RtI Response to Intervention Concept English – Part 2 August 2014

Merging I with We… Activity minutes I am handing out a piece of paper and want you to write down a word or phrase that comes to mind when you hear RtI Share out: Post on wall…

The purpose of this meeting is to… Identify what is already taking place in Concept Schools Review key points about RtI Advance the ongoing discussion about effective tiered intervention implementation in Concept Schools Articulate RtI expectations for the 2014/2015 School Year

If this were a unit of instruction: Enduring understanding: That it is our responsibility to provide all students with appropriate interventions/differentiations to address their various learning abilities.

Essential Question To what extent is my school providing all 3 tiers of RtI interventions to our students?

High-quality core instruction that meets the needs of most students ≈ 80% of Students ≈ 15% NCRTI, 2010 Conceptualizing the Framework Primary Prevention (e.g., Tier I): Evidence-based intervention(s) of moderate intensity that address the learning or behavior challenges of most at-risk students Secondary Prevention (e.g., Tier II): Individualized intervention(s) of increased intensity for students who show minimal response to secondary prevention Tertiary Prevention (e.g., Tier III): ≈ 5% © 2011 NHSC, NCRTI, and COI

Currently at Concept Schools… Activity 2 – 10 minutes Using the blank RtI template consider all the programs listed on the right and drop them were they belong in the triangle. Think- Pair - Share Running Records for Reading Progress Monitoring D and F students strategically DEAR Title 1 or Title III Behavior contracting Discipline/Attendance Data Peer Mediation Character Education Research based math and reading programs

RtI is problem solving Problem-solving is the basis for RtI and is defined as activities designed to “eliminate the difference between “what is” and “what should be” with respect to student development” (Deno, 2002; p. 38). Problem- solving within Tier 2 tends to focus on identifying specific deficits (e.g., fluency vs. comprehension), but analysis within Tier 3 involves collaborative efforts to identify the current level of performance, the desired level of performance, and variables that prevent the student from obtaining that desired level. At the secondary level, problem analysis and development of intervention plans is typically conducted by a team of teachers. Grade-level teams drive the RtI process at the elementary level, but secondary efforts are carried out by different types of teams. Most high schools use a content-area team, such as the English department, to examine universal screening data and to monitor progress with students receiving interventions.

RtI IS and IS NOT RtI Is: An initiative that supports general education school improvement goals Intended to help as many students as possible meet proficiency standards without special education A framework to unify general and special education students through greater continuity of services Focused primarily on effective instruction to enhance student growth RtI Is Not: A stand- alone special education initiative A means for just getting more students into special education A method for just increasing or decreasing special education numbers Focused primarily on disability determination and documented through a checklist

Some Deepening Questions… Why should my school do this; will it help more children? What is your catalyst for change in your school? What systems are in place and what systems need to be added to make your RtI framework more useful?

What is Response to Intervention (RtI)? Effective Educational Practices for All “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 and applying child response data to important educational decisions. RtI should be applied to decisions in general, remedial and special education, creating a well-integrated system of instruction/intervention guided by child outcome data.” (National Association of State Directors of Special Education, 2005)

Core Principles of RtI We can effectively teach all children and intervene early Use research-based, scientifically validated core instruction with fidelity Use assessment data to inform instructional decisions (variety of data including screening and progress monitoring) Use a problem solving method to make decisions within a multi-tier model of service delivery Use research-based, scientifically validated interventions matched to student need with continuous progress monitoring Use data as part of the evaluation process for determining eligibility for special services

The No Child Left Behind Act and IDEA call on educational practitioners to use scientifically based research to guide their decisions about which interventions to implement. IDEA states that in implementing coordinated early intervening services an LEA may carry out activities that include-- (1) Professional development (which may be provided by entities other than LEAs) for teachers and other school staff to enable such personnel to deliver scientifically based academic and behavioral interventions, including scientifically based literacy instruction, and, where appropriate, instruction on the use of adaptive and instructional software; and (2) Educational and behavioral evaluations, services, and supports, including scientifically based literacy instruction.

How do we proceed?

Leadership Created staff consensus Delivered professional development (PD) Implemented evaluation procedures Allocated resources Made data-based decisions Created sustainable processes 15

Roles and Responsibilities Each school will need to decide: Directors/Instructional Coordinators Academic Team Classroom Teachers Instructional Coaches Regional Superintendent

Suggestions for… Directors – Oversee personnel and provide the necessary time to plan for tiered interventions Instructional Coordinators – meet with grade level (problem solving) teams, coordinate services, and monitor/document progress Coaches – support teachers, direct teachers to resources in Master Curriculum, model appropriate Tiered interventions Teachers – worked toward a deeper understanding of research based best practice strategies and work in cooperation with case managers and other specialists including other related arts teachers who are assigned to teams by Coordinators

Classroom Teachers 80 % of what we are talking about related to RtI should take place in classrooms already and improvement can begin there by: Holding teachers accountable for classroom differentiation Don’t inundate teachers with paper work, rather support them with best practice resources to help all students learn Review reading/math strategies already in our curriculum and make sure that research based strategies are being used daily Make sure teacher lesson plans/units clearly document the process – this is not the responsibility of the Title 1, SPED, and ELL teacher, it is initiated by the Regular Education teacher with their support

