decisions Lack of progress change in intervention Not just for special education or for determining eligibility Reduced paperwork load

RTI Advantages - Continued Considers cause of learning deficits outside of the learner Identification process is embedded in the intervention process – removes “wait to fail” Frequent and regularly scheduled assessment drives instruction Program and curriculum evaluation. Learner Curriculum Instruction The Environment

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