Take the Lead… Regular English Education teachers should: Observe all students in classroom and begin to annotate performance and behavior Record Interventions Form 1a Initiate Form 1 and report to grade level teams

RtI Alignment

Where are you now? Will your classroom teachers be prepared to observe and record learning and behaviors in September? 80% Will your teachers have a system for documenting and collaborating what they see? Will your grade level teams (problem solving team*) be ready to look at an RtI request form and determine interventions? 20% Will you be ready to monitor student progress throughout the year? 20% * Please note that this grade level/problem solving team should have ample time to focus on RTI

Area of focus MeasureFrequency ReadingMaze curriculum-based measure (CBM) Conducted at the end of eighth grade for students attending feeder middle schools; guidance department administered for new students within 6 weeks GradesFailure of one or more content area classes Guidance department conducted review three times a year Exit examsFailure to pass a state exit exam on its first administration Guidance department conducted review at the end of each school year BehaviorNumber of office discipline referrals Guidance department conducted review in December and May Universal Screening 22 Brief assessments for predicting which students will develop learning or behavioral problems and need intensive interventions 22

Ongoing Progress Monitoring 23 Level of instruction MeasureFrequency Primary Ongoing formative assessment Common mathematics assessment Common writing prompts Grades Attendance Daily Monthly Semester/quarter First 20 days of school, quarterly Secondary Teacher-developed algebra CBM Maze passage D/F reports Time-sampling for behavior Every other week Weekly Tertiary Measures embedded in intervention program Behavior tracking sheets Daily Yields data to assess students’ learning and academic performance and to determine whether a specific intervention is effective for a particular student 23

EXAMPLES OF INTERVENTIONS Tier II and III

≈ 80% of Students Tier II and Tier III Prevention Evidence-based intervention(s) of moderate intensity that address the learning or behavior challenges of most at-risk students (NCRTI, 2010) Secondary Prevention (e.g., Tier II): ≈ 5% 25© 2011 NHSC, NCRTI, and COI Provided in addition to primary prevention (core) Teacher-led, small-group instruction Ongoing progress monitoring and appropriate diagnostic assessment as needed Provided in addition to primary prevention (core) Teacher-led, small-group instruction Ongoing progress monitoring and appropriate diagnostic assessment as needed Tertiary Prevention (e.g., Tier III): Individualized intervention(s) of increased intensity for students who show minimal response to secondary prevention (NCRTI, 2010) Provided in addition to primary prevention (core) Very small-group (1:3) or 1:1 instruction Ongoing progress monitoring and appropriate diagnostic assessment as needed (more frequent) More intense instruction (increased time, reduced group size, more explicit and systematic instruction, increased feedback) Provided in addition to primary prevention (core) Very small-group (1:3) or 1:1 instruction Ongoing progress monitoring and appropriate diagnostic assessment as needed (more frequent) More intense instruction (increased time, reduced group size, more explicit and systematic instruction, increased feedback) ≈ 15% 25© 2011 NHSC, NCRTI, and COI

Tier II Prevention: Secondary Examples English Language ArtsAlgebraBehavior Time in intervention 55-minute periods, 5 days a week, 1 semester 40-minute period, 1 day a week during advisory, 1 semester Instructional content Vocabulary, comprehension strategy instruction, fundamentals of writing (organization), study skills Preteaching and reteaching concepts from core curriculum Example: Check and Connect Instructional delivery Large groups divided into small groups/pairs, explicit and systematic instruction, frequent feedback, scaffolding, differentiated instruction Large groups divided into small groups/pairs, explicit and systematic instruction, frequent feedback, progress monitoring to ensure mastery Positive learning environment, posted behavioral expectations, explicit teaching of strategies AssessmentOngoing formative assessment, journal checks (writing samples), CBM (maze passages) Teacher-developed CBM organized around state standards Office discipline referral and grade monitoring for particular students 26

Tier III Prevention: Secondary Examples ReadingBehavior Student needMore than two grade levels behind, struggling with decoding and reading connected text Consistent poor behavior that interferes significantly with learning Instructional content Phonics, fluency, comprehension via a published intervention program Social skills intervention Instructional delivery Small, teacher-led groups within large class; special education teachers and teacher aids; explicit; systematic; fast-paced Behavior specialist delivered in a full class period AssessmentProgram-based assessment, diagnostic testing twice per semester Functional behavior assessment 27

RtI – Response “Response to intervention is data-driven instruction that is implemented to maximize the achievement of all students. Just be sure you are prescribing the right medicine to fix the problem.”

Action Steps September – Classroom Teachers observe and record student behavior for Tier I interventions and refer (Form 1) students to grade level teams for Tier II and III by October 1 st. October – Instructional Coordinator sets up a Student RtI Folder and Folder Checklist (Form 2) for Tier II and III students working as necessary with special education teacher January – Instructional Coordinators and Grade Level teams submit current RtI Tracking Form (Form 3)

Monitoring Forms